Of Love and Bunnies
by CrazyGirl47
Summary: Set just after Dino Thunder. When Angel Grove announces another Power Rangers Day, Tommy takes the Dino Rangers to Angel Grove for a reunion with the original team… including Kimberly. TommyKim, JasonTrini, KiraTrent. No Kat bashing. Heavy humor.
1. It Came from Angel Grove

**_Of Love and Bunnies_**

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own what I don't own, including but not limited to Power Rangers.

_Full Summary:_ Starts three weeks after the end of _Power Rangers: Dino Thunder. _When Angel Grove announces another Power Rangers Day to honor the original Power Rangers team, Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly, Zack and Tommy return to Angel Grove, and Tommy brings the Dino Thunder Rangers along. Chaos ensues. Plenty of romance and comedy, with the occasional side dish of angst, drama or action.

_Author's Notes:_ "Of Love and Bunnies" is a co-write between Freyja SilverWillow, CrazyGirl47 and, in later chapters, Bryn Spikess. Will be Tommy/Kimberly, Jason/Trini, Kira/Trent and Adam/Tanya, with other canon and non-canon pairings thrown in along the way. Reviews are greatly appreciated, but if you flame us, we're probably just going to roll our eyes (and possibly flame back).

After a few years of writing this story, we figured it was time to amend the beginning author's notes with a couple of warnings. OLaB, we've been told, is funny. In the hopes of ensuring the health, safety and clean computer screens of our readers, we'd like to ask that you do not eat, drink or operate heavy machinery while reading OLaB. We are not responsible for any injuries, damages or mental health diagnoses caused by this fanfic. That said, enjoy.

**Chapter One**

_It Came From Angel Grove_

On the first Saturday of summer vacation, Tommy sat in Hayley's Cyberspace with Conner, Kira, and Ethan, listening as they discussed their plans for the upcoming months before moving on to college and whatnot in the fall. Tommy couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia, a wistful longing for the old days back at Angel Grove Youth Center with Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly and Zack, chatting away over smoothies or while working out, talking about what to do with their free time. It had been over a decade since he'd done anything in one big group with his first real friends, but it seemed like only a week ago.

Tommy was so lost in thought that he nearly jumped out of his skin when a newspaper hit the table in front of him; he whipped around to see Hayley grinning down at him.

"I think you'll find page two rather interesting," she told him, nodding at the paper before heading off to the sweep the floor behind counter.

Curious, Tommy looked down at the paper, wondering what could possibly interest him. He never read the paper anymore, not now that it was no longer filled with stories about the Power Rangers. Once Mesogog had been defeated, the paper had become quite boring to him; he only read the sports page and the comics now. He had entertained himself with the major stories for a few days after the last battle, reading the coverage of Mesogog's downfall and then the speculation on what had happened to the Rangers (most of the town was wondering if they'd ever be seen in Reefside again). Now, however, it was mostly politics and such.

Tommy flipped to page two, his mouth dropping open at the photographs. One, which was relatively small and done in black-and-white, he recognized immediately as Angel Grove Park. To the right of the photo was a rare photograph of his old Power Rangers team, of the White, Black, Pink, Blue, Yellow and Red Rangers, and above both pictures was the headline, "Angel Grove to celebrate Power Rangers Day."

Tommy stared at the headline, wondering if he was having some freakish sort of flashback. A Power Rangers Day? Again? …When there was no Power Rangers team?

He skimmed over the article, which was relatively long and talked about the original Power Rangers Day more than a decade ago, when Rita Repulsa had kidnapped the citizens of Angel Grove. There was also a good deal of speculation about whether the old Rangers would actually show up. The story continued to another page, and Tommy flipped to it, intrigued as he read through quotes from Angel Grove residents talking about how hopeful they were to see the old Rangers. He smiled when he saw a quote from someone in Reefside, who hoped feverishly that the Dino Rangers would put in an appearance as well. That explained why something like this was in the Reefside paper—the town was missing its heroes.

"'…Angel Grove's mayor has announced that, to celebrate the anniversary of the original Power Rangers Day, another ceremony will be held in Angel Grove Park, to once again thank the original Power Rangers team for protecting the city and for all their good deeds.'"

Tommy jumped and looked around; Conner, Ethan and Kira were now standing behind him, reading over his shoulder. He closed the newspaper. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to read over people's shoulders?"

"We tried reading it from where we were sitting, but that was kind of hard," Ethan said cheerfully.

"'The mayor is confident that the Power Rangers will put in an appearance; after all, they have never let Angel Grove down in any way,'" Conner continued, then looked up at Tommy expectantly. "Are you going?"

Tommy sighed; he was sure he had never been so annoying at seventeen. He turned back to the paper, staring down at it. Did they _have_ to put it like that? As if it was their sacred duty to show up for Power Rangers Day?

"I don't know," he said absently, considering it. On the one hand, he wasn't sure if he was invited or not. He knew the others would want him there… but he would feel quite stupid if the town meant the five original Rangers, and not him. Still, he might as well head for Angel Grove, see if they had a poster of the White Ranger up there with the other posters… and it'd be cool to see the gang again, regardless of whether or not the town planned on honoring him. He could spend some time with the old gang, provided they came… Jason and Trini, Billy, Zack… and Kimberly…

"Can we come?" Kira asked eagerly.

"What?" Tommy looked up again, startled.

"Come on! We want to meet them!" Ethan exclaimed. "The original Rangers… they're legends!"

Tommy suddenly found himself surrounded by young hopeful faces with puppy-dog eyes. Realizing he was now in dangerous territory, he schooled his features into his best Teacher Look. "I don't think so, guys," Tommy said firmly.

"Why not?" Conner whined, nearly pouting.

_Think, Tommy, think…_ "Because… it's too dangerous."_ Oh, THAT was smart. The first thing that pops into your head is danger and you spit it right out. Smooth move. Surely they'll buy THAT— "honoring the original Rangers with a simple ceremony is too dangerous for superheroes that fought evil on an almost-daily basis." Riiiiight._

"But we thrive on danger!" Ethan exclaimed.

"If there's danger, you're gonna need us," Conner added.

"Yeah, fighting evil is our job," Kira joined in. "At least, it _was…"_

"The original Rangers will be there," Tommy reminded them.

"And they might need help," Conner said, nodding emphatically.

"You can't morph anymore, remember?" Tommy pointed out. He decided to omit the fact that only three of the original Rangers still had Power Coins; he couldn't morph himself, except as Zeo Ranger Five.

"But we can still fight," Conner insisted stubbornly.

Tommy sighed and decided to switch tactics. "Trust me, guys, you don't _want_ to go. All that traveling just for some dull ceremony—you'll be beyond bored."

"And you won't be?" Kira asked.

"Um… of course I will be, but—"

"That's why you should take us with you!" Conner interrupted. "We'll liven up the place! You'll have us to keep you company and hang out with you—"

"Conner, you're not helping," Ethan cut in quickly.

Before Conner could reply, Trent came over and sat down, shortly followed by Hayley. "This place is dead today," Trent said, looking around at the café, which was empty, save for the five ex-Rangers and Hayley. Shrugging, he looked around at his friends and former teacher. "So what's going on, guys?"

"Dr. O's going back to visit Angel Grove because they're honoring the original Power Rangers including him and he's gonna take us with him," Conner replied promptly.

"That's a great idea, Tommy," Hayley told him before Tommy could deny Conner's statement. "I bet Jason and Billy and everyone would like to meet them, and I'm sure they'd all love to see Angel Grove—"

"Yeah, that sounds awesome," Trent jumped in eagerly. "When do we leave?"

"_We_ don't," Tommy said flatly. "I'm going alone. IF I go."

"But Dr. Oooooooo…" all four teenagers whined.

"Why?" Hayley asked.

"Because the last thing I need is these kids asking Jason and the gang what I was like in high school," Tommy muttered, low enough that only she could hear.

Hayley fought to suppress a laugh. "Oh. I see."

"Hayley," Kira said pleadingly, "if anyone can convince Dr. O to let us come—"

"Oh, look, there's an invisible customer over there. I better go help him," Hayley said quickly, retreating.

Tommy stared after her indignantly. _She was supposed to back me up, not run for it,_ he thought irritably.

"Come on, Dr. O," Trent said. "It'd be so cool to see Angel Grove. You could show us the sights."

Ethan nodded. "Yeah! 'That's where I fought a monster, and that's where I fought a monster, and look over there! That's where I fought a monster!'"

"Ethan, you're not helping," Kira said.

"Guys, I can't afford to take all four of you all the way to Angel Grove," Tommy replied, struck by sudden inspiration. "I mean, the drive all the way there, the drive all the way back… and I might actually stay a few days, if my friends come—"

"We'll hitchhike and sleep in a tent!" Conner exclaimed, as though this was the most logical solution in the world. Everyone turned to stare at him. "What?"

"Or we'll pay our own way," Kira said, shaking her head at Conner.

"Yeah, what she said."

"Actually, my dad told me that he said he'd pay for me to go on a vacation if I wanted," Trent spoke up. "He said I could bring some friends, too. You know, it's a reward thing."

"For saving the world?" Ethan asked.

"For getting good grades."

"Oh."

"I couldn't ask him to do that," Tommy said quickly, racking his brains for a way out of this.

"He offered, Dr. O. And I know he'll be cool with me going to Angel Grove, especially if you're going—"

Tommy shook his head. The last Power Rangers Day hadn't exactly gone smoothly, and he didn't really like the idea of taking the former Dino Thunder Rangers back to Angel Grove. It wasn't really about the teasing both groups of former Rangers would inflict upon him like he'd told Hayley; he was worried that something might happen… and if truth be told, he wasn't too sure he wanted anyone else along on a trip to go see the old gang. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, he was suddenly aching to spend some time alone with his first and best friends. He hadn't actually spent time with all five of together at once since Trini, Zack and Jason had left for the Peace Conference, he'd only gotten to see Billy twice since Billy had left for Aquitar… and he hadn't spent time with Kimberly at all since The Letter. He didn't know if she'd come or not, but he knew that if she did, he'd be a basket case the whole time, though he was looking forward to seeing her. One thing he regretted about Kimberly was that he'd never patched things up, never contacted her and tried to at least stay friends. Still, whether Kimberly came or not, he had a strong desire to fly solo, if he even did fly at all. "Trent," he said after a long pause, "go somewhere fun, okay? This is going to be a complete drag, and I don't even know if the original Rangers will make it. I mean, Billy's on a completely different _planet,_ for crying out loud. This will be a lot more work than fun. _I_ wouldn't even go if I didn't have to."

"Why do you have to?" Conner asked.

"…Because the last time Angel Grove had a Power Rangers Day, the entire town got kidnapped," he admitted reluctantly.

"Really?" Kira said, looking alarmed.

"We should definitely go, then," Ethan added. "I mean, what if it happens again? What if the original Rangers aren't enough?"

Tommy squirmed a little in his chair. That WAS a fair point… but Rita was destroyed, and so were all other evil entities with grudges against the original team. Surely nothing bad would go wrong? _That's what they always say right before a big evil comes along,_ he reminded himself.

"Guys, you can't morph, and you know it."

"But sometimes powers recharge, just like you said some of the Red Rangers' did when you had that mission on the moon," Kira reminded him.

"That doesn't mean _yours_ will. Besides, there's not going to be any big evil battle," Tommy said firmly, trying to convince himself as much as the Dino Rangers. "Everything's going to be fine."

"What happened to 'it's too dangerous'?" Ethan demanded.

"Dr. O, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Conner whined. "I've always wanted to meet the first Rangers." He put on his best pleading look, and Tommy sighed, his resolve weakening… and then returning full-force when Conner added, "I hear the Pink Ranger is especially hot." Kira glared at Conner and smacked him upside the head, hard. "OW!"

Tommy stood up quickly, filled with a sudden intense annoyance he couldn't control. It took all of his willpower not to bite Conner's head off. Instead, he snapped, "Conner, you are NOT going."

Conner stared up at Tommy's glaring face in surprise. "Um… please?" he asked nervously.

Tommy stood up and began to walk over to Hayley. "I said NO, guys. That's final."

"Come on, Dr. O!" Kira exclaimed, standing up. She and the three guys followed him across the café and he stopped, knowing they would follow him all over town if he tried to escape. "We may not be Rangers, but we still have skills. If something did happen and we stayed here, it would take us ages to get to Angel Grove to help, if we even heard about it at all."

"Kira, you're not helping," Trent warned, realizing the flip side of her argument.

"And if you come, you'll be leaving Reefside open and vulnerable, with no one here to contact you." _Ha! Take that! Score one for Dr. Oliver!_ Tommy gloated mentally.

"Except Hayley," Ethan pointed out. "And Dr. Mercer."

_Curses,_ Tommy thought, resisting the urge to strangle Ethan. Thinking fast, he shrugged the comment off. "And if all of us were in one place, and there was an attack, then there wouldn't be any backup—"

"I thought you said there wasn't going to _be_ an attack," Conner said, looking confused.

"That's not the point," Tommy whined. That was the problem with teenagers—and Rangers, really. They never gave up.

"Come on, Dr. O," Trent cajoled. "Nothing's going to happen. My dad's no longer evil, and unless something freaky happens to turn him into a killing machine again—"

"Trent, you're not helping," Conner interrupted with a smirk.

"Guys, I said _no._ You _cannot come._ Get it through your thick skulls, okay?"

"Never! Nothing gets in our thick skulls!" Conner declared, striking a tough-guy sort of pose.

"Conner, you're not helping," Ethan said dryly. He looked at Conner, Kira and Trent in turn, and then all four of them turned to look at Tommy. Something about the gleam in Ethan, Conner and Kira's eyes made Tommy take a nervous step backward. "Guys—" Ethan grinned in an almost maniacal way— "I think it's time we tried a little something called _teamwork."_

Tommy's eyes darted to the door, not knowing what they were planning but knowing he didn't want to be around for it. Just as he decided he could make it to the door if he dodged between Kira and Trent, Conner shouted, "Everyone grab a limb!" and Conner, Kira and Ethan leaped at him.

"What the—ARGH!"

Ethan seized Tommy's right arm, hugging it to him tightly, while Conner and Kira each grabbed a leg and held on like two year olds trying to prevent Daddy going to work and leaving them at day care.

"You're not leaving without us!" Conner yelled, wrapping his arms and legs around Tommy's right leg and sitting on his foot.

"Let go!" Tommy commanded indignantly. "You're crushing my foot, Conner!"

"And I'm gonna keep crushing it until you agree to take us with you!"

"And I'm going to keep crushing your other foot!" Kira added.

Tommy looked down at the slender girl, who weighed next to nothing compared to Conner, and sighed. "Guys, I'm warning you—"

"Give it up, Dr. O. You're beat," Ethan told him smugly.

"And we're out of school so you can't give us detention and extra homework!" Conner exclaimed.

"One day, Conner, remind me to explain the meaning of the word 'priorities.'" Kira snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Let GOOOO!" Tommy fairly screamed, shaking the leg Kira was holding so hard that she went slightly cross-eyed.

"What is going ON over here?"

"Hayley!" Tommy cried in relief as she hurried over. "Hayley, help!"

"What are you _doing_?" Hayley demanded, staring at the three teenagers glomped to Tommy, who had begun attempting to dislodge Ethan with his remaining free arm.

"We're persuading Dr. Oliver here to take us to Angel Grove," Conner said cheerfully.

Hayley stared at him, then glanced at Trent, who was standing nearby and watching in amusement. "Hey, don't look at me," he said defensively. _"I'm_ still sane."

"Hayley! A little help, please?" Tommy begged.

The corners of Hayley's mouth twitched in amusement. Behind them, two local teens entered the café and approached the counter. "Sorry, Tommy," she apologized unconvincingly. "Even if I had the strength to pull the three of them off of you, I've got customers to serve."

"Hayley!" Tommy yelled. He turned to Trent as Hayley hurried away. "Trent, come on, help me get—"

"No!" Kira yelped at Trent.

"Don't be swayed by the dark side, man!" Conner insisted. He paused. "Well, again!"

"Yeah," Ethan added, trying to dodge Tommy's left arm. "Give us a hand! You want to go to Angel Grove, don't you?"

"Um… I think Hayley needs me," Trent muttered, giving them all a weird look and edging back towards the counter.

"Trent! Come on, buddy, we need you!" Ethan yelled. Tommy had now grabbed Ethan's forehead and was trying to push him back.

"If you're not with us, you're against us!" Conner proclaimed, glaring at him.

"What he said!" Kira agreed, narrowing her eyes.

"…You realize you're all acting psychotic, right?" They all nodded, save Ethan, who gave a thumbs-up as best he could while clutching Tommy's arm with his head forced back at an uncomfortable angle. Trent shook his head. "I'll be over there. Trying to explain to the customers why you guys have attacked Dr. O like toddlers."

"You do that, traitor!" Conner yelled after him.

Tommy growled and let go of Ethan's head. "You know what? I'm an adult. I have a longer attention span than you three. And I'm NOT changing my mind. AT ALL. So go ahead, sit on my feet and pin my arm! _I am not taking you with me!"_

* * *

About an hour later, Hayley's Cyberspace was far busier, filled with teenagers playing on the computers, talking over drinks… or simply staring, pointing and laughing at Tommy, who was still standing in the middle of the café with Conner on one foot, Kira on the other, and Ethan on his arm. The café's patrons were becoming quite used to the sight; several people had come over talk to Kira, Ethan or Conner for the moment, and some had even said a few words to Tommy. Whatever Trent had said about the situation, it must have sounded good; everyone seemed to think that there was a perfectly logical reason for the strange sight, and no one really questioned it, though they did think it was amusing.

Tommy was about to lose his mind. He had never been much for holding still, and the three teenagers weren't helping. Ethan was now holding his right arm and the end of his left sleeve, preventing him from using either arm (not surprising, considering how often Tommy had spontaneously started hitting him). Kira had scooted around so that she was sitting behind his foot with her arms and legs wrapped around the front of his leg and her head resting just behind his knee. Conner occasionally poked him in the leg for the fun of it, which wouldn't be so bad if he didn't keep poking the same spot often enough that Tommy was wondering about bruising… and there were also several other annoyances.

"Are you gonna take us _now?"_ Ethan whined. He'd been asking the same question every two minutes for the last hour.

"No."

"Are you gonna take us _now?"_ So had Conner.

"No."

"Are you gonna take us _now?"_ And Kira.

"The next person who asks me that is going to accidentally fall off a cliff onto extremely sharp rocks and their mutilated corpse will be washed away into the ocean and never seen again."

Silence.

Just as Tommy was starting to think that they'd let it go, Ethan cleared his throat.

"Can we come with you _now?"_

A scream was threatening to burst forth, building inside his throat and attempting to fight its way out. Just before he let out his frustration, however, a familiar buzzing started in his back pocket.

"ARGH!" Kira shrieked, pulling back from his leg as far as she could without letting go.

"What was that?" Ethan asked, alarmed.

"What was what?" Conner said, unconcerned. "Kira just randomly screamed—"

"Something just started vibrating," Ethan interrupted, noticing it too.

"On Dr. O?" Conner asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust and looking rather horrified at the implications.

"I think it was something in his pocket," Kira said, breathing heavily from the start she'd been given.

Tommy glowered at Conner, the only one in his direct line of sight. "It was just my cell ph—HEY! GET YOUR HAND OUT OF THERE!"

The entire café turned to stare, but Tommy was too freaked out to care. Someone had just put their hand in his back pocket, and that was not exactly something he had expected to happen (much like the rest of the day).

Kira removed her hand, her fingers clenched around the cell phone. "Trini, eh? Who's that, Dr. O?"

"Dr. O's got a GIRLFRIEND!" Conner declared gleefully.

"Give me the phone, Kira," Tommy said in his best no-nonsense voice.

Ethan grinned. "Dr. O seems a little busy to me. What do you think, guys?"

Tommy heard the sound of Kira flipping his phone open. Panicking, Tommy jerked his arm up out of his sleeve and down and out of his shirt, freeing it and making a wild grab for the phone. Kira yelped, ducked, and tossed the phone to Ethan, who released Tommy, snatched the phone, hit the send button and ran for it.

"Run, Ethan!" Conner yelled.

"We've got him—ARGH!"

Now that his arms were free, Tommy was able to grab Kira and pry her loose, freeing his left leg easily. He reached for Conner, but Conner, in a rare moment of intelligence, figured it was time to run also, and took off.

"Dr. Oliver's cell phone," Ethan said pleasantly into the microphone as Tommy chased him around the tables, his shirt riding up as he stretched out his arms to try to grab Ethan, one arm and half of his chest uncovered.

"…Who is this?" asked a deep, masculine voice, which wasn't at all what Ethan was expecting. He had, after all, thought he was about to talk to Tommy's "girlfriend."

"You're a GUY?" Ethan said, so startled that he stopped—giving Tommy the chance to catch him. "AUGH! CONNER! Go long!"

The cell phone flew across the café. Tommy let go of Ethan and spun around just in time to see Conner leap forward and catch it. Various customers clapped and cheered at the move.

"CONNER!" Tommy bellowed.

"Hello?" Conner said.

"Hello?" said the voice at the other end.

"Trini is a guy's name?" Conner said in surprise.

"That's my wife's name—who is this?"

"I'm one of Dr. O's students. Who's this?"

"GIVE. ME. THE. _PHONE!"_ Tommy roared, running full-speed at Conner.

Conner leaped away and ran for it. "Ethan!" he yelled as Tommy chased him back to the other side of the café.

Ethan caught the phone and took off once again. "Was that Tommy I heard in the background?" the caller asked.

"Yeah, he's here," Ethan said, jumping over someone who had crouched down to tie their shoe (and scaring the person half to death). "He's just a little busy at the moment."

"When I'm through with you three you'll only WISH I'd still be able to give detentions!" Tommy shouted, leaping over the shoe-tying person as well. Conner's sudden burst of laughter didn't improve Tommy's mood.

"Busy doing what?" the caller asked.

"Um… exchanging words with a few unruly former students, is all."

"ETHAN!"

"Hold please," Ethan said pleasantly, and faked a pass to Kira; as soon as Tommy ran at her, Ethan threw the phone back to Conner.

"So, who is this?" Conner asked, crouching down behind a table in the corner as Kira distracted Tommy.

"Tommy's friend, Jason Scott," came the amused-sounding reply. "How did you get Tommy's cell ph—?"

"Jason Scott? THE Jason Scott?" Conner hissed, glancing around to make sure no one was in earshot. _"The original Red Ranger?"_

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jason said, a little too quickly.

"Dude, it's cool. This is Conner McKnight, the Red Dino Ranger!"

"Oh," Jason said. "I've heard about you from Tommy."

"Same here! Dude, you're a legend! THE Red Ranger. The _first_ Red Ranger, the original _leader of the Power Rangers—"_

"Um, you're not in public, are you?" Jason asked worriedly.

"I'm whispering," Conner replied. "And no one's really paying attention to me."

"Um… right. Is Tommy—"

"I can't believe this!" Conner shouted ecstatically, standing up and knocking the table over in the process. "THE Jason Scott! THE FIRST RED! Ethan! Kira! GUESS WHO THIS IS!"

"It wouldn't be Jason Scott, the first Red, would it?" Kira said dryly. Glancing around casually, she searched the customers' faces for signs of realization, but no one appeared to have connected "the first Red" with the Power Rangers.

"How'd you guess?" Conner said, disappointed.

"RAWG!" Tommy growled, diving at Conner from the side. Conner looked over in surprise, having forgotten their game of Keep Away From Angry (Former) Teacher, and threw the phone just before Tommy crashed into him, sending them tumbling into the overturned table in a painful heap.

Kira caught the phone, stunned and suddenly terrified. Jason Scott, the original Red Ranger, the first person to ever lead the Rangers, was on the phone. What was she going to SAY?

"Hello? HELLO?" came Jason's voice.

Shakily, she put the receiver to her ear. "H-hello?"

"…Hi. Who's this?"

"Th-this is Kira," she said, backing away from the crowd, attempting to get over her nerves at talking to a legend like Jason while getting out of the onlookers' listening range and Tommy's direct line of sight. "Kira Ford. I'm, uh, I mean, I _was_ Yellow. I mean, you know, THE Yellow, not yellow as in chicken. I mean, as in cowardly, not as in actual chicken… is this really Jason Scott?"

Jason chuckled. "Yeah, that's me. Listen… what's going on over there? I keep hearing Tommy shouting—"

"Oh, uh…" Kira wrinkled her brow, thinking fast. "He's excited. We just heard about the celebration, and he's going to take us to Angel Grove to meet you guys!"

"Oh, really?" Jason said, surprised. "That sounds great. We were all so surprised to hear that he had created a new Ranger team. I look forward to meeting you."

"Are you _all_ going to be there?" Kira squeaked.

"All of the old team? I hope so. I've talked to—"

"KIRA! Look out!"

Kira, so star struck by the thought of actually meeting Jason, had forgotten about Tommy much like Conner had; he came barreling from out of nowhere and snatched the phone, his loose sleeve whacking her in the head as he turned away from her. "Jason?" he gasped, out of breath from anger and exertion.

"Hey, Tommy! How's it going? Kira was just telling me that you're bringing the new crew down for Power Rangers Day."

Tommy sighed long-sufferingly and looked around him. At least four tables and six chairs were knocked over. Several overturned drinks were being mopped up by Trent. The customers, who'd been cheering throughout the game of phone tag, were lining the walls in an attempt to avoid getting hurt. Hayley was staring at him with murder in her eyes. And only half of his chest was still covered by his shirt. Shrugging his shirt back on, he could have sworn he heard a few sighs… and one female whisper of "No, you shouldn't think about teachers like that… ohhh nooo…"

"Yeah," Tommy told Jason sadly. "You'll finally get to meet the four wonderful kids who made up the team." _Before they die slow painful deaths_, he added silently. "Hang on a second; let me go somewhere… that's not here…"

He turned around to find Hayley glaring up at him. "You go anywhere NEAR that door before this place is clean, and I'll make you wish Mesogog was back."

Tommy stared down at her blankly and slowly blinked. "On second thought, Jason, let me call you back."


	2. A Small Problem

**Chapter Two**

_A Small Problem_

Jason grinned broadly as he set down the phone; from the sounds of things, Tommy had never achieved that dream of settling down and living the quiet life. Tommy's life was never very calm, orderly or normal. Jason hadn't really been very surprised to hear that Tommy had formed a new Ranger team and gotten back into uniform; in fact, Jason had just shaken his head and remarked that Tommy would probably end up as a sixty-year-old slightly arthritic Orange Ranger at this rate.

Jason sat back on his couch, glancing absently around the living room. After college, almost three years after he'd broken up with Emily, he'd returned to Angel Grove to open his own dojo, which had been very successful; there were a lot of martial arts fans in the original home of the Power Rangers. His life since the Ranger days hadn't been anywhere near as exciting as Tommy's, but it had been comfortable, and happy—even more so when Trini had come back into it.

He'd gotten together with Trini back in high school, shortly before leaving the Rangers, and he'd stayed with her during the Peace Conference. They'd decided to cool it after the conference and just stay friends; Trini had been bound for MIT, and Jason had wanted to go back to California. They'd kept in touch and remained close while Jason worked on a business degree (he'd wanted to have a fallback, another job opportunity in case his plan of running a dojo had failed, and he'd figured business management would help his school more successful and give him other options if it didn't work out), and Trini studied to be a software designer. She'd gotten a job with a computer company in Louisiana, but she'd missed Angel Grove, and was able to transfer to Angel Grove within a year. She and Jason became inseparable again, spending every spare moment together, and before long, they were a couple again. They'd been married for a little over two years now, and they were thoroughly happy.

Jason had kept in touch with all of his old friends, especially Tommy, Zack, Billy, and Kimberly—which wasn't surprising, given that, with the exception of Tommy, they'd all known each other for most of their lives. At the moment, Billy was the only one who wasn't in California; he was still on Aquitar with Cestria. It was rather silly to ask Billy to come home from a completely different planet just for a short ceremony, but Trini had decided she'd let him know about it; Billy had been thinking about returning to visit anyway. They had all missed Billy, though it helped that he'd sent communication devices to keep in touch with all of his friends (which came with long instructions that no one but Trini could interpret; she'd spent a good long while calling everyone who'd gotten one and helping them figure it out). Trini was especially excited at the thought that Billy might actually come to visit; the two of them had always been very close. Billy had only been back to Earth twice since leaving, and both times had only been for a few hours—once to collect his belongings (only the Zeo Rangers had gotten to see him that time) and once to attend Jason and Trini's wedding.

Trini and Jason had already called Zack, who was working as a fight choreographer in Hollywood. Zack had always made it a point to take some time off each year and visit his friends and family, and he'd immediately warmed to the idea of getting the old crew together for a few days. He was already making plans to spend about a week in Angel Grove, regardless of whether Tommy, Billy and Kimberly came for Power Rangers Day; even if it was only Trini, Jason and Zack who made it, they were all looking forward to it. Zack had booked a local hotel room for the week before Power Rangers Day; they'd offered to let him stay at the house, but he'd pointed out that four extra people might be a little cramped in Trini and Jason's home, and at least Billy was going to have to stay with them, since Billy no longer had American money, or any other form of currency used on Earth.

Now that Tommy and Zack had decided to come, and Trini was talking to Billy, the only person who didn't know about Power Rangers Day was Kimberly. Kimberly, who'd had a long career as a gymnast and even won two Olympic medals, now lived in Los Angeles and ran a gymnastics center. Jason was sure she'd love to come… but she would probably be quite awkward around Tommy. They'd only seen each other once since Kimberly had left for the Pan Global games, and that had been when she and Jason got kidnapped by Divatox, roughly seven years ago. Kimberly and Tommy had barely spoken then, and they'd both seemed very strained. Ever since Jason had heard about the letter Kimberly had sent Tommy, he had avoided asking her about Tommy at all, and she hadn't offered any information. Jason didn't want to take sides, to sacrifice one friend for the other, so he'd just kept his mouth shut about it. Kimberly and Tommy hadn't been hateful or angry with each other when they'd met up during the kidnapping thing, but they hadn't exactly chatted away. Jason couldn't recall them saying a word that wasn't tense small talk or something to do with Divatox. Kimberly would definitely want to get together with Trini, Zack, Jason and Billy, but Jason wasn't sure what her reaction to Tommy would be. He knew Tommy regretted not staying friends with her, or fighting to get her back, but Jason had no clue what Kimberly's thoughts were. Perhaps Trini would know, though; she was just as close to Kimberly as Jason was, if not more so.

Jason was startled from his thoughts by Trini, who emerged from the basement with a huge smile on her face. "Billy's going to come!" she exclaimed, nearly shaking with excitement. "He said it won't be a problem, the Aquitians can teleport him straight here—he said he'd stay as long as Zack planned to, maybe longer, but he didn't want to impose too long. I told him that was silly, of course, because he could never impose on _us_ even if he tried, but I think he feels bad about not having any money, at least not money usable on this planet, and that he can't stay in a hotel or buy his own food—"

"Whoa, slow down," Jason interrupted, grinning.

"Sorry," she said, sitting down on the couch beside him, "I'm just so happy he's coming back. I miss him like crazy. I bet he's learned loads about the computer systems used on Aquitar—"

Jason chuckled. "Yes, you two discuss alien computers; I'll try and figure out just how to use my e-mail and program the microwave clock. Sounds like fun."

Trini laughed. "Don't worry, Jase. Even while Billy's here, I'll help you use your e-mail, and no amount of time with Billy is enough to make me let you go _near_ the microwave clock." Jason gave her a mock-glare. "What did Tommy say?"

"He's going to call me back," he replied. "He was… in the middle of something, but he's going to be here. And he says he's bringing the new Ranger team."

"Really? How interesting," Trini said, raising her eyebrows. She giggled. "I really can't picture Tommy as a teacher. He's so… well…"

"Disorganized?"

"Well, yes, but that's not why. I just can't see him placing himself in a role like that, teacher to student. He's a leader, but he's usually on even ground with those he's leading, one way or another. I can't see him controlling a bunch of teenagers and not acting like a teenager himself. He's more King Arthur than Julius Caesar."

"Tommy's been shocking us to death for years," Jason pointed out. "Who knew he'd end up with a PhD in paleontology, of all the things?"

She giggled again. "That's another thing I can't see—Tommy sitting still long enough to study something that deep."

"The race car thing, I could see that," Jason agreed. "Examining fossils? That was a shock."

Trini nodded, then gave him a thoughtful look. "Think Kimberly heard about Power Rangers Day?"

Jason shook his head. "I doubt it. She's not much for reading the paper or watching the news, and I'm not sure an Angel Grove ceremony is interesting enough to make L.A.'s news anyway."

"Think she'll come?" Trini asked.

"I don't know. I think I'll drive out there and talk to her about it, actually. She'll probably come. It's not like she and Tommy can't be civil; Tommy's not even mad anymore, really."

"He's the one who ended it," Trini said. "But I don't think Kim is m—"

"What do you mean, 'he's the one who ended it?'" Jason interrupted. He and Trini had never spoken much about Tommy and Kimberly's relationship, both feeling that it wasn't for them to judge, but he was rather shocked that she thought it was somehow _Tommy's_ fault when _Kimberly_ was the one who'd dumped Tommy in a letter.

"Just what I said," Trini replied, giving him an odd look. "Tommy's the one who ended it."

"No, he isn't," Jason argued, confused and not a little defensive. "It was Kim."

Trini's expression darkened, but her tone was still diplomatic. "Just because she went to Florida doesn't—"

The phone rang, and Trini stopped. "That's probably Tommy," she said.

"Yeah." Jason glanced at the caller ID; sure enough, it was Tommy's cell. "Look, let's not take sides, okay? They're both our friends, and what happened isn't our business." It was the same thing they had said eight years ago, back when the breakup had first happened.

"True," Trini agreed. She nodded at the phone. "Put it on speaker, okay?"

Jason hit the button. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jase."

"Hey."

"Hi, Tommy!"

"Hey, Trini. How's it going, guys?"

"Good," Jason said. "What was going on earlier? Why'd you let Conner and Ethan and Kira have your phone?"

"'Let' is a strong word," Tommy replied, sounding a tad irritated. "It's a long story."

"Jason said you're bringing the Dino Rangers?" Trini said eagerly.

"…Yeah," Tommy said, the annoyance in his voice increasing slightly. "Is that all right with you guys? Because if you'd rather I didn't, I _totally_ understand—"

"Nonsense. It will be great to meet them," Trini said pleasantly. "I'd love to see them."

"Yeah, any protégé of yours has _got_ to be interesting," Jason said, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Oh, ha, ha," Tommy said, sighing. "Are Billy and Zack coming?"

"Yep. Zack's got the time—"

"And even Billy said he could make it home," Trini said, smiling happily.

"Awesome!" He paused; when he spoke again, his tone was carefully casual. "What about Kimberly?"

"We haven't talked to her yet," Jason said, exchanging a glance with Trini. They hadn't often heard him mention Kimberly; the moments when Kimberly came up in conversation with Tommy were few and far between.

"Oh. Well, let me know when you do. This Power Rangers Day… it's in two weeks, right?"

"Two weeks from today, that's right. Zack's coming into town next Saturday, and so is Billy."

"I'll try and come down Saturday, too," Tommy said. "We're all on summer vacation, and I haven't really made too many plans yet. It's the best part of being a teacher—you get your summers off, but you still get paid."

"Lucky you," Jason said. "So… will you all be staying here?"

"Trust me, the last thing you want is four teenagers running amuck in your house," Tommy said dryly. "I'll get a hotel."

"Zack's going to stay at Angel Grove Inn," Trini said. "Billy's staying here, though."

"I'll probably stay at the Inn then, too," Tommy said. "I'll have to make some calls, think a few things over… it's been a while since I had an actual vacation. It'd be nice to hang out around Angel Grove and all. Go to the beach and the park and stuff… but I guess you two will have to work, won't you?"

"We're both going to try to take off as much time as we can," Trini said. "I have some vacation time, and Jason's going to talk to his students, so we should be able to get time off."

"That's great. I think I'd better go and call up Conner, Ethan, Kira and Trent's parents… they might not be allowed to come…" He sounded distinctly hopeful.

"I'm sure they will," Trini said, missing Tommy's tone.

"Well, give us a call when you know more," Jason said. "Can't wait to see you, Tommy."

"Same here, guys. Bye."

Trini and Jason said their good-byes and hung up. Jason set the phone down. "I think I'll just go surprise Kim," he said, knowing that Kimberly was far more easily persuaded in person, as she was often hooked by pleading looks and smiles and had a tendency to make up an excuse to get off the phone when she was being asked to do something she didn't want to do.

"I'm sure she'll come," Trini said. "She wouldn't miss a chance to hang out together; we haven't done that since high school."

"Yeah," Jason agreed, hoping Trini was right.

* * *

Kimberly slid into the driver's seat of her car, stretching her head from side to side. She'd been teaching all day—Saturdays were always her busiest—but, while her body was tired, she also felt… _ready._ She felt as though she could kick some serious butt. Part of her still expected to hear the beeping of her communicator and go rushing off to battle; after all this time, she still felt the urge to fight.

Her life was going quite well. Her studio had grown at an exponential rate; everyone wanted to train with an Olympic medalist, especially one who was also the girl next door and a native Californian. Kimberly now had three other instructors working for her and dozens of students; it was a wonder she remembered their names. She had a nice house, a nice car, and—naturally—a wardrobe and shoe collection to rival most actresses. Still, something felt off. She was no longer competing, and it had been the only thing that had taken the edge off of her love of being a Ranger. She didn't like the danger, but protecting others and fighting for a good cause had always been something she'd enjoyed. Now, she felt like there was nothing spectacular left. There were no high beams above cheering crowds, there were no monsters to fight. She had money, and a job she enjoyed, but she had nothing to _excite_ her anymore.

Except the ringing of her cell phone, which made her jump so badly her head hit the windshield.

"OW!" she yelped, rubbing her head as she picked the phone up. "Hello?" she grumbled sourly into the phone.

"Was that a greeting or a death threat?" came Jason's voice.

"Jason! Hi!" Kimberly exclaimed. "Sorry, had a minor injury."

"You okay?" Jason demanded worriedly.

"Yes, _Dad,"_ Kimberly teased. "What's up?"

"I'm driving. I'm about an hour from L.A."

"Why?" Kimberly asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I thought we could hang."

"Any particular reason for this visit?" Kimberly asked suspiciously. Jason rarely surprised her when he came to visit. When he did surprise her, he never called halfway there, enjoying the look on her face when she saw him on her doorstep. If he was already on his way, he probably wanted something, had something serious to discuss, or had news that she didn't want to hear; those where the only times when he started driving before giving her a heads up. His leaving first meant he wanted to be too far away from his home for her to feel right about telling him to turn around.

"Do I need a reason to visit one of my best friends?" Jason replied. "I miss you, is all."

Kimberly smirked. Jason was a horrible liar, especially when it came to his friends. "Do I need a reason" and "I miss you, is all" meant "You're not going to like it." If his motives had been innocent, he would have simply said no, and rambled off something he wanted to do with Kimberly while visiting her.

"Isn't that sweet," Kimberly said dryly, starting her car and putting it in reverse. "An hour, eh? Want me to order pizza?"

"Yeah. Sounds good."

"Right. See you soon."

Kimberly pondered over what Jason could possibly have to say as she drove home, showered, dressed and called the local Pizza Hut. The last time he had done something like this had been when he'd come to convince her that the guy she was seeing was bad news, and the time before that, he'd wanted to propose to Trini and ask for Kimberly's advice. For some reason, she felt particularly nervous about this visit; the word "divorce" was flashing through her mind, as were things like "monsters," "death," and "broken bones."

She was just handing the pizza delivery boy his money when she heard a car door slam; she practically knocked the pizza guy off the porch as she rushed forward. "Jason!" she exclaimed, flinging herself at her friend as he climbed out of his pickup truck.

"Hey, Kim!" Jason said, picking her up and swinging her around. "How've you been?"

"Same old, same old," Kimberly said cheerfully as the pizza boy stalked passed, giving her a disgruntled look as he returned to his beat-up car. "You?"

"Great!" Jason replied enthusiastically. "In fact, I've got some good news."

"What is it?" Kimberly asked, wondering if she'd been wrong about Jason's motives for coming.

"…Let's get inside," Jason said, glancing around casually. Kimberly arched an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

Kimberly led the way up the walk and to the porch; Jason grabbed the abandoned pizza from the railing before following her inside. A few moments later, they were sitting down on Kimberly's couch with their food. Jason picked up his slice but didn't bite into it. "So…" Kimberly began, "what's the news?"

Jason smiled, but something about him seemed nervous. "They're holding another Power Rangers day. One to honor the original team."

"You're kidding!" Kimberly exclaimed. "After what happened last time?"

"You save people a few times and they no longer fear mass kidnapping," Jason joked.

Kimberly giggled. "So… are you thinking of going?"

"Yes, of course," Jason replied. "Trini and I are gonna go, and Zack's getting time off from work. Even Billy said he could make it."

"That's awesome!" Kimberly gushed. "He hasn't been back to Earth in years!"

"Not since he left," Jason said, nodding. "So… we were hoping you'd come down to Angel Grove too. Billy and Zack are arriving next Saturday; they're going to stay the whole week, maybe longer."

"I suppose I could make it," Kimberly said thoughtfully, trying to figure out how to work it. Her classes wouldn't be hard to cover for a week; the people she worked with were always looking for more hours. She could afford it, and a vacation would be nice—especially a vacation with her four closest childhood friends. She'd known Trini, Zack, Jason and Billy for most of her life, and it still felt strange to her that they hadn't all gotten together in roughly more than a decade. While she got to see Trini and Jason fairly often, Zack was usually busy with his job, and Kimberly hadn't seen Billy since she'd left Angel Grove to train with Coach Schmidt. She was suddenly desperate to see them all again.

"That's awesome," Jason said casually. He hesitated, and Kimberly rolled her eyes, exasperated.

"You know, Jase, the Mystery Man thing doesn't work so well if you can't lie to save your life. Why don't you tell me the reason you felt you couldn't tell me this over the phone?"

Jason opened his mouth with an expression on his face that said he was clearly planning to deny that he had bad news, but a no-nonsense look from Kimberly made him decide to come clean. He sighed and put down his pizza.

"All right," he said. "Look, when I said 'original team,' I didn't exactly mean you, me, Billy, Zack and Trini…" He frowned, struggling to find the right words. Without warning, he suddenly blurted out, "Tommy's coming."

Kimberly blinked, staring at him. "Oh."

Jason seemed to be in suspended animation, waiting for some sort of explosion. When none came, he forced out, "Are… are you still going to come?"

Kimberly looked even more startled by this question. "Of course I'm still going to come," she said, "you know—" She broke off. She had been about to say "You know that," but she didn't really think Jason _did_ know that. They had never talked about Tommy, not once. This was the first times she'd ever heard Jason—or any of her friends—mention Tommy's name since they'd broken up. "You know I would never miss the chance to hang out with the gang," she amended after a long pause.

"Being around Tommy won't upset you?" Jason asked anxiously.

Kimberly sighed. It _would_ upset her. Tommy wasn't just some jaded ex-boyfriend; he was her first love, and you never forgot your first love, as the saying goes. She still thought about him, often. She still wished that it hadn't ended, that she'd done something to repair their relationship, or at least to remain friends. When she'd been released from Divatox's spell, she'd been horrified at the memory of what she had done to Tommy while evil. She had always imagined a thousand things she would say and do if she ever saw him again… but she had never imagined she would get her first shot to reconcile right after being under an evil spell, during which she'd ignored his attempts to get through to her by removing his helmet, then urged Jason to throw Tommy into a lava pit. For a moment when they'd been talking aboard the Megazord, she had looked at him, and they'd just stared at each other for what seemed like ages. She'd tried to tell him everything with that look, and for a moment she'd thought he'd understood… and then Tommy had turned back to Jason and said something about the Liarians.

"Kinda," Kimberly said noncommittally, with a half shrug. "But I'm not, like, going to spit fire if I see him. _He_ might, though—have you talked to him?"

Jason nodded. "He asked if you were coming. He didn't sound upset or anything."

Kimberly nodded. "Look, what happened with Tommy is in the past. If he's willing to be friends, I most certainly am, too."

Jason smiled, looking as relieved as a person who'd just been told their puppy wasn't going to die after all. "That's great, Kim. I can't say for sure, but I think he feels the same way." He looked like he wanted to say more, but thought better of it. After a long pause, during which Kimberly's mind swirled with thoughts about Tommy and the past, he said, "Oh, he's bringing his Ranger team, too."

"Tommy has a Ranger team?" Kimberly repeated, looking astonished.

"Oh, yeah, the Dino Rangers," Jason said, surprised. "Haven't you heard of them?"

"Yes, but I didn't know Tommy was one of them!" Kimberly said, rather exasperated with her friends. It appeared that their reluctance to mention Tommy around her ran deeper than she'd thought. "Which one was he?"

"Black."

"Really? Is his life's aspiration to fight in every color known to man before he dies?"

Jason laughed long and hard, suddenly seeming far more at ease. "I think so. Of course, to do that, he'd have to be Pink, too."

Kimberly snorted. "Wouldn't surprise me, at this rate. Wow. He's back in uniform?"

"Not anymore, no. Their powers were drained in their last battle."

"Happens a lot, doesn't it?" Kimberly mused thoughtfully. "Odd."

The two friends were soon engaged in a light-hearted discussion of Rangers, past and present, and their conversation and laughter drove all thoughts of awkward reunions with her ex from Kimberly's mind.


	3. Leader of the Whack

_Author's Notes:_ As some of you might have noticed but probably haven't, the titles of the chapters come from episodes of Power Rangers that feature one of the original Rangers or the Dino Rangers. The main title "Of Love and Bunnies" is an allusion to CrazyGirl47's Harry Potter fic "The Prank War," and a stab at the sappy sort of romance that makes you want to roll your eyes.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

_Leader of the Whack_

Over the next week, Tommy prayed for some sort of resistance to the teens' evil intentions to butt in on his vacation. Once or twice he even found himself plotting a fake monster attack just to have an excuse. Unfortunately, no resistance came.

Conner, Kira, and Ethan's parents all granted them leave to take a graduation trip, especially when they found out that it would be financed by Anton Mercer and supervised by Tommy; they seemed to think it was some sort of post-graduation field trip. (When he talked to Kira's mother—the last parent Tommy called—Tommy had been so desperate that he'd nearly screamed that he was a pedophile and that no responsible mother would allow their daughter to go traipsing off to another city with him. His reluctance to get arrested and lose his job was the only thing that held him back.) Before Tommy had gotten a chance to call Trent's father, Anton Mercer had showed up on his doorstep with his checkbook in hand, rambling about numbers and how good it was of Tommy to take Trent and the others and how much it would mean to them to have one last adventure with their mentor.

Tommy seriously considered setting fire to the Angel Grove Inn.

He wasn't sure what was making him hate the idea so fiercely, but he suspected that part of it was that Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent left him trapped between two worlds—adulthood and theirs. Now, he was going back to relive his childhood, and while he greatly anticipated the chance, he thought he was going to have enough problems going back without bringing the four biggest reminders of his new life into his old life. Angel Grove and the gang were a sacred part of his life, a private part, and he didn't really want to remember how much things had changed, which he would be forced to do if he brought along the kids.

Then, too, there was Kimberly, and all the questions the four recent Rangers were going to ask—Conner in particular was not known for his tact—and then there was the teasing. Jason still wouldn't let Tommy live down the fact that he'd once sported a mullet, for crying out loud. None of his ex-students were ever going to listen to him again once they knew that his chronic lateness and absent-minded-professor habits were not "products of old age."

Still, as he listened to Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent ramble on about how cool the trip was going to be, a small mutinous part of him agreed with them. That part of him couldn't wait to impress them all with stories about his early Ranger days, make them laugh and stare at him with wide-eyed respect.

Tommy longed to beat that part of him with a sledgehammer.

But, as he couldn't figure out where on his person that part was hiding, and he couldn't find a way to keep the teenagers from coming along without crushing their spirits, he forced a smile to his face as they all assembled at his house early on Friday, all looking like six-year-old kids on Christmas morning. (Tommy had decided to leave the day before, in the hopes of actually making it on time.) All of them were traveling rather light, which Tommy was glad for, as he very well couldn't. In the back of his Jeep rested a long black wooden box, almost as long as he was. Inside were all his clothes and toiletries and so on, but, more importantly—

"GUYS! LOOK! IT'S HIS WHITE RAN—mmph!"

Tommy surged forward and clamped his hand over Conner's mouth. While Tommy had been talking about their route with Ethan and Trent, Conner had snuck over to the Jeep and peered inside the box to investigate. Inside, under the clothes, cushioned carefully by his belongings, was the White Ranger suit—helmet, boots, shield and all. It was the same one that had once stood on display in the back of the Power Chamber; as his Power Coin was destroyed, this suit was the only way he was going to be attending Power Rangers Day as his former self. "Quiet," Tommy hissed, glancing about uneasily, though he didn't see anyone but them in the general vicinity.

"Sorry, Dr. O," Conner said in a muffled voice from behind Tommy's hand.

"Wow," Kira said in awe, gazing in at the helmet until Tommy closed the case's lid. "How come you have the suit lying around?"

"We kept them as souvenirs," Tommy explained. "Well, Jason kept the Blue one for Billy, and Kimberly kept the Pink, but the Red, Yellow and Black went to Rocky, Aisha and Adam, since they can't morph into the original suits anymore and Jason, Trini and Zack can."

"They can? Then why don't they?" Ethan asked, startled.

"Well, for one thing, there's not much need," Tommy said. "For another, we agreed, a long time back, that we shouldn't let anyone know that three of the originals still had Power Coins. That way, if any current Ranger team was defeated, there would be others who could finish their work. Few of the Rangers have their powers still, but those that do don't go around parading it. Like the Zeo Rangers—Tanya, Kat, Adam, Rocky and I still have our powers, but we haven't used them since we became Turbo Rangers."

"How come they still have Power Coins?" Kira asked. "Didn't you say your Coins were destroyed?"

"They were. But it was Rocky, Adam and Aisha who lost their Coins, not Jason, Zack and Trini; they were already long gone by then. The Sword of Light gave Rocky, Adam and Aisha their powers, and it didn't completely drain Jason, Trini and Zack's powers. You're all familiar with the theory that energy can't be created or destroyed? Energy can only be converted into matter, and matter into energy?" They all nodded. "Well, the Power Coins were simply a channel for the energy. Like a remote for a television. The Sword of Light siphoned most of the power out of the three original Power Coins, and transferred them into duplicates the Sword created. Jason, Trini and Zack kept their basically powerless coins; they could still transform into the suit and summon their weapons, but most of the power was gone. Apparently our powers weren't _destroyed,_ simply scattered without a way to harness them. But Rocky, Adam and Aisha's powers had a container to go to—Jason, Zack and Trini's old Coins. So they're now at nearly full power again. They even still have their Blade Blasters," Tommy added with a touch of envy in his voice.

"Cool!" Conner exclaimed, looking as though he was itching to reopen the box, pull out the helmet and jam it on his head.

Tommy forced down an exasperated sigh and asked, "Are we ready to go, guys?"

"Shotgun!" the four of them yelled simultaneously, followed immediately by shouts of, "I called it first!"

Tommy groaned as a heated fight broke out; he gazed at his backseat, wondering if he could fit all four of them in the back. Maybe if Kira sat on someone's lap…

Just as he was about to suggest this idea, Ethan turned the tide of the argument, though not in his own favor.

"We're gonna be stuck in that car for hours," Ethan said heatedly. "There's no way I'm spending _that long_ sitting next to Conner!"

This seemed to hit home with Kira and Trent; they realized that even if one of them claimed the front seat, they'd be condemning the other to hours of being trapped in close quarters with Conner. Looking horrified, they both turned to Conner.

"You can have the front seat, man."

"Yeah, you… uh… deserve it."

"Whoo!" Conner pumped his fist in the air, apparently not the least bit perturbed by their lack of enthusiasm to sit next to him.

Tommy stared at Kira, Trent and Ethan with a look of absolute horror. He would rather have sat next to Lord Zedd than Conner.

"Sorry," Kira said weakly. Trent and Ethan gave him apologetic looks of deep sympathy as Conner rushed to the Jeep and climbed in, settling his bags around his feet.

With another groan, Tommy followed them to the Jeep.

The journey was not an easy one. It was cramped in the Jeep, what with five people and their duffel bags and knapsacks and Kira's guitar case. Conner kept bugging the crap out of Tommy, keeping up a steady stream of chatter. Worse, none of the four younger Rangers did a very good job of navigating, which was proving to be quite a problem. Tommy had made the trip to Angel Grove quite a few times since Jason and Trini had taken up residence there, but that didn't make it easy. Tommy had an uncanny knack for getting lost; it was part of the reason why he was frequently late. Near-constant highway construction didn't help matters, nor did the dozens of exits and interchanges and the need for many extra rest stops that Tommy wasn't accustomed to—to use the bathroom, to buy snacks, and fill up on gas lost on "side trips." Tommy had expected this, but not to the extreme that he was forced to endure. It seemed that every five minutes a different occupant of the car would snatch the map from one of the others, study it for a moment, proclaim, "I know where we are now!" and proceed to get them even more lost.

Tommy eventually did what any good-natured, mild-mannered man would do—he avoided bursting into tears by jerking the car onto an onramp so suddenly that everyone screamed and slammed painfully into something as he sped into a nearby drive-thru. When asked for his order, he promptly spilled the last week and a half of his life story to the poor McDonald's cashier and begged for directions to Interstate Five before ordering, in a rather pathetic tone of voice, one girl's and three boys' Happy Meals and the largest chocolate shake they could possibly sell him.

Ten minutes later, they were finally on the right track and everyone was silently munching on French fries, occasionally shooting meek, nervous glances at Tommy. Things were much better after that; while Tommy had a splitting headache, everyone was blessedly quiet and he was nursing a milkshake that appeared to have been put in a small bucket emblazoned with the McDonald's logo.

This didn't last long, however. It started with Conner (naturally), who decided to play with the toy at the bottom of his Happy Meal. The next thing Tommy knew, Ethan, Trent and Conner were holding some sort of car chase with little Hotwheels toys on the back of Conner's headrest, complete with loud, annoying sound effects that he supposed represented revving engines and squealing brakes. Kira snapped before Tommy, however; as the three cars crashed together, she suddenly brought the bottom of her tiny Barbie figurine down repeatedly on the tiny cars' hoods, punctuating each collision of badly-painted plastic and cheap metal with some sort of furious Amazon yell. The boys quickly yanked their cars away and stowed them safely in their pockets. Kira waved the Barbie figurine at them threateningly one last time before dropping it in her lap and folding her arms huffily over her chest.

When Tommy finally found the right road and turned on it, he was cheered so greatly that he let out a whoop of triumph. Right around then, the bucket of chocolate ice cream caught up with him… and hyperactivity set in.

Now, it was Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent's turn to be driven up the wall. Tommy suddenly wanted to play I Spy, the Alphabet Game and Spot the Out-of-State License Plates, at which he was very good, mostly because his mind was moving at double speed thanks to the sugar rush. So the four teenagers were not only forced to play boring games, but they always seemed to lose spectacularly. When the fun wore off for Tommy, he began to sing what he called "travel songs."

Tommy was not a good singer.

"Come on, guys!" Tommy exclaimed, greatly pleased at their pitiful expressions. "Sing with me now! Conner, Conner bo Bonner, banana fana fo Fonner, mi my mo Monner, Con-ner! Okay, let's do… Kira! Kira, Kira, bo Bira—"

"ANGEL GROVE NEXT RIGHT!" Conner shouted, the way one would shout their thanks when they were rescued right before the swing of the executioner's axe.

"YAY!" everyone else yelled.

Though they'd left before noon, night had already fallen on Angel Grove, but Tommy had no problem finding the Angel Grove Inn. While the road there was a tad confusing, he still knew most of the town like the back of his hand.

"Everybody out," Tommy said cheerfully. This was completely unnecessary; Conner had jumped over his door to land on cramped legs before Tommy could put the Jeep in park, and the others were close behind.

"So when do we get to meet the Ran—your friends?" Trent asked, glancing around casually to see if anyone else in the parking lot was listening.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Tommy replied, carefully lifting his box from the backseat. "Let's go check in, eh?"

They all grabbed their stuff and followed Tommy, yawning widely, their legs stiff. They approached a weary-looking woman sitting behind the front desk, who looked up at them blandly. "Can I help you?"

"We'd like three rooms, please," Tommy said, setting his long case down carefully.

"Do you have reservations?" the woman asked.

"No," Tommy replied. He hadn't bothered; Angel Grove enjoyed brisk tourism because of the Power Rangers and the beaches, but Tommy couldn't recall the hotels ever being full.

The woman frowned and typed something in on a nearby computer. "We only have one available."

"What?" Tommy spluttered.

"It's the first weekend after graduation here," the woman said, somewhat apologetically. "Party after party. Plus they're having an event to celebrate the first Power Rangers next weekend, so a lot of people have come in from all over the place—"

"There's no way we could get two?" Tommy whined. He had planned to put the guys together, get Kira her own room, and have one to himself. He didn't mind making Kira stay in the boys' room too much, but any last traces of sugar highs were rapidly disappearing at the thought of staying in the same room as Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent. A hotel room, after all, wasn't much bigger than a Jeep, and there was no chance of popping the door open and shoving Conner out if need be. "Do the windows open?" he added as an afterthought.

The woman shook her head. "No, they don't. I'm really sorry. However, if two people cancel reservations, I can get you two rooms by Sunday, when the graduation parties clear out, but that's not definite."

"What about another hotel?" Kira asked, thinking along the same lines as Tommy.

"Most of them are already booked," the woman said. "It's been over a decade since anyone has seen the original Power Rangers, and add that on top of graduation, summer vacationers pouring in, college students coming back to visit and the usual travelers…"

"We'll take it," Tommy said glumly, not wanting to lose the last available room in town while calling other hotels just to end up sleeping on Jason's living room floor with four rowdy teenagers.

Tommy paid for the room, accepted his keys, and headed up to room 603, his former students in tow. The room was very nice, equipped with the standard hotel furniture—a chest of drawers, on which sat a TV; a table and four chairs; and a nightstand between two double beds. A microwave sat on top of a mini-fridge in one corner, near the small closet and the door leading to the bathroom. Moments after they arrived, someone came by with a spare rollaway cot; this prompted an argument over the beds, and, as there wasn't room for more than one cot, Tommy was quick to give the cot to Kira, claim one bed for himself, and give the other to Conner. Ethan and Trent immediately began to argue over who would have to share with Conner, who told them helpfully that he liked to toss and turn and had a habit of snoring. After a long debate, it was decided the three boys would rotate nights on the free bed, the other two taking the floor. Tommy, feeling another headache coming on, seized the ice bucket and left to find the vending machines (not that they had anything they needed to put on ice, but Tommy found this a better excuse than "I'm going to strangle you all if I don't get out of here"). He handed Trent some money to order pizza and gratefully shut the door behind him as the others argued over pizza toppings.

Tommy filled the bucket with ice just down the hall, thinking absently that he could at least chuck the cubes at his former students if nothing else, and turned to head slowly back to the room, having no where else to go. When he reached the room, however, he heard a dull thud, a muffled shout, and a burst of maniacal laughter… so he continued on until he hit the far wall. Then, wondering how long he could continue aimlessly walking around, he reluctantly turned around and promptly crashed into someone.

"ARGH!" the person shrieked, in a familiar female voice. Ice flew everywhere.

"I'm sorry, I—"

Tommy stopped dead. Before him stood a short but lithe woman in a pink tank top, her brown hair pulled back in a casual ponytail. Startled brown eyes stared up at him, no doubt just as shocked to see him as he was to see her.

"—didn't see you," Tommy finished softly, staring down at Kimberly Hart.


	4. Found and Lost

**Chapter Four**

_Found and Lost_

Kimberly had finally finished unpacking her numerous clothes, hanging them carefully in the hotel's small closet or folding them neatly in the drawers of the hotel dresser in an attempt to keep them from getting too wrinkled and smelling like her suitcase. She'd decided to come into town on Friday rather than Saturday like she'd originally told Jason, so that she could be rested from her trip when she met up with the gang tomorrow morning at Angel Grove Park, and have some time to herself to think and enjoy being back in Angel Grove on her own.

Stretching, Kimberly picked up her purse and headed for the door, intent on getting some dinner. She heard someone walk past and looked around curiously when she stepped out the door, wondering if Zack had come early also, but it was a stranger, a tall man with short, dark spiky hair clutching a full ice bucket. She assumed he'd just gone to stare out of the window a few feet away—her room was at the end of the hall—and therefore was unprepared when he turned around and ran right into her. She yelped, ice pelting her upper body and face and sliding down her shirt or bouncing off.

"I'm sorry, I—"

Kimberly looked up sharply, recognizing the voice immediately. It was Tommy; though he looked a few years older and his hair was short, there was no mistaking him.

"—didn't see you." Tommy stared at her with recognition, shock and what could have been fear; she was sure her expression was similar. Kimberly was at a loss for words, unable to stop staring at him. It had been ages, years—how many? Five? Six? Eight?—since she'd seen him last. Her eyes kept darting to his hair, amazed that he would cut it; he'd always loved his long hair. So had she, come to think of it.

"Tommy," she breathed, and her voice sounded strange to her own ears, unsteady and high and nervous.

"Hi," Tommy said with obvious difficulty, his voice slightly high-pitched as well.

"Hi," she said shakily, feeling rather stupid. She suddenly became aware of the fact that she was now covered in streaks of cold water and there were chips of ice inside her tank top; wincing, she picked up her shirt and shook it. Several cubes fell to the floor, but a few had settled most uncomfortably inside her bra, and she wasn't about to go digging them out while standing in front of her ex-boyfriend.

"I'm really sorry about that," Tommy said, cringing. "I didn't… you came out of _nowhere."_

"Not your fault," she said, forcing herself to smile, then hurriedly stopping, knowing the unnaturalness of the expression would look odd. Her eyes kept flicking almost involuntarily up to his hair. "So…"

"So," Tommy agreed uncertainly.

Kimberly struggled to come up with something to say, but she was still quite shocked and the ice in her bra was distracting. "You cut your hair," she blurted out.

Tommy reached up to run his hand through it self-consciously. "Yeah."

"It looks good," she said truthfully. "Surprising, but good."

"Thanks," he replied, smiling slightly.

They lapsed into silence, which became more and more uncomfortable as the minutes stretched. Kimberly didn't know what to say, couldn't even begin to think of something. She hadn't expected to see him here, now, alone. She had expected to see him while surrounded by her old friends when she wouldn't have to worry about speaking directly to him. When she'd seen him after he rescued her from Divatox, she'd been able to hide her awkwardness under the cover of the battle; Kimberly suddenly found herself praying for some disaster she could use to distract herself from the situation.

"So," he said at last, startling her with the sudden sound even though his tone was soft, "how've you been?"

"Great," she told him. "I, uh, I've got my own gymnastics studio in L.A."

"That's awesome."

"Yeah. I love it." She cleared her throat. "What have you been up to?"

"Teaching science."

Kimberly looked surprised. Tommy had taught a few martial arts lessons as a teenager, but the science part seemed to come out of nowhere. "Science?"

"I went back to college, got a PhD. I'm a paleontologist," he explained. Seeing her raised eyebrows, he chuckled. "Yeah, I know; the others were all shocked, too. But I really like it. I spent a while working in the labs and on digs and stuff, but there was an accident at a lab and everything pretty much went up. So I decided to try teaching for a while. I really like it, though. It's a lot of fun."

"Yeah," she agreed. "I love teaching gymnastics. The kids are great."

Tommy nodded, though he glanced down the hall with a look on his face that suggested he wanted to add, "Not all the time." He didn't, though. Kimberly felt like even more of an idiot. Here she was, face-to-face with her ex after ages of never seeing him, despite their mutual friends and their common hometown, and they were telling each other what they did for a living like strangers meeting in a bar. They might as well be discussing the weather.

A few more minutes of silence ensued. Kimberly wasn't sure what to do. Part of her wanted to run, and part of her wanted to keep talking. She was confused, and shocked, and it wasn't exactly easy to concentrate with a bunch of ice slowly melting against her chest. It suddenly occurred to her how unprepared she really was for this. She had missed him, to be sure, but over the years she'd forced it to the back of her mind and told herself that she was pretty much over it. Then, the moment she saw him—older and wiser and somehow _hotter_—she felt like bursting into tears. It suddenly occurred to her that the only way she'd gotten through her last meetings with Tommy was to hide behind the battle, focus on Jason in the tournament, and avoid eye contact at all costs.

"I… I miss you," she said suddenly, jerking her head down to stare at the carpet, not wanting to see his reaction.

Tommy stared at her. Unbeknownst to her, he couldn't help but remember the first time he'd heard her say that—right after he'd lost his Green Ranger powers. Right before their first kiss. She'd said it occasionally in her letters and phone calls after leaving for Florida, but she'd tried to avoid it, always wanting to ignore the fact that they were so far away from each other. She hadn't said it in person since that first time. It hurt like hell to hear her say it that way, all tentative and sorrowful, just like that day by the pond.

"I miss you too," he said with a sigh, throwing his back against the wall and shaking his head. "We should have stayed in touch."

"Yeah, we should have," Kimberly said shyly, biting her lip and staring at Tommy's shoes as he leaned on the wall. A sudden recklessness came over her, bringing courage with it. She jerked her head up to look him square in the eye; Tommy looked back at her uncertainly, startled but eager, nervous but hopeful. "Listen, I'm gonna go grab a bite to eat. Do you want to come? We… we could catch up."

Tommy started to nod and opened his mouth, then stopped. "Actually," he replied reluctantly, "the gang's ordering pizza and… well, I'm kind of not too sure it's a good idea to leave them alone in a hotel room in a strange city. They've got a lot of pent up energy after the nine-hour car ride, you know, and I'm responsible for them…"

"Nine hours?" Kimberly repeated. "I thought you lived in Reefside."

"I still get lost a lot," he said sheepishly, with a boyish smile that reminded her forcefully of the Tommy she'd once been so close to. She felt a pang in her chest and searched for something else to say.

"Gang?" Kimberly inquired, confused. "Oh!" She glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby. "The Dino Rangers?" Tommy nodded. "I heard you were bringing them."

"Do you want to come meet them?" Tommy asked, sounding half-eager and half-uncertain. "Hang out, eat some pizza?"

Kimberly thought about it, but she was suddenly reluctant to meet Tommy's team. They'd probably ask who she was and a lot of other questions, and Kimberly wasn't sure what he'd told them. For all she knew, they thought she was "the bitchy ex" or something. "Um…" She swallowed, suddenly scared and horrified at the thought of spending more time with Tommy. Did he really want her to come? Was he just being polite? Was she mistaken when she thought she'd heard eagerness in his voice? Did he really hate her?

"It's all right if you'd rather not," Tommy said, watching her closely.

Kimberly's heart constricted. So he didn't really want her to come. At least, probably not. She sighed inwardly. "Actually," Kimberly said slowly, "I'm kind of craving a Greek salad from Diana's Diner. No one makes them like she does. But… but I'll see you tomorrow, right?" she added, unable to keep the hopefulness out of her voice.

"Yeah," he said, smiling at her widely. "Of course you will. I'm looking forward to it."

Kimberly nodded, no longer sure if he was disappointed or relieved. He seemed sincere—but then, she hadn't spoken to him in years. Maybe she wasn't the best judge of his emotions anymore. "I… it was great seeing you, Tommy."

"You, too," he said emphatically, and Kimberly's spirits lifted. For a moment, she considered asking if she could come after all, but she needed more time to think, to recover from the shock of seeing Tommy—and to get the freezing cold ice out of her shirt.

"Well, until tomorrow, then," she said.

Tommy nodded. "Bye, Kim," he replied.

Kimberly entered the stairwell as calmly as she could, her mind and heart racing.

* * *

Tommy watched Kimberly go, his head still reeling from their meeting. He'd just seen Kimberly. It seemed so surreal, to bump into her in a hotel corridor and to act so outwardly calm, as if she was anyone else from high school, someone he hadn't known all that well and was just trying to be polite to. But he'd seen her, and he thought it had gone okay. He'd seen her, had a conversation, and dumped a bucket of ice down her shirt.

He smacked his forehead. Of all the things he'd planned to do when he saw Kimberly again, throwing ice at her was _not_ on the list.

He headed back for his room automatically, in a sort of daze as he thought hard. She hadn't seemed cold-hearted towards him or anything. She'd seemed genuinely glad to see him.

_There wasn't a ring on her finger, either,_ a small voice inside his head said hopefully. _Looks like things didn't work out with Mr. Wonderful Florida Boy._

Tommy told the voice to shove it. He wasn't looking to get back with Kimberly. She'd moved on, and so had he, and there was no way he was going to hope, as he had done many times in the past, that she was going to up and say that she never should have dumped him and beg him to come back to her. She had a new life now, and he did too. But they could be friends, and that would be enough for Tommy.

_Oh, stop being such an idiot,_ the same small voice said scornfully. _You want her back and you know it._

_Oh, shut up,_ he thought irritably, knowing it was true but refusing to admit it, not even to himself.

Still, he couldn't help but think about it. Memories of the fantasies he'd had for years after Kimberly broke up with him flooded his head. Getting back together with her. Marrying her. Having kids and having sex and just hanging out together, just being with each other. He'd tried to stop thinking about her, but it had never really happened. Every so often something would make him think of her, or she'd just pop into his head for no other reason than to startle him and make him all nostalgic. Once, he'd confided in Hayley about it, fully expecting her to call him a sentimental idiot, but Hayley had just shrugged and said that was natural, that she still thought a lot about her first love, too. Knowing that it was normal had made him feel like less of a moron and made him realize that dreaming about her didn't mean he was still pining away for her. He had never stopped thinking about her every so often.

For a while, after he'd started seeing Kat, he'd thought he was over Kimberly. He'd let Kat take Kimberly's place the same way she'd taken Kimberly's spot as a Ranger. It was after the Divatox thing that he'd realized he was fooling himself into thinking he was fine. After the kidnapping and the rescue, he'd ended up having endless nightmares about it, nightmares where Kimberly and Jason tried to kill him, where Kimberly said all sorts of hateful things while Jason laughed. He'd always wake up with a sick feeling in his stomach, seeing the cold look in Kimberly's eyes when he'd taken off his helmet to try to reach her and sometimes remembering how Kimberly and Jason had hugged in the cockpit of the Megazord and how she'd held his hands and grinned at the following tournament. It had taken him a while, but he'd figured out eventually that the dreams just meant he still cared about her, that it still hurt that she'd left him. Much as it hurt, he'd stopped lying to himself.

Lost in thought, he walked back into the hotel room, setting down the mostly empty ice bucket. He barely noticed that Ethan, Trent and Conner were involved in a huge wrestling match in the middle of the room and Kira was sitting on the edge of Conner's bed singing, "I got the trapped-in-a-hotel-room-with-a-bunch-of-psychos blues" and strumming her guitar.

Unable to get to his own bed because of the wrestling guys, Tommy flopped back on Conner's bed and lay there next to Kira, staring at the ceiling. He was completely oblivious to everyone around him as he thought of Kimberly, what they might have had if she'd never gone to the Pan Global Games, if she'd never met that guy in Florida, if he'd just gotten in his car and driven off to Florida and drowned that guy in the Gulf of Mexico like he should have.

"Hey! Dr. O! Ya dead?" Kira's guitar whacked him on the leg, and Tommy, startled back into reality, looked up and saw Conner standing over him, Kira behind Conner, looking furious as she snatched back her guitar.

Tommy smiled. He might not have Kimberly, but what he did have wasn't all that bad.

* * *

Kimberly called Jason and Trini on her cell phone to let them know that she was already in Angel Grove, declining their offers to meet up before the morning. She didn't mention Tommy; she wasn't ready to talk about it.

Leaving her car in the lot, Kimberly wandered the streets, allowing herself to concentrate on her nostalgia rather than on Tommy. Occasionally she ran into someone she knew or someone who'd seen her in the Olympics or other gymnastics competitions. By the time she reached Diana's Diner, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to all her former classmates and neighbors. A grin spread over her face as she thought of Bulk and Skull, the two bumbling idiots who'd tried and failed to bully their way through life. She still wondered what had happened to them; Jason had introduced her to the Space Rangers, so she'd gotten to hear about them sticking up for the Rangers and helping battle evil, but she just couldn't picture it, no matter how hard she tried.

Diana hailed Kimberly jovially; Kimberly had frequented the diner from an early age and thought of Diana as a surrogate aunt. As Kimberly dug into her food, her mind wandered back to Tommy.

"A PhD in paleontology," she muttered. "Who knew?"

Kimberly suddenly felt like crying again. All the things she'd missed in his life, all the things they hadn't share together… why hadn't they at least _tried_ to remain friends? Jason, Trini, Billy and Zack had probably known all about Tommy's life, what he'd been doing—the girls he dated, the careers he pursued… she hadn't even known he was the most recent Black Ranger, for crying out loud! Why hadn't she tried to patch things up, even platonically, after the letter?

Sighing, Kimberly forced herself to get control. She knew why. She had tried to write him and call him after that stupid letter, but she hadn't been able to bring herself to do it. Then the thing with Divatox had come along, and Kimberly had been horrified at her actions while evil, too ashamed to even talk to him. Days had turned into weeks, and she still hadn't gotten in touch. Suddenly it was too late; what was she going to do, call him after years of no contact and say she wanted to be friends? She'd half-convinced herself that he didn't even remember her name.

She turned her thoughts to their conversation in the hotel hallway, trying to picture his reactions to her words and think them over. He'd seemed like he'd wanted to put the past behind them. Did he? Or was it just wishful thinking?

Kimberly stabbed viciously at her salad. "Gotta stop torturing myself," she said firmly, resolved to put it out of her mind until the morning. She'd see him again in the afternoon, and then she'd just have to take it from there.


	5. Bulk Fiction

**Chapter Five**

_Bulk Fiction_

Saturday morning dawned clear and bright, and Trini awoke to find Jason smiling down at her fondly. She grinned back and gave him a quick kiss. "Hey," she said.

"G'morning," he replied sleepily, and started to say something else, but Trini cut him off with a shriek as she remembered what day it was.

"Billy's coming!" she exclaimed, and promptly started to leap out of bed. Jason pulled her back to him, pretending to look put out.

"You're not going to leave me for him or anything, are you?" he asked mock-seriously. "I've been getting really worried. He's all you've talked about for the last week."

Trini laughed. "Of course not, Jase. You're much better looking."

Jason gave a fake pout. "Is that the only reason you want me?"

"Yep," she replied with another grin. "Why else would I put up with you?" She squirmed from his arms and scrambled from the bed. "Come on! Up! Oh, the house is a wreck—did you ever get around to cleaning the roof gutters last weekend?"

"Trini, Billy is not going to look in the roof gutters. I guarantee it."

_"Jason!_ You told me you'd clean the roof gutters!"

"I did!" he lied hurriedly. He figured Trini wasn't going to look in the roof gutters either, anyway. Trini glared at him suspiciously, but she flounced off into the bathroom without further questioning.

After quick showers and a quicker breakfast, Trini insisted they straighten up, though Jason couldn't see anything left to straighten. Trini had wanted the place to look perfect for Billy's arrival and the rest of the gang's visit (though Jason knew none of their old friends would care even if the house was covered in fertilizer) and she'd spent the past few days attacking the house with a vengeance and a bottle of multipurpose cleaner and forcing Jason to clean out the garage and move the furniture and so on. When she'd run out of things to clean and reorganize, she'd started inventing projects that Jason had never heard of before and was sure were unnecessary.

Jason and Trini's house was rather large, though it was only one story, but for some reason there never seemed to be enough room for everything. There were three bedrooms—a master bedroom with an attached bath, a guest room, and Trini's study, where they kept their computer and numerous books. The family room was home to Trini's extensive doll collection, a cozy sitting area, and their enormous black Labrador/Rottweiler mix, whom they'd jokingly named "Tommy." The basement held their personal gym, which consisted of various weights, exercise machines, mats, punching bags and so on, and in the back was a small room they called the Secret Chamber.

The Secret Chamber wasn't exactly very hidden; it was in plain sight for anyone who happened down into the basement. However, its door was always kept locked; Trini had even added a deadbolt not long after they'd moved in. Inside that room was enough evidence concerning Jason and Trini's past to make them the two most famous people on the planet if anyone ever found out what was in there—everything they had left from their Power Ranger days.

In one corner stood the Blue Ranger suit, taken from the back of the Power Chamber when the Zeo suits had been put on display instead. Jason and Trini's old communicators were mounted on the wall, hanging from hooks. A long table ran the length of the far wall; at one end sat the Aquitian communication device, which looked a lot like a triangular, deep-blue television; they called it the Aqua-phone for short. At the other end of the table was another computer, this one a tad more powerful than the one upstairs. Between the communicator and the computer were various odds and ends that Jason couldn't begin to identify; Trini had explained that they were experiments that she worked on with Billy over the Aqua-phone, which were mostly related to the Power Rangers or else computers.

In the interest of avoiding another few hours of cleaning invisible dirt, Jason suggested they go try to contact Billy and make sure everything was in order for his arrival. Trini hadn't been able to talk to Billy since he'd agreed to come; he was a very important person on Aquitar now, and he had very little spare time.

They were halfway across the workout mats in the basement gym when Billy appeared out of thin air in a short flash of blue-white light; Trini walked right into him and bounced off before she could stop, and Jason caught her before she fell.

"Billy!" Trini shrieked, throwing her arms around him. He returned her hug and then clasped Jason's arm, smiling at them both.

Billy looked rather different from the shy techno-geek they had known. He seemed to have acquired a few more muscles and his hair was longer, almost to his shoulders. He was clothed in blue leggings and a black Aquitian tunic, and his head was adorned with some odd sort of elaborate golden hat or headdress. His glasses and the very battered black carrying bag slung over his shoulder were the only things Jason and Trini recognized.

Billy removed his headgear and glanced around, noticing a clock on the wall. "I knew the timing was wrong," he remarked. "The rotations of Aquitar and Earth are completely different and a deputy from the transportation department was in charge of calculating the precise planetary movements and activating the teleportation device at the corresponding time on Aquitar to send me here. I requested to assist him but they thought it was too trivial for me."

"Aquitar has a different time," Trini explained to Jason, who looked sort of blank, his eyes glazing over at the long words more out of habit than out of an inability to understand Billy. "It doesn't move as fast as Earth, and it's in a completely different part of the universe, so figuring out a week with twenty-four hour days is sort of difficult, since their seconds and minutes and so on are different, and adding in the time it would take to teleport… it's harder than it sounds."

"We don't have weeks," Billy said, nodding. "We have thirteen-day long time periods instead, and the days are all broken up into something equivalent to roughly thirty-nine hours here. It's really quite fascinating to see all the discrepancies between Aquitar and Earth."

"Like the outfits?" Jason said, nodding at Billy's clothes. "Probably shouldn't go wandering around in alien clothing, man. Might be a tad suspicious."

"The clothes I wore out there only lasted so long before they got too decrepit to wear," Billy explained somewhat sheepishly. "I've been dressing like them for a few years now. It's actually surprisingly comfortable."

"I'm sure we can find you something to wear while you're here," Trini told him. "So, was the trip okay? I remember you telling me that traveling between here and there was dangerous."

"It _was_ dangerous," Billy said, following Trini as she led him back upstairs, "but we've worked out a lot of the problems with it. Working with alien technology is so incredible. You would love Aquitar, Trini."

"Don't give her any ideas about moving," Jason pleaded. "She might just up and do it."

"You know, this is a really nice place, guys," Billy said, looking all around him with interest. He seemed to be walking a bit unsteadily, as though he couldn't quite remember how to tread on solid ground.

"Thanks," Trini said warmly. "We're so glad you're back, Billy. Zack and Kim and Tommy are, too—I'll tell you all about it after we find you something to wear. Then we'll head to the park… Zack, Kim and Tommy are going to meet us there. Oh, and the Dino Rangers. Tommy's new team, remember?"

Billy grinned. "Tommy just can't stay out of uniform, can he? I look forward to meeting this team. I wonder just what their relationship with Tommy is like—it can't be easy, being on a superhero team with your science teacher."

"You know Tommy," Jason said, shrugging. "I'm sure he's getting along with them just fine."

* * *

Tommy awoke early on Saturday feeling much better about the whole Kimberly thing. While he was still confused and nervous about seeing her again, he couldn't wait to see the guys. He never passed up an excuse to visit Jason and Trini, but he rarely got to see Zack and he'd only seen Billy on a monitor since the day he'd left with Cestria, with the exception of the short period of time wherein Billy had come back for his belongings, and for a few hours at Jason and Trini's wedding.

The others were still asleep, and Tommy decided not to wake them until he'd had a shower. He stepped over Ethan and Trent, sidled past Kira's cot, grabbed his things and headed for the bathroom.

Unfortunately, his morning didn't go very well after the others woke up. Ethan got into an argument with Conner, whose snoring had kept anyone (that is, Ethan) who was unlucky enough to fall asleep after Conner awake half the night, and Kira nearly knocked Tommy over when she rushed into the bathroom as he emerged from it. Tommy had assumed that Kira would only be in there for a few moments, but she proceeded to take a shower and fix her hair and it all took a very long time (even though, as girls go, Kira was quite low-maintenance), especially considering that Kira was a tad more worried about her appearance, what with meeting Tommy's friends. By the time she came out, the three boys—their bladders threatening dire consequences—had a fight over who got the bathroom first until finally Trent just flung himself inside while Conner and Ethan got in each other's faces.

By the time the morning's hygiene rituals and bickering were over, Tommy felt another headache coming on, and suggested they all go out to breakfast. They piled back in the Jeep, which was only slightly roomier without all their belongings in it, and headed out to a restaurant with outdoor seating.

When they were all given drinks and awaiting food, Trent brought up the subject of "Dr. O's old friends" and asked if Tommy had any stories to tell them.

Tommy stared into space, suddenly far away, back with his friends in their Ranger days. He had just opened his mouth to tell Conner, Kira, Trent and Ethan all about a few of his favorite memories when a heavyset man bumped into the corner of their table in passing, knocking over Trent's water glass.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" the man said, as though the stationary table had been the one to cause the collision. He glared down at them all, and then caught sight of Tommy, who was busy mopping up the water. _"Tommy?"_ he gasped.

Tommy looked up and found himself staring at none other than Farcus Bulkmeier. Beside him was Eugene Skullovitch.

"Bulk!" Tommy exclaimed, surprised. "Skull!"

Bulk had gotten a bit bulkier, but otherwise he looked much the same as he had in high school. Skull, too, remained more or less unchanged; they were both instantly recognizable. Gone, however, were their punk clothes, which were replaced with uniforms of khaki pants and white polo shirts with blue logos on the breast pockets saying "Club Bulkmeier." Tommy hadn't seen them in roughly two years, ever since he'd been on vacation with Hayley and she'd booked them a room at Club Bulkmeier, having no idea that Bulk's real name was Bulkmeier. Tommy had almost refused to stay, but he'd eventually given in, only to be pestered by the two of them constantly the whole time. He'd been utterly relieved when he'd gotten that call about Serpentera and had to cut his vacation short.

"Bulk and Skull?" Kira repeated, frowning thoughtfully. She looked dubiously up at the two of them. "Which, uh, which ones were they?"

"They weren't," Tommy said. "We all went to high school together."

"So what are you doing back in town?" Skull asked Tommy, pulling up a chair. Bulk copied him. Tommy watched them uneasily—saying hello to Bulk and Skull was one thing, hanging out was another—but Tommy wasn't sure what to say.

"Oh, uh, we came to see Power Rangers Day," Tommy explained uncertainly, suddenly realizing that it was going to sound rather odd to people that he'd decided to make a trip home and bring along four teenagers that, to an outsider, he had no connection to other than the fact that he was their ex-science teacher. "These are my, uh, former students—Kira, Conner, Ethan and Trent."

Bulk and Skull, however, didn't seem to think anything of it. "Power Rangers Day!" Bulk said, puffing out his chest. "Did you know the Power Rangers were our close personal friends?" he asked the teens.

Tommy fought to keep from smiling. Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent exchanged amused glances; while they hadn't known what to make of Bulk and Skull at first, they were quickly figuring it out.

"Oh, _yeah,_" Skull said, nodding emphatically. "We used to help them out back when we were detectives. You wouldn't believe how many times we had to save their lives."

Tommy went into a fit of coughing that didn't quite disguise his laughter, but Bulk and Skull remained oblivious. He couldn't help it; the two looked so serious that if the four teens hadn't known the truth about Tommy being a Ranger, they might have actually believed it. Bulk and Skull spoke without even a hint that they were lying; Tommy wondered if they believed it themselves. He stared at the two former bullies hopelessly, trying to figure out a way to put an end to the conversation without being impolite. Failing to come up with anything, he decided it couldn't hurt to spend a little time with them.

"Met Rita Repulsa and everything," Skull continued importantly. "That's why we're giving tours."

"Tours?" Conner repeated, looking interested.

"Yeah, tours," Bulk said. "Club Bulkmeier is now running tours pointing out places of historical significance and interest to visitors to our fine city."

"You're quoting a brochure, aren't you?" Tommy said dryly.

"Yep," Bulk replied, producing one from his back pocket and handing it to Tommy. It was covered with rare pictures of the first Power Rangers and points of interest in Angel Grove. "You want to take a tour? Show your friends all of Angel Grove?"

"Can we?" Conner asked immediately, giving Tommy a hopeful look. Kira, Ethan and Trent copied him.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Tommy replied quickly, envisioning a tour bus driven by Bulk flying off a cliff and bursting into flames while they all screamed helplessly.

"Pleeeeease?" the four kids whined in long, drawn-out voices, giving him the same puppy-dog eyes they'd given him right before attacking him in Hayley's café. Visions of the incident, and the subsequent car ride and all their antics in the hotel so far, swam through Tommy's mind.

"Fine," he said sadly, heaving a huge sigh.

"All right! To the van!" Bulk commanded imperiously, rising and pointing at a large shuttle-style bus with the Club Bulkmeier logo emblazoned on the side, parked (badly) at the curb not far away. Skull got up and followed Bulk, the teenagers trailing them. Feeling rather like he should have shot himself the moment he heard about Power Rangers Day, Tommy put some cash on the table to cover the bill and went after them.

"So who are these people, really?" Kira asked quietly as Tommy sat down behind her. "Were they really close to you guys?"

"No," Tommy said, trying to come up with a responsible, adult, teacher-like way of explaining that Bulk and Skull were two bumbling bullies from high school. "They're, uh… you know… They were our Cassidy and Devin."

"Oh," Kira said, nodding wisely. "That explains everything."

The bus lurched into motion and Bulk and Skull began naming various buildings and areas, pointing them out and attaching some monster attack or another to them. Tommy was pretty sure they were making at least half of them up. The ride wasn't very smooth; Skull kept running up on curbs or taking turns too quickly and stopping too suddenly. Tommy, becoming tenser by the moment, watched as the Angel Grove fire department, police station, and city council building went by, staring idly out the window without much interest, sliding back into his memories until Bulk called out, "The Angel Grove Youth Center."

Tommy looked up in surprise, grinning. There was the Youth Center, which Ernie had run for so many years. He was surprised to see the old "Gym and Juice Bar" sign still out front; Ernie had sold it long ago.

"Hey, Bulk," he called, "who owns the Youth Center now?"

"Ernie," Bulk replied. "He came back, didn't you hear?"

"What? No," Tommy said, surprised. Ernie had left not long after Tommy had become the Red Turbo Ranger; Lieutenant Stone had said something about a Foreign Service Unit and the Amazon.

"Oh, yeah. Long time ago. Lieutenant Stone sold it back to him and everything; the Lieutenant wanted to go back to police work full-time, anyway. Ernie's been back for a few years, running the place just like he used to. He's updated it a bit, though; everything's a little newer."

"Awesome," Tommy said, making a mental note to tell Jason and go back to see him.

"Anyway," Bulk continued, "rumor has it that the Power Rangers would often frequent the Angel Grove Youth Center when out of uniform to train for—"

A loud thud cut Bulk off. "Dr. O! Are you okay?" Trent asked worriedly.

Tommy had fallen right out of his seat to land painfully on the shuttle van's dirty floor. "I'm fine," he choked out, feeling somewhat shaky. That rumor was a bit too close for comfort.

"Go easier on the turns, you numskull!" Bulk chided Skull, who nodded and gripped the wheel a little tighter, despite the fact that Skull hadn't been turning at the time. Tommy was glad when the Youth Center was out of sight.

The next place to interest Tommy was Angel Grove Park, which Bulk and Skull had so much Power-Ranger-related material on that they parked the van and rambled on. Tommy stared around, picking out places where he'd spent time with his friends or battling monsters.

"You can still see the scorch marks over there from that one monster, what was his name…"

"Spit Flower," Tommy supplied absently.

"How'd you know that?" Skull asked curiously.

"Uh…"

"Hey, what's over there?" Ethan asked hurriedly, pointing down the road. Bulk and Skull diverted their attention and Tommy sent Ethan a grateful look.

They passed Billy's old house; Tommy cast a fond look at the garage, remembering all the times he'd hung out in there. On and on the tour went; Tommy was sure they'd been down every street in Angel Grove by the time they returned to their starting point, and run over dozens of curbs. Wondering if the van would ever be able to drive in a straight line again, Tommy disembarked gratefully the moment Skull came to a stop near the café.

"Thanks for the tour, guys," Tommy said, rubbing his shoulder from when he'd been slammed against the window by Skull's erratic driving. "I'll see you around."

"Anytime, anytime… oh! That'll be twenty-five bucks." Bulk held up a calculator.

"What?"

"Five dollars a tour per person," Skull explained.

Gritting his teeth but prepared to do whatever it took to get Bulk and Skull's van to go far far away, Tommy handed over the money. "See you," he repeated, forcing a smile.

"See you at Power Rangers Day!" Bulk called, and off they drove, speeding around the corner, tires squealing and horns blowing from other drivers' vehicles.

"Well that was fun," Conner said brightly. "Those guys were interesting."

"'Interesting' isn't the word," Tommy muttered. The others smiled.

"So what now, Dr. O?" Ethan asked. "Is there an arcade in this town, by any chance?"

"The Youth Center should have video games," Tommy said, leading the way to his Jeep. "It used to, anyway. I haven't been there in ages; I had no idea that Ernie had come back. It never seemed the same without Ernie."

"So you and your friends used to go there a lot?" Trent asked.

"Yeah, just about every day. It was our home away from home," Tommy replied. "It was our Cyberspace." He looked at his watch. "Hey… we should probably be heading to the park. We're supposed to meet the gang in twenty minutes."

"How's my hair?" Kira asked Trent nervously. Everyone turned to look at her. "What? I can't have a girly moment?"

"Who are you and what did you do with Kira?" Conner asked promptly.

"Ha, ha," Kira grumbled.

"It looks fine," Trent assured her awkwardly as they piled back into the Jeep.

"Thanks," she said. Tommy saw her sneak a glance at it in the rearview mirror as she hopped into the backseat anyway.

As Tommy pulled away from the curb, Conner bounced in his seat enthusiastically. "This is it," he said gleefully. "We're finally going to get to meet the original Power Rangers!"


	6. A Golden Homecoming

**Chapter Six**

_A Golden Homecoming_

"So the Power Rangers hung out here a lot?" Ethan asked as they got out of the Jeep at Angel Grove Park.

"Yeah. Had a lot of fights here, too."

"Why?" Trent asked.

Tommy shrugged. "We went where the monsters were. We fought all over, really, but I remember dozens of fights in the park."

As they wandered through the park, they passed the large area set aside for the upcoming Power Rangers Day. Tommy smiled sadly, remembering how bad he'd felt during the first one, which was after his Green Ranger powers had been taken away. He pointed out various battle sites, realizing that Ethan hadn't been too far off back in Hayley's Cyberspace when he'd mimicked Tommy saying, "That's where I fought a monster, and that's where I fought a monster, and look over there! That's where I fought a monster!" After a while, the sights lost their appeal; Tommy saw them all start to get that glazed look in their eye like they often had in class.

"Why'd the Rang—er, your friends… want to meet here?" Conner asked, looking around the park without interest. "Don't two of your friends still live in Angel Grove?"

"Yeah, why not meet at their place?" Kira asked.

"I don't know, it just seemed like a good idea," Tommy said with a shrug, glancing around for Jason and the others, memories flooding him at the sight of every tree and leaf. "The park. Wow… If I had a dollar for every time I had to fight evil here, I wouldn't have to teach psychotic teenagers."

"Where's the fun in that?" Ethan joked.

"Come on, Dr. O, don't get all mopey," Conner said, mistaking Tommy's nostalgia for sadness. "Three cheers for Dr. O, guys!" He thrust his fist in the air; when no one said anything, he glared at them all expectantly. "Come on, guys, let's cheer him up! Who shows the Rangers where to go?" Conner chanted, doing a bad impression of street rapping. Then he yelled, "Dr. O! Dr. O!"

"Who's the dude who's got the know?" Ethan chimed in.

"Dr. O! Dr. O!" they all chorused. Tommy rubbed a hand over his face wearily, and, seeing his embarrassment, they gleefully continued.

"Who had a mullet that he dared to show?" Kira added with a giggle. Tommy glowered at her.

"Dr. O! Dr. O!"

"Who's always late and forgets everything?" a new voice cut in.

Tommy looked at Trent, who had started to speak but closed his mouth, looking around for the speaker, confused. Conner, Kira, and Ethan did the same, and then a new group of voices sang, "Dr. O! Dr. O!"

Tommy turned bright red as Jason came into view down the path, followed by Trini and Billy. The original speaker was revealed to be Zack.

"Who'd I cover for when he and Kim were kissing?" Jason added with a smirk. Tommy glared at him fiercely.

"Dr. O! Dr. O!" Trini, Billy, Jason and Zack chanted again.

"Who's the big tough guy they're following?" Zack said in a fake macho voice.

"Dr. O! Dr. O!"

"Who shocked us all with a PhD?" Jason continued; the others struggled not to laugh so that they could keep up with the chant.

"Dr. O! Dr. O!" they gasped out.

"All right, all right, ha, ha," Tommy interrupted as Zack prepared to sing something else. Jason, Billy, Trini and Zack all burst out laughing hysterically. In the interest of staving off further insults, he turned to the four teenagers. "Guys, this is… are you okay?"

Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent stood motionless, staring at Tommy's friends, completely awestruck. Tommy waved his hand in front of Trent's face, but Trent didn't seem to see him. "What's wrong with you g—"

"IT'S THEM!" Conner screamed so suddenly that Tommy and Jason both dropped automatically into defensive stances. "It's the _original_—"

"SHH!" Tommy, Trini, Jason, Billy and Zack hissed, glancing around in alarm.

"Sorry," Conner choked out. "It's just… you're… you're _them._"

"Wow," Ethan said softly.

Jason smiled and stepped forward, offering his hand to the former Dino Rangers. "I'm Jason Scott," he said, pulling the shoulder of his red T-shirt away from his body to acknowledge his former Ranger color.

None of the four teens stepped forward to shake his hand; they all suddenly looked terrified, as though Jason were some monstrous creature setting a trap for them. Kira stepped a little behind Trent and nudged him towards Jason with her shoulder.

Trent stumbled a little but caught himself, then wiped his hand on his pants and extended it to Jason. "I'm… uh… I'm Trent," he stammered, his voice rather high-pitched. He indicated his own white polo shirt.

Jason nodded, grinned and started to turn to Ethan, but Conner lunged out of nowhere and seized his hand, shaking it so vigorously that Jason almost fell over. "I'm Conner. Conner McKnight. Most recent leader and, you know, Red. Wow. It's an honor. A huge honor."

"Thanks," Jason said, looking rather surprised at Conner's enthusiasm, but somewhat pleased and flattered as well.

Introductions were made all around; the Dino Rangers continued to look starry-eyed, and the others were unsure how to handle the hero worship. Part of having a secret identity was that they didn't exactly get fussed over a lot. They'd met a few people while in uniform who'd asked for autographs or whatever, but that was rare, as they'd never hung around after battle, and it had been years since they'd had any interaction with people who knew who they were and weren't old friends. By the time they were all acquainted, Kira, Ethan and Trent were huddled together as though trying to appear small, and Conner was still gazing at Jason with pure excitement. "This is so cool," Conner kept repeating.

"It's really great to meet you all," Trini said. "We've heard so much about you from Tommy."

"Is it true Dr. O really had a mullet?" Ethan blurted out unexpectedly.

"It was the style back then!" Tommy half-yelled in exasperation.

"Yet you were the only person who had one," Jason deadpanned. "You were a real trendsetter, Tommy."

"Oh, shut up," he growled, but he was grinning. Seeing the gang was worth a thousand insults.

"Hey," Kira spoke up, her voice still a little shaky, "wasn't there supposed to be a Pink, too?"

"Kimberly, yeah," Billy said. All of his friends shot sidelong glances at Tommy, no doubt trying to gauge his reaction, but he pretended he didn't notice.

"Where is Kimberly, anyway?" Tommy asked, careful to keep his voice nonchalant. He felt a stab of fear. Had something happened? Or had she just decided she'd rather be anywhere that wasn't near Tommy?

"I called her this morning; she said she was going to stop and pick up some pizza," Trini explained. She gestured at a basket Zack was holding. "I thought we could hang out here, like we used to—you know, have a picnic lunch. I had a whole bunch of food prepared and everything, but _someone_—" she glanced at Jason, who promptly schooled his features into an apologetic expression— "thinks anything in the fridge is fair game."

"Well, usually it is," Jason protested. "You label everything that isn't."

"I can't label everything," Trini said. "Especially since Tommy sat on my labeling machine."

"What?" Billy said, confused.

"Our dog, Tommy," Trini clarified. "Jason thought naming him after Tommy would be, uh—"

"A hysterical and yet accurate representation," Jason supplied helpfully.

"Have you tried repairing it?" Billy asked, looking interested as always when confronted with the prospect of tinkering with something.

"Hasn't worked so far. You can take a look at it, if you want," Trini replied. "I'll probably just have to get a new one, though. Anyway, let's go find somewhere to eat."

They left the clearing and started up the path to a secluded spot near a stream that they'd once come to quite often, to train and hang out and so on. Trini spread out blankets on the grass and she and Zack started sorting out the plastic utensils and bags of chips and so on. Conner became absorbed in a conversation with Jason, asking him all sorts of questions about being the first Red Ranger, while Ethan attached himself to Billy, discussing electronics and how difficult it was to be technology savvy in a world where few people could tell you what a USB port was. Tommy went to help Trini and Zack, who were talking to Kira and Trent.

"I'm an orphan," Trent explained, "and my foster father turned out to be Mesogog, the main bad guy. Anyway, he made me into an evil Ranger and I did the bad guy thing for a while myself. Then the evil in my Dino Gem was destroyed, and I joined Dr. O and the others."

Zack stared at him. "Is that your story, or Tommy's?"

"They're eerily similar," Trini said, raising her eyebrows. "Except for that bit about the foster father. Weird, isn't it?"  
"Yeah," Tommy said with a shrug. He had often thought about the parallels between himself and Trent. "Especially since his father was my colleague right up until our lab went boom."

"I hate it when that happens," Billy said, overhearing them.

"Hey, check her out," Conner said suddenly. He had finally been torn from Jason by the only thing that he found more interesting than meeting the planet's first superheroes—girls. "She's hot."

Tommy glanced over and rolled his eyes when he spotted the woman coming up the path, who looked to be in at least her mid-twenties. "She's too old for you, Conner."

The words had barely left his mouth when he realized who it was; he did a double take, startled. Kimberly was walking towards them, wearing a pink sundress and holding a large stack of pizza boxes. She looked incredible, and something about the dress she was wearing took him back, back to the days when he and Kimberly had been inseparable.

"Dr. O?" Conner prompted, confused by Tommy's blatant staring and trying to grasp what was up with his former teacher. Arriving at the most logical (for Conner) conclusion, he asked, "What? Do you think she's hot, too?"

Head snapping around, Tommy fixed Conner with a truly frightening, furious glare. Conner wasn't sure, but he could have sworn he'd seen Tommy's eyes glow green for a moment. Swallowing hard, Conner smiled apologetically, muttered "You can have her," and edged away from his mentor, bumping into Kira.

"Hey!" Kira shoved Conner away from her. "You have space; don't use mine!"

"Sorry," Conner repeated distractedly, and proceeded to put as much space between himself and Tommy as possible.

"Hi, guys!" Kimberly called as she approached.

"KIM!" Billy, Zack and Trini yelled, and they rushed over to her with Jason. Jason took the pizza boxes from her and set them on the blanket, then stood in line for his hug. Tommy hung back, fairly certain that he wasn't really on hugging terms. Kira, Ethan and Trent took note of it, shot him questioning glances (Conner was too busy trying to stay away from Tommy) but Tommy didn't acknowledge them; in fact, he barely noticed, feeling jealous and not a little awkward and upset.

When at last Zack released her, Kimberly turned to Tommy and the others. Kimberly gave Tommy a little wave. "Hey, Tommy."

Acutely aware that everyone was watching them, Tommy smiled casually. "Hey."

Kimberly glanced around to make sure the group of Rangers was alone before looking at Kira, Ethan, Trent and Conner. "You guys are the Dino Rangers, right? I've heard a lot about you."

The handshaking went a little bit easier with Kimberly than it had with the others; the awe was wearing off with every second the teens spent around their predecessors, though they were all still deeply impressed. Conner was the only odd moment; he was taking care to stay far from Kimberly, still nervous about Tommy's reaction to Conner's comments about her. When she turned to him expecting an introduction, Conner darted forward, shook her hand as briefly as possible, said his name, and then hastily retreated with a worried glance at Tommy. Kimberly gave Tommy a confused, questioning look.

"Er…" Tommy said, racking his brains.

"Don't mind him," Kira said, shaking her head in exasperation.

"He's a soccer player," Ethan added. "Sometimes he hits the ball too hard with his head."

"I heard that!" Conner called from his place ten feet away.

Kimberly giggled. "I see. So how do you like Angel Grove so far?"

"It's a cool place," Trent said promptly. "We went on a tour this morning."

"Oh, yeah!" Tommy said, having forgotten all about it the moment his friends were around them. "We ran into Bulk and Skull this morning."

"Bulk and Skull?" Jason repeated, grinning.

"They gave you a tour?" Zack said, looking shocked to see Tommy and the others were still alive. "Like, on a tour bus? You got in a moving vehicle with Bulk and Skull?"

"Are you insane?" Trini asked, laughing. "Weren't you afraid they'd drive you off a cliff?"

"Of course I was," Tommy said. "Skull's definitely not the best driver in the world."

"It was okay," Kira spoke up. "Dr. O fell out of his seat, though."

"Dr. O?" Kimberly inquired. Kira pointed at Tommy. "Oh! Right. PhD. Got it."

"How did you fall out of your seat, anyway?" Ethan asked. "We weren't going very fast or anything. We were outside that Youth Center place."

"Ah, the Youth Center," Zack said, a distant look in his eyes.

"I fell over in shock, actually. According to Bulk, the Rangers were rumored to have hung out there when they weren't saving the world."

"Wow. That's a little too close to home," Billy said, looking concerned.

"Oh, there's always some rumor like that," Trini told them, waving her hand dismissively. "The Angel Grove historian has all these theories about us, and the town comes up with all these wild stories. Every so often I hear someone I've never met telling me all about how they knew us personally."

"I don't know, though," Jason said. "With as often as we were in there and then had to spontaneously run off… right before a monster attack… hmm. I wonder if Ernie ever thought about that."

"Probably. We were some of his favorite customers," Zack said with a shrug. "But Ernie was cool. He wouldn't tell anyone. Besides, he's in the Amazon or something, remember?"

"Oh! Ernie's back, too. Bulk told me he's been back for a while."

"You're kidding!" Trini exclaimed.

"We've got to go and see him," Billy said automatically.

"I wish I'd known! I would have been over there all the time," Jason added.

They sat down to eat, chatting away about old times, catching up on each other's lives, old and new Rangers getting acquainted. Kira stayed close to Trini and Kimberly, telling them how much she'd have liked to have another girl on the team and asking if they'd been very comfortable with spending so much time with a bunch of guys. Soon they were swapping horror stories about the annoyance of being surrounded by boys. Conner latched back onto Jason, who dealt well with the constant chatter, enjoying the hero worship. Ethan began explaining the finer points of some new computer system to Billy, leaving Trent to hang with Zack and Tommy, the three of them talking about everything and nothing.

At last, everyone had eaten their fill and the talk began to wane. Finally someone asked what they were going to do next.

"Jason and I had an idea," Trini began hesitantly. "We saw in the paper that city council is thinking of canceling Power Rangers Day—"

"What? But… I came all the way… they can't…" Tommy spluttered.

"City council is claiming it's all a re-election stunt of the mayor's," Jason explained. "It's an election year. City council thinks he's just trying to use the Power Rangers Day to try and win popularity. If we show up, he'll be virtually endorsed by the Power Rangers and get a few more votes, and if we don't, he can say he still brought in a good deal of extra tourism, which was good for the city, blah, blah, blah."

"It's a smart move by a smart guy," Trini said with a shrug. "He's a good mayor. The point is, though, that city council has been threatening to cancel if they don't get confirmation from the Power Rangers that the Rangers are actually going to show up." A mischievous twinkle entered her eye. "We thought it'd be fun to… well… confirm."

"How?" Zack asked, leaning forward eagerly.

"We go to the mayor's office," Jason explained.

"But it's Saturday," Tommy said.

"He'll be there. They're trying to make this Power Rangers Day into a huge event. Some people have even been talking about fireworks and all these newspaper reporters are going to be there," Trini replied. "So we show up in uniform, tell him we'll be there, and then leave. Simple as that."

"You're forgetting one thing," Billy said, frowning thoughtfully. "How are we going to get there and back? If we go wandering around, we'll probably be followed by someone—I imagine any sighting of us is going to produce a crowd. Since Tommy, Kimberly and I can't morph, it would probably have to be just Jason, Trini and Zack, so they could power down as soon as they were out of sight and then blend in with the crowd. The problem, however, would be slipping away. Not even Jason, Trini and Zack can teleport anymore—we did that using the Command Center's power. Without it, we're all grounded. You'd have to walk there, and someone might see you transforming if you do it downtown. And like I said, it'd be difficult to get away once you were spotted."

"I hadn't thought of that," Jason said, grimacing.

"We'd need a vehicle," Zack said.

"Yeah. If we drove away from the more populated areas, we'd have no problem sneaking off and demorphing," Trini mused. "We can still jump higher and run faster than the average citizen."

"We can't use any of our cars, though," Kimberly pointed out. "If anyone traced the car back to one of us, we'd be putting our identities at risk."

"There's gotta be some way," Tommy said.

They all sat around for a while, thinking hard. Then, to everyone's surprise, Conner grinned and cleared his throat.

"I have an idea."


	7. Return of an Old Friend

**Chapter Seven**

_Return of an Old Friend_

"I wonder why this tour thing's going so slow. You'd think plenty of people would want to take a tour of Angel Grove," Skull mused as he screeched to a halt in front of Club Bulkmeier.

"It's early yet. We probably won't get any customers for a while," Bulk said.

"But it's two in the afternoon, and we haven't had a tour since Tommy," Skull pointed out.

"Two is way too early. I mean, if you weren't a tour guide, would you even be awake?"

"Good point," Skull said, nodding wisely.

Just as they were climbing out of the tour bus, intent on getting something to eat at the club, someone tapped Bulk on the shoulder and said "Excuse me." Bulk and Skull turned and found themselves face-to-face with the first Yellow Ranger.

The two gaped at her, utterly dumbfounded. They were so shocked that it took them a moment to realize that the Red and Black Rangers were standing behind her.

"Hi," the Yellow Ranger said cheerfully, in a vaguely familiar voice. "We were hoping you could help us with something."

"Help…?" Suddenly Bulk was jolted back into action. He seemed to swell with importance, puffing out his chest and gut as he drew himself up proudly. "What can we do, ma'am?"

"We need to get to the mayor's office downtown," the Red Ranger replied. "Could you take us?"

"Sure!" Bulk said immediately. "Follow us! To the tour bus, Skull!"

The three Rangers looked at each other, then hurriedly followed Bulk and Skull to the van. With a lurch, it set off down the road, Bulk and Skull chattering excitedly.

Only the three Rangers noticed Kimberly's Mustang and Tommy's Jeep following them.

* * *

Jason, Trini and Zack had never been so grateful to get out of a moving vehicle as they were when they stepped out on the sidewalk in front of the mayor's office. "Thank you for your assistance," Jason said formally, still somewhat dizzy and shaken from Skull's erratic driving but trying to appear calm.

"Will you need a ride back?" Skull asked eagerly, leaning over Bulk to talk out the window.

"If at all possible, we'd appreciate that," Jason replied reluctantly. "We won't be long."

"No problem," Bulk said quickly. "We'll wait."

"Oh, joy," Zack muttered to the others as they headed for the building. "Tommy really downplayed how badly Skull drives."

"Tommy _was_ a racecar driver," Trini pointed out.

"And if Skull was a racecar driver, he'd die in the most spectacular crash in NASCAR history," Zack replied.

"We should have listened to Kira and Ethan when they told us not to use Conner's idea," Jason said ruefully.

"That's putting it mildly," Trini said dryly.

"Putting it more accurately would be 'I'm gonna knock that kid's teeth out for suggesting this,'" Zack added.

"What were we thinking?" Jason agreed.

The three Rangers kept glancing around cautiously for gawkers as they dashed into the office building. Two security guards gaped at them as they passed, but no one stopped them or took much notice otherwise until they reached a receptionist's desk.

"Excuse me," Jason said. The woman looked up and froze. Jason took advantage of her silence to speak quickly, trying to act as though three Power Rangers who hadn't been seen in years walking into the mayor's office was nothing out of the ordinary. "We'd like to see the mayor, ma'am."

"D… do… do you have an appointment?" she choked out.

The three Rangers looked at each other. "Uh… no," Jason said, rolling his eyes behind his helmet. "But it'll just take a second. Could you tell him the Power Rangers are here?"

"S-sure. Uh, have a seat." The secretary gestured vaguely at a row of chairs and rushed off. Jason looked at the others and shrugged. They went to sit down.

"So," Zack said with a smirk, taking note of all the people wandering past who'd stopped to stare, "read any good books lately?"

"Nope," Jason replied, grinning.

"Hey, this looks good," Trini said, picking up an old issue of _Time_ from a nearby table. Crossing her legs, she propped it on her knees and began to flip through it as businessmen, lobbyists and politicians wandered past, gazing at them in shock, disbelief and excitement as they sat calmly in the waiting area, as if they came to the mayor's office every day.

"There's the mayor," Zack said in a low voice, pointing discreetly. They hurriedly stood up, Trini replacing the magazine. The mayor was power-walking towards them, his secretary practically jogging behind him.

"The Power Rangers! It's an honor!" the mayor called far too loudly (undoubtedly trying to make sure everyone heard him) as he shook their hands. "I'm Jacob Anderson. I always wanted to meet you. Here to discuss Power Rangers Day?"

"We heard city council wanted us to RSVP," Zack explained wryly.

"Of course, of course—why don't we talk in my office? It's just down here…"

The mayor led them up the stairs, down the hall and into a well-decorated, roomy office, chattering all the way. "So good of you to come… I was a tad worried you wouldn't be able to make it to Power Rangers Day, you must be awfully busy… will it be just the three of you coming?"

"Oh, no," Jason said. "All six of us will be there."

"Really? Splendid! Have a seat, have a seat…" He gestured at the chairs in front of his desk, sitting down behind his own. "I was thinking of having a bit of a question-and-answer session at Power Rangers Day. You know, a few reporters asking a few questions… nothing fancy. The citizens of Angel Grove simply want to thank you, meet you… you're such a mystery, you know, and after all you've done for the city we'd all like to thank you on a bit more personal level…"

Trini and Zack looked at Jason, who cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Uh… well, I suppose there's no harm in that," he said hesitantly. "There _are_ a few rumors we'd like to quell."

"Of course," Mayor Anderson said, beaming. "I must admit, this is doing wonders for local business. All the tourism… and we've you to thank. You've done so much more than protect this city."

"Our pleasure," Jason replied.

"Would it be possible for you to talk with the press now?" the mayor asked eagerly. "There's a reporter from the _New York Times_ in town, I'm sure he'd love to get a bit of an exclusive—"

"Er… we've really got to be going," Jason said quickly.

"Right, right, places to go, lives to save," Mayor Anderson said, still grinning. "I'll be sure to let city council know that you will be coming. Would you mind giving speeches, by the way?"

"Um… speeches?"

"Yes, you know, just a few words…" He looked at each of them in turn hopefully. "I'm sure the children would just adore that. Oh, and if you could sign a few autographs…"

Trini and Zack looked at Jason again, who was starting to feel a bit alarmed at being put on the spot. "Uh… we'll see what we can do," Jason said awkwardly.

Trini happened to glance out the window and spotted a news van pulling up to the curb across the street. She stood up, a note of worry in her voice. "We really must go now," she told the mayor, leaning over to shake his hand again before heading for the door. As she passed the startled Jason and Zack, she whispered "Crowd coming."

Jason and Zack were on their feet in an instant, catching the mayor by surprise. "Thank you the great honor," Jason said hastily, rushing after Trini.

"'Preciate it," Zack added, waving over his shoulder and chasing after his friends, leaving the befuddled mayor to stare after them.

The moment they stepped into the lobby, a large group of people turned to look at them. They were startled to see several reporters amongst them, some with notepads and some holding microphones and accompanied by cameramen.

"Press must have started watching the office, waiting for us to show from the moment they put that article in the paper," Jason muttered. "We should have thought of that."

"I really wish we could teleport," Zack said wistfully.

"Charge them," Trini suggested with a slight smile. "They might break and run."

The crowd was already rushing at them… but everyone stopped as the Red, Yellow and Black Rangers suddenly ran straight at the group, as if running into battle. With startled yelps, the crowd parted, no doubt thinking wildly that the Power Rangers were attacking.

"Sorry… urgent battle, can't stay!" Jason yelled as he dodged through the mass of people.

"See you at Power Rangers Day!" Zack called.

The three of them dashed out into the street and dove into the shuttle bus, scaring the crap out of Bulk and Skull, who were talking excitedly about their new status as Ranger chauffeurs and hadn't seen the Rangers approaching.

"Step on it, Skull!" Jason shouted, though he instantly regretted it.

Skull, panicking, threw his foot onto the gas. The tour bus shot away from the curb just as the crowd poured out onto the office's steps.

"Where to?" Bulk asked as they sped off.

"Angel Grove Park," Trini replied, glancing behind her. Behind them were Trent, Kira, Conner, Ethan and Tommy in his Jeep, followed by Billy and Kimberly in her blue Mustang. If anyone, be it fan or journalist, tried to follow them, the plan was for Billy and Kimberly to slow down and drive like elderly people, giving Skull the opportunity to get far enough ahead to lose them.

"We really appreciate this," Jason told Skull as he whipped around a corner and nearly hit a tree.

"Don't mention it! Anything we can do for our old friends the Power Rangers," Bulk said cheerfully. "So why'd you need to see the mayor?"

Jason, Trini and Zack explained carefully and held a polite conversation with Bulk and Skull until they came to a stop in the parking lot near Zack's SUV and Jason's pickup truck. Tommy and Kimberly parked their cars a short distance away as inconspicuously as possible.

"We have to go," Trini said as she, Zack and Jason climbed out. "Thanks again for your help."

"Anytime!" Bulk called as the three of them ran off.

"Where are you going? Is there a monster attack?" Skull shouted after them.

None of them stopped to reply. They dove into the woods, circled to the left, ducked low and dove into the parked cars next to Jason's truck. Checking carefully for onlookers, they demorphed next to Jason's truck, using it as cover. They waited for Bulk and Skull to pull away, then casually strolled over to Tommy, Kimberly, Billy, Kira, Ethan, Conner and Trent.

"How'd it go?" Kimberly asked eagerly.

"It was a blast," Zack proclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

"It was kind of like the Rangers Parade," Jason said, not quite sharing Zack's sentiment.

"That bad?" Tommy said, grimacing.

"Ouch." Kimberly winced.

"Don't remind me," Billy moaned, looking pained.

"What Rangers Parade?" Ethan asked.

"You guys were in a parade?" Conner added.

The six older Rangers looked at each other. "It's… a long story," Jason said slowly. Tommy shuddered and nodded. "Suffice it to say, it wasn't one of our better days."

"This wasn't as bad," Zack insisted. Everyone looked at him dubiously. "We didn't even talk to a reporter. And there was no Goldar. And no Kinko's. And no looking for a mechanic. And Tommy didn't have to—"

"I thought we agreed that we weren't going to _ever mention that again!"_ Tommy interrupted shrilly. His friends stifled laughs while his former students gave him curious looks. He stubbornly avoided their gaze.

"Well, maybe it wasn't as bad as the parade, but I'm betting it'll be on the news within the hour," Trini said with a sigh.

"We should go watch it," Tommy said. He smiled. "You think Ernie still has televisions in the Juice Bar?"

"That's a great idea!" Trini gushed. "Let's go see him!"

Twenty minutes later, the ten of them entered the Angel Grove Youth Center. Ernie was behind the counter, looking much like they remembered, though he was a little thinner with a few more gray hairs. He was wiping the countertop with a rag and staring fixedly up at the TV. Tommy, Zack, Kimberly, Billy, Trini and Jason came up to the counter, the teenagers behind them, looking around curiously. Then all attention was focused on the television set as a reporter's voice reached them; they distinctly heard her asking "Mr. Bulkmeier" a question.

"Even the Power Rangers themselves are taking our tours," said the voice of none other than Bulk, as the network showed footage of the uniformed Jason, Trini and Zack jumping into the shuttle bus. A large caption along the bottom of the screen said, "Rangers Return!" in huge bold letters.

"They're our old friends," Skull added importantly as the picture changed to a reporter standing with the grinning Bulk and Skull. "We helped them a lot, back when we were detectives."

"That's right," Bulk said, nodding emphatically.

Ernie shook his head, his back still to his former customers. "Yeah, right," he muttered, smiling.

Now the mayor came on the screen, surrounded by a mob of reporters. "The Power Rangers have agreed to sign autographs and give speeches, as well as answer a few questions from those in attendance," he said proudly.

The picture switched back to Bulk, Skull and the reporter. She stepped forward, smiling into the camera. "You heard it here first. The Power Rangers have confirmed that they will be attending Power Rangers Day. We'll have more at six. And now, back to your regularly scheduled program."

The network's logo flashed on. "This has been a special report by—"

"Wait—speeches?" Billy repeated, looking alarmed.

"Autographs?" Tommy demanded.

"Answer questions?" Kimberly added.

Jason rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well…"

Jason was saved the trouble of explaining himself. At the sound of their voices, Ernie turned around to find himself face-to-face with six teens who'd come to the Youth Center more than the rest of the population of Angel Grove combined.

"Guys!" Ernie exclaimed, pleasantly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"We just heard you were back," Jason said, clasping Ernie's hand. "We didn't know, or we would have been by already."

"It never seemed the same without you," Tommy added.

Ernie shook all their hands and then paused before asking, "You guys in town for Power Rangers Day?" in a carefully nonchalant voice.

The six of them looked at each other, then nodded hesitantly. Ernie grinned. "Wow, look at you guys! All grown up. I still remember you as sixteen-year-olds, and now look at you… and who's this?" he asked, nodding at the four teenagers, hanging back behind Tommy.

Tommy introduced them all. "They were my, uh, students," Tommy explained uncertainly, knowing that Ernie was a lot smarter than Bulk and Skull and would realize something was off. "I'm a science teacher now."

Ernie gave the teens a shrewd look. "You wouldn't happen to be from Reefside, would you?" he asked casually.

"How'd you guess?" Conner asked, surprised. Kira, Ethan and Trent also looked confused.

"Oh, someone mentioned that's where Tommy was living now," Ernie said, still in the same nonchalant tone. The four teens shrugged, accepting the excuse. Noticing the exchange of glances between Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly, Zack and Tommy, Ernie grinned and put down his bar rag. "Teaching science, eh, Tommy? A lot's changed. Care to fill me in over some smoothies? On me."

The elder Rangers were just as eager for smoothies as they were for a subject change, knowing that Ernie had probably put two and two together and figured that the six kids who'd always disappeared during monster attacks and had now returned for Power Rangers Day were the original team, and that the four teens from Reefside were probably the Dino Rangers. He didn't mention it, however, didn't even look at them accusingly, simply handed them drinks as they sat down at the counter, and they all chatted away as other customers came and went.

"So what are you doing now, Billy?" Ernie asked, after hearing the other's stories. "I seem to remember Adam saying something about you moving, but no one ever elaborated, and then I had to go to the Amazon…"

"Oh… uh… I was offered a job. Working with… the, um, government." That, at least, wasn't a total lie—he was working for the government of Aquitar.

"Doing what?"

"I… well…"

"He's not allowed to give out a lot of information," Jason cut in quickly.

"Yeah, you know the government," Kimberly added.

Ernie gave Billy a piercing look; Billy avoided his gaze. "I see," Ernie said. "Do you enjoy the work?"

"Immensely," Billy said, nodding vigorously.

"Got you a wife yet?"

"Er… well, no," Billy said sheepishly. "But I'm involved with someone."

"Good for you," Ernie exclaimed, clapping him on the arm and grinning. He turned to Tommy, who swallowed, fearing that Ernie might ask him about his love life as well… and that would definitely be awkward in front of Kimberly and the teenagers. However, Ernie seemed to understand. "And you're a paleontologist, eh? How'd you get interested in that?"

Tommy shrugged. "My brother, David, talked a lot about ancient Native American sites in the area. Took me to some of them. That got me interested in archaeology, and from there it wasn't long before I turned to dinosaurs."

"He's unnaturally fascinated by them," Ethan muttered.

"Yeah. All the stories about fossils he told us," Conner added. "Talk about boring. I m-mean…" he stammered at Tommy's glare, not quite over Tommy's reaction about Kimberly at the picnic, "uh… _flooring. _Yeah. We were totally _floored_ at how interesting it was."

"So how'd you end up teaching?" Ernie asked, smiling slightly at Conner as the others stifled laughs.

"Well, a lot of paleontologists end up teaching, so I went ahead and got my teaching license while I was at school, just in case I couldn't find work in the field. Then I started working on an island with Trent's father on a huge breakthrough on dinosaurs… but there was an accident at the lab, and the whole island ended up destroyed. So I was kind of ready for a break from actual researching, and I started looking for teaching positions. Finally found one in Reefside."

"Reefside," Ernie repeated, still with a half-smile. "Home of the Dino Rangers."

"They're gone now, though," Kira said, starting to realize how much Ernie was putting together. "No one has seen them for a while, not since they took down Mesogog."

"He was the Dino Ranger's Rita Repulsa," Tommy added.

"Yeah, I heard," Ernie said. He looked right at Tommy. "Funny, isn't it? You've lived in two cities with Power Rangers."

"Yeah, weird," Tommy said, smiling back at Ernie. "It's a small world."

"Really small," Ernie agreed.

"Come on out and say it, Ernie," Jason cut in, giving Ernie a penetrating look. "You know, don't you?"

"Know what?" Ernie replied calmly.

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" Trent asked desperately, far more worried than the older Rangers, who knew Ernie far better.

Ernie grinned at him, weakening when he saw the teens' nervousness. "I've known for over a decade. If I was going to tell anyone, I would have done it back in the 90's."

Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent all breathed a sigh of relief. Trini glanced around the Juice Bar to make sure they were alone. Satisfied, she asked, "How'd you figure it out?"

"Come on," Ernie said, shaking his head. "Six kids who knew how to fight, always disappearing during monster attacks and wearing red, yellow, black, pink, blue and white on a daily basis?" He looked at them each in turn as he said their colors. "Doesn't take a genius."

"We weren't_ that_ indiscreet," Kimberly insisted, then paused. "Were we?"

"We were teenagers," Zack said with a shrug. "Except for Billy, we weren't the wisest of people. Everyone's a complete idiot at seventeen."

"Hey!" Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent exclaimed indignantly.

"I wonder if anyone else figured it out," Jason muttered worriedly.

"I wouldn't worry too much about your identities," Ernie said kindly. "If anyone had figured it out, they would have said something by now if they'd planned to expose you. And who would believe them, anyway?"

"Could you imagine what people would say if Bulk and Skull claimed they knew who the Power Rangers were?" Kimberly said with a giggle.

"Given the fact that Trini, Zack and I just took a 'Club Bulkmeier Tour of Angel Grove,' I'm not sure," Jason said dryly.

"What was that all about, anyway?" Ernie asked curiously.

"Yeah, Jason," Tommy said, glaring at him. "What's all that about? Speeches? Autographs?"

Jason cringed. "Well…"

Trini, Zack and Jason launched into the story. While Kira, Trent, Conner, Ethan and Ernie seemed amused, Billy, Kimberly and Tommy's expressions ranged from disbelief to uncertainty to horror.

"We don't have a lot of luck with meet-and-greet sessions," Tommy pointed out.

"Like that Rangers Parade you guys put on," Ernie said. "That was really funny."

"That was not a parade!" Trini insisted. "We were towing our zords. They were damaged. I don't know why no one figured that out."

"I think they did, but the town wanted the publicity," Jason said. "God, that was irritating."

"You think it was irritating? You weren't the one thrown to the wolves!" Tommy retorted.

"Yeah," Zack said. "That must have been awful."

Kimberly, Jason, Trini, Zack and Billy attempted to look solemn and apologetic—and then burst out laughing three seconds later. Tommy glared at them all while the rest looked on in confusion.

"What are you guys talking about?" Conner asked eagerly.

"Nothing," Tommy said firmly.

"Yeah," Kimberly piped up. "It was just this little thing where Billy was hallucinating, Trini was trying to kill Zack, Jason became the unofficial spokesman for Kinko's, and Tommy was mobbed by a bunch of fans."

There was a slight pause as everyone reflected on this.

"So… not our finest hour," Zack said.

"I was _not_ hallucinating," Billy insisted.

"Right. Sure, Billy," Tommy said with a sarcastic smile.

"Looking back, it was hysterical, though," Zack continued.

"Spokesman for Kinko's?" Ethan repeated.

"Hallucinating?" Trent asked.

"Mobbed?" Conner pointed at Tommy and laughed.

"It's a story for another time," Tommy said firmly, glowering harder than ever. "A time far, far in the future."

Ernie chuckled. "Well, I suppose it'll have to be. I close soon and I haven't wiped a single table down since you got here—I really need to get to work."

The Rangers looked up, surprised, to see that the sun had already set and the sky was dark enough to see several stars. They'd completely lost track of time during their talk with Ernie.

"Aw, darn," Kimberly muttered. "Well, do you need any help or anything?" she asked Ernie.

"I'll be fine," he said cheerfully, glancing around. The place did seem to be showing signs of neglect—many tables had dirty dishes, used napkins, crumbs and spilled liquids and so on, and the floor needed a good sweeping. Seeing their dubious looks, he added, "No, really, I can handle this. Do it every day. You kids are on vacation—you go have fun, all right? Come back and see me soon, though, okay?"

"We will, Ernie," Jason promised.

After a long good-bye, the ten ex-Rangers left the Youth Center, only to mill about in the parking lot.

"So what are we doing now?" Jason asked.

"I'm up for suggestions," Zack said with a shrug.

"I'm… uh… actually thinking of turning in," Billy said apologetically. "While returning to my previous sleep schedule isn't going to be too difficult, the discrepancies between the gravitational pulls of Earth and Aquitar are quite taxing. I'm rather fatigued. The heaviness takes some getting used to."

"He talks like a cross between Ethan and Hayley," Conner said with a frown.

"All he said was that he's tired because gravity's stronger here," Ethan said, rolling his eyes at Conner. The six older Rangers looked at Ethan in surprise. "What?"

"A new Billy translator!" Zack exclaimed, clapping his hand on Ethan's shoulder. "Thank god."

"It got so confusing when Trini wasn't around," Tommy added, nodding.

"Yeah," Kimberly jumped in. "Once Trini, Zack and Jason left, we all had to actually study to understand him. There was talk of reading the dictionary."

"Rocky actually did that, didn't he?" Billy asked.

"He got through the first half," Tommy replied.

Billy chuckled. "Anyway, I'm sorry. If you guys want to go do something, that's fine—"

"Actually, Conner's snoring kept me up all night," Ethan said sourly. "I'm tired too."

"Ah, come on, the night is young," Conner said cheerfully.

"Easy for you to say! You sleep through anything!" Ethan retorted.

"Yeah. Ethan threw all sorts of stuff at your head in your sleep," Trent said with a laugh.

Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose. "Maybe we should all head back and get some rest," he said. "All the free smoothies have me a bit hyped up, but sleep makes these four relatively quiet, so the sooner they go to bed, the better."

"Fine by me," Jason said. Everyone else muttered their agreement, save a sullen-looking Conner. "Billy, you riding with me?"

Billy nodded and headed for Jason's truck. "It's going to be a tight fit with Trini," Jason said, hitting the remote to unlock the doors. "But I think we'll manage."

"Oh… I'm sleeping over at Kimberly's," Trini said. "Remember?"

Jason stared at her. "Honey, you're married and pushing thirty. You don't have sleepovers."

"That was before her best friend rolled into town," Kimberly said, sticking out her tongue playfully.

"I told you about this, didn't I?" Trini said, frowning. "I already put my overnight bag in her car at the park. Billy, you remember, don't you?"

"You told Billy, and not me?" Jason said, looking like he was a step away from pouting.

"I told her I didn't mind," Billy spoke up. "Because I knew I was going to be exhausted upon returning to Earth."

"So you're just going to abandon your husband—" Jason began.

"Jason!" Trini interrupted, exasperated. "I'm staying the night with Kim, not moving to Africa!"

As they continued to have an entertaining, not-too-serious fight, Kimberly turned to Tommy. He swallowed, wondering what she was going to say; they hadn't actually spoken directly since the initial "hey." It wasn't that they were avoiding each other; they just hadn't been thrown into a conversation together. Tommy wasn't sure how he felt about that, and he was even less sure if Kimberly was glad or unhappy about it.

"Um… listen," Kimberly said uncertainly, "while we were at the picnic, Trini and I were talking to Kira, and Kira mentioned that you guys were all stuck in one room because of the lack of available rooms. I told her I'd ask if you'd let her share my hotel room so she's not cooped up with a bunch of guys."

"You don't have to do that," Tommy said, trying not to sound automatic. In truth, he wasn't sure if he liked that or not. It would be nice to have one less person in the room, and he knew it was probably driving Kira crazy to be around the four of them; while the guys were her friends, they were still guys, and Tommy knew it wasn't easy to hang around friends who were all of the opposite sex, let alone be stuck staying with them for a week. However, he was leery of letting Kira stay with Kimberly. While he knew Kimberly was responsible—at least, she had been in the old days—he was a touch worried about something going wrong and having to explain to Kira's mother that he'd let Kira stay with some strange woman. He was even more worried about just what Kimberly, Trini, and Kira would talk about behind closed doors; there were some things he simply didn't want his former students knowing, and a lot of it was stuff he especially didn't want them learning through Kimberly.

"I want to," she said. "She'll be fine. I assume your room's near mine, isn't it?" He nodded. "Then I'll run screaming down the hall if something bad happens, kay? We'll be fine. It's not good for a girl to spend so much time around too much testosterone."

"Please, Dr. O?" Kira begged, looking utterly pitiful. Just behind her, Ethan and Conner started yelling.

"I can't help it if geeks need their beauty sleep!"

"You can help having a rhinoceros stuck up your nose, can't you? Surely there's an operation to fix that. When you first started snoring, I thought you were dying!"

Trent winced and slung his arm around Kira's shoulders. "Much as I envy her opportunity, Dr. O, I gotta back her up."

"Why can't I?" Kira added. "It's no big deal. It's an old friend of yours, not some random bag lady off the street!"

Tommy held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, spare me the long persuasive argument. You can go. But be careful, okay? Don't break anything. Don't get lost. And DON'T leave the hotel without me knowing. And—"

"She'll be fine, Mr. Responsible," Kimberly cut in. "She's not a toddler. She's almost a legal adult."

"But _Tri-ni!"_ Jason wailed, now fully pouting.

"Unlike some people," Kimberly added wryly. Tommy laughed.

"Tommy!" Zack called. "Kimberly! We're tied two to two—who do you think is right here, Trini or Jason?"

"Trini is an independent entity," Billy pointed out.

"Trini's my wife," Jason whined. "We haven't spent a night apart since we moved in together."

"God," Kimberly teased, "that must drive you insane, Trini."

"Jason does have a point," Zack said. "What do you think, Kim?"

"Girls gotta stick together," Kimberly replied. "Sorry, Jase."

Jason glared at her and turned to Tommy. "Tommy, what—"

Tommy held up his hands again. "Whoa! Wrong guy, Jason."

"But you're my best friend," Jason insisted.

"And I'm not married and never have been and therefore can't make an informed opinion. So sorry, I'm staying out of it."

"You been hanging around Billy?" Zack asked. "That was a bit wordy for you."

"Ha! I win!" Trini gloated before Tommy could reply. "Three-two!"

"Hey, no fair! You can't add in your best friend to the vote if I can't!"

"Yes I can! I can't help it if your best friend is chicken!"

"Hey!" Tommy exclaimed indignantly. "I am not!"

"Are too," Jason said.

"I am n—"

"THAT'S IT!"

Tommy turned just in time to see Conner and Ethan, who were continuing their own fight, lunge at each other. Before long, Conner had Ethan in a headlock and was yelping repeatedly as Ethan stomped on his foot.

"HEY! Break it up!" Tommy yelled, seizing Conner by the back of his shirt and yanking him away from Ethan, hard enough that Conner's feet left the ground momentarily.

Kira leaped between the two boys as Ethan started after Conner. "Come on, guys! Cut the drama! Didn't we have enough of that yesterday?"

"He started it!" both boys yelled simultaneously.

"Yes, we're all three years old today," Tommy said, rolling his eyes and looking pointedly at Jason.

"She started it," Jason said with a wry grin, pointing at Trini.

"Jason, it's late," Kimberly said, shaking her head. "Trini's sleeping over. Get over it. She'll come back tomorrow."

"Supposedly," Trini muttered, but she smiled.

"All right," Jason said reluctantly. "Let's head out, eh, Billy?"

The two of them said their goodbyes and left. Zack turned to Tommy.

"You know, I couldn't help overhearing… if you need more room, you're welcome to stay with me. I've got plenty of space in my room, and we're in the same hotel."

"Okay," Tommy said instantly. "I mean… well, I should probably stay and chaperone…"

"Come on, Dr. O!" Conner said, seeing opportunity and jumping in. "You were going to get your own room, remember? How is this any different?"

"Yeah, and we'll be fine," Ethan said quickly.

"I'll keep the two of them from killing each other," Trent chimed in.

Tommy snorted. "Good luck with that," he said, but he sighed and added, "All right. But don't—"

"Break anything," the four teenagers interrupted simultaneously.

"Yes, and—"

"Stay out of trouble," they cut in again.

"We know the speech, Dr. O," Trent said. "We'll be fine."

Tommy raised his eyebrows but shrugged. "All right, fine."

Conner, Ethan and Trent raised their fists in celebration. "YES!" Conner shouted. "No more Dr. O!"

"Thanks," Tommy laughed.

"Freedom from adult supervision! We can do anything we want!"

"Conner," Ethan said warningly as Tommy's face darkened, "you're not helping."


	8. Power Ranger Punks

**Chapter Eight**

_Power Ranger Punks_

"Now remember, I'm just down the hall," Tommy said for the fourteenth time as he and Kira stood in the hallway. Trent, Conner and Ethan had been continuously nodding for the past five minutes, smiles pasted on their faces. "Kira's in room 640 and I'm in room 618. Everybody got that?" They continued to nod and smile. "I mean it. Behave." Nod and smile. "If for some reason you forget our room numbers, I'm with Zack Taylor and Kira's with Kimberly Hart." Nod and smile.

Tommy sighed, hoisting his box more securely into his arms and turning to Kimberly, Kira, Trini and Zack, all of whom were standing behind him and nodding and smiling as vacantly as Trent, Conner and Ethan were. "Oh, shut up," he muttered, fighting a grin.

"We never should have sent that Beldorf guy back," Conner whispered to Trent and Ethan, thinking longingly of the video game wizard who'd once removed Tommy's mouth.

"Can we go now, Mr. Overprotective?" Zack teased.

"Shut up," Tommy repeated, smiling. "Goodnight, guys," he said to Conner, Ethan and Trent. "I'll come get you in the morning."

Tommy shut the door to his former room and Trini, Kimberly, Zack, Kira and Tommy could clearly hear a roaring cheer go up from Conner, Ethan and Trent. Tommy closed his eyes briefly, suddenly feeling like banging his head against something.

He heard Trini and Kimberly giggling, and looked over at them. "What?"

"Nothing," Kimberly said, struggling to keep a straight face.

"I'm sorry," Trini told him. "It's just… it's so funny to see you being all… _responsible."_

"Wasn't he always?" Kira asked as Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Oh, no. Always late and forgetful. There was this one time when he—"

"Trini, try not to shatter her illusions, please?" Tommy pleaded.

"No promises," Trini said with a downright evil grin, which was mirrored by Kimberly.

"Come on, Kira," Kimberly said, taking her by the arm and steering her down the hall. "It's now officially girl time. Let's get some pizza, find some chocolate, watch some sappy movies and bitch about men."

"Sounds like fun," Kira said cheerfully.

Zack shook his head. "I always wondered what girls did when we weren't around."

Tommy rolled his eyes again, and the two of them headed for Zack's room.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in Room 603…_

"Uh, yes," Conner was saying into the telephone receiver, deepening his voice in the hopes of sounding more like Tommy. "This is Dr. Thomas Oliver in room 603. We… er, I mean, _I_ want to get this Pay-Per-View movie. Channel 94. _Bikini Babes Gone Wild 3?_ Yes, just charge it to the room. Yes, of course I'm of legal age. …What year was I born? Uh…" Conner looked at Ethan in a panic.

"1976," Ethan whispered.

"1966."

"1976! _76!"_

"I mean 1976. Yes, ma'am. Of course I'm Dr. Oliver! What kind of question is that?"

"I told you I should have called," Trent said, shaking his head.

"Shh!" Ethan hissed.

"Look, lady, I teach high school science. I'm a boring old dinosaur fanatic and I had a mullet when I was a teenager. Please unlock the stupid movie!"

Ethan smacked his forehead. "I should have known better than to trust Conner with this."

Conner covered the mouthpiece with his hand. "Would you be quiet?"

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Look, tell her you're traveling with your younger cousins and they're out right now and you want to watch the movie before they get back. Maybe she'll buy it."

Conner repeated this and then smiled in relief. "Thank you very much, ma'am. …Anything else I want? Um… I'm kind of hungry. And thankfully I can afford to pay the tab on room service because I'm an old guy who has a steady job. Uh… how about three cheeseburgers with fries? Yes, three. I'm a big guy. I eat a lot. Probably going to have a beer belly one day. Plus, you know, this way I won't have to call again later. Food for the whole night. So, three cheeseburgers with everything."

"No onions on mine!" Ethan hissed.

"And get some hot fudge sundaes!" Trent added.

* * *

Zack's room was predictably quite a mess. Zack's suitcase sat open on one of the beds, which was still made but covered in clothes and Zack's CD collection. Zack cleared his junk off of the spare bed and gestured to Tommy to take it.

Setting his box down, Tommy looked around curiously. It looked pretty much the same as the other room, only slightly bigger with a balcony door over by the windows.

"You get a balcony?" Tommy asked. Remembering his thwarted hopes of throwing Conner to his death if need be, he added, "My windows didn't even open."

"I had to pay extra," Zack said. "Kim and I discussed what type of room we should get. I always liked these, cuz you could people watch and throw water balloons and stuff. All the even-numbered rooms in this hotel have balconies."

"You stay here a lot?" Tommy asked.

"Sometimes, when I'm visiting Jason in the summer. It's nice to use the hotel's pool." Zack scooped up a few things and headed for the bathroom.

When they were both ready for bed, Zack sat down and gave Tommy an expectant look. "So…" he said slowly.

"So," Tommy said uncertainly, not liking the new tone in Zack's voice.

"Sure is nice to have the gang all together again," Zack said lightly.

Tommy groaned inwardly, knowing perfectly well where this was going. He pulled his clothes out of his box and headed for the dresser, knowing Zack would have left his clothes in his suitcase or on the floor. "Yeah, it's great. Mind if I use a few drawers?"

"Take 'em. I never bother using 'em. So—"

"Could we leave the door open a little? In case Conner, Ethan and Trent get into trouble?" Tommy interrupted, trying to find things to distract Zack from the coming conversation.

"Sure," Zack said impatiently. "So… what was it like to see Kimberly again?"

"Like… seeing Kimberly again." Tommy crossed to the door, opened it, and turned the stopper to prop it open.

"Uh-huh. I see."

"What did you expect me to say? That it was like something out of a cheesy romance novel or something? That it was gut-wrenching? That all my past feelings came rushing back, blah, blah, blah?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice."

"Oh, come on, man. It's not a big thing." He started shoving his clothes haphazardly into the dresser, giving himself an excuse not to meet Zack's gaze.

"Is too."

"Is not!"

"Is t… okay. Remember Angela?"

"Yeah. That was the girl you were obsessed with, the one you gave those earrings to and started the Oysterizer mess. I never got that cake stains out of my pants from that double date at that French restaurant, you know."

"Hey, that was Skull's fault, not mine! Anyway, we broke up eventually, not long before I left Angel Grove for the conference. Like a week later, I saw her in the produce section of the grocery store and the next thing I know she's chucking fruit and vegetables at me and screaming. My point is—breakups are never easy."

Tommy laughed. "Well, I don't know what you were expecting from me and Kim, but it's been ten years, not a week. And there were no fruit or vegetables around. …There was ice, though."

"Ice?"

Tommy winced. "I saw her yesterday. Bumped into her while carrying an ice bucket. Not my finest hour."

"Dude, you saw her before today? Alone?" Zack leaned forward, looking excited.

"Yeah. I was trying to get away from Conner and Ethan and Kira and Trent, and the next thing I know I'm dumping ice all over Kimberly." Tommy sighed and straightened up, his stuff now unpacked.

"You threw ice at Kimberly?" Zack yelled, looking quite outraged on her behalf.

"No! Well, yeah… but it was an accident."

"Oh." Zack's anger faded. "So… what happened? What did you say?"

"Come on, Zack…"

"Tell me!"

"Nothing, really. We stared at each other, she commented on my hair—"

"She always liked your hair. Thought it made you look all _manly."_ Zack said the last word in a very goofy macho voice.

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Funny. You and Jason can't stop joking about how it made me look all girly."

"Well, it did."

"Ha, ha," Tommy said, going over to his box and locking it, which would ensure that no one found the White Ranger suit inside it.

"So what happened next?"

"I asked how she was, she said fine, she'd been teaching. I told her I was teaching."

"And then?" Zack prompted.

"She said she missed me."

"HA! Score!"

"What d'you—"

"She said she missed you! That's a big thing."

"No, it isn't."

"Yes, it is! She misses you. You miss her. Next thing you know, you're back together!"

Tommy gave him an exasperated look. "I doubt it."

"Why? You _do_ want her back, don't you?"

Tommy paused. "I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know? Tommy, we've been tip-toeing around you and Kimberly for years. You two were so in love. It was disgusting."

"Hey!"

"What? It was. Like watching a chick movie."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Well, I don't really see us getting back together. It's been years, you know? We haven't talked since Divatox… we really didn't even talk then. Said hi. That was it. Small talk."

"Which seems to imply that you still want each other."

"Your logic is off."

"Not according to Trini!" Zack stood up and stared earnestly at Tommy. "Trini seems to think that since you guys couldn't bring yourselves to talk to each other since freaking high school, you guys must still care about each other and you can't manage to deal with seeing each other now that it's over."

"You mean to tell me… of course. This is some bizarre psychological bull bred from conversations you and Trini and Jason have been having."

"No, it isn't! …It's mostly just me and Trini."

"Just you and Trini?"

"She's not sure how to broach the subject with Jason," Zack said somewhat apologetically. "Kim's like a little sister to him, and you're his best bud. And Kim's her best friend."

"So… what?" Tommy said, slightly pissed off that Zack and Trini had been discussing his love life for all these years, trying to make sense of the mess that was Tommy and Kimberly. "You rationalize it? Talk about how I should—"

"Hey, cool it, man," Zack interrupted, holding up his hands in a classic peace-making pose. "Whatever's with you and Kimberly isn't our business. We don't talk about who should do what. We just sort of… wonder what went wrong."

"We broke up and I moved on, that's what went wrong," Tommy snapped.

Zack started to say something, then closed his mouth and tried again. "We all decided that we weren't going to take sides. That it wasn't for us to judge who should do what. We never really talk about the breakup, about why it happened or whose fault it was… but we still wish you were together. You were good for each other. Yes, Trini and I still talk about you two getting back together sometimes, same as we talk about finding a way to get Billy to stay on Earth. So we could have the gang back together. You know?" He smiled thinly. "We want things to be like they were… I mean, Trini was in a panic about having you both at her wedding, for crying out loud."

"But we weren't both at her wedding. Kimberly was in France visiting her mom and there was a problem with her passport and she couldn't get out of the country."

Zack gave him an odd look. "Yeah, I know. But Trini was worried about it, up until she became devastated that Kim wasn't coming. Jeez, do you listen to yourself?"

"What?"

"You talk like you miss her. Like you still love her. You can rattle off exactly what happened when you ran into her yesterday and every other Kimberly encounter in the past. You really sound like you aren't over it."

Tommy sighed. "Sometimes I'm not, I admit it. I do still miss her. I do still love her. You don't just stop loving people. But it's over, Zack. She ended it. And we went our separate ways. I'm not holding on to some delusion that one day we'll be married and living in a house with a white picket fence and three-point-two kids and a dog."

"Dude, you're full of it."

"I am not—"

"Oh, come on! If Kimberly wanted to get back together, what would you say?"

Tommy stopped. He had thought a lot about that over the years. He'd imagined seeing her again so many times… sometimes welcoming her back with open arms, and sometimes spitefully telling her to get the hell away from him. He missed her. He did love her, but he wasn't lovesick. He did want her back, sometimes. And sometimes he was okay with it. Sometimes he realized that even the things that were bad in his life had to happen. After all, if Kimberly hadn't left him, he probably would have never gone to college, met Hayley and Anton Mercer, become a paleontologist and a science teacher and started the Dino Ranger team.

"I don't know, Zack," Tommy said wearily. "Sometimes, I would say yes. Sometimes I want to get back together too. And sometimes I wish I never met her. And sometimes I just want to be friends. And sometimes I want to find whoever she met in Florida and beat him to death or run over him in a zord." Zack laughed and Tommy smiled. "But it's over. Can't fix the past. And I'm okay with that. I'm sure she is too, anyway. I seriously doubt she's spent the past few years pining for me."

A mischievous glint appeared in Zack's eye. "Want to go find out?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out what Kimberly's thinking."

"And what's that?" Tommy asked cautiously, knowing all too well that Zack's current mood could be dangerous.

"Spy on her!"

"Zack…"

"Come on! She'll never know."

"That's ridiculous. Besides, she's in a locked hotel room with Trini and Kira. They're probably asleep by now, and I don't think we're going to be able to sneak in and eavesdrop."

"Oh, yeah?"

* * *

"Okay, that movie was so not worth the money," Trent said. "It wasn't even that long."

"Good thing we didn't pay for it," Conner said sulkily, toying with the remainder of his room service meal.

"I can find a lot better stuff for free on the Internet," Ethan said, flipping through the TV channels irritably.

"Do you have your laptop?" Conner asked eagerly.

"Yeah," Ethan replied, "but my Internet blew up three days ago and I didn't have time to get it fixed before the trip."

"Well, what do you wanna do now?" Trent asked.

"There's nothing good on," Ethan said with a sigh, throwing the remote on the bed.

"I'm bored," Conner whined. Then he brightened. "Who's up for sneaking out and prowling the town?"

"Yeah!" Ethan and Trent shouted, jumping up.

* * *

"Zack, this is insane."

"Come on, Tommy! You want to know what Kimberly's thinking, don't you?"

"I swear, if I fall to my death, I'm coming back to haunt you."

"It's only six floors. You'll live. Now be quiet, or we'll get caught."

Tommy sighed heavily. Somehow, Zack had convinced them that they did indeed have a foolproof way to spy on Kimberly—her balcony was only eleven over from theirs. So now they were hopping from balcony to balcony like master cat burglars, praying that they didn't fall off or get caught.

"This is total lunacy, you realize that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Tommy sighed heavily and looked down at himself. He was barefoot and in his boxers, and quite paranoid that one of the residents of the rooms whose balconies they were climbing on was going to call the cops on them. "I should have gotten dressed," he grumbled. "I always hoped that if I ever fell to my death, I'd at least be clothed."

"Can't have everything you want," Zack said cheerfully.

"Just keep smiling, buddy. When we get arrested and thrown in jail with nothing separating us from a bunch of bikers but our underwear, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Oh, right, because we have absolutely no idea how to fight or anything. Now come _on!"_ He continued to the next balcony, and Tommy sighed and followed.

"Been a while since I've had to do something like this," Tommy muttered as he carefully leaped onto balcony number nine.

"Spy on an ex-girlfriend?"

"Endanger my life," Tommy clarified dryly, glancing at the ground sixty or so feet below them.

"Shh!" Zack hissed. "I think she's left her door open."

"Great. Then she'll definitely catch us. Guess we can't count on _her_ for bail money."

"SHH!"

Zack checked that the last room between them and Kimberly had their curtains shut so that they wouldn't be seen and then climbed up on the ledge. Then he easily leapt the four-foot gap, coming down gently on the balcony next to Kimberly's. He crept to the other side as Tommy jumped over as well.

They leaned over the last balcony's railing and peered in through Kimberly's window. They could see the three girls lounging on the bed closest to the window, all of them in various pajamas. Various pizza boxes, pop cans and candy wrappers were strewn about, much like any guy's room. Kira was sitting in between the two older girls, Kimberly painting her toenails. Trini was lying on her stomach behind Kira and across the pillows, a magazine open in front of her and a pen poised above a notebook. The balcony door was half-open and now that Tommy was listening for it, he could just barely hear them talking.

"Question nine," Trini was saying, apparently reading from the magazine. "'Your ideal boyfriend is a) the captain of the football team, b) a really smart, sweet guy, c) a class clown, d) a rebel, or e) rich and powerful.'"

Kimberly laughed. "These questions are so silly."

"Come on, Kim. We're almost through," Trini said, but she was laughing too. She made a mock-serious face. "Don't you want to know what your _ideal dream guy_ is?"

"I can't believe you kept our old magazine quiz answers," Kimberly said.

"Yeah, I couldn't either. I was so surprised when I found them in the attic; they're so corny! I wonder if we'll get the same answers. Anyway… Kira, what do you say?"

She grinned. "That this is ridiculous."

"It's all in good fun," Trini insisted. "Now, if I could just figure out which one applies to Jason most…"

"He's the smart, sweet guy, isn't he?" Kimberly said.

"Well, by my standards, sure. But I'm guessing that the magazine thinks of him more as a 'captain of the football team' sort of guy."

"Well, I'm going with B," Kimberly said decisively.

"Me, too," Kira said.

"Yeah, might as well," Trini said cheerfully, scribbling in her notebook. "Question ten. 'Is the first thing that attracts you to a guy a) his smile, b) his hair, c) his butt, d) his eyes or e) his clothes?'"

"B," said Kimberly.

"A," said Kira.

"Hmm… C."

"Trini!"

"What? Jason has a _very_ nice butt."

"Oh, ew," Kimberly said, wrinkling her nose. Kira giggled.

Tommy turned to glare at Zack. "Yeah, Zack. This was a great plan. We came all the way over here for _this?"_

"Well, it is pretty funny," Zack said defensively, smiling.

"I cannot believe I let you talk me into climbing over here and probably committing a few crimes just so we could listen to a discussion about Jason's butt!"

"Did you hear something?" Trini asked as Zack held his finger to his lips in alarm.

"No," Kimberly and Kira replied.

Trini got up and came over to the window. In a panic, Tommy and Zack flattened themselves on the balcony next to Kimberly's room as Trini came outside.

"Huh," she said after a few moments of looking around. "Must have imagined it."

"We're on the sixth floor, Trini—I doubt anyone's out there," Kimberly said. "It's probably just the TV next door or something.

"Yeah," Trini said uncertainly. She went back inside, leaving the door open but shutting the curtain across the window.

They could no longer make out the girls' voices; apparently they were trying to keep it down, perhaps wondering who could overhear them in the neighboring room. "Well, now what?" Zack asked.

"Now we go back," Tommy whispered firmly. "I'm not standing out on a balcony in my boxers all night listening to three girls fill out a quiz from a teen magazine!"

"They can't do that _all_ night," Zack insisted. "Besides, we'll at least get to tease Jason about their opinion of his butt. Now, look—her curtain's closed. If we're quiet…"

"Zack, _no."_

"Come _on,_ man!" Zack gave him an exasperated glare. "I did not come all this way for nothing. Where's your sense of adventure?"

With that, Zack jumped onto Kimberly's balcony as quietly as possible, then looked around and beckoned to Tommy. Cursing under his breath, Tommy followed.

* * *

"We are so lost."

"We're _not_ _lost,_ geek boy! We're just… confused."

"I gotta go with Ethan on this one, Conner. I can't even_ see_ the hotel anymore."

Conner sighed and glanced around, looking for a something he recognized, but he saw nothing but an elderly woman slowly walking down the sidewalk, leaning on a walking stick.

"Look," Ethan said, pointing at the woman. "Let's ask for directions." He nudged Conner towards her.

With a sigh, Conner approached the old lady. "Excuse me, ma'am, but my friends and I—"

WHAP!

Without warning, the woman had swung up her walking stick and smacked it against him. "ARGH! Are you crazy, lady?" Conner held up his arms, trying to fend off the woman's cane as she whacked it against him a few more times.

"Hooligan! Get back! Get back! Lousy hooligans trying to accost an old woman—"

"Hey, _you're_ the accosting one! OW! STOP!"

"Steal my purse, will you!"

"No, I—"

Trent surged forward and grabbed the cane as it sought to bruise Conner for a twelfth time. "Run!" he yelled, giving Conner a four-second head start before dashing off after him, Ethan at their heels.

* * *

"…What do you mean, my ideal man is a bad boy?" Kimberly demanded, staring at Trini in disbelief. "How did that happen?"

"Well… you _did_ say you liked long hair," Trini said somewhat apologetically.

"So? Plenty of guys who aren't bad boys have long hair," Kimberly said with a sniff.

_I can only think of one,_ Trini thought with a smile, then frowned and glanced at the window; she could have sworn she heard a snort of laughter, but the sound wasn't repeated. _I'm losing it,_ she told herself, trying to shrug it off. "You also said you like a guy who doesn't run from a fight, _and_ a guy who—"

"Well, who wants a wimpy guy?" Kimberly interrupted. "Come on. We all put the same thing on that one."

"Well… maybe it was that macho thing you put," Trini suggested, rifling through the pages to find Kimberly's previous answers.

"Don't worry, Kimberly," Kira said. "It did, after all, say my dream guy was a jock." She shuddered.

"Not a fan of them, eh?" Kimberly asked.

"Nope. Most of them at our school were complete jerks, too. Any attraction I felt towards jocks was pretty much killed when I became friends with Conner, anyway." Again, Trini thought she heard a stifled laugh, but she tried to ignore it; there was no way someone could have gotten on their balcony, and who would want to?

"What's yours, Trini?"

"Um… nerd. Wait, what? NERD?"

Kimberly let out a scream of laughter. "Oh, god, wait until I tell Jason!"

"Don't you dare tell Jason! He's freaking out enough about Billy. As if I would actually run off with Billy or something."

"Jason was always a bit jealous about how close you are with Billy. Guys are like that." She leaned back from Kira's toenails. "There! What do you think?"

"Awesome," Kira said, looking impressed. "You were right about the glitter."

Trini flipped to a new quiz and asked absently, "Did Tommy ever freak out about your friendship with Jason?"

"Not that I recall, actually. But—"

"You _went out_ with Dr. O?" Kira interrupted, sounding shocked and somewhat mortified.

"Yeah," Kimberly said sheepishly. "Way back in high school."

"You, er… probably shouldn't tell him that you know," Trini said reluctantly. "If he didn't tell you, he probably didn't want you four to know."

"Wonder why," Kimberly said dryly.

"I'm sorry, Kim," Trini said quickly, an apologetic look on her face. "I didn't mean to bring it up. It just slipped."

"It's okay," Kimberly replied with a weak smile. "It doesn't bother me."

"So you don't mind talking about it?" Trini asked tentatively.

"No, I don't. Honestly, you guys should stop dancing around it; you could be on Broadway by now. I'm fine."

"So… I'm guessing it ended badly?" Kira asked curiously.

"Very," Kimberly replied dryly. "We… haven't really talked much since. But he seems like he wants to put it behind us, and I do too. So hopefully we will. It'd be nice to at least be friends again."

"Did you guys talk much today?" Trini asked, frowning. She hadn't seen them together at all.

"No. But last night he said he wished we'd stayed in touch. So, hopefully it's a step in the right direction."

"Last night?"

"We ran into each other."

"Oh, god! What happened?"

"Well, he accidentally slammed into me as I was leaving a room and dumped a whole bunch of ice down my shirt. Took me forever to get that stuff out of my bra; I was freezing."

"You know what I meant! What did he say?"

"Not much. It really wasn't a big deal, Trini. Between the ice, the fact that he chopped off his hair, and the general shock, I wasn't too articulate. We said we were both teaching, I said I missed him, he said we should've stayed in touch. I asked him to come get dinner with me, but he claims he didn't want to leave his students. Given the way he's been around them today, I'm starting to think it wasn't an excuse."

"I doubt it was," Trini assured her, but Kimberly still looked skeptical and shrugged.

"I don't know. It doesn't really matter if it was; I can't really fault him for not wanting to go. Anyway, he invited me to come back to the room with Kira and Conner and everyone and get pizza, but I declined."

"What? Why?" Trini demanded.

"Because I still had a bunch of ice in my bra! Besides," she added quietly, "I felt a little weird. I had a sudden vision of a bunch of teenagers calling me 'Tommy's bitchy ex' or something."

"We would never do that!" Kira said. "And we didn't really know that much about you. I saw this video journal about Dr. O being a Power Ranger, and I remember thinking that maybe there was something up with you, but it didn't seem like my place to pry. It kind of slipped my mind after a while. But we never would have been mean to you."

"I know that now," Kimberly told her. "I just didn't know that then. Anyway, that was pretty much it. Not a big deal." She paused. "God, he really looks different with short hair."

Trini snorted. "You should have been there when he first cut it and showed us. Me, Jason and Zack… we all just stared at him. And it was a while after he cut it, so he'd kind of gotten over it and couldn't figure out why we were just all blank and stuff. A few months later he told us that Rocky, Adam, and Tanya had done the same thing." She gave Kimberly a devilish grin. "So… moment of truth, Kim. Is he still hot without the hair?"  
"Oh, shut up," Kimberly said, glowering at her playfully.

"Come on, Kim! Hot or not?"

"Of course he's still hot—"

"Ha!"

"What ha? There's no ha. No ha at all."

"There is _so_ a ha!" Trini rolled onto her back and posed as if swooning, the back of one hand over her chest and the other on her forehead. "Tommy's soooo _hot,"_ she drawled in a cheesy, breathy voice. "Even without his hair that was always longer than mine… just because I can't run my fingers through it doesn't mean I—"

"Oh, shut up!" Kimberly laughed. She seized Trini's magazine and reached around Kira to whack Trini with it a few times before Trini dissolved into giggles. "You know perfectly well he's hot. I know I caught _you_ checking him out a few times in high school."

"I did not!"

"Oh, you _so_ did," Kimberly said smugly.

"Oh, my god, this is so weird," Kira moaned, pressing the heels of her hands against her eyes.

"Weird? Why?" Kimberly asked, trying not to feel put out by that.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that," Kira assured her. "It's just… he's my science teacher. And my mentor. It's strange to think of him having a social life. I tend to think of him as… well… old."

"He's not old," Kimberly said with a laugh. Then a nervous look came over her. "Trini, are we old?"

"No, Kim. We're still young and in our twenties," Trini said in amusement.

"But we remember the time before cell phones," Kimberly said, still looking worried.

"So do I," Kira said. "It wasn't _that_ long ago."

Kimberly chuckled. "Thanks. Hey, can I try something with your hair?"

Kira shrugged and turned around to let Kimberly play with her hair. She wasn't usually much for messing around with makeup and stuff, but Kimberly and Trini were pretty cool, and sometimes it was fun to act girly. "He doesn't have a girlfriend, by the way," Kira said as Kimberly picked up a brush. "At least, according to public opinion and my few female friends. Most of the girls at school obsess about it. They all think he's hot."

Trini and Kimberly burst out laughing. Hysterically. Kira watched them, more amused at the depths of their laughter than at Tommy's young fans. "Oh, my god," Kimberly moaned, clutching her side.

"Can't you just see him wandering around obliviously with all these teenage girls following him all lovesick?" Trini gasped out with difficulty.

"I know!" Kimberly shrieked.

Kimberly and Trini spent a good fifteen minutes cackling over the idea of Tommy's students thinking he was hot, occasionally saying something to each other that Kira couldn't make out through their laughter. Finally, they were able to calm down, both of them red in the face with slightly watery eyes. "So were _you_ part of the Dr. O Fan Club?" Kimberly asked Kira as she resumed fixing Kira's hair.

"EW!"

"I'll take that as a no."

"Like I said, he's a teacher. He's all right for an old guy, but not exactly my idea of boyfriend material."

"So why didn't all your friends just ask you about his single status?" Trini asked. "Shouldn't you know best, as you're Rangers together? People must have noticed you spending a lot of time with him."

"Um… I kind of tried to play that down. Not exactly a common thing, hanging out with your teacher all the time."

"Yeah, that must've been weird," Kimberly said. "I can't exactly imagine battling evil with Miss Appleby." She and Trini giggled.

"Come to think of it, though, we spent a lot of time in his house and in the lair and stuff, and we never met anyone but Hayley."

"Hayley?" Kimberly inquired, trying and failing to sound nonchalant.

"His friend. Well, we think they're just friends," Kira said. "Conner likes to joke that they're getting it on in the secret lair when we're not around…"

Trini sat up, staring suspiciously at the window. She was almost certain that she had heard someone on the balcony mutter "I'm going to kill him."

"…but the rest of us think that's just Conner being Conner. We've never seen them even hold hands."

"Tommy said they went out for a while in college," Trini explained, her eyes still trained on the curtains over the window and open balcony door. "They were never serious. Then they decided they were better off friends, and they stayed that way. She helped get him the job in Reefside. I think she's just sort of his Billy."

"She's really big on computers, if that's what you mean," Kira said. "She runs the cyber café we all hang out in and she helped us a lot with Ranger stuff."

"I see," Kimberly said. She felt a bit better upon hearing that… but she wasn't quite sure what to think of Tommy's love life at all. It was weird, after all this time, to wonder out loud if Tommy was dating someone. Mostly, she just thought about it, about whether or not he and Kat had six children or something, but she'd always tried to leave the subject alone. She'd never once talked about Tommy with anyone who'd met him, not since the sob-fest with Trini right after they'd broken up.

"I've never really even seen any pictures of any one girl in his house," Kira continued thoughtfully, frowning. "There's a bunch of pictures of different people, though. He said they're all mostly either Rangers or college friends or family. Oh! And I remember once, I was helping him sort through files and papers and stuff and there was a box marked 'Kim.'"

"He has a Kim box?" Kimberly asked, so startled that she nearly scalped Kira.

"OW!"

"Sorry!" Kimberly released her hair and then picked it up again gently. "You're almost done. This is gonna look so cute."

"Then it'll be the first time I've ever looked cute," Kira said wryly.

"A Kim box," Trini mused aloud, momentarily distracted from the balcony phenomenon. "That's interesting."

"Trini," Kimberly said warningly. "I know that look on your face. You used to get it when we were planning ways to get you together with Jason back in high school."

"Hey, that turned out well, didn't it?" Trini said innocently.

"Come on, Trini. Whatever you're planning to do to Tommy, stop it right now."

Trini smiled and held up her hands in surrender, but she had no intention of dropping it. She was determined to use Power Rangers Day as an opportunity to get the two of them to be friends, hopefully more. She knew they both still loved each other, but neither of them would get the guts to pick up the phone and bridge the gap.

"What?" Kira asked. "You want to set her up with Dr. O?"

"Yes, that's exactly what she wants," Kimberly said before Trini could reply, leaning back to examine her work with Kira's hair, which was now up in two loose buns with stray hairs sticking out stylishly.

"And you don't want her to?" Kira pressed.

"Yes, she does," Trini teased.

"No I don't!" Kimberly said defensively. Trini arched an eyebrow at her. "I mean, okay, yeah, I still care about him, but it was like ten years ago. I highly doubt there's going to be a reunion. It's of the past."

"I told you so," someone said quietly on the balcony.

Trini stood up. There was someone out there, and she had a good idea of who.

"Something wrong, Trini?" Kimberly asked.

Trini shook her head frantically and mouthed, "Keep talking."

"So… what about you, Kira?" Kimberly said, slowly getting up and preparing herself to fight if need be. "Are you dating someone?"

"Yeah," Kira said, doing the same as Kimberly and watching Trini warily as Trini snuck towards the window. "Trent. He's a really great boyfriend."

Trini made it to the window and gave them both significant looks. They nodded at her, and she yanked back the curtains.

There, standing on the balcony, were Tommy and Zack, both wearing black boxer shorts and expressions of pure horror.

* * *

"I'm not asking anyone for directions ever again!"

"Come on, Conner. You're not even bleeding."

"No! Let's just call Dr. O. How mad can he possibly get?"

"I don't want to find out," Ethan replied. "He might drag us all back to Reefside. Then our parents would kill us. And Kira would kill us. And—"

"Well, then you better think of something, smart guy, cuz I'm not getting my butt kicked by any more little old ladies."

Ethan and Trent looked at each other, sighed, and then glanced around, trying to find someone else to ask, but the streets were pretty empty.

"What about that guy over there?" Trent suggested, pointing at a skanky-looking middle-aged man in a tattered coat. "He doesn't have a cane."

"Is that a wino?" Ethan asked, wrinkling his nose and promptly changing his mind about asking for directions himself. He shoved Conner forward. "Go on, Conner. You're our fearless leader, remember? I'm just the nerd. You'll have to do it. You're the best."

The flattery, combined with an eagerness to get back to the hotel, worked just enough to get Conner into gear. Conner sighed and glanced around nervously for any sign of mean old ladies, before taking a deep breath and approaching the possible wino.

"Sir?" Conner asked tentatively.

The man turned and peered up at Conner with bleary eyes. "Carol Anne? Is that you?"

"Carol… what?"

"Carol Anne! That IS you! Come here, darlin'!"

The man flung out his arms and lurched drunkenly towards Conner, who backpedaled and turned tail, sprinting away like the gifted soccer player he was. Once more, Ethan and Trent raced after him as the wino stumbled towards them.

"Where ya goin', Carol Anne? Come back, baby! Gimme some sugar!"

* * *

Trini, Kira and Kimberly stared at Tommy and Zack, quite as mortified as the two guilty-looking guys. There was a long pause, during which no one moved; they all simply gazed at each other in disbelief. It was Kira who recovered first.

She'd already been having a very odd day, but somehow, the increasing weirdness took her by surprise. In later years, she would look back on the moment and realize that a sleepover of sorts with the first ever Yellow and Pink Power Rangers would be the perfect time for something this bizarre to happen. But no one ever really expects to be wearing their nightshirt and having their hair fixed by a friend late on a weekend night and then suddenly discover their science teacher on the balcony in his underwear.

Kira let out a little shriek and dove for her jeans, pulling them on under her nightshirt. The movement jolted everyone else back to life, and they all started yelling at once.

"Oh, my god, are you _twelve?"_ Trini demanded.

"What _the hell_ are you doing?" Kimberly shouted, torn between outrage and amusement.

"It was all Zack's idea!" Tommy insisted.

"So this is what girls do when we aren't around," Zack attempted to joke.

"You two are so _dead!"_ Kimberly yelled, and she and Trini advanced on the balcony.

"It's not what you think!" Tommy said desperately.

"Yeah, right," Trini said, rolling her eyes.

"At least come up with something original," Kimberly added.

"No, really! We locked ourselves out of our room," Zack said hastily, backing as far away from the girls as he could without falling off the balcony. "We were out on the balcony and the door ended up locking behind us and so I suggested we climb over here and get you guys to help us!"

Trini snorted. "Likely story."

"It's true!" Tommy said, attempting to pull his face into a sincere expression. "Look, we left the door open a crack so I could listen for any loud noises, like Conner and Ethan and Trent having a party or getting thrown out by hotel security, so we figured that we could just cut through your room and we wouldn't have to be stranded on the balcony all night."

Kimberly and Trini exchanged knowing looks, the sort of looks two gang members exchange before best deciding how to mug a helpless victim, but they finally shrugged and stepped aside. Tommy and Zack sheepishly stepped in the room, being careful to keep a watchful eye on their two friends. The girls' mouths twitched, the funniness quickly overcoming the indignation of the situation.

"Better watch that door lock from now on," Kimberly said, trying to sound as intimidating as she could while wanting desperately to laugh. The two guys looked so… _adorable,_ standing there all scared like little boys who'd gotten caught breaking a mean neighbor's window during a game of baseball.

"Out," Trini ordered, pointing at the door. Zack and Tommy obediently headed for it.

Tommy gave Kira a last embarrassed, apologetic glance on his way out and cast about for something to say to explain himself. "Uh… that's a nice hairstyle," he said lamely.

"Goodnight, Dr. O," Kira said weakly.

Trini glared at him and marched Zack and Tommy from the room, leaving Kimberly and Kira to stare after them.

"Well," Kimberly said, shaking her head and finally bursting into giggles. "Boys will be boys."

"This has _got_ to be the weirdest day I've _ever_ had," Kira moaned.

The phone rang just then, and Kimberly smiled at her sympathetically before going to answer it. "Hello?"

After listening for a second, she turned to Kira. "Um… I think it's about to get weirder," she said apologetically. "It's for you. It's Trent, and he sounds kind of… scared."

* * *

"I cannot believe you two little punks were spying on us!" Trini raged as she walked them down the hall.

"We weren't! We'd only been there for like two seconds when you pulled back the curtain!" Zack repeated.

"Uh-huh. Right. Just admit it! How long were you _really_ out there? I know you were there before we started talking about you, I _heard_ you, and I kept hearing things during our whole conversation! You're lucky I'm not going to tell Kim how much you heard! I can't believe it took me that long to figure it out!"

They reached Tommy and Zack's room and paused outside it. Tommy turned to Trini and decided to try one last time to get her to believe them.

"Trini, I swear, we weren't spying on you. I would never do that."

Trini's face softened and she gave him a small smile, leaning against the doorjamb. Tommy smiled back in relief, pleased that it had worked.

Then Trini shoved the door open and glanced inside the room before turning back to Tommy with her arms folded over her chest. Suddenly her smile turned into a patronizing smirk. "Your balcony door is wide open, genius."

Tommy smacked his forehead and glared at Zack. "How could you leave the door open? Way to cover. 'We got locked out,' right. You idiot!"

"Oops," Zack said in a small voice. He edged through the door and reached for the knob, as though preparing to slam it should Trini become violent.

Trini jabbed her finger into Tommy's chest hard enough to hurt. "Tomorrow," she growled in her best no-nonsense voice, "you and me are going to have a talk. You get me, Oliver?"

"It was Zack's idea," Tommy whined, then gulped at the look on Trini's face. "Okay, okay! We'll talk."

"And stay off our balcony," Trini added threateningly, then spun around, her long dark hair whipping over Tommy's face and torso as she flounced back to her room.

If her back hadn't been to him, he would have been able to see the wide grin on her face.


	9. Something Fishy

_Author's Notes:_ Today is September 25, 2005… the one-year anniversary of the day Freyja and I first rediscovered our repressed obsession with Power Rangers. Three days later, on September 28, 2004, this particular fic would begin to blossom in our minds like a really really big Venus fly trap of really funny doom. It was originally about making fun of Mary Sues… but as you can see, it has absolutely nothing to do with that anymore; it's funny how once we let our inner children out of that closet they completely stampeded over us.

And finally… and this **_IMPORTANT:_** Kat will never be _anything_ important to the plot of this fic. I know we're doing something about The Letter here, and, given all the clichés running around, I wanted to go ahead and make it clear that Kat has absolutely nothing to do with that letter or anything else in this fic. From what I can tell, our spin is so completely bizarre in our own special way that no one has ever done it before. Kat will be featured eventually, but we're keeping this story completely Kat-friendly. We're trying to avoid clichés as much as possible (but, unfortunately, there's no easy way to do a Tommy-Kim fic set post-Ranger-days without explaining The Letter). So I hope you enjoy this new chapter… please review!

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

_**Something Fishy**_

Conner, Ethan and Trent nearly collapsed in relief when they saw Kimberly's blue Mustang pulling up to the curb on the corner of Elm and Sixth. Trini got out and held the seat forward so Kira could climb out.

"What happened?" Kira demanded. "Why aren't you guys in the hotel? Are you insane? Wait until Dr. O finds out! …Did someone beat up Conner?"

"It was horrible!" Conner yelled, launching himself at Kira and throwing his arms around her. "I was attacked by this crazy old lady who thought I was a mugger and then this homeless guy started chasing us and yelling about giving him sugar!"

Kira glared over his shoulder at the other two guys, the look on her face obviously saying "Get him off me before something bad happens to him."

"It's okay, Conner," Ethan said in a sarcastically sympathetic voice. "The crazy people are gone. You're the only one around us now."

Conner straightened up quickly as though only just realizing he was hugging Kira. "Sorry," he said, then squinted at her. "Hey, what's with the girly look?"

"What's wrong with it?" Kira demanded. "I can be feminine if I want to!" She reached up to touch her hair self-consciously, her toes curling reflexively to try and hide the nail polish under her sandal straps.

"I think it looks pretty," Trent said sincerely, whacking Conner upside the head.

"Very," Ethan added, nodding vigorously.

Kira sighed. "I've had a really rough night, guys. Just… just get in the car."

"Um…" Kimberly said tentatively, "I think there might be a problem with that."

* * *

"Tommy! Calm down!" Zack yelped as he cowered before the menacing form of Tommy, who looked like a tiger moving in for the kill.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? I have to have a conversation with TRINI now!"

"Trini's a perfectly nice person to talk to!"

"She can drag anything out of anyone! Always the person you go to when you need someone to listen! Always the person who knows what to say! _Always the person who could get a murder confession out of an innocent nun!"_

"Come on, Tommy! At least we're still alive!"

"In a second, you won't be!" The tiger sprung on its prey.

"AHHH! TOMMY! I'M SORRY!"

* * *

"Stop it Conner."

"I'm not doing anything."

"Touch me one more time and Trent will kill you!" As if to confirm this, Trent flashed Conner an intimidating smile.

"I have to touch you. You're sitting on me."

"You know what I mean! Stop poking me!"

"I'm not poking you!"

"Yes you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes you are!" Kira grabbed his finger and bent it back. At the same time, Trent reached over and yanked Conner's hair, hard.

"No, I—ow! OW! Okay! Okay! I'll stop!"

"Wow, you never struck me as the hair-pulling type, Trent," Ethan remarked.

"I couldn't kick him, so…" His grin widened. "A Ranger should always have a fall back plan." There was the sound of muffled laughter in the front seat.

While rushing off to rescue the three guys, Trini, Kimberly and Kira had overlooked one very important fact—Kimberly's car was on the small side.

"See, this is exactly what I mean," Kira said as she shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable. She was lying across the three guys in the backseat, her head in Trent's lap and her feet in Ethan's. The guys themselves were squashed together with their heads bent beneath the convertible top, so that they were practically folded over Kira. "If the rest of the vacation is this weird, I'm packing up and going home!"

"I'm sorry, Kira," Kimberly said. "I knew I should have gotten a bigger car… but I saw the pink upholstery on this baby and I couldn't resist. It's so hard to find a car with any pink in it."

Kira sighed. "Not a problem, Kim. I'm going to get some great song material out of this."

"I don't know what you're complaining about, Kira," Conner told her sourly, rubbing his finger. "We had a much worse night than you did."

"Yeah! Conner got us all lost!" Ethan complained.

"I did not—"

"And I had to rescue Conner from that old lady," Trent added.

"I didn't ask you to—"

"And we both had to run all over town because Conner bears a remarkable resemblance to some chick named Carol Anne!" Ethan ranted.

"The guy was a drunk!"

"…I saw Dr. O in his underwear."

There was a long pause as everyone thought this over, making various grimaces of disgust (save in Trent's case; he looked rather enraged).

"Okay, Kira," Conner conceded. "You win."

* * *

Kira immediately went to sleep upon returning to the hotel, muttering that she planned on being unconscious when the next weird moment rolled around. Everyone else followed suit gladly.

Come morning, Kimberly talked Kira into dolling her up again while Trini withdrew into her own little world, carefully planning her upcoming conversation with Tommy. She knew this was an important part of reuniting two of her best friends, and she didn't want to screw it up. She kept only a vague part of her brain tuned into Kimberly and Kira's chatter, not wanting them to suspect anything. She smiled slightly at the sight of Kimberly; Kimberly looked perfect, hair and makeup and all, and Trini couldn't help but hope that the extra effort was for Tommy.

"So what are we doing today?" Kira asked as Kimberly braided her hair.

"The beach," Kimberly said cheerfully.

"Um… so this makeup crap's pretty pointless."

"Nonsense! Makeup is never pointless. Not until you're eligible for senior citizen's discounts."

"Okay, but this is the last time."

"Sorry," Kimberly said sheepishly. "It's just so fun to have someone to make over."

Kira giggled, suddenly remembering that old picture of Dr. O from his high school days. "Did Dr. O ever let you do anything with that weird hair he used to have?"

Kimberly paused. "Once or twice," she admitted, sounding rather guilty. Without warning, Trini began laughing hysterically. Kira shot her a look, but no one explained. "Now, he won't let anyone but a 'trained professional,' as he puts it, touch his head."

"Why?" Kira asked curiously.

"…It's a long story," Kimberly said, looking twice as guilty.

Trini continued to laugh. "Oh, god, I remember that," she gasped. Kira thought she heard Trini say something about little pink bows, but Trini was laughing too hard to be intelligible.

Kimberly finished Kira's hair and narrowed her eyes at the hysterical Trini. "Hey, Trini, can I do you next?" Trini could no longer even attempt to speak. Kimberly grinned mischievously and forced her into a chair.

At quarter to eleven, Zack knocked on their door, offering them a sheepish smile. "Hi," he said, a little timidly.

Trini arched an eyebrow at him. "Tommy made you come alone, didn't he."

"Yeah, well… for some reason, he blames the whole… thing… last night on me."

"Wonder why," Kimberly said dryly, picking up her beach bag. "Are we ready?"

They met up in the lobby, the guys piling into Zack's SUV and the girls into Kimberly's car. Ten minutes later, they were arriving at Jason and Trini's house.

"This is a nice place," Kira said as Trini let them in.

"Thank y—"

_"My wife!"_ Jason yelled, hurtling out of nowhere and flinging his arms around Trini. "Oh, thank god. I tried to use the oven last night to—"

"You did _what?"_

"Not to worry, Trini," Billy said, grinning at her. "I found the fire extinguisher in time."

"WHAT?"

"I'm joking," Billy explained. "No fire. Just an extraordinarily large amount of smoke. Your dog was quite distressed."

"Oh, poor Tommy," Trini cooed, seizing her dog's collar as the enormous black beast sought to charge her friends. "Down, boy!"

"You're coming back tonight, right?" Jason said worriedly.

"Honey…" Trini began with a sigh.

"Jason, if she comes back tonight, who will protect me from the balcony boogeyman?" Kimberly asked innocently.

"That's right," Trini said mock-seriously. "Hmm… I suppose we could ask _Tommy _to do it, though, right?"

Tommy closed his eyes and hung his head pitifully… then jerked his head up to glare at Zack, who edged away nervously, rubbing at a recently acquired bruise on his arm.

"Balcony boogeyman?" Billy inquired curiously.

"Long story," Zack said quickly.

"Not _that_ long," Trini teased with just a hint of threat.

"You're _so_ dead," Tommy muttered at Zack.

"Please come back?" Jason whined pathetically.

"We'll see," Trini laughed. "Did you pack up everything for the beach?"

"Yup. Got everything."

"So you got the towels?"

"…Um, be right back."

After spending some time going over Trini's mental beach checklist, the group decided to grab fast food on their way ("Anything but McDonald's," Tommy begged, fairly certain he would never be able to equate that restaurant with anything but his traumatic road trip again) and they set out for their favorite beach. They'd discovered the almost-always-deserted beach many years back, and had frequented it ever since, whether to battle evil or hang out. Before long, they were setting up their gear out on the sand.

"Water," Billy said dreamily, looking downright homesick as he gazed out over the waves.

"Head on out, man, if you want," Zack told him as he busily set up his boom box, popping in some "old-school" hip hop music.

"Yeah," Billy said, "I will. Anyone want to come with me?"

"Me," Ethan said quickly. "I want to hear more about the planet you've been living on. Is it all water?"

The two of them headed into the waves, and Kira and Trent wandered off hand-in-hand for a walk.

"Who's for Frisbee?" Jason asked, pulling one out of his bag.

"Me!" said Kimberly, Zack, Conner and Tommy, the last of whom found Trini blocking his way, a stern look on her face. "Um… maybe later," Tommy amended lamely.

The Frisbee group moved off down the beach, leaving Tommy and Trini alone with the gang's stuff. They sat down on a blanket together in silence, watching the Frisbee players.

Tommy turned to look at Trini, who had a distant look in her eye as she watched her husband. He felt a small twinge of sadness, and his gaze turned to Kimberly, who looked amazing in her pink bikini, as usual. He watched her smile and laugh as she ran around with the others, suddenly jealous of what Jason had with Trini.

"You know," Trini said at length, still watching Jason, "I had a crush on Jason since the third grade. My very first crush."

"And you married him," Tommy remarked. "How… frighteningly monogamous of you."

Trini giggled. "It took me until high school to finally get up the nerve to say anything, and even then I barely managed it before the Peace Conference. You know what finally gave me the guts?"

"What?"

"You," she said simply. "I wanted me a Tommy."

Tommy stared at her profile, trying to make sense of this odd statement and finally deciding to laugh it off. "Well," he said, waggling his eyebrows in a highly exaggerated and suggestive manner, "if you _still_ want one…"

Trini socked him on the arm, laughing. "You goon! What I _meant _was… I saw you and Kimberly, all lovey-dovey, and I wanted that. I wanted that happy little grin that Kim always had whenever she was around you."

"And here I thought you were just going to yell at me for sneaking onto your balcony last night," Tommy said, trying not to sound annoyed.

Trini gave him a look and he sighed, looking away from her and from Kimberly. She waited patiently for him to open up, but he wasn't ready to, not just yet. Unfortunately, he knew that Trini was going to wait until he was.

Trini had always been the problem-solver when it came to emotional things. Everybody went to her when they were upset, because she always knew just what to say and she always knew when you had something you needed to talk about. Tommy wasn't at all sure why, but something about Trini made you want to pour your heart out to her… but he had spent too long trying not to pour out this particular part of him. So he struggled for something to use to distract Trini from him, his mind wandering back to Angel Grove all those years ago…

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

The doorbell rang, and Tommy sighed as he headed over to open it. Billy was still trying to pull him out of his horrible depression… which meant that Billy knew that Tommy was still horribly depressed. The others were starting to believe that Tommy was fine, though they gave him funny looks and whatnot when they thought he wasn't looking. Jason and Zack had rolled into town like any two good friends would, and they'd helped him feel a whole lot better… but now that they were leaving soon, Tommy realized that he'd feel worse when they did. Nothing had been resolved, nothing had been fixed, and oh, yeah—now he was reminded of the fact that all of his first real friends, save Billy, had run off into the sunset just like Kimberly, and look how that had turned out. So Tommy had been trying to struggle on while suddenly feeling very old and tired, as though his entire world was changing around him. Jason and Trini and Zack and Kimberly had all started themselves down the post-high-school path and even Billy had graduated, and Tommy would have to move on soon. He was now wondering if he was going to end up moving away from Angel Grove and forgetting everyone, if his calls and letters and e-mails would be as infrequent as everyone else's, if he'd just forget the world that he'd been living in for the past two years and how happy he'd been since the moment Jason asked him to join the Rangers.

Tommy didn't bother to check to see who was on the other side of the door, assuming it was Zack, Jason, Billy or one of the Rangers… so he received the shock of his life when he opened the door and saw Trini standing there on the doorstep.

"Trini?" Tommy said blankly, unable to fathom this bizarre turn of events. Trini hadn't contacted him lately; for all he knew, she had no idea that Kim had dumped him. Now that he thought about it, he realized that Trini had been last on the list of people he expected to see, way down below the Ghost of Christmas Past. After all, no matter what Trini's ties to Tommy were, she was Kimberly's best friend.

Trini gave him a tired smile. She looked exhausted, like she hadn't slept in a really long time; her hair was messy and her clothes were rumpled. An unfamiliar car was parked in Tommy's driveway.

"Hey," she said softly. "I thought maybe you could use a hug."

Tommy stared at her, still trying to come to grips with the fact that she'd somehow gotten from Massachusetts to Angel Grove… and then suddenly he was hugging her, collapsing against her, and she was holding him up, her arms around him tightly.

This was exactly what he needed… and it was one of the few things that no one else on the team could give him. Kat had tried, but she was just a reminder of how he'd never have Kimberly at his side again. Tanya had stuck to mostly awkward pats on the arm. And the guys… well, guys weren't known for their hugging skills. The others weren't exactly homophobic or anything—they hugged and whatnot on occasion—but not spontaneously like this. It had never really occurred to them to give Tommy a nice big hug (and if it had occurred to one of them, no one had figured out how to do it without it being creepy).

"I was really happy," he said dully, a large lump in his throat.

"I know."

And that was it. No promises that it would be okay, no pep talks or distractions or what have you. She just hugged him until he stopped needing her.

Tommy wasn't sure how long he stood there on the porch, holding poor fatigued Trini like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver; he was only vaguely aware of insignificant things like weird looks from the neighbors and the sun setting and so on.

He had no idea what made him pull back; it was simply time to do so. He pushed her away gently and dropped his arms. She gave him that same, patient, Trini-the-psychologist smile.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"No," he said.

"When you do…" Her offer was obvious.

"I will."

Then Trini shook her head and yawned. Just like that, whatever spell that had come over them was broken, and suddenly he found the entire event completely freakish.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, ushering her inside. "You look beat."

"I drove here. Heard about you… figured I'd come do that thing I'm good at. What was it called?"

"Comforting your friends?"

"Yeah, that." Trini stumbled as Tommy led her over to the couch. "It's amazing how fast you can get here if you ignore those little signs with the numbers on them."

"…Speed limit signs?"

"Yeah! Those."

"Trini… did you drive all the way here from Massachusetts?"

"Well, I made a quick stop first off in that state that kind of looks like a butterfly net, but yeah, that's pretty much what I did."

"Butterfly net?" Tommy frowned, unable to think of which state that might be. "Um… maybe you should lie down."

Trini nodded and then simply passed out on the couch like a drunk at her favorite bar. Tommy chuckled, staring down at her in amazement. Here he was, moaning how horrible life was, when he had friends like Jason, Trini, Zack, Billy, Kat, Tanya, Adam, and Rocky. Friends who would do anything they could to make him happy, even if it meant springing for a weekend at a mountain lodge, renting out the Youth Center so he could have dinner with a famous snowboarder, rushing over from various other towns in California within three seconds of getting the news or even driving a couple thousand miles just to give him a hug. What on earth was the matter with him?

Tommy went to get Trini a blanket, picking up the phone to call Zack, Jason and Billy and tell them of the latest addition to the already large pile of crazy attempts to make Tommy feel better.

* * *

_End Flashback_

* * *

Tommy grinned at the memory. That had been the moment when he'd snapped out of his post-Kimberly funk and started healing—when his friends had finally made him realize that he had a lot of blessings left to count. His smile faded as he looked over at Trini now.

She had truly meant what she'd said when she'd offered to be there if he ever wanted to talk about it… but he never had. Now, she was sick of waiting for him to decide he was ready… and he still wasn't ready, even though he knew he should have taken her up on that offer years ago. He returned his full concentration to the search for a distraction.

His eyes landed on Kira and Trent. Trent was listening closely to whatever Kira was telling him; she was talking animatedly about something that looked pretty deep while Trent nodded and glared over at Tommy. "Wonder what they're talking about," he commented, knowing it wouldn't divert Trini's attention for long but figuring he might as well try.

"I don't know. Probably if you're really getting it on with Hayley in the secret lair."

Tommy made a face that quickly turned into a glare at Conner. "I'm _so _going to kill him."

"Yeah, yeah. Come clean, Tommy. Why _else_ would you have a secret lair?"

He laughed, enjoying her attempt to lighten the mood. "It's my own version of the Command Center."

"Uh-huh, sure. You're just trying to be Zordon, are you? No wonder Kira thinks it's so bizarre that you might have a social life. You're her giant talking head in a tube."

"Ha, ha."

"Actually, they're probably talking about last night. The guys were arguing over who'd had a worse night and she told them she'd seen you in your cute little boxers."

"That explains the funny looks Trent has been giving me all morning," Tommy said dryly.

"I think they call those visual death threats," Trini laughed.

"What did the guys say?" Tommy asked, rolling his eyes.

"They agreed that that had to have been horrible beyond belief."

"Right. Give it up, Trini. Like you said, even _you_ want a Tommy."

"Dream on, 'old man.'"

Tommy laughed and gave her a playful glare before returning her teasing insult. "You can't fool me, Trini. I heard you saying I was hot."

"You mean when you were spying on us?" Trini growled.

"I prefer the term 'unapproved surveillance,' thank you. But don't try to change the subject. Been checking me out since high school, eh?"

"Oh, you wish," she said with a snort, laughing. "The hair was totally unappealing."

"Uh-huh, sure. I heard you swooning last night."

"Not on your life. Besides, no matter how hot _Kim_ thinks you are, you're not nearly hot enough for _me."_

"That's right, I forgot. You prefer nerds, according to—what was it? _Seventeen?_ _YM?_ So tell me, when are you going to elope with Billy?"

She snorted. "Yeah, right."

"It's okay, Trini, you can tell _me._ That magazine quiz said it _all. _ Jason's butt just isn't enough, is it?" Tommy deadpanned.

"No, it isn't, but thankfully he's got… other… attributes."

"Too much information," Tommy said, thoroughly disgusted.

"Well, that's what you get. No one makes fun of my man's butt." Trini folded her arms over her chest and gave him a smug smile.

Tommy grinned, his spirits lifted; he hadn't gotten the opportunity to have a good banter session in a while, as his Dino Ranger duties had cut into his visiting time with his friends. "You're a great friend, Trini, you know that?"

"And you're a great big idiot."

"It's not my fault that you have delusions about Jason's butt."

"…I meant about Kimberly."

Tommy sighed, his good mood evaporating. "I know."

"Tommy… what happened?"

"Florida happened," Tommy said with a sigh. Seeing her opening her mouth, he added, "And yeah, I really wish it hadn't, okay?"

"Why can't you tell her that?"

"She's moved on."

"She's 'moved on' about as much as you have. Probably less."

"You don't know that."

"I am Trini. I know everything."

A vision of Hayley snapped into Tommy's mind and he fought to focus on the conversation. "Trini—"

"Look," Trini interrupted. "I'm not telling you to go march over there and ask her to marry you. I'm asking you to try to patch things up. I'm asking you to try to fix whatever was broken. Just try. At the very least, maybe we'll be able to invite you two over to visit at the same time without wondering if something horrible is going to happen between you. It's been years since we've all been together."

Tommy looked at Kimberly, watched her joking with Zack as she tossed the Frisbee to Conner. Watched the girl who should have been his Trini, the way Jason had become Trini's Tommy.

"I'll try," he said quietly. "I'll try."

* * *

"All undersea, eh?" Ethan said. "That must be really cool."

"It's all right," Billy said, floating easily on his back in the water with his ankles crossed and his fingers laced behind his head. "I miss certain things about Earth, though. The food. The clothes. My tools. My garage. The RADBUG. My inventions. My friends. All of that. But still, it's a great experience. I'm working with all sorts of alien races, not just the people on Aquitar. And the technology is amazing."

"They're probably a lot more advanced than Earth, right?" Ethan asked eagerly.

Billy stood up. "You wouldn't believe it. The Internet is a joke compared to the things they have. They rarely crash, too; the problems are almost nonexistent. And the daily lifestyles are a lot easier. They don't even have a single manual door left in the entire world; they're all automatic. Everyone can use a computer, and computer experts are the ones who are the most valued members of society. It's just… incredible, seeing the comparisons and contrasts."

"And you're seeing an alien woman?"

"Yes. Cestria. It's not as weird as it sounds," Billy added at Ethan's slightly disgusted look. "Her physiology is very similar to that of a human. It's no different than dating a human girl of a different race for me."

"So… if you've been with her all these years, why haven't you married her?" Ethan asked, remembering what Billy had told Ernie.

"They don't have marriage there, the way we know it. I explained the concept to Cestria once and she said it seemed kind of silly. The Aquitians simply acknowledge their love for each other; they don't feel that a ceremony is necessary to make love official."

"Weird."

Billy nodded. "Yeah, sometimes their culture is odd. But it's also really fascinating. Everyone on Earth has a lot of the same basic beliefs with a few simple variances. Life after death, religion, marriage, right and wrong. It's so fascinating to see a culture completely removed from all of that."

"I'll bet. It must be really cool."

"Yeah. Still… it's so completely strange, especially when I come back here. I can't stop looking back on my life, remembering what I thought would happen to me after high school."

"What did you think?"

"Lots of stuff. I mean, alien planet aside, I never thought I'd be respected by an entire world and have my own—for all intents and purposes—wife, who's pretty much a highly important government official. I certainly never saw myself as a Power Ranger before it happened. And I kind of thought that… well, by this point in my life, I figured that I'd be a leading scientist or computer engineer. I used to think we'd all end up doing what we were good at back then. Trini was headed for something like I was—computers and science. Or I thought perhaps Trini would be a diplomat; she was always very good at the Peace Conference thing, according to Jason and Zack. It took me a while before I ever saw her relationship with Jason coming. Zack… he's not really deviated from my old views of him. Kim's a gymnast, of course, and Jason's running a dojo. But Tommy… none of us ever saw the paleontologist thing. And we certainly never would have guessed that he and Kim would split up."

"Dr. O used to go with Kimberly?" Ethan asked, nearly falling over in surprise.

"Oh, yeah. She was all head over heels the moment she saw him. And of course she went straight for him—that was Kimberly for you. The next thing we knew, he was a Power Ranger and they were inseparable."

"Wow… that's so… bizarre. I never really thought about him having a girlfriend. It was just too creepy."

Billy smiled. "I can see how you would feel that way." His expression became distant, his eyes clouding as he sank back into his past. "Jason used to complain about it like nothing else. Tommy was often late to things, and on occasion he was late because he was with Kimberly. We caught them being late together quite a few times, and Jason always looked suspicious whenever we were hanging out and Tommy showed up late with Kim. After Tommy was made leader, it drove Jason even crazier; he missed being leader, but he didn't begrudge Tommy the title—they were best friends. I think he was quite pleased to be rid of the pressure, only to find himself having to deal with it anyway until Tommy actually made it to the field."

Ethan nodded. "Yeah. But… what happened? If they were so in love, why did they break up?" He was suddenly thinking of Kira and Trent, and how happy they were together.

Billy told him the abbreviated story of Coach Schmidt and the letter. "Man, that's cold," Ethan said with a low whistle.

"Yes… and it wasn't at all like Kimberly. She was usually very honest and forthcoming, especially when she knew someone could get badly hurt. None of us had heard a thing about the guy she mentioned… and that wasn't like Kimberly, either. She told us all about the people she was meeting, from the coaches to the teammates to the waiters at her favorite restaurants and checkout girls at the places she shopped—there were a _lot_ of those—people she liked and people she didn't. She sent letter upon letter, especially to me and Aisha and Tommy, Jason, Trini and Zack, and she called regularly. Always raving about the people she knew, always asking about Angel Grove, always telling us how much she wished she could be with us. She got really bummed sometimes, especially when it came to Tommy. She wouldn't say 'goodbye,' only some variant of it whenever she had to hang up the phone. She usually signed her letters with 'see you soon' and so on, as if she was only on a weekend trip. I still can't figure out why she wouldn't have told us anything about a new guy she liked. She would have at least told Trini or Aisha; they were her best friends."

"Didn't she say anything to anyone?"

"No, not even the people she usually confided in. We weren't talking as much as we had been, though. By then, Trini, Jason and Zack had finished high school over in Europe. Jason and Zack were back in California—Zack had gone to L.A., and Jason was visiting relatives before choosing a college. Trini was off at MIT. But we were all still in touch, chatting whenever we could afford the phone calls and writing whenever we had the stamps, e-mailing and instant messaging whenever we got online. I just… what shocked me most was that Trini told me later that Kimberly had never mentioned anything about breaking up with Tommy until the moment it happened. She said that it came as a complete surprise, both from Tommy's end and Kim's. And Trini was always… well, she was the first person to call when you had a crisis, always there with a shoulder to lean on or cry on. Trini would have let Kim pour her heart out and she wouldn't have told Tommy that Kimberly was thinking of breaking up if Kimberly asked her not to. For Trini to have heard nothing was unthinkable.

"Aisha was off in Africa at the time, but still able to stay in touch with Kim and us all. She and Kim were really close, too—Kimberly even lived with her for a few months. So if Kim's confidante hadn't been Trini, it would have been Aisha… but Aisha was just as startled as the rest of us. I don't see why Kim never confided in anyone. Really, any of us would have given her advice. But she should have at least told Trini."

"Are you sure she didn't, and Trini just wouldn't tell you?"

"I'm positive. Trini wouldn't have said anything directly, but once it had happened she would have at least said something to the effect of it being Kimberly's business. She wouldn't have said she'd known nothing. And… there was something else odd."

"What?"

"When Tommy first got the letter, I took him skiing to get his mind off it… and when we got back, I returned home to a bunch of frantic messages from Trini. Before I could return them, Trini called me again and begged me to find a way to teleport her to Florida. I asked why, and she said that she'd been on the phone with Kimberly for hours and Kimberly wouldn't stop sobbing."

"If _she_ dumped _him,_ why was _she_ crying?"

"That's what I wanted to know."

"What did Trini say?"

"Well, at the time, I was kind of bitter on Tommy's behalf. I asked her how Kimberly was doing with her new boyfriend… and Trini snapped that Kimberly had just lost Tommy and wasn't exactly out shopping for replacements yet. That startled me, and I apologized; Trini said it was okay, that I didn't know. That was when she asked me if there was a way I could get her to Florida. I wanted to ask more questions, but Trini was panicking and desperate to get to Kim. I told her that the Power Chamber didn't have a lot of the same stuff as the Command Center and teleporting from beyond a certain range around the Chamber was impossible. She told me she'd find a way down to Miami and give me a call in a few days. I found out later that she rented a car and drove down all the way from Massachusetts to Florida, so Kimberly must have been a total wreck."

"So… wait. There _was_ no other guy?" Ethan asked with a frown.

"I don't know. I only know that Trini said Kimberly had lost Tommy and wasn't seeing anyone. For a long time, I assumed Trini just didn't know the full story when she talked to me, or else that Kimberly had just fallen for some other guy and broken up with Tommy before dating the new guy, which is still perfectly plausible, but now… I'm not so sure."

Billy sighed, leaning back into the waves and letting them wash over him. "I could have been wrong. I'm a computer guy, not a relationship guy. But… I don't know. Trini and Zack still talk a lot about it. Trini and Jason… well, it's too much of a mess for them to talk about, I assume; it's too close to each of them. Trini and I don't really speak about it very much anymore… but I know that Trini still prays for a reunion. I just hope that this ends up being her chance to get them together, rather than a disaster." Billy nodded at the shore, where Trini was sitting alone with Tommy. "It looks like she's already set things in motion."

"So… you never asked Trini any more about Kimberly?" Ethan prompted.

"No. You see… when Tommy first got the letter, all of his friends tried comforting Tommy as best we knew how. Zack and Jason drove in to visit, and the four of us had a sort of guys' day. Then we all got together—Kat, Tanya, Rocky, Adam, Zack, Jason, Tommy and I, and we tried to cheer Tommy up. Tommy eventually started to do this thing where he pretended he was okay when anyone who knew him remotely well could tell that he was completely depressed. And then, about a week or so after it happened, just before Zack and Jason were about to leave town, Trini magically appeared on Tommy's doorstep, snapped him right out of his trance—none of us have ever been able to figure out how—and then Trini, Zack, Jason and I got together to talk about it. We were all still shocked and confused and I asked Trini what Kimberly had said… and she told me that she didn't want to talk about it. She said that it wasn't her place to talk about it, and it wasn't our place to talk about Tommy. She said we should all leave it alone. We decided that from then on, no matter what happened, we would never judge either of them, never take sides. Trini was very adamant about that, especially. At the time, I thought it was because she didn't want to betray Kimberly when Jason, Zack and I were sitting by Tommy's side. Now… over the years I've started to wonder if it was because she felt that Kimberly had been slighted, and Trini didn't want us to feel like Trini was angry with Tommy."

"Was she?" Ethan inquired. "Did Trini ever act pissed off at Dr. O?"

"Trini isn't like that," Billy said. "She never mentioned it to him, either, unless of course it was when she first popped up in Angel Grove to talk to him about it, but none of us know what she and Tommy did that day. The closest they ever got to saying anything that I know of was at her wedding rehearsal dinner, and Trini had told Jason, while he was standing next to Tommy, that Kimberly wasn't going to be able to get out of France for the wedding. Jason told me about it. Tommy turned to her and asked 'how's…?' without ever completing the sentence. She'd just said 'fine.'"

"What did Dr. O say?"

"Just 'good.'"

"So… he probably hadn't heard her name at all before Power Rangers Day?"

"Oh, he'd heard it. Once in a while a few of us would be reminiscing about the old days and mention Kim, and then we'd all realize what we'd said and change the subject. Or someone would get a postcard from her and mention it when he was over on accident. Trini and Jason were the only two who could avoid it with perfection. Besides, Kimberly had a good run as a gymnast; Tommy heard about her on TV and in the paper, too."

"And you never asked Trini about why Kimberly was so upset that Kimberly had left Dr. O?"

Billy shook his head. "After that day Trini, Zack, Jason and I never spoke about _how_ they broke up. We talked about how it was _sad_ they'd broken up, and how we wished they _hadn't_ broken up, and how we wished they'd get back together or start being friends again, but never how or why it happened. That was the first time—and last time—that our little group had ever been shaken up like that. I mean, sure, we left Angel Grove and lost our Ranger powers and so on, but we were always _friends._ None of us knew how to handle it."

"Why didn't Dr. O ever call her? Didn't he ever want an explanation?"

"I would imagine so, but he never called up and got one. We just tried to take his mind off of it and help him move on. We were all so hopeful they'd work things out when that kidnapping thing rolled around, but nothing spectacular came of it."

"Kidnapping thing?"

"Jason and Kimberly were captured and turned evil. Adam contacted me to tell me about it… and it was really a mess. Jason told me later that Kim had been so anxious to leave Angel Grove afterward that she would have ran barefoot over broken glass to get out. Apparently Tommy tried to reach out to her while she was under the spell by getting her to remember him, and she… well… continued to try and kill him. The first chance they had to patch things up just gave them both nightmares." Billy sighed heavily. "By then, I think it was too late. To see each other like that… it must have been a horrible blow. And Tommy was dating Kat, Kimberly was on her way to being an acclaimed gymnast, and they had both spent months without speaking to each other."

"Kat?"

"The second Pink Ranger. They got together not long before Jason lost his Gold Ranger Powers and ended up kidnapped. She adored Tommy from minute one."

"What happened to her?"

"She moved to London to become a ballet dancer. Tommy wasn't too keen on long distance relationships."

"I'll bet. So… do you think Dr. O and Kimberly have a shot anymore?"

"I don't know. It would be nice. It's hard to tiptoe around the fact that they aren't together, and tiptoeing around it is an even bigger reminder that the gang's not going to be the same again. It's really up to them, though."

Ethan smiled, turning to look at all the ex-Rangers on the beach. His gaze went from Tommy to Kimberly… to Conner, Trent, and Kira.

"Yeah," he said slowly, a smile fit for any evil genius like Ethan forming on his face. "It's all up to _them."_


	10. Mr Billy's Wild Ride

_Author's Notes:_ Today—September 28, 2005—is the one-year anniversary of the day Freyja and I first got the idea for this fic. This chapter deals with one of the first things we ever got the idea for—the "Ranger parade." Where did we get the creative inspiration for this? …I have no idea. Hope y'all like it.

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

_Mr. Billy's Wild Ride_

"What's with all the chatter?" Zack demanded, dropping down onto the blanket next to Trini. Jason, Kimberly and Conner followed him. "You two plotting my demise?" Zack added, sounding a bit more serious than he'd intended.

"No more than usual," Trini said casually, grinning teasingly at him.

"Trini," Kimberly said sharply, giving her a penetrating look.

Trini looked up at her, and Kimberly's eyes flicked almost imperceptibly towards Tommy before returning to Trini's, her question obvious. Trini shook her head slightly. "I didn't do it," she said in a joking tone, making it sound like they were simply sharing some unknown inside joke.

"Okay, then," Kimberly said, looking relieved.

"What?" Jason asked suspiciously, looking from Kimberly to Tommy to Trini in askance, having spotted Kimberly's glance at Tommy.

"Guys!" Billy called, coming out of the water with Ethan. "Are you coming in?"

"Soon," Jason said absently, staring suspiciously at his wife.

"I'll wait," Billy said, sitting down beside Tommy but looking out covetously at the water.

Kira and Trent wandered over just then and plopped down with the others. "Hey, can I ask you guys something?" Trent asked.

"What?" several people replied.

"What's this Ranger's Parade we keep hearing about?"

"Yeah," Conner added. "Was it a part of Power Rangers Day?"

"No," Kimberly said, smiling slightly. "It was… well, it was a really strange day gone bad."

"Like last night?" Kira asked.

"Er… no," Tommy said, sighing heavily. "It was a whole lot worse."

"What was so bad about last night?" Billy inquired, but Jason, who had started laughing at Tommy's comment, didn't hear him and interrupted before anyone could give an excuse not to explain.

"One little mob just spoiled your day, didn't it?" Jason teased Tommy.

"Shut up," Tommy retorted.

"So what happened?" Trent pressed.

"Well," Jason said slowly, "it all started with Billy."

"It all started with Goldar," Billy argued, obviously picking up a previous fight. The others ignored him.

"That's right," Zack said. "It never would have happened if Billy hadn't gotten that job at Kinko's."

* * *

_Flashback

* * *

_

Billy smiled wearily at the elderly woman who'd been holding up the line for the last fifteen minutes with stories of her grandchildren while businessmen and women huffed impatiently behind her. "Have a nice day, ma'am," he said, relieved when she hobbled out the door, leaving him to deal with a long line of angry people whose reports were going to be late.

The door bells chimed, and Billy turned as was mandatory, planning to greet the new customer before returning to the line. However, all thoughts of the line disappeared at the sight of the newest "customer."

Goldar stood in the doorway, looking freakish and frightening with his dark blue skin and gold armor. Everyone gasped, staring in shock, waiting for the monster to make the first move.

Goldar looked around uncertainly and held up a small, flat silver disk. "I need to use the copy machine."

Well, there was only one thing anyone could say to that.

"AHHHHHHH! RUN!"

There was a stampede for the other door, the one Goldar wasn't standing in front of. Billy dropped to his knees, praying Goldar hadn't seen him, as Billy's manager hit the deck as well and all of the customers ran faster than Road Runner. Billy crawled around the corner behind the L-shaped counter, desperate to contact the rest of the gang without compromising his secret identity. Goldar was pretty tough, tough enough to have nearly killed Jason when fighting one-on-one; Billy would fight if he had to, but he doubted he could take on Goldar alone. The moment he was out of sight of his cowering manager, he hit the send button on his communicator.

Back at the Youth Center, Zack was regaling Angela with a very funny story (she was, of course, feigning boredom, which was something she often did with his most interesting stories) when he heard his communicator chime.

"Your watch is beeping," Angela said, pretending to look relieved. She had taken to looking relieved every time it went off, which was a tactic she'd adopted shortly after they'd gotten into a fight about how he had to run off every time it beeped (which was freakishly often).

"Oh, yeah… I have… a gynecologist appointment," Zack lied, rushing from the room. The moment he was out of sight, he lifted his communicator to his mouth. "Zordon?"

"Billy, actually."

"Billy?"

"Yes. Tommy? Kim? Jason? Trini? You there?"

Over in Angel Grove Park, Tommy and Kimberly halted their make-out session on a pink-and-white-checkered picnic blanket and stared at their communicators in dismay. "Remind me why we brought these again?" Kimberly asked grumpily as Tommy activated his.

"Tommy here."

"And Kimberly."

"What is it, Zordon?" Jason's voice asked through the communicator. He sounded very winded and tired, perhaps annoyed.

"Billy's the one who called us, actually," Zack said.

"Billy?" Kimberly repeated in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Goldar just showed up."

"What? Where?" Tommy demanded, standing up. Kimberly sighed and got to her feet as well. Goldar usually showed up after or with a group of Putties, and his arrival always seemed to herald some major catastrophe.

"At the Kinko's I'm working at."

"Why's he there?" Zack asked.

_Good question,_ Billy thought, and carefully peered over the countertop. He expected to see Goldar tearing the place apart… but Goldar was simply standing by the copy machine, staring at it as if trying to figure out how it worked.

"He… uh… appears to be attempting to utilize the copier."

"Um… he what?" Zack said blankly.

"He's trying to use the copier," Billy repeated.

"That makes no sense," Jason said.

"Why would he do that?" Trini asked at the same time.

The others paused. Both Jason and Trini sounded short of breath, and they hadn't heard Trini come online, which meant she was using someone else's communicator. They were designed so that only one person could talk into them at any time, like walkie-talkies, so they had to be sharing a communicator.

"Jason? Trini? Are you guys at the same place?" Tommy asked suspiciously.

"Uh… yeah," Jason said a little guiltily.

"Did you guys just work out or something? You sound beat," Zack said.

"Yes! Yes… we uh… we were working out. Yep," Trini said.

"Can we get back to more important matters?" Jason demanded quickly, sounding downright panicky.

"He's still trying to use the copier," Billy reported, still spying over the counter. Goldar had discovered Billy's manager's hiding spot and was now forcing the manager to make the copy. "Paul is copying something for him."

"Copying what?" Kimberly wondered, frowning. It seemed rather insignificant to her.

Billy started to say something, but just then Goldar started shouting, drowning Billy out. "I thought this was a _copy_ machine! All it's doing is drawing the medallion on paper! What good is that?"

"Please don't hurt me!" the manager whimpered.

"I'll try and stall him," Billy hissed into his communicator. "Hurry, guys."

Billy turned off his communicator and grabbed his morpher. "It's morphin' time," he whispered. "Triceratops!"

A moment later, Billy leaped out from behind the counter. "All right, Goldar!" he yelled, striking a tough-guy pose.

"Ack!" his manager shrieked. Startled, Paul whirled around, nearly wetting himself from shock. His eyes fell on Billy. "The Blue Ranger!" he breathed, relieved.

"I'm gonna take you down, you—where'd he go?" Billy demanded, disappointed.

"That way!" the manager said quickly, pointing at the door.

"Thanks, Paul," Billy said absently, rushing off.

"He knows my name!" the manager whispered in awe, staring after him.

The door flew open and suddenly Goldar rushed back in. "Almost forgot," he growled as the manager screamed in terror. Goldar ignored him, marching over to the copy machine and lifting the lid to retrieve his medallion before leaving again.

Billy rushed outside. The street was in total chaos; everyone was running and screaming. He scanned the crowd for Goldar but saw nothing.

"Where'd he go?" Billy wondered just as something slammed into him from behind. He stumbled and turned; Goldar had somehow gotten behind him and in between him and the door to Kinko's.

"You!" Goldar snarled.

"Prepare to be… beat up!" Billy exclaimed, unused to throwing out insults; most of the time the others yelled that sort of stuff, and most of the time the others were beside him.

"I don't have time for this right now," Goldar replied, and, to Billy's complete surprise, he turned and ran.

"Come back here!" Billy shouted, giving chase.

Goldar saw him following and darted down the driveway between Kinko's and the Burger King next door. Billy followed, ordering him to stop, pumping his arms for speed. Goldar turned the corner, trying to ditch Billy, ran along the parking lot, turned up the driveway in between Kinko's and Blockbuster and then pelted along the sidewalk in front of the store. There he paused, waiting to see if Billy was still behind him; Billy skidded around the corner a moment later.

"Grr, that's _it!" _Goldar shouted, realizing he'd have to fight. He charged at Billy.

"AHH!" Billy yelped, racing back around the building a few times before remembering quite suddenly that he was the good guy, and as such he was supposed to do the pursuing, not the running.

"Stand and fight!" Billy yelled, running back at Goldar.

Goldar took off, once again trying to escape.

Meanwhile, Zack was running up the street, dodging panicky pedestrians as he ran towards Kinko's, already morphed. Two buildings from Kinko's, he found a crowd of people who were blocking the sidewalk and half the street, watching the most recent Ranger event. Giving a frustrated growl, he leaped up onto the roof of a nearby Blockbuster and hopped onto the Kinko's roof, scanning the ground for Billy.

It took him a moment to figure out that Billy was chasing Goldar valiantly around and around Kinko's. Just as he prepared to jump down to help, Goldar changed direction, waving his arms over his head and screaming as he hurtled at Billy, who spun and ran off, only to let out a battle cry and turn the tables on Goldar a few seconds later. This continued for quite a while.

Zack couldn't help it; he burst out laughing. First Billy would chase Goldar and yell like a Roman gladiator, then he'd start yelling in fright as Goldar came after him with a boogeyman sort of shriek. Zack roared with laughter and the crowd below watched with interest.

Goldar finally realized during one of the moments that Billy was chasing him that Goldar had a mission and therefore better things to do than endlessly circle a Kinko's. When he reached the sidewalk again, he turned right instead of left and ran off past the Burger King. He glanced over his shoulder; Billy came around the corner and kept circling the building, apparently thinking Goldar was just really far ahead.

"Ha!" Goldar yelled triumphantly, only to give a cry of pain a few seconds later as he bounced off something large that was talking about Whoppers and fries.

"Skull! It's one of Rita Repulsa's minions!"

"Let's get him!"

Goldar looked up just in time to see Bulk and Skull lunging at him as he lay sprawled on the sidewalk. Startled, Goldar teleported away.

Billy, meanwhile, had realized he'd lost Goldar. The monster was just too fast, and the gang was still nowhere in sight. Billy stopped, thinking hard. He couldn't let Goldar get away; who knew what Goldar might do and who he might hurt? There was only one way he was ever going to catch Goldar.

"Triceratops Unicorn Thunderzord Power!"

A few moments later, his zord had arrived. Billy leaped in his cockpit and took off.

Unfortunately, he was completely unused to piloting his zord in a tight circle around a building. On the first turn, he knocked a huge crack in the Blockbuster wall with the back of the zord; on the second, he nearly hit a Burger King drive-thru customer.

Jason and Trini, also morphed, arrived just then, hopping onto the Kinko's roof, having been forced to take to the roofs after the crowd got too thick. They found Zack laughing hysterically; he was flat on the roof, clutching his stomach.

"Zack… what…?"

"Jason, look!" Trini pointed at the Unicorn Thunderzord below.

"He's called his zord; we better get ours."

"Um… yeah. But… where's Goldar?"

Jason frowned, searching the area but seeing absolutely no sign of Goldar and his armor. "Uh, good question. Zack, stop laughing! Zack!"

"I don't like this," Trini muttered. "Where's Kim? And Tommy?"

Jason hit his communicator's button. "Tommy? Kimberly?"

"We're on our way, Jase!" Tommy replied.

"Yeah. We got… uh… held up."

"In other words, they were making out," Jason said in disgust.

Trini gave him as pointed a look as she could with her helmet on. "Um… for which we should probably forgive them, all things considered. Now let's get in there and help Billy. Tyrannosaurus Red Dragon Thunderzord Power!"

"Saber-toothed Tiger Griffin Thunderzord Power!"

"Zack, get up! Billy needs us!"

"Mastodon… haha… Lion… hahahahaha!… Thunder—ha!—zord… haha… P-power! Mwahahaha!"

The three of them mounted their zords, Jason converting his to battle mode, as he wouldn't be able to fit between the buildings while flying without risking a crash and he had no desire to take out a Burger King.

"Zack! Why aren't you moving?"

"S-sorry," Zack choked out, still laughing hard. Trini tried to slip past him, but she had to go slow to avoid him and scraped along the side of him.

"Look out!" Jason called down, jumping over them as gently as he could and continuing after Billy.

"Good to see you, guys!" Billy called, then screeched to a halt as Goldar appeared in front of him. "Ha! I've got—argh!"

Goldar ran right at him. Billy, fearing Goldar would leap into the cockpit where there would be no room for a fight, threw the zord into reverse and nearly crashed into Jason.

"Are you crazy?" Jason demanded, jumping forward over Billy and landing in the street, just barely able to keep his footing. By the time he turned around, Billy had swung the zord about until it was facing the right way and gone all the way behind Kinko's and towards the parking lot.

"He's back here! Help!" Billy shouted.

"Where?" Jason asked, having missed seeing Goldar in his haste to avoid being tripped by the Unicorn.

"Here! Trini, Zack, get out of the way!"

"Zack! Quit it!"

Zack was attempting to drive, but he was laughing so hard that he kept jerking about erratically and crashing into Trini's zord, who was trying and failing to get around him. At last, they'd made it to the parking lot in the back, where they had room to maneuver, and Billy zipped past them.

Trini whipped her head around to look. "Billy, where—"

"He's after me!"

Trini frowned. That made no sense; Goldar was no match for a zord.

Suddenly the Red Dragon Thunderzord stomped into the parking lot and turned to go up the other driveway after Billy. "Jason, why are you chasing Billy?" Trini demanded as Zack smashed into her again.

"I'm not! I'm trying to help him!"

"ZACK!" Trini roared as he hit her again. In a rage she spun her zord at him and charged.

"AHH!" Zack screamed, then promptly went back to laughing. Still furious, Trini slammed into him again.

"Okay… what the hell are you guys doing?" came Kimberly's voice. They all glanced up to find her on the Kinko's roof with Tommy.

"Billy _claims_ Goldar's after him," Jason said shortly, beginning to doubt Goldar's presence as he tried to carefully follow Billy. Unbeknownst to him, Goldar had retreated once more, and was now watching safely from the moon.

Kimberly and Tommy looked at each other and shrugged. "Pterodactyl Firebird Thunderzord Power!"

"White Tiger Thunderzord Power, now!"

"We're right behind you!" Kimberly yelled.

"Where is Goldar, anyway?" Tommy asked after converting to Warrior Mode.

"In Billy's head," Jason muttered darkly.

"What?"

"Should we go Megazord?" Kimberly asked.

"DIE, ZACK!"

"Trini! Stop!"

"Uh… maybe later," Tommy said, frowning at the sight of Trini and Zack's vicious bumper-car-like fight.

Kimberly swooped around Jason, attempting to spot Goldar. "I don't see Goldar, Billy," she said.

"He's right behind me!" Billy turned his head to look, only to find that Goldar had teleported away again.

"I don't see him," Kimberly repeated.

"I'll scope out the back," Tommy said, pausing in the parking lot, figuring that if the lot of them were going to keep circling, Goldar would eventually run right into him.

"Billy, I swear, if this is just a… a hallucination…" Jason let the threat hang.

"It is not! He must have gotten ahead of me." Billy increased his speed to an almost dangerous level, given the tight turns he kept having to make.

"Trini! I'm sorry!"

"I'll teach you, you idiot!"

"ARGH!"

"LOOK OUT!" Tommy shouted.

Zack, in an attempt to get away from Trini, had driven into the area between Burger King and Kinko's, Trini ramming him all the while. Neither of them noticed that Billy and the other zords were headed right for them.

"Zack, watch out!" Billy yelled, throwing his zord into reverse again.

Big mistake.

The Unicorn smashed into the foot of the Red Dragon, tripping it. Kimberly banked a hard left, trying to get out from under the Red Dragon as it fell forward, but was too low and was forced to turn back to the right or risk leveling Burger King. Jason and Kimberly screamed as the Firebird collided with the Red Dragon and they fell down toward the Unicorn, Lion, and Griffin.

"ABANDON SHIP!" someone shouted.

Trini, Zack and Jason leaped out of their zords, but Kimberly was smashed under the Red Dragon's chest and Billy's cockpit was nearly crushed under its leg.

The noise was deafening. The ground seemed to shake as the Red Dragon fell, and then there was complete and utter silence. Not one of the onlookers moved.

"Zordon's gonna be maaaaad," Zack whispered after a long pause.

"This is all your fault!" Trini yelled at him, picking herself up off the Burger King roof where she and Zack had landed and rounding on him.

"KIM!" Tommy roared suddenly, making them all jump. He leaped out of his zord and practically flew towards the wreck, scrambling onto Billy's zord (startling poor Billy, who was relatively unharmed within the cockpit, half to death) and heading for the Firebird.

"I'm okay!" Kimberly called. "I'm stuck, but I'm okay!"

"Calm down, Romeo," Zack said, shaking his head.

"How, exactly, are we going to fix this?" Trini moaned, preparing to jump down and help, but a little boy's voice—the only person other than the Rangers who had spoken yet—interrupted by shouting, "Look, Mommy! The Red Ranger's okay!"

Several onlookers gasped. Trini, Zack, and Tommy looked around and spotted Jason, standing on top of the K in the Kinko's sign, his hands on his hips in a very classic superhero pose, his face turned in their direction. Even with his helmet on, there was no questioning the fact that he had a murderous look on his face.

"Uh… Jason," Trini said sweetly, "now is the time to fix this and get out of here. There's gotta be a hundred people watching us."

"Fix this? Fix this! How are we going to _fix this?"_ Jason shouted.

"Um…"

"I'm open for suggestions," Zack said with a shrug.

"Perhaps the White Tigerzord could be strong enough to remove the Red Dragon," Billy suggested.

"Hey! I actually understood that," Zack said in surprise.

Tommy rushed off; he was close to having a fit about his trapped girlfriend. A few minutes later, Tommy's zord was lifting Jason's (though not without a good deal of effort. "Are you all right, Beautiful?" Tommy asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, Tommy," Kimberly repeated in exasperation, sliding out of her badly dented zord.

"Jason, get back in," Tommy said, carefully setting the zord on its feet and holding it steady, just in case. He was itching to go to Kimberly. "It seems like it can stand up just fine."

"Can someone come pry my door open?" Billy asked with a sigh.

"I'm on it," Trini said, hopping down from the roof and pulling out one of her Power Daggers, which she used like a crowbar to jimmy Billy's door open.

"Thanks," Billy said, climbing outside gratefully.

"This place looks wrecked," Jason groaned from inside his cockpit. "Everything's fried."

"Can you walk?" Tommy asked.

Jason lifted up a foot and the zord promptly toppled over. The Red Dragon Thunderzord landed with its butt in a dumpster, much like a nerd shoved into a trashcan by bullies; everyone winced at the scream of metal bending before the zord settled and the dumpster held with the zord's legs and torso stuck straight up into the air. It was folded almost in half, but it still reached higher than the Kinko's roof.

"On second thought, maybe you shouldn't try moving," Tommy suggested, cringing.

Jason's zord's head turned to look at the White Tigerzord with what was unmistakably a glare.

Zack snorted, obviously finding it funny. "If you laugh one more time, I'm going to throw my Power Daggers at you!" Trini shouted at him. Zack promptly shut up.

"Hey, I've got an idea!" Tommy exclaimed. "Megatigerzord transformation, now!"

Rather than combining as usual, none of the zords moved save Billy's, which gave a feeble lurch before sitting still.

"Okay, never mind," Tommy said with a sigh.

"Um… Initiate Thunder Megazord sequence now?" Jason asked hopefully. Again, the Unicorn twitched, but that was about it.

"Now what?" Trini asked wearily.

"We can't just stay here," Kimberly said worriedly, looking at the crowd. "But we can't just leave our zords, either."

"I kind of want to," Zack said. "I'm not looking forward to facing Zordon."

"Especially since this was your fault," Trini said dryly. "But I don't want to make him mad, either."

"What do you suggest? We have them towed to a mechanic?" Kimberly asked. "We try and fix them up ourselves in Billy's garage?"

"Calm down, guys. We don't even know if we can move them. Everybody hop in and see if anything works," Tommy said.

Kimberly, Trini and Billy got back in with difficulty. The Unicorn and Griffin would drive, but that was it. The Lion had been under the Firebird, and between its weight and the Red Dragon's, the cockpit too smashed to enter. Nothing at all responded on the Firebird; Kimberly could barely get back inside, and the control panel was almost totally crushed.

"We're so screwed," Kimberly moaned as she crawled back out again, watching the onlookers warily. No one had gotten up the guts to approach them, but people were crowding all around at a respectful distance, chattering loudly now.

"Any ideas?" Jason asked, still inside his zord.

"I've got a really crazy one," Billy said quietly.

"Does it involve hallucinating another of Rita's monsters?" Jason said sulkily.

"I wasn't hallucinating! And no, it doesn't. It just might work… but no one's going to like it."

* * *

_End Flashback

* * *

_

"And that's how it started," Zack finished with relish. He was the only one of the six Rangers who'd been there who enjoyed telling the story. Sure, Trini had nearly killed him several times that day, but the others had fared far worse.

"Wow," Trent gasped through his laughter.

"I'll never forget that day," Kimberly muttered.

"Me either," Jason, Tommy, Billy, and Trini echoed.

"Yeah," Zack said. "It was the first time I suspected Jason and Trini were together."

"Ha, ha," Jason said, chucking the Frisbee at him.

"You guys kept it a secret?" Kira asked Trini.

"For a while. At first, we just couldn't find the time to tell them," Trini replied. "Between monster attacks and school and all the martial arts classes and so on, it was difficult to get the gang all together. By the time we finally did, we were having fun with the secret. All six of us were so close that it was kind of cool to have something that was just ours, you know?"

"And then it became, 'oh, god, the guys are going to kill us when they find out we've been keeping it from them,'" Jason finished.

"But the 'parade…' that was the day that kind of solidified the suspicions for me," Tommy said.

"Yeah, right," Jason said derisively. "You were completely oblivious until the day I got married."

"Hey, I was not," Tommy protested.

"Yeah—he was only oblivious until you asked him to be the best man, remember?" Zack reminded Jason. "He was all excited about getting to plan the bachelor party."

"Shut up," Tommy growled.

"Yeah," Jason teased. "Not in front of the children, Zack."

"I would ask," Trini muttered, "but I think that's best left alone."

"Especially given what happened at the bachelorette party," Kimberly said reminiscently, smiling. Jason and Trini had both had their parties about a week before the wedding. Kimberly had been able to attend Trini's, before heading of to France for what she'd hoped would be a few days (that of course became a very long time; the passport thing had been really difficult to sort out) to visit family; her stepfather had fallen ill. Kimberly had insisted that Trini not reschedule the wedding to wait for Kimberly, mostly because a lot of the already-paid-for things were non-refundable, like the honeymoon plane tickets and the reception hall.

Kimberly allowed herself to get lost in the memories for the moment until realizing that Jason was staring at her. "What bachelorette party?" he demanded.

"Honey, she's confused," Trini said a little too quickly. "I didn't have one, remember?"

"Oh, that must have been someone else I'm thinking of," Kimberly said, wide-eyed. "That's right. You and I just looked over the wedding floral arrangements… or the China pattern… or some other such thing. Um, right?" She looked at Trini for help, no longer able to remember the excuse they'd given Jason.

"That's what she _said_ you two were doing during my party," Jason said suspiciously. "Trini said she was just going to be hanging around the house."

"And that's what we were doing," Trini said defensively.

Wildly, Kimberly tried to change the subject. Zack looked entertained by it. Billy had that look on his face that meant he was filing away information for later. Trini was glaring at her. Panicking slightly, Kimberly turned to Tommy. "I kept insisting Jason and Trini were together back then, remember?" Kimberly asked him. "You wouldn't believe me at first."

Tommy nodded. "I thought you were imagining it," he said hurriedly, trying to stave off a Jason/Trini argument. He'd always been suspicious of what Trini was really doing during Jason's bachelor party, but due to the knowledge that Kimberly would be with Trini he hadn't asked too many questions; he had also been a lot more concerned with Jason's party, since he was actually going to be attending it.

"So… you two used to go out?" Trent inquired of Tommy and Kimberly, looking rather queasy at the thought of Dr. O having a social life, as did Conner, Ethan, and especially Kira. Conner, Ethan and Trent had been very wide-eyed since the moment one of the older ex-Rangers had mentioned that Tommy and Kimberly had been together when Billy had alerted them to Goldar's presence. However, realization suddenly seemed to dawn on Conner.

"So _that's_ why you glared at me yesterday when I—"

Tommy looked straight at him with a frightening glare so reminiscent of the one from the picnic that Conner instantly changed direction.

"—when I promised that I wouldn't ever mention what you glared at me for," he finished lamely.

"What's with the sudden Terminator look, Dr. O?" Ethan asked curiously.

"Nothing," he replied calmly, the spookiness evaporating into a cheerful smile.

"Nothing at all," Conner added, nodding vigorously.

Trent shook his head, deciding to move on, as everyone was now exchanging funny looks or else staring at Tommy in confusion, save Jason, who was still looking at Trini through narrowed eyes. "So… you two were a couple?" Trent asked.

"For a few years, yeah," Kimberly said lightly.

"Yep," Tommy said. Both of them looked away, and an awkward pause ensued.

Kira cleared her throat; knowing that their relationship wasn't a good topic, she decided to change the subject. "What happened to your zords?" Kira asked quickly.

"Well, they had to be fixed," Tommy said, seizing hold of the new conversation quickly. "And Billy had figured out how to get them to the Command Center."

"Problem was, no one was too anxious to go to the Command Center," Billy said.

"Yeah. Zordon hadn't communicated all through the… um… event, so we figured there was a good chance he didn't know," Jason added, finally turning away from Trini.

"And we wanted to keep it that way," Kimberly said with a smile.

"Why?" Ethan asked. "Wasn't Zordon like a father to you guys?"

"Think about it," Trini said. "If you'd just crashed five of your father's very expensive cars—never mind the fact that these were zords that were very important in defending the entire city—would _you_ want to face him?"

* * *

_Flashback

* * *

_

"This has got to be the most unbelievable thing we've ever done."

"Chill, man, this is hysterical. Think of all those bystanders on the street, staring up at us and wondering just what the hell is going on.

"Zack, one more word out of you, and they're going to be wondering why the hell Yellow Ranger is trying to kill Black Ranger."

"…Sorry."

"I can't believe we're doing this."

"I know! And it's never going to work."

"Hey, the guy at the hardware store gave us all those chains and pulleys and things for free. Maybe the mechanic will be that nice. And if he isn't, we'll… just have to work something out."

"Guys, I orchestrated this event in order to return us safely to Zordon. Altering the parameters could produce inauspicious results."

"Uh…"

"He doesn't think this will work as well if that we're not going back to the Command Center."

"Oh!"

"Come on, Billy. It's worth a shot."

"Well, if the desired objective is not achieved, we'll have to revert to the original procedure."

"Trini?"

"If it doesn't work, we do it Billy's way."

"Ah."

"Dude, you guys are like Artoo-Detoo and See-Threepio."

"I do not believe that Trini and I are comparable to—"

"Billy, I'm tired."

"Sorry. Never mind."

"Hey, it looks like they're clearing the streets now."

"Yes, Jason, they are. Unfortunately, they're lining the sidewalks instead."

"…At least we can move a bit more freely.

"Yeah, that idiot going fifteen miles an hour finally turned."

People were, indeed, gathering on the sidewalks and pointing and whispering and laughing at them. But then, who could blame them. They made a very odd procession.

The White Tigerzord, converted back to the Tiger Mode, was stomping slowly down the streets. Chains connected it to a large blue Dumpster, in which the Red Dragon Thunderzord was sitting with the Firebird Thunderzord in its lap. The Red Dragon's legs were bent over the lip of the dumpster—and had been ever since they'd almost taken out a power cable—and Jason had done his best to get the zord to lie so that the torso and head were sticking straight back; he now took up only a little more space than a semi-truck. Behind the dumpster, side by side, were the Griffin and Unicorn Thunderzords, with the Black Ranger sitting astride the latter; they were towing the very battered Lion with chains of their own. Another chain connected the Griffin and Unicorn; something was wrong with the Unicorn's navigation system, and every so often it would try to wander off and crash into something.

"This is like a parade," Zack said cheerfully, grinning as they paused at a traffic light. He raised his arm to wave at the crowd as if he were on a float instead of Billy's zord.

"Yes, exactly like a parade," Jason said irritably, toying with the controls of his zord in a vain attempt to figure out what was wrong. "Zack? Be quiet. Before I get Trini to tear you apart."

"My poor zord," Kimberly moaned, which she had been doing periodically for quite some time now. Tommy gave her a one-armed hug; he had brought her into the Tigerzord's cockpit with him.

"Don't worry, Kim," he said. "We're going to fix this. I promise."

* * *

It was a slow day at Mike's Auto Repair, and most of the mechanics were lounging in the office, watching a football game. All of them groaned when the phone rang, annoyed at the interruption of their peaceful day. The mechanic nearest the phone reached over and answered it. "Mike's Auto."

A young man's voice filtered through the phone over a bad connection, possibly caused by a pay phone. "Hi, um… this is a… well, okay, I happen to be the leader of the Power Rangers, and there was an incident this morning in the pursuit of a monster… could I get an estimate on five Thunderzords?"

The mechanic started laughing. The Power Rangers. Yeah, right.

"Try Hillcrest," he said with a derisive snort, and hung up.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Hillcrest Collision Shop, the line was rather long. The clerk behind the counter smiled tiredly at the elderly man who'd caused a three-car pileup because of his need for new glasses and asked him to wait in the lounge. The clerk looked up at his next customer… and his jaw promptly dropped. Standing in front of him was none other than the Pink Power Ranger.  
"Hi," she said in a very feminine voice, which was somewhat muffled by her helmet. "Mike's Auto said you might be able to help me—at least, we think that's what they said; they were laughing scornfully at the time…"  
Before the young woman could explain any further, however, the White Ranger appeared at her side. "Um… K—I mean, Pink Ranger? The garage here wouldn't be able to fit even the smallest zord. Bi—er, Blue Ranger just got done… saying a bunch of stuff that only Yellow understood, and she translated that there's no way this place will fit our zords. We better try somewhere else."

The Pink Ranger sighed. "This is the fourth shop, T—White Ranger!" She turned back to the clerk. "Excuse me, but do you know of anyone in town with a garage big enough to hold a Red Dragon Thunderzord?"  
The clerk continued to stare in shock, as did most of the customers. The door clanged open and the rest of the Power Rangers piled in. "I'm telling you, the statistical probability of finding an auto body repair shop that will not only hold but possess the capability to service our Thunderzords is phenomenally unfavorable," the Blue Ranger said, sounding rather exasperated.  
The other Power Rangers turned immediately to the Yellow. "He doesn't think there's a place that can do the job," she explained, sighing.  
"Hey, do _you_ want to explain this to Zordon?" the Black Ranger said. "He may not have arms, but I still don't want to see him mad."

"Guys, there are only so many collision shops left in the phone book," said the Red Ranger, reaching into a Kinko's bag and pulling out a few sheets of yellow paper, which appeared to be photocopies of mechanic ads from the Yellow Pages. "And we've already gone to the biggest ones."

"And the crowd following us is getting dangerously large," White Ranger added. "We should probably head back."

The Pink Ranger sighed again and turned to the clerk. "Well, never mind," she said politely. "Sorry to have bothered you."

* * *

_End Flashback

* * *

_

"You guys seriously went to _mechanics_ trying to get your zords fixed?" Ethan asked incredulously.

"I told them it was fruitless," Billy said. "But no one would listen to me."

"Come on, Billy," Jason said. "You'd just dragged us all to Kinko's because you _thought_ you saw Goldar."

"I told you, I wasn't hallucinating," Billy insisted.

"Right."

"Jason, give it up, man," Zack said. "The psychotic breakdown joke is old. We all saw Goldar too."

"None of us saw Goldar," Tommy argued. He, too, had been of the opinion that Billy was just overworked and had gone a little crazy.

"I assure you, he was present," Billy said stubbornly.

"Yeah, I saw him too."

Trini, Billy, Jason, Tommy and Kimberly turned to stare at Zack in disbelief. "You knew Goldar was really there and you never said anything?" Trini exclaimed.

"I thought you guys saw him too," Zack said, surprised. "You really didn't see him?"

"Of course not! I really thought Billy had lost it!" Jason said.

"We all did," Kimberly added. "None of us ever thought he was actually there."

"You mean to tell me that for the past decade, you all thought I was crazy?" Billy demanded.

"Not… crazy," Trini told him, smiling apologetically. "Just… um… mistaken."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Kimberly demanded of Zack.

"I thought it was a running joke!" Zack exclaimed. "You know, because he got away, we decided to turn it into something funny…?"

"You laughed enough that day," Trini muttered darkly.

"Yeah," Jason said with an evil grin. "Let's get back to the story, shall we? We didn't even get to the part where Trini tries to strangle Zack."

"Or the part where you and Trini traded T-shirts!" Zack shot back.

"That was hysterical!" Tommy burst out laughing.

"Not half as hysterical as when we threw you to the fans!" Trini retorted.

Jason was quick to jump in. "Remember how, when we finally rescued him, he was covered in lipstick kisses?"

Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly and Zack dissolved into downright hysterical laughter while Tommy glared balefully around at them all and his students waited eagerly for the story to resume. Then Tommy smiled smugly at Jason and cleared his throat.

"All right, guys," Tommy said slyly, "let me tell you a little story about Jason, his imaginary friends, and his gig as the Kinko's spokesperson."


	11. A Ranger Catastrophe

**Chapter Eleven**

_A Ranger Catastrophe_

_Summer, 1994_

"What's taking T—White Ranger so long?" Kimberly wondered with a sigh.

"I don't know," Jason said. "Someone should go check."

"I'm not going in there," Kimberly said emphatically. "I can't take one more leering mechanic calling me 'sweet thang' or 'darling.' It's nauseating. They can't even see past the spandex!" She paused and sighed. "I hate men."

"Hey," Jason said indignantly.

"Hey!" Tommy's voice filtered through the helmets' intercom. Tommy usually refrained from answering them while inside an auto shop; if he didn't, he looked like he was talking to himself (and as everyone who was in the shop with him was now looking at him funny, he knew it had been a good idea). It was also more difficult to hear Tommy when he was speaking in a normal tone; the intercoms usually only picked up louder calls.

"I shouldn't have said that," Kimberly said, though her tone suggested she still meant it.

"Hey, at least they're not completely shallow," Zack pointed out cheerfully. "It's not like they have any clue what you really look like."

"Well, we're busy, Kim," Trini said apologetically. She was helping Billy adjust the controls in the Unicorn's cockpit. "We just might be getting somewhere. …Or we're about to put a crater in the street to rival the Grand Canyon. Um… you guys might want to stand back."

"I'll go see what's keeping T—White," Zack said quickly, scrambling as far away from the Unicorn as he could.

Just then, Tommy stumbled out of the door to their most recent stop on the list of Angel Grove auto body shops. "My god! There was a troop of Boy Scouts in there. All those autographs gave me writer's cramp."

This was becoming more and more of a problem. People had been following them around shamelessly for quite some time, and they were becoming very paranoid. They only managed to keep the crowds back because Kimberly and Zack had taken it upon themselves to stand on top of the zords and wave (with one hand on their Blade Blasters), so that everyone had to stand back to see, while Jason kept an eye out for problems, Billy and Trini tried to repair some of the damage, and Tommy ran into the shop to ask for an estimate.

"Any luck?" Kimberly asked Tommy hopefully.

"No. He suggested we try an airplane mechanic," Tommy said with a frustrated sigh.

"Now there's an idea," Zack said thoughtfully. "You know… how come the zords never get this beat up during an actual fight?"

"They're meant to beat up monsters, not each other," Jason pointed out.

"Besides," Trini said, "the monsters have never fallen on us. They've just punched and whatnot."

"What about when Tommy was evil and he fought us?" Zack asked curiously. "That was zord against zord."

"He still didn't tackle us."

"That big Godzilla thing was a piece of junk," Tommy said, rather uncomfortable at the mention of him trying to kick their butts. He also was a little resentful towards anything associated with his Green Ranger powers, as they obviously hadn't lasted long. "It probably would have done more damage to itself if it had tackled you."

"I wish we could test that theory," Billy said wistfully.

"…Why?" Zack demanded.

"Well, it would be interesting," Billy said defensively. "Think of the strategic battle tactics we could develop with data that comprehensive."

"Trini?" Kimberly asked.

"Billy, shut up," Trini said with a sigh, not bothering to translate.

"Guys… this is pointless. Billy was right," Jason said tiredly. "We should just head back to the Command Center."

No one argued, though all of them were scared to death of pissing off Zordon. However, they now had a larger problem.

"Um… how are we supposed to do that?" Kimberly asked.

They were surrounded by people. People lined the sidewalk ahead of them, and behind them, and all across the street. Traffic creeped by as drivers and passengers alike gawked up at the damaged zords. Only respect kept them from getting mobbed.

"I told you so," Billy said wearily.

"What's the problem?" Zack asked, not seeing what their issue was.

"Uh… Zack? How are we supposed to get to our _secret_ hideout with all these people watching our every move?" Trini pointed out.

"…Oh."

"Look," Kimberly said, jerking her head at a white van inching nearer. They could clearly see the Channel 4 News logo on the door.

"Everybody, get in," Tommy said quickly. "We'll figure it out along the way."

Tommy and Kimberly leaped up into the White Tigerzord's cockpit and Jason to the Red Dragon's to gasps and applause from the crowd. Zack hopped down from the dumpster. "Hang on a second," Trini called from the Unicorn… and then suddenly there was a loud BOOM and Trini and Billy screamed, practically flying from the cockpit.

"Are you all right?" Jason demanded.

"Affirmative," Billy said shakily.

"Fine," Trini said, rolling to her feet. "Thank god for these power suits."

"What just happened?" Tommy asked.

"Well, given the large amount of smoke, I'd guess nothing good," Zack quipped.

Trini shot a glare at him as she clambered back aboard. "I think we just fried whatever was left of the navigation system."

"What does that mean?" Tommy asked.

"That the Unicorn isn't going anywhere. We'll have to tow it, too."

"Maybe if we reconfigure the guidance matrix we can reestablish optimal navigational capabilities."

"Trini?" Tommy inquired urgently. The news van was getting ever closer, crawling along in the traffic jam.

"We don't have time to reconfigure the guidance matrix," Trini told Billy, ignoring Tommy. "That's a half hour job, minimum. And I can't see a thing through all this smoke… I wish our faceplates weren't tinted. It really makes this difficult."

"We're not sitting here for another half hour!" Tommy exclaimed. "Just tie it to the back of the dumpster."

"The length will make it impossible to turn," Trini said tersely.

"Jason! Zack! Come give me a hand," Billy called. "We'll chain it to the back of the Griffin with the Lion."

Jason, Zack, Billy and Trini unchained the Unicorn and pushed it like some broken down Pinto until it was in place behind the Griffin, where they tied it securely and chained the Lion to what they presumed was its bumper. Breathing heavily from the exertion, Zack hopped onto the Lion, as the Unicorn was still smoking profusely. While the Lion was far more uncomfortable to sit on, as it looked like a breadstick that someone had jabbed repeatedly with their finger, it was far more comfortable than dying of smoke inhalation. Billy climbed on top of the Griffin and Trini got back in to her cockpit. "Take it away, Tommy," she called.

"Thank God," Tommy muttered, and the White Tiger lurched to life, stomping back into traffic and cutting off a station wagon. The wagon hastily braked to let him back onto the road, and Trini was quick to follow. Billy gave the wagon an apologetic wave.

They stomped/rolled through traffic, the dumpster now making noises of protest under the Red Dragon's weight. Zack kept randomly going into chuckling fits, and Trini kept threatening him each time he did… so they almost missed the first notes of the brass band.

"What's that noise?" Billy asked.

"Um… it sounds a lot like a parade," Zack said, looking around.

"Great. More traffic," Tommy grumbled. He was used to speeding along, weaving in and out of traffic; he hated nothing more than getting stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle and he hadn't been able to go faster than your average jogger since Kinko's. It was even worse to be in a powerful, supremely fast zord and forced to go slow than it was to be stuck in his actual car.

"Patience is a virtue," said Saba, his talking saber, from its place in the cockpit.

"Shut up, Saba," Tommy said wearily. "And I mean that in the nicest way possible."

Kimberly edged away from the sword. "No offense—to either of you—but the talking weapon thing is kind of creepy."

"I beg your pardon?" Saba said in a clearly offended tone.

Kimberly shifted about nervously, recalling every display of Saba's power she'd ever seen. "You know… I think I'm going to go check on my zord," she said hastily, rushing out of the cockpit.

"Now look. You scared off Kimberly," Tommy accused Saba.

"I did nothing of the sort!" Saba exclaimed indignantly.

"Tommy! Watch the road!" Kimberly called, mostly because she found the fact that Tommy was arguing with Saba a little unnerving. She clambered onto the head of the Tigerzord, carefully planting her feet like the gymnast she was… and then she nearly fell off when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

"Tommy! Go faster!" Kimberly shrieked, making them all wince at the loudness of her voice over the helmets' intercom.

"I can't; the light just turned red!" The Tigerzord screeched to a halt; Kimberly just barely managed to keep her footing.

"What is it? What's happening?" Jason yelled.

"There's a marching band coming!"

"A… what?"

"A marching band!"

There was a long pause. "Um… I think we can take a bunch of band geeks," Zack joked finally.

"They've got a giant banner that says 'Power Rangers' something-or-other on it!" Kimberly shouted. "And they've got majorettes and a color guard and what on earth are they doing? They're coming this way!"

"It can't be anything to do with us," Tommy assured her.

"They wouldn't have any reason to come near us," Jason agreed. "Why would a marching band be coming for us?"

Kimberly twisted around, trying to find some sort of clue about what was going on. "I don't know! But… hey, is that the governor over there? Talking to all those people with the cameras?"

"Oh, god, he was in town today!" Trini exclaimed. "And Angel Grove Community College's marching band was supposed to play at his fund raiser! He's trying to use us for publicity!"

"How?" Tommy wondered.

"With a friggin marching band, that's how!" Kimberly yelled. Zack burst out laughing.

"The light's green! Saba, go!" Tommy exclaimed, and the Tigerzord stomped off at a reasonably faster pace. To everyone's amazement, the wagon behind them hung back—which may have had something to do with the uniformed police officer now talking to the driver—and a traffic cop that Kimberly had failed to notice came out into the intersection behind them and beckoned to the marching band. The next thing they knew, a large, flashy band was cheerfully walking behind them, waving hastily-painted banners and marching cheerfully down the street. Kimberly spotted the governor climbing into a fancy black sedan which began to follow the band, escorted by a pair of cop cars. Apparently the governor had decided that his time in Angel Grove was better spent associating himself with the Power Rangers than with the voters. Behind the mayor, Kimberly could just make out a group of news vans.

"I told you we should have gone back earlier," Billy said with a heavy sigh.

"Think Zordon will notice if we bring a marching band up to the Command Center?" Zack asked through his laughter.

"Shut up, Zack!" Trini snapped, her anger with him flaring. "You're the one who got us into this mess!"

_"Billy's_ the one who got us into this mess," Jason reminded her.

_"Goldar's_ the one who got us into this mess!" Billy insisted.

"Well, as long as _I_ didn't get us into this mess…" Kimberly mumbled.

"Don't worry, guys; they'll leave us alone eventually. You'd have to be a total idiot to fall for this gimmick. I mean, come on. We look nothing like a parade," Tommy pointed out.

"Hasn't stopped people from treating us like one ever since we left Kinko's," Jason replied.

"I say we go with it," Zack said cheerfully. "Give the people what they want."

"That might not be such a bad idea," Tommy admitted grudgingly. "Maybe people will hang back, just like they did when we were waving at the auto body shops. So that they can see us." The sidewalks weren't roped off, and people kept going into the street, getting dangerously close to the zords; once or twice, Tommy almost stepped on someone, and Trini had been forced to swerve to avoid someone several times since leaving Kinko's.

"It won't be enough for us to get away," Trini said through gritted teeth. Her patience was wearing incredibly thin for once. Zack had dinged up her zord, she'd been totally irresponsible in that whole chasing-invisible-Goldar thing, Zordon was going to be unhappy, she and Billy were the only ones who might know how to fix the zords (so she could look forward to hours of extra work), and to top it all off Billy's hallucination had interrupted a _very_ fun moment she'd been having with Jason.

"I know it won't be enough, but if we can just get people back a little, we can floor it once we're out of the city and lose everyone," Tommy argued. "Jason, Billy, Zack, Kim—start waving and smiling."

"Last I checked, helmets didn't smile, genius," Jason said dryly. He was just as annoyed with the world as Trini. _At least she gets to stay in her cockpit, _he thought irritably as he climbed on top of the zord and began waving like any good float-decorating person.

"This is ridiculous," Kimberly muttered.

Suddenly a cop car came out of nowhere, rushing out in front of the Tigerzord. "What the hell!" Tommy huffed, punching randomly at a spot next to Saba as though trying to honk the Tigerzord's nonexistent horn.

"What's up?"

"There's a police cruiser in front of me! It's going like two miles an hour!" Tommy peered down at them, glaring furiously from behind his helmet. The line of traffic in front of the cop car was beginning to thin; either the police were trying to get people off the roads, or people were getting themselves off in an effort to watch without having to bother with driving.

Suddenly an officer leaned out of the cruiser's window with a bullhorn in his hand. "Attention Power Rangers! We are your police escort for the duration of the parade."

"He's kidding, right? Tell me he's kidding," Jason groaned.

"When you wish to turn, just give us a hand signal!" the cop finished. Tommy, unable to believe that this was anything more than a bad dream, pointed left. The cop car obediently turned at the nearest available road. Tommy let out a frustrated wail and followed.

"Thank god no one knows who we are," Kimberly moaned. "This is embarrassing enough."

Down below, a little boy had run up alongside the Griffin; the Rangers had been forced to move at a crawl thanks to their escort. "Blue Ranger! Blue Ranger!" the little kid yelled.

Billy looked down at him. "Uh… yes?" he said uncertainly.

"Can I have your autograph? You're my favorite!"

"I am?" Billy said, shocked but pleased. "Sure! What's your name?"

"Joey!" The kid held up a toy Blue Ranger and a pen.

"All right." He took the little kid's action figure and signed, "To Joey, from the Blue Ranger, " across its chest. Then he turned it over and added "Never give up!" figuring that he might as well give the kid some sort of morality message, given the Power Rangers' image.

"Can I take a picture?" the kid said, panting slightly as he ran to keep up.

"Of course!" Billy said, striking a pose that he hoped was cool enough.

Jason happened to glance down at Billy, only to see him flexing his muscles and trying to look cool and tough (which, for Billy, was rather difficult; if anyone had no idea how to act like a badass, it was Billy). "What the heck is Billy doing?" he wondered aloud.

"Um… posing," Kimberly said in confusion. Like Jason, she had missed seeing the little kid; they just saw Billy making various superhero stances.

"He really has lost it," Jason said, half-awed, half-exasperated.

The little kid fell back; Billy gave him a final wave and sat a little taller on the Griffin's back. Suddenly a crowd of people (mostly reporters), emboldened by Joey's success in having a conversation with a Ranger, rushed into the streets, pressing up against the zords. "Red Ranger!" one of them called to Jason. "Is it true you're becoming the official spokesman for Kinko's?"

"What? NO!" Jason stared at them indignantly.

"Then why were you posing for photographs on their sign?"

"Oh, god…" Jason rolled his eyes behind his helmet. "Tommy! Drive faster!"

"Tommy? Who's Tommy?"

"Is he one of the Rangers?"

"Which one?"

"Does he have a last name?"

"Is that a code name of some sort?"

The reporters moved in closer, slowly being joined by numerous fans and people dense enough to believe it was an actual parade. Panicking, Jason simply attempted to hide from the reporters, which wasn't easy to do, considering where he was. Tommy's voice crackled through, annoyed. "Nice going, _Red._ Maybe you wanna say my name a little louder? I don't think they heard you in Reefside."

"Just drive."

Zack decided to "help" the situation. "Tommy is Red Ranger's imaginary friend," Zack deadpanned. "Red took quite a blow to the head a few years back, and—"

"ZACK!"

"See? He has a thousand imaginary friends."

Jason simply growled as Kimberly shook her head at him. "Did someone forget the most important rule of being a Power Ranger? Tsk, tsk, Red. For shame." She struggled to hold in her giggles and failed miserably.

Sighing, Jason wondered how long it would take him to beat himself unconscious if he banged his head on a zord. Unfortunately, he couldn't take off his helmet to do it, or he'd be in even worse shape.

"You see, the Tigerzord—that's what we call the big white one in the front there," Zack explained to the crowd, "it isn't driven by a human. It's piloted via a big talking sword named Saba, who takes suggestions and directions from the White Ranger, but Red has some strange notion in his head that each of the zords has its own human name. He talks to the zords all the time, even when we're not fighting in them." Most of that was, of course, bull, but it sounded good enough to keep people from realizing how full of it Zack was. Besides, few people expected to be lied to by someone as "noble" as a Power Ranger. "Red's just kinda caught between real and… not-so-real."

"Don't tell them that!" Billy yelled, struck by sudden inspiration. "They could find out Red's real identity if they found the medical records!" As no such medical records existed, Billy hoped this would throw people off track.

Everyone scrambled to make frantic notes on their notepads or tape recorders. "Great," Jason muttered. "I'm the delusional Ranger." The others, who could hear him through their helmets, giggled.

"Don't worry about it, Jason," soothed Trini, the only one who hadn't laughed.

"Yeah," Zack said quietly, so as to avoid being overheard by the crowd around him. "It was for the good of the team."

"Anything for the good of the team," Tommy said. Jason fumed; he could practically hear Tommy smirking.

"What exactly happened to cause the damage to your—what was the word? Zords?" another reporter asked Zack frantically. Zack tried to tell him but started laughing again.

"Zack, if you don't stop laughing, your head is going to mirror my dented zord!" Trini yelled angrily, not bothering to use his color name as she was safely inside her cockpit. The fact that Zack had insinuated Jason was insane had renewed her anger with Zack.

Needless to say, her threat didn't work; in fact, Zack was only laughing harder. Madder than ever, Trini threw her peaceful nature out the window and leapt out of her cockpit. Numerous witnesses got the rare treat of seeing the Yellow Ranger climb on top of her Griffin and leap right over the Blue Ranger's head. Billy, panicking, rushed to get inside the cockpit and control her zord.

"ARGH!" Zack shrieked as Trini came flying impressively through the smoke still issuing from the Unicorn to land in front of him and draw back her fist.

None of the other Rangers could see exactly what was happening. Tommy was inside his zord and Billy was inside Trini's, both of them facing the wrong direction, and Jason and Kimberly couldn't see past the Griffin because of the large column of smoke. However, thanks to the speakers in their helmets, they all got to hear every word.

"Ow! Hey! HELP!" Zack's voice came through loud and clear.

"Just try to laugh now!" Along with Trini's.

"What the…" Jason shook his head. The world had gone mad around him.

"Should we be worried?" Kimberly asked.

"Unless one of the zords takes a detour into a building, I doubt it," Tommy replied coolly. Billy was eerily silent.

"I agree with Tommy," Jason muttered. "Zack's a big boy; he can take care of himself."

"HELP! GUYS! HEEEEEELLLLLLLLPPPPPPPP! She's gonna kill me!"

Each non-involved Ranger cringed at the earsplitting volume of the screams of terror and pain. "While it is gratuitous that our zords have very similar configurations, the Griffin is subtly different from the Unicorn and I fear that I am in a precarious situation, especially given the distraction of Zack's cries. Should Trini's lapse in stability cause yet another collision, an exponentially greater mishap would result. In retrospect I suppose that I should have halted Trini's departure."

Jason sighed at Billy's words and realized that now he was going to have to interrupt Zack's much-deserved punishment. "Tri—Yellow!" he called. "We need you to translate!"

An exasperated half sigh, half scream could be heard. "He said it would be bad if one of the zords crashed into something again and that I shouldn't have left my zord to beat up Z—Black!"

"Oh," said three voices in unison. Zack gave a relieved sigh.

"Yes! Listen to Bill-IEEEEE!" A petrified scream ended Zack's sentence.

"You know, I'm half wondering what she's doing to him," Kimberly mused. None of them had ever seen Trini really cut into anyone on a massive scale, other than a monster, but all of them knew that Trini could be quite vicious when pushed.

Jason's eyes widened behind his helmet. "T—Yellow! Get back in your zord, NOW!"

"I don't think that's what she meant, Jase," Tommy said in obvious amusement.

Catching on, Kimberly giggled. "Yeah, those screams don't sound like they could come from something pleasurable—"

"Shut up SHUT UP!"

"I knew it," Kimberly muttered triumphantly, having long suspected that there was more than met the eye between Jason and Trini.

"You were right," Tommy admitted. Kimberly had long been pointing out the suspiciously relationship-like behavior of Jason and Trini, but Tommy hadn't believed her. He'd kept insisting that Jason and Trini were just friends, figuring that Kimberly was just being a typical stars-in-my-eyes-everyone-should-have-a-wonderful-boyfriend-like-I-do-romance-is-always-in-the-air girl.

"I seriously do not believe that I am qualified to pilot this zord," Billy said desperately.

"Trini!" Tommy called, not bothering to keep his voice down as he was alone in his zord. "Come on, leave Zack alone."

"Fine!" Trini growled, throwing up her hands and stomping off across the Lion, then leaping back to the Griffin. Zack nearly fell off his zord from relief.

"Yellow is attending anger management classes," Zack told the reporters weakly.

"Give me a reason to come back there again, buddy! Just give me a reason!"

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" Zack exclaimed hastily.

"And you'd better _stop_ kidding, now!" Trini shouted.

Jason sighed admiringly, then quickly stopped when he heard Kimberly's chuckle and looked around. Just about everybody in the state of California was clustered around the zords. "White, stop for a second, will you? We need to have a… meeting."

"What's up?" Tommy asked, halting the Tigerzord as per Jason's request and climbing back to join Kimberly and Jason on the Red Dragon. Billy, Zack and Trini hopped over as well, Zack taking care to stay far away from Trini.

"This isn't working," Jason said in a low voice. "There's too many people here to get away unnoticed."

Tommy nodded and sighed. "Any suggestions?"

"If we signal the cop car in front of you to turn, we could wait until they turn and then floor it, straight ahead," Kimberly suggested.

"Won't work. There are people walking in front of me," Tommy replied.

"Are they trying to ask you dumb questions through the cockpit?" Jason asked incredulously.

Tommy shook his head, his tone amused. "No. Just sort of looking at me like I'm the coolest thing ever."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Well, we need to get them to move somehow."

"I vote we throw Zack to the wolves!" Trini started for Zack, who yelped and hid behind Billy.

Kimberly pulled Trini back. "Down girl!"

"That's not such a bad idea, though," Tommy said thoughtfully. "If one of us goes down there to them, there'd be a mad rush to follow whoever went."

"Yeah," Jason said. "But we can't use Z—Black; we'd need someone who has real pull with the fans."

"Hey! And I don't?" Zack was indignant.

"But who?" Billy's question was simple, and the six Rangers scanned the crowd for paraphernalia. After about a minute, all heads but Kimberly's turned towards the White Ranger. Tommy looked back, not quite registering anything yet.

"What? Why are you…? …Oh no. No, no, no. Are you kidding? I'm not going out there! I'll be ripped to shreds! Literally!"

"You're the most popular," Trini pointed out.

"And Saba can drive the Tigerzord alone," Billy said.

"Come on, fearless leader," Jason chided, drawing closer to the nervous Tommy. Thankfully, Jason's helmet hid the malicious gleam in his eye. Behind Tommy's back, he motioned to Trini, who nodded and edged back towards the Griffin. "It's _for the good of the team."_

"For the good of the team," Trini agreed.

"For the good of the team," Billy added.

"For the good of the team," Zack laughed.

"For the good of the team, for the good of the team, for the good of the team…"

Tommy was backing up now, away from the chanting Rangers. This was getting a little spooky. "Kim?"

Silence stood as the other Rangers stopped their mantra to look back at Kimberly. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Tommy. "For the good of the team."

"Kim?" Tommy squeaked. "Please be joking…"

He let out a terrified yell as Billy, Zack and Jason grabbed him, hoisted him into the air, and marched to the edge of the zord, Tommy struggling the whole way. Trini ran and leaped back into her zord, startling onlookers. She nudged the Griffin forward until its nose was pressed against the dumpster to prevent herself from getting cut off from it.

"For the good of the team!" With that, Tommy was tossed into the teeth of the crowd.

"Just stall 'em! When we're far enough away, we'll send word and you can teleport out, k?" Jason called as he rushed into the Tigerzord cockpit to tell Saba to run for it. Only Tommy's terrified screams answered him.

* * *

"And that's where Dr. O got covered in lipstick kisses?" Conner asked eagerly.

"Well, we didn't discover that for a while," Jason said. "See, after that, the crowd ran off after Tommy—"

"I still have nightmares," Tommy mumbled.

"—and we were able to get the cop car out of our way and we hightailed it up into the mountains."

"It took us a long time to find the Command Center," Zack said. "We'd never driven to it; we'd always either flown or teleported."

"By the time we got there, Zordon had apparently seen the whole thing on the viewing globe," Trini said. "So we didn't have to explain. And he was pretty understanding. And… possibly a little amused."

"But we all felt so horrible about it that we immediately offered to help fix the zords," Kimberly continued. "Of course, only Billy and Trini knew the first thing about the zords…"

"So mostly we just got really dirty and made no progress. Oh, and that was when we found our first piece of evidence that Trini and Jason were together!" Zack added gleefully.

"I can't believe you guys forgot to notify me that it was safe to come back," Tommy whined.

"Well… at least you didn't have to face Zordon," Trini said, patting his arm consolingly.

"I would have rather faced an army of Zordons than those people," Tommy said with a violent shudder.

"Anyway," Jason said, grinning, "back to the story…"

* * *

The Rangers were all working out in the bright sunlight, attempting to hammer out dents, as that seemed like the obvious place to start, while Billy and Alpha were trying to get the Unicorn to stop smoking profusely. However, even the hammering thing wasn't going too well. Kimberly's hits were tentative, as she wasn't the most skilled hammer user ever and was afraid of hurting herself, so it took her a long time to hammer out even the smallest of dents. Trini's anger had returned as she thought the day over, so she was making just as many dents as she hammered out. Zack kept randomly laughing (increasing Trini's bad mood) and during these fits he was forced to stop using his hammer until he got control. Only Jason was making any real headway; he wasn't exactly Mr. Fix-it, but it doesn't take much know-how to hit something really hard and with good aim—in fact, that was Jason's main area of expertise.

"Ow! Ow!" Trini moaned as she distractedly hit her thumb with her hammer. She glared down at the dent she'd been working on. "Damn… spot!"

Something from English class regarding the play _Macbeth_ clicked in Zack's head, and he hurriedly went to work on the part of his zord farthest from her.

Billy came over to them, wiping oil from his hands with a dirty rag. "Alpha and I have finally fixed most of the computer systems in the Unicorn," he said. "It's mostly just structural damage at the moment." He paused. "I have the most peculiar inclination that we were supposed to perform some vital feat…"

Trini gasped. "Oh my god! We forgot Tommy!"

Panicked, Kimberly turned on her communicator. "Tommy? Tommy are you there? Oh, Tommy I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

A crackled, "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! LET GO!" could be heard through the communicator. Someone could be heard uttering "Oops…" as everyone glanced at one another.

"So…" Jason began. "Should someone go and deliver him from this evil?"

Jason, Trini, Billy and Zack all looked at each other; wherever Tommy was, it sounded like a bad place to be. "Er…" Jason said reluctantly, realizing that, as Tommy's best friend, he was obligated to do it.

"Pterodactyl!" Kimberly shouted without bothering to yell "It's morphin' time!" as was customary. A split-second later, the Pink Ranger teleported away. Jason sighed in relief.

Zack frowned. "Um… guys? What say we all go… lie low for a while… before they get back?" The others all exchanged glances, then hurriedly agreed.

Before anyone had taken two steps, however, Kimberly reappeared with Tommy… only the White Ranger had never looked so bad. He was leaning on Kimberly, there were holes and scratches in his suit… and he was covered almost head to foot in lipstick kisses in every color in the rainbow and a few that weren't. Kimberly helped him sit down, leaning him against the wall of the Command Center and helping him take off his helmet, staring in amazement at all the shades of red, pink, purple, orange, black, green, silver and blue lipstick all over it in various kiss shapes.

"Whoa," Zack said as he rushed forward with Jason, Trini, and Billy to crowd around Tommy. "I thought our suits were stronger than that." He stared at a particularly large rip in the material on Tommy's bicep; more lipstick kisses could be seen on the skin, along with what looked suspiciously like fingernail scratches, some of which were bleeding.

"I teleported all over town trying to escape, just far enough to be safe but close enough to keep their interest," Tommy moaned in a shocked, traumatized sort of whimper. "But they kept catching me. That old lady… the girls who sit behind me in physics class… my doctor… my veterinarian… the check-out girl… they were everywhere… I led them through the mall, through the Juice Bar, through downtown, through uptown, through the car wash, through the police station…"

Alpha Five hurried over. "Ai yi-yi-yi-yi-yi! What happened?"

"Fans," Kimberly said dryly, setting Tommy's helmet down gently and brushing back his long hair. "It's okay, Tommy. They're all gone now. It's over."

"Through the supermarket, through the quarry, through the park…"

"Is he going to be okay?" Jason asked worriedly, now (mostly) regretting his decision to throw Tommy "to the wolves."

"All those girls… Sarah… Madam Swampy… Hallie… Marge… Angela… Ms. Appleby…"

"Note to self," Zack muttered, _"never_ wish I was Tommy." Then he looked up sharply. "Wait. Angela!"

"I can't believe she kissed me _there_…"

Kimberly waved her hand in front of Tommy's face. "Tommy! Are you in there?"

"Through the city council building, through the movie theatre…"

It took about an hour to get Tommy to return to normal, and even then it was a very tentative thing. He kept shivering at random intervals and seemed especially jumpy, but he helped Zack work on the Lion, as it was one of the most damaged.

Then, however, something odd caught his eye—Jason was not wearing red. He was wearing jeans and a snugly fitting yellow T-shirt… but Tommy could have sworn that earlier in the day, Jason had been wearing a snugly fitting _red_ T-shirt. And none of them had ever really gone for long without wearing their Ranger color.

Something clicked in Tommy's head and he looked over at Trini. When Tommy had seen _her_ earlier, she'd been wearing an oversized _yellow_ T-shirt. Now she was wearing an oversized _red_ T-shirt.

Tommy burst out laughing. As this was the first time he'd laughed since their whole little zord fiasco, everyone stared at him, bewildered. "What?" Trini demanded, as she'd noticed him looking in her direction shortly before he'd started laughing.

Tommy was laughing too hard to speak. He lifted his hand and pointed at her, then at Jason, before doubling over and clutching the Lion's side for support. Kimberly looked from Trini to Jason before it dawned on her; she gave Trini a wicked grin.

"Have a change in color wardrobe?" Kimberly asked in a far-too-innocent tone.

Trini, confused, looked down… and her eyes promptly widened in horror. "Um… yes?" she said in a small voice.

Zack, naturally, started laughing. Billy stared at Trini in disbelief. Tommy straightened up as best he could, smirking at Jason. "So… I guess Trini's the new Red Ranger, then?" he gasped out.

Jason glowered at him. "You know, it's good that you stick with white, Tommy. All those shades of lipstick did _nothing_ for you."

Tommy's mirth disappeared completely and the two of them got into a huge glaring contest. Trini, meanwhile, attempted to melt into the sand; Kimberly struggled to keep a straight face; Zack began to laugh so hard that no sound came out; and Billy just sort of gaped numbly at Trini as silence settled over them.

Alpha Five was the first to speak. "I don't understand. Why is Trini the new Red Ranger?"

A long pause ensued… and then suddenly everyone was laughing hysterically, all tension gone. Alpha stood there, completely confused, as everyone laughed themselves sick.

"Oh," Tommy gasped, "we're never going to mention this day ever, ever again."

"No," Jason said, "we're really, _really_ not."

"Don't worry, Alpha," Zack said, clapping the robot on the shoulder. "You'll understand when you're older."

"I'm quitting Kinko's," Billy choked out. "I'm never setting foot in that place again."

"Good," Kimberly told him, "because I don't think I could forgive you a second time."

Trini looked around at all the busted zords. "Look at this mess," she gasped, tossing her hammer carelessly over her shoulder. "We're so screwed."

"Some of us more than others," Zack joked slyly.

Trini retrieved her hammer and ran at him; Zack shimmied up the side of his zord with a girly scream and everyone else laughed harder.

* * *

"I told you we didn't have enough technical knowledge to repair the… um… cars, but would you listen to me? No, of course not."

"We _did_ listen to you."

"Yeah, we just felt a bit too bad about it to not help."

Billy sighed heavily and pulled open the door to the Youth Center. It was several hours later. The Rangers were in much worse spirits but feeling far more companionable towards each other than they had been during the whole catastrophe. They had spent a very long time working on their zords, and were all dirty, scratched, sore, and covered in various oils and fluids. As they walked into the Youth Center, Trini gave Billy a concerned glance. "Are you okay? Even given… all things considered… you seem really down." Billy had been quite a bit more snappish than he usually was, even when faced with a crisis.

Billy shrugged half-heartedly, looking rather disappointed. "It's just… Goldar. He got away."

The others exchanged glances. "Look at the bright side, Billy," Trini said comfortingly. "You… …um… you… you have your health!"

"Not mentally," Zack said quietly in a sing-song voice.

"And…" Jason said, glaring over Billy's shoulder at Zack, "there… um, there weren't _too _many witnesses…"

"Hey, guys!" Ernie called from behind the counter, waving at them. "Did you see that report on the Power Rangers running their zords in circles around Kinko's and then holding a parade? They're showing it again, come look!"

The others simultaneously let out annoyed sighs before wandering over to watch Ernie's TV. A reporter was standing in front of the Burger King… and she was standing next to the two least likely people to have anything to do with an important Ranger moment.

"Yes, we stopped the big blue-and-gold monster… thing… that the Power Rangers couldn't!" Bulk was saying proudly. "That's us, Bulk and Skull!"

"You mean Skull and Bulk," Skull corrected him.

"No, it's Bulk and Skull."

"Why does your name get to be first?"

"One of them has to be, and I'm smarter then you."  
"Oh... no you're not!"

"You heard it here first," said the reporter over Bulk and Skull's bickering. The picture changed to a bad home video clip of Bulk and Skull outside Burger King, the picture wobbling from a shaking hand and interspersed with bits of static. Bulk and Skull were leaping at Goldar, who was lying on the ground; he teleported away in a blur and Bulk and Skull landed painfully on the sidewalk in a heap.

None of the Rangers saw this particular part, however; they were too busy giving each other disbelieving, mortified looks. Bulk and Skull had stopped a monster? …And people actually thought it was credible enough to cover on the news?

Ernie turned around to face them as he switched off the TV. "Man, I wish I'd seen that," he said wistfully. Then he noticed the fact that they were covered in grease and black streaks of oil. "What happened to you guys?" he asked in concern.

"Uh… we struck oil," Jason lied.

"Lots of it," Kimberly added dryly.

* * *

_End Notes:_ And so ends the Rangers Parade/zord wreck. Well, for the most part; I've got an aftermath flashback coming in the next chapter. I may also have a few flashback scenes in later chapters dealing with more of the aftermath; Freyja and I recently stumbled upon a fun idea involving Jason's rumored delusions.

On Saturday, October 1, Freyja and I managed to map out the entire fic. We have a day-by-day synopsis, including bad dreams, romance, monkeys, more Bulk and Skull, more flashbacks, a little kidnapping and some pancakes. (You know, I knew that writing PR fics at my age was abnormal, but I have to say I've come to realize that I'm already far more abnormal than anything PR could ever do to me, so on with the writing.) I'm pleased to announce that not only is this fic going to be monstrously long, but we've already started formulating plots, subplots, and funny scenes for its sequel, which will take place one year after this, as well as its future spin-off. Please review; nothing motivates me to update like reviews, and to be honest Freyja and I both have a tendency to get ideas from them—both from actual suggestions by reviewers and accidental inspiration.


	12. Bloom of Doom

**Chapter Twelve**

_Bloom of Doom_

"And that was pretty much the end of it," Tommy concluded. His students were struggling to hear him over the sounds of their own laughter. "Except, of course, for the fact that we spent the next two weeks trying to fix the zords, but that part was pretty uneventful." Thanks to their severe laughter, none of the teens noticed that he didn't appear very truthful.

"Except for that one time Zedd sent a monster down," Jason said. "Remember that?"

"Oh, yeah!" Zack exclaimed. "Remember, we wanted to kill it before it could grow, because we didn't want the bad guys to know that our zords were broken?"

"Wouldn't they have already known?" Trent asked. "Considering that Goldar was there?"

Billy shrugged. "I assumed that they knew about the wreck, but not about the fact that it took us a very long time to fix them… or else none of Goldar's allies believed him. Given the fact that my friends thought I had somehow become crazed, that's highly probable."

"Regardless, a monster showed up and, of course, we panicked, thinking it might grow when we didn't have our zords to fight it," Trini said. "We've never beaten a monster so thoroughly since."

"It was one of the most unorthodox fights I've ever had," Tommy added. "We all just sort of tackled it and beat it to death."

"I can still see Kimberly beating that thing with her Power Bow," Jason said with a laugh. He held up his hands and mimed stabbing a stick into something.

"I can't," Billy said sourly. "You all tackled it after _it_ had tackled _me._ I was underneath it the whole time, screaming."

"Well, yeah, but that was a lucky thing in the end, remember?" Tommy pointed out.

"Yeah," Trini said. "After all, you defeated it."

* * *

_Flashback

* * *

_

"Another day, another Putty fight," Zack said cheerfully as he punched the Z on a Putty's chest.

The air was filled with the sounds of grunts and battle cries and the Putties' mindless "whoo-oo-oo" noises as the six of them fought, still unmorphed. Then, a sound they had dreaded for the last week and a half washed over them—a cheesy, inhuman evil laugh.

"Rangers! Behold your destruction!"

They all spun around, ignoring the various Putties. There stood a giant pig, walking on its hind legs, dressed like a Viking-wannabe, horned helmet, round shield, big sword and all. It certainly stank badly enough to be both a pig and a Viking.

This was the moment they'd been dreading—when a monster showed up and they would be unable to protect the city once it grew, thanks to their battered zords.

Fortunately, they had a plan.

"GET IT!" Tommy bellowed.

…Well, something like a plan, anyway.

They flung themselves at it, dodging the swinging sword and bashing shield and goring horns but not without close calls. Every so often, one of them would back off to morph, or else to take care of an insignificant Putty who didn't seem to realize that the Rangers could care less if the Putties ran off and terrorized the elderly, kidnapped the citizens of Angel Grove, or opened a lemonade stand. The six of them had soon found time to morph, in between punching, kicking, occasionally scratching and once even biting (although given the three-minute pause Zack had to take to puke, they gave up on that idea really fast). Billy and Zack got behind it, the others in front, all of them beating it more like thugs attacking a rival gang than honorable Rangers battling evil.

At last, it managed to bring its sword up and swing at Tommy, Kimberly and Jason while holding Trini back with its shield; the three of them were forced back. The monster attempted to stab Trini in the side, but before it could get anywhere the Red, White and Pink Rangers dove on it like football players who'd made it to their first Super Bowl intent on taking down a quarterback when there were five people open in the end zone. The monster toppled over beneath them; Billy yelped as he was pinned by its considerable bulk, Zack barely managing to stay out of its way by dancing to the side at the last moment.

"RAWG!" the monster screamed, waving its sword wildly.

"RAWG YOURSELF!" Kimberly roared back, grabbing the sword hilt and yanking; surprised, the monster lost its grip. Unfortunately the sword was longer than she was and twice as heavy; she struggled to turn it around for a moment before dropping it, slicing off the monster's leg from the knee down purely on accident. It howled in pain.

Seeing this, Tommy pulled Saba from his belt. "Sorry, buddy," he said, stabbing a disgruntled Saba into the foul-smelling pig's flesh between the joints in the armor.

Zack, meanwhile, had rejoined the fray after his narrow escape and another run-in with a couple of the Putties; they'd left a good deal of the lackeys standing, and the Putties seemed a bit nonplussed that no one was giving them any attention. Zack dove for the pig's helmet and pulled it off, hoping to use it to stab the monster; unfortunately, this, too, was extremely heavy, and Zack was unprepared for just how heavy it was. Lack of leverage and readiness caused it to slip from his hands and land on his foot. "OW!" he screamed, ripping his bruised foot from beneath it and hobbling about on one leg, holding his ankle in one hand.

Even without his sword, the pig could still punch and slam them with its shield; it managed to bash Trini in the chest and she flew back with a yelp. "TRINI!" Jason yelled.

"I'm okay!" she called back, rolling to her feet only to find herself surrounded by annoyed, neglected Putties. Sighing, she fought them with a vengeance, desperate to get back to the monster. "Power Daggers!" she called, whipping them out.

"Help!" came Billy's muffled voice from beneath the monster's girth. He was finding it difficult to breathe; after a long struggle he managed to get his hand on his Blade Blaster, but was unable to pull it out.

Jason and Kimberly had both pulled out their weapons also. Jason spent most of his time fending off the monster's punches and shield with his Power Sword, but Kimberly was finding it too difficult to even nock an arrow, what with the pig lurching about beneath them as it struggled and tried to throw them off of it. Frustrated, she knelt on the creature's breastplate behind where Jason was holding off its arms, then held the bow like a baseball bat and began jabbing the end into his chest just above its armor. It squealed and howled as the three of them fought with all their might.

Trini, meanwhile, was fighting a losing battle. The six or so Putties had turned into about twelve, as every last one of them had now ganged up on her. "I'm coming, Trini!" Zack yelled, hopping over, still on one foot, and jabbing a Putty in the Z on its chest.

"About time!"

"You're welcome!"

"HELP!" Billy shouted, his voice muffled. He was still working on freeing his Blade Blaster, breathing (which was not only difficult but unpleasant, given the smell) and getting his fellow Rangers to hear him.

"ARGH!" Jason yelled as the pig threw him off.

"Die—hey!" Kimberly shrieked as the pig knocked her off as well.

"Uh-oh," Tommy said, jumping down before he could get hit.

"Oh, thank heavens," Saba muttered irritably.

"Assemble Power Blaster!" Jason shouted as the pig attempted to push itself up.

"Power Axe!" Zack called, tossing it into the air to begin the transformation as he kicked another Putty with his bad foot.

"Power Bow!" Kimberly threw her weapon to connect with the Power Axe.

"Power Daggers!" Trini shouted, hurtling them towards the connected Power Axe and Power Bow just as a Putty's kick sent her reeling back.

Jason stood by the assembled weapons, anxious to get it together and blast the thing to kingdom come. They just needed the Power Lance now. So they waited. …And waited. And waited some more.

"Where's Billy?" Jason demanded.

The monster sat up, looking much the worse for wear; Saba's blade had inflicted multiple wounds on its remaining one-and-a-half legs and its sides, the Power Sword had left numerous cuts on its arms and fingers (and even cut off one or two phalanges) and Kimberly had left bruises all over its chest. Roaring furiously, and looking a bit dizzy, it reached for its fallen sword.

Billy, still pinned from the knees down, gulped air into his burning lungs, whipped out his blaster, and took aim just below the creature's back armor. The weakened, possibly dying monster exploded.

"Oh, _there's_ Billy," Kimberly said when the dust cleared, removing her bow from the formation that never was and tossing Zack's axe back to him. Billy lowered his Blade Blaster and flopped back on the grass, still gasping for breath.

"Good move, Billy," Jason called.

"Thank god that's over," Kimberly said.

"That was a close one," Tommy agreed.

"HEY!" Trini called, surrounded by roughly five Putties as two more circled the one-footed Zack. "A little help, please!"

* * *

_End Flashback

* * *

_

"And that was that," Jason finished. "From Kinko's to one of the few monsters we ever defeated without calling on our zords." Once again, the extreme laughter of Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent kept them from noticing that there was quite possibly more to the tale.

"But didn't they make it grow after that?" Conner asked. "That's what the bad guys always, ALWAYS did to us."

"Well, usually there has to be something left," Tommy explained.

"Like ashes," Zack added. "After we took of the Putties, we pulled out our Blade Blasters and pretty much blew that entire part of the park back to the Stone Age."

"You can still see the scorch marks," Jason said.

There was a momentary pause. "…Really?" Conner asked eagerly.

"Oh, yeah."

"But… after we beat a monster," Trent said, "no matter how badly we killed, it just came back thirty feet high."

"Yes, but this one was not going anywhere," Kimberly said. "Besides, even if he had brought it back, it would only have one and a half legs, thanks to me. That's not something you want walking around plus-sized."

The story had taken quite some time to tell, especially with all the laughter and miniature fights that had broken out along the way, slowing the process—not to mention the moments when one of them would beg the others not to tell this part or that part and have to be presented with a convincing argument by the other five.

"Wow," Conner said. "There was actually a time in Dr. O's life when he wasn't boring."

"That's it," Tommy deadpanned as his friends burst into giggles. "I'm drowning him."

Conner yelped and dove behind Ethan, then thought better of it and dove behind Trent instead. Tommy, rather than attacking, simply laughed, although Conner remained behind Trent, just in case.

Trent shrugged. "Just remember, Dr. O," Trent said, "if you do decide to kill him, I never did anything (major) to incur your wrath." Conner glared at the back of Trent's head.

"Tell us something else," Kira said eagerly. "Are there any more funny stories about your Ranger days?"

"There's a thousand," Jason said. "But I kind of want to go swim. We've been here for forever and we haven't even gone out—Billy and Ethan are completely dry."

"Yes, let's," Billy said pleadingly, his eyes on the water.

"Hard to believe you once had a fear of fish," Kimberly teased.

"A fear of fish? How can you be afraid of fish?" Conner asked curiously. "I could see sharks, but _fish?"_

"It's another story," Billy said, standing up. "Maybe after we swim."

The others all got up to follow him, but Kira stayed on the blanket for a moment, biting her lip in indecision. She was fairly certain she could beg another story out of Kimberly or Trini… it was so interesting to hear about Dr. O as some imperfect, common teenager with a mullet and a young Ranger rather than the legend he was or the teacher he'd become.

"Aren't you coming?" Trent asked. For some reason, the story about Tommy on the balcony, even with its funny context, had given him a desire to stay as close to Kira as possible, even more so than usual.

"Bet I can dunk Conner more than you can," Ethan challenged Kira before she could reply.

Kira leaped up. "You're on!"

Conner glared at them. "I think I'll stay here, then."

The others shrugged and ran off into the waves. Conner stared after them, already feeling the beginnings of boredom, suddenly longing to be in the water. He couldn't swim, but there was still plenty of fun to be had splashing about in the waves… as opposed to sitting alone in the sand.

"Hey, wait up!" he yelled, and chased after them.

* * *

They spent most of the day in the water. Kira, Ethan, Tommy and even Trent had a go at dunking Conner, who retaliated but always seemed to find himself ganged up on before he could get off any spectacular moves. They swam, they raced each other, they chatted, they played with the beach ball and Frisbee until Ethan nearly got dragged out to sea by the current while trying to retrieve the ball, and so on with all the energy of ten very athletic people all secretly trying to outdo each other. It was only when they realized they were extremely hungry that they pulled themselves out of the waves on shaky legs that had (particularly in Billy's case) forgotten how to walk on land, even the not-so-solid variety provided by the sandy shore.

They still had no real desire to leave the beach, so they sent Jason and Zack for pizza and continued to enjoy the remainder of the long summer day. Once Jason and Zack returned, Kira and Zack got into a chat about music, discussing the fine points of everything from trance to rap to pop, while Trent sat with them and occasionally offered up his own points of view. Billy, Ethan and Trini had a lengthy discussion about computers that eventually made everyone else edge away nervously. Conner followed Jason around and asked him all sorts of questions, while Jason's responses alternated between flattered and exasperated. And suddenly Tommy and Kimberly realized that everyone else was occupied and they'd been left alone on a blanket by the cooler.

"So," Kimberly said.

"So," Tommy agreed, feeling rather stupid. This was a little too familiar. He opened the cooler to give himself something to do.

Kimberly, also realizing that they'd gone back to awkward mode, put out a hand to stop him. "Let me. You plus ice equals nervous Kimberly."

Tommy laughed at the second reminder of their meeting in the hotel hallway. "That's understandable. I'm really sorry about that, by the way." She waved her hand dismissively. "Could you hand me a Coke, please?"

She did so and got out a diet drink for herself, then plopped down on the cooler lid as if trying to make sure the ice remained inside. "You know, the Dino Rangers seem pretty cool," she said for the sake of conversation.

"They're all right. In small doses."

She frowned. "Although… is it just me, or is Conner kind of… I don't know, _scared_ of me?"

Tommy was torn between chuckling and blushing and settled for rubbing the back of his neck, which hid the grimace of "oops" on his face. He hadn't meant to get so annoyed when Conner had mentioned that Kimberly was hot; it had been rather… instinctive. "Conner's just odd like that," he said with a shrug.

"He _is_ a bit odd. Like a strange mixture of Zack's goofiness and Jason's athleticism."

"That's him to a T. Only more irritating and talkative."

"You don't like him, eh?"

"…I like him, I guess. He's an all right kid. He's just… usually the first one to get on my nerves. Then Ethan, then Kira, and then Trent. Unless, of course, one of them is annoying me by fighting with Conner. …Which, come to think of it, is exactly why Ethan's always been second."

"I see. Well, Kira seems really great. We had a lot of fun last night… but then, you knew that." She gave him a playful glare.

"I didn't, actually. I told you, I was only on the balcony for three seconds before Trini threw back the curtain like Velma yanking the mask off a wannabe ghost."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"I was!"

"Admit it, Tommy."

"Admit what?"

Kimberly stood up and took a sip of her pop before answering. "You were just trying to see me naked."

Tommy stared at her, so startled that it didn't even occur to him to deny it. He had yet to realize she was joking when she laughed, enjoying the shocked look on his face.

"Don't worry," she said with a wink, "I'm not mad. Seeing you in your boxers was worth it."

Tommy tried to get his mouth to speak but his brain had forgotten how the process worked. Before he could gather his wits, Kimberly had sauntered casually over to Trini.

* * *

"Oh, HTML code is idiotic," Trini said. "I mean, yeah, I know it forwards and backwards, but it's so annoying to have to type in all this extra stuff in order to get anything to show the way you want it to. I don't see why a shorter, less intricate code hasn't been standardized across the—"

"Trini," Kimberly hissed, appearing at her elbow with a look of panic on her face. "Trini, I need you!"

Giving Billy and Ethan no explanation whatsoever, Kimberly yanked her friend away and halfway down the beach. "Kim! What's wrong?" Trini demanded. Kimberly's whole body was tensed and she was holding a diet pop can so severely that sticky brown liquid had coated her hand.

"I did a horrible thing!" Kimberly wailed as quietly as she could.

"What? Lose your deposit on the pop can?"

"No. Well, yeah, but… but… I… I think I just hit on Tommy."

"You… what?"

"I just hit on Tommy! I hit on him!"

"…You mean you _hit_ him? As in you punched him?"

"No, I hit _on_ him! I implied that he looked good naked! How could I do that! Oh, god… that was the stupidest thing I ever—"

"YES!" Trini shouted, pumping her fist in the air and then dancing around wildly like a lottery winner.

"Trini!" Kimberly whined, grabbing Trini's arm to halt her in mid-dance move. "Stop with the Zack impression! I just hit on my ex!"

Trini froze, realizing that this wasn't quite the situation she'd hoped for. "Kim… how is that a bad thing?"

"HE'S MY EX!" Kimberly exclaimed, exasperated. "What's he going to think after the comment I just made, huh? What's he going to think I want or I mean or I do or I… okay, I'm freaking out too badly to realize what I'm talking about but _Tri-ni!"_ Kimberly shook the mutilated pop can at her. "I didn't mean to say it. I didn't mean it the way I said it!"

"So why did you say it?" Trini asked reasonably.

"I don't _know!"_ Kimberly howled.

"Kim, listen to me. Tommy _does_ look good naked—"

"What? You've seen—"

"No, I haven't; stop with the Jason impression. I'm trying to do that hypothetical reasoning thing! Now, listen." A mischievous gleam appeared in Trini's eye, which would have warned Kimberly that Trini had shifted into Evil Mastermind Mode if Kimberly hadn't been too busy panicking to notice. "See, Tommy does look good naked, right? So we can assume that this is just a face-value thing. If you were just making an off-handed comment, that was all it was. However, if it was more than that, then we'll have to dissect everything you said and did and see if we can't get inside Tommy's head, okay? Now, I need to know _everything._ What, exactly, did you say?"

Kimberly repeated the moment with impeccable detail and waited for Trini's wisdom.

All she got was another whoop and some more dancing.


	13. Thunder Struck

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Thunder Struck_

"Wow," Jason muttered as he wandered over to the still-stationary Tommy. "That kid sure seems to take the hero-worship thing to an unhealthy level. Finally managed to distract him, though. I said something about sandcastles and the next thing I knew he was roping Kira and Trent into helping him build 'the mother of all fortresses.' What are you up to?"

Tommy didn't speak, still gaping numbly into the distance. Jason followed his gaze and saw only his wife dancing around Kimberly like a very hot pygmy in a yellow bikini.

"See, this is the meaning of life," Jason said happily, watching with undiluted interest. All too soon, however, Kimberly put a stop to it. Disappointed, he turned back to Tommy. "What's up? You look like you just got gut-kicked."

Tommy finally realized that Jason was speaking and tried to grasp hold of reality. "She… she just… I can't believe she said that!"

"Who said what?" Zack asked, sidling up to them with a drink in his hand. Kira had been stolen from him by Conner and he had no one to debate mid-nineties hip-hop with, so he'd decided to come see what Jason and Tommy were doing, as Billy and Ethan were discussing something to do with a secret code that made odd things happen on the Internet and throwing out abbreviations like confetti thrown during the crowning of Miss America. Zack glanced around the beach, taking stock of what everyone else was doing.

"Tommy? You okay?" Jason asked, concerned.

"Hey, check out Trini!" Zack breathed. Trini had started dancing again. All three of them watched this for a good long while, even Tommy, who had become a bit more coherent and, being a guy with a pulse, found the sight of Trini dancing around in a swimsuit far more important than something Kimberly had just said a minute ago.

The dance was once again ended by Kimberly. Zack continued to watch, hopeful for a repeat performance, while Jason looked at his wife with a distant smile and Tommy took advantage of the borrowed time to gather his wits.

What, exactly, had Kimberly meant by that? She had made a definitely suggestive comment. That was fine by Tommy, except he didn't know if she'd meant it as anything more than a joke and he wasn't sure how to find out without leading to embarrassment, awkwardness or confusion. He guessed that searching for an answer would mean talking to Trini, but he wasn't really looking forward to that, as her tendency to cause soul-searching in others was a bit too deep for him at the moment.

He and Kimberly had yet to define any sort of… parameters so far. He'd overheard her saying that she still cared about him, and that had startled and pleased him, but he hadn't let himself dwell on it yet. (There hadn't really been time, what with trying to kill Zack and sleeping last night and heading straight for the beach this morning.) As far as he could tell, they'd entered into some sort of polite understanding where they were pretending they were simply casual acquaintances. He hadn't expected her to go flirting with him two days after seeing her for the first time in years. It didn't make sense, and it confused him, and he had no idea what she wanted or he wanted… was it any wonder that he felt like he'd been hit by a brick?

Tommy sighed inwardly and forced the thoughts from his mind. He'd been having a wonderful time on the beach, and he wasn't about to ruin his day by dissecting the mess with Kimberly; that would come later, if ever.

"God, that woman is beautiful," Jason said, staring at Trini fondly. "Isn't she the most perfect woman alive?" He looked at Tommy expectantly.

Tommy shrugged. "She is very beautiful," he agreed. "As perfect as they come."

Jason seemed satisfied with this for a moment before frowning and turning to give Tommy a look that Tommy knew would soon blossom into a glare if he didn't play his cards right.

"Of course, I've always thought Kim was hotter."

Tommy cringed inwardly. While he truly felt that Kimberly was more beautiful, he didn't want to admit that he was still attracted to Kimberly (although he was certain that all of his friends knew it anyway; he'd have to be blind not to be attracted to Kimberly), especially not after this new curveball she'd just thrown at him, but he had larger problems at the moment. Literally, even.

Jason almost got over the lapse in Tommy's judgment about saying that _Jason's wife_ was wonderful, but then he realized that Tommy had just insinuated that _Jason's wife_ wasn't as hot as Kimberly, and that of course was cause for a full-fledged glare.

Tommy struggled to think of what to do and prayed that Trini would start dancing again, but by now she and Kimberly were chatting and wandering over to the beach blanket. Jason wasn't exactly jealous, but he was very overprotective and it didn't take a lot to get him thinking that someone had intentions on his wife. Tommy realized that the only way to correct his statement about Kim was to insist that Trini was also very hot, but that would put him back to where he'd been after the first comment, and Tommy knew he could only go in so many circles with Jason before getting knocked right out of the ring.

"I don't know," Zack said thoughtfully, oblivious to Tommy's plight. "Kim's totally gorgeous, but Trini has this whole mysterious thing going on. Still, I'd have to lean more towards Kim. Hey, Billy!"

Billy came wandering over, leaving Ethan to go make wisecracks at Conner. "What?"

"Who do you think is hotter, Kimberly or Trini?"

Billy shrugged. "Trini," he said without hesitation. He had always thought so; he was partial to the exotic look, which of course had led him into a long-lasting and happy relationship with an alien. Billy didn't see a problem with admitting his personal taste, especially not when it was a question about two of his friends that he'd never consider dating (or, in Trini's case, stealing from another friend who could easily kick Billy's ass). Therefore it took him a moment to notice that Jason was giving him a look similar to the expression Tommy had described Jason wearing when Jason had been kidnapped by Rita and forced to fight to the death with Goldar and the Green Ranger.

"Of course, it's really more of a tossup," Billy said quickly. "Kimberly is also very gorgeous. Perhaps more so than Trini."

Jason considered this while Tommy turned a glare on him automatically out of sheer habit. Realizing that he was on very dangerous ground, Billy resorted to the method he'd always used when one of his friends was about to get mad at him—confusion.

"Perhaps my decision was tempered by the fact that neither girl is an appropriate selection for one of my disposition. Having known both of them for two and a half decades, I would not give either one more than a passing thought. Kimberly and I, however, are completely incompatible while Trini and I are far too compatible, leading to the conclusion that were I forced to choose between them I would choose Trini, as she is the only one of you that can understand me one hundred percent of the time, but as it stands neither Trini nor Kimberly would ever be able to maintain an enduring relationship with my person."

Billy watched them carefully for signs that it had worked, and found them soon enough. Tommy and Jason frowned, their eyes glazed over; Zack had stopped listening a good while ago and was now examining a seashell. Billy had realized a good long time ago that his friends were usually able to understand a lot more than they tried to, but his friends had gotten into the bad habit of relying on Trini and their minds just shut off the moment they heard a big word coming out of his mouth. Therefore, Billy was free to escape, knowing that his friends would puzzle over it for a moment and then agree to change the subject.

"Hey, Ethan!" he called, deciding to stay away from the girls for a while, just in case, and headed off to go start up a talk about video games, which was a much safer topic than the hot factor of wives and ex-girlfriends.

"What the hell was he talking about?" Jason wondered, wrinkling his nose. He sighed. "I'd ask Trini, but if he was actually talking about her we might get in deep trouble, so…"

"Don't worry about it," Tommy said without thinking. "He was wrong, anyway."

"He was not! Trini is way more beautiful than Kimberly."

Tommy could have smacked himself. Here he was again, trapped on the merry-go-round of Jason's suspicion. He debated what to say, knowing that Jason would refuse to let him stay quiet, and finally decided that it was probably less of a crime to say that Trini wasn't the hottest girl on Earth than to imply that Tommy was attracted to her. Besides, Jason was wrong anyway. _Kimberly_ was the hottest girl on Earth.

"I've got to disagree," Tommy said apologetically.

"I'm still not sure," Zack said, standing up with the seashell in one hand. He held up his hands as if balancing a scale. "Kim, Trini, Kim, Trini… I don't know. They're both pretty hot."

Tommy and Jason turned to give him murderous looks, at which point Zack finally realized that there was a subtext of say-my-girl-is-gorgeous-again-and-die. "But they're not my type!" he added wildly. "Not my type at all!"

* * *

Kimberly finally managed to get Trini to stop dancing by pointing out that Tommy, Jason and Zack were watching her like buyers at an auction. Embarrassed, Trini halted and then realized she was neglecting the Sacred Duties of the Best Friend.

"Kim," she said, leading Kimberly back over to their scattered belongings, "there's no need to be upset about this whole 'Tommy, you're hot' moment. None whatsoever. Tommy isn't the sort of guy to take it in a way you don't want him to take it. Besides, look on the bright side—you probably just took about twelve years off his life from shock."

Kimberly giggled in spite of herself. "He did look like I'd just whacked him with my Power Bow." Her smile faded quickly. "But… what if he asks what I meant? What if he tells me that I disgusted him? _What if he flirts back?"_

"Kim, honey, so what if he _does_ flirt back?"

"Well…"

"Exactly. Just go with the flow, all right? Now, I can't even begin to think that Tommy would tell you that you disgust him. And if he asks what you meant, well… I doubt he will. And Tommy, bless him, has got such an ego problem that he's probably just strutting around thinking he's oh-so-cool right now. Anyway, you've always got the three most important options in bad situations on your side."

"What three options?"

"Changing the subject, running away, and saying, 'What do you _think_ I meant?'" Trini replied, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. "They also work in combinations."

Kimberly laughed and shook her head. "God, I miss you, girl. We've got to get together more often."

"Yeah, we do," Trini said. "Although after this week I don't think Jason will let me out of the house for a couple of months."

"Oh, come on. What happened to Independent Trini?"

"I didn't mean that in a verbal, 'I forbid you to leave' sense. I mean that as in he might nail the bedroom door shut and then realize his mistake a few weeks later."

Kimberly cackled madly. "Ah, Trini… happily married at last, eh?"

Trini grinned, but she felt a small twinge of sadness for her single friend. "When are you finally going to get serious, anyway?"

"Me? Ha. I'm having fun with the single thing," Kimberly said. "Working my way through the male buffet line of L.A. Much better than marriage."

"I beg to differ. Unlike you, I have a round-the-clock housekeeper, heavy lifter, and guard dog."

"True. Why'd you even get an actual dog, anyway?"

Trini shrugged. "American dream, right? Husband, kids, house, picket fence, dog. We decided we'd start small."

"That dog is enormous."

"Yeah, well, Chihuahuas are _so_ annoying."

Kimberly giggled and flopped down on the blanket they'd spread out early in the day, where Trini had had her talk with Tommy. Remembering that conversation, she gave Trini a serious look. "What were you and Tommy talking about earlier today?"

Trini shrugged again, reaching into the cooler casually and pulling out a pop. "Just threatening him some more."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. What, did you expect me to say that I was trying to get him to profess his love for you?"

"Something like that, yes."

"Ha! Like I'd admit it even if I was."

"I'm not looking to hook back up with Tommy," Kimberly said severely. "Let it go, okay?"

"I'm trying, Kim. But don't tell me that you don't want to hook back up with him." Seeing Kimberly's angry expression, Trini smiled and added, "Admit it. He looks too good naked to let go, right?"

Kimberly burst out laughing again. Trust Trini to make her feel better about an excruciatingly large mess. "I don't know. The haircut totally killed that whole Greek god imagery he had going on."

Trini grimaced. "Well, _that's_ not a thought I want in my head. Can we talk about the weather now?"

Kimberly chuckled and they lapsed back into silence, watching their friends and the teens running around the beach and chattering away. "They're staring at us again," Kimberly commented, jerking her head at Jason, Zack and Tommy.

"Just like old times," Trini murmured. "Us on the beach… Tommy gazing at you while Zack and Jason try to distract him back to the realm of Guy Stuff…"

"Ha! You know Jason was probably just as love struck all those years."

"Was not. Well, according to him, he was, but he wouldn't admit it to the guys and therefore he wasn't usually blatant like Tommy."

"You know, if Zack and Jason were trying to distract Tommy, what was Billy doing?"

"Probably thinking deep thoughts that none of us could understand."

"Except you."

"Hey, not even _I _understand the boy all the time! He's a genius. I'm just a smart chick."

"Uh-huh."

"No, seriously. On occasion even _I_ just pretend to know what he's talking about."

"He probably wasn't thinking deep thoughts anyway. He was probably checking you out, too."

"Oh, please. You're just saying that to induce my I-have-a-dangerous-husband paranoia."

"It's working, isn't it?"

"…Okay, new subject." Trini turned her head slightly, just enough to get a better view of the guys without being obvious. "Now I remember what was so fun about going to the beach."

"Four hot guys in swimming trunks, eh?"

Trini nodded and sighed. "Jason always was way hotter than the others, though. Mm."

"Oh, please. You always used to agree with me that Tommy was the hottest."

Trini was careful to hide her smile behind her pop can. Kimberly had taken the bait. "Yeah, but only because I didn't want you to find out that I had a crush on Jason."

"Whatever! You agreed with me that he was hot, the first time I saw him!"

"Yes, in that 'he'd be good for you' sort of way! And I never said he was hotter than Jason."

"Uh-huh, sure."

"Jason is way hotter than Tommy!" Trini insisted, just barely remembering to keep her voice down in time.

"He is not! Tommy's way better-looking. I mean, look at those abs."

"He's standing next to my husband. I don't think that's wise."

"You're just not looking because you don't want to admit I'm right!"

"I don't have to look to know _I'm_ right!"

The two girls gazed at each other defiantly before sighing in unison. "Second opinion?" Kimberly asked. "Well, third?"

Trini nodded and they looked around before their eyes landed on Kira.

* * *

"Dude, this is so lame," Conner was saying as he, Trent and Kira sat on the sand, building a sandcastle. "I mean, this is way childish," Conner added as he carefully molded the sand on one of the towers.

"Secure enough in your maturity yet to stop pretending you think what we're doing is dumb?" Trent asked mildly, sculpting one of the battlements with an artist's eye.

"Who's pretending?" Conner demanded. Trent ignored him, wisely deciding not to point out that it had been Conner's idea to build one in the first place. Glaring at him, Conner turned back to the castle. "Kira, be careful! You almost wrecked the drawbridge."

Kira and Trent smiled at each other. They were comfortable with how mature they were, and therefore didn't feel the need to abstain from children's activities to prove themselves; Conner, however, was a bit more concerned with image.

Trent leaned in to whisper something at Conner's expense into Kira's ear, but suddenly Kira's ear vanished. Startled, he looked up to find Kimberly and Trini literally dragging his girlfriend away. "We'll be back in a second!" Kimberly called over her shoulder.

"Hey, guys," Kira said uncertainly when they finally halted and released her. "What's up?"

"Who do you think is the hottest guy?" Kimberly demanded without preamble or explanation.

"Well… I'd have to go with Trent," Kira said, confused.

"No, no, no," Trini said impatiently. "He doesn't count."

"Why not?"

"Because we're talking about from our perspective and Trent and Conner and Ethan are too young to register on our radar without it being icky," Trini explained.

"We're talking about the others," Kimberly added.

"Yes, who do you think is hottest, Kira?"

Kira frowned and looked at the four males of proper age. She had a distinct feeling that there was only one right answer to this question, but she wasn't sure what it was. It couldn't be Tommy, because after all they knew Kira was creeped out by the thought of "Dr. O" as a datable human being, and it probably wouldn't be Jason, because he was Trini's man, so of course that left Zack and Billy… and if Jason was ruled out because he was involved, then so was Billy because of Cestria…

"…Zack?" Kira asked hopefully.

Kimberly smacked her forehead. "No! We mean, is Jason or Tommy cuter?"

"Jason," Kira replied without hesitation.

"HA!" Trini roared.

"Kira! Are you blind? Tommy is way hotter than Jason! Look at those abs, will you?" Kimberly attempted to turn Kira in the right direction, but Kira squinted her eyes shut and shuddered.

"EW! Kim, _he's my science teacher,_ remember? That's just gross. I don't ask _you_ to check out _your_ mentor, do I?"

Kimberly stomped her foot. "No fair! We need an impartial witness."

"I can't help it if she's not impartial!" Trini retorted. "She said Jason was hotter than Tommy. Deal with it."

"She said Zack was hotter than Jason! So there!"

"Zack is in no way hotter than Tommy, let alone Jason."

"Tommy is hotter than Jason and so is Zack!"

"No way!"

"Come on, Trini. We both know that if Kira could check out Tommy without wigging, she would totally think he was way hotter than Jason. It's just fact."

"Hey!" Zack called as he approached with Tommy and Jason. "What are you guys talking about?"

Trini, Kimberly and Kira jumped quite guiltily as the three main topics of their conversation looked at them expectantly. They looked at each other, communicating with their eyes the way only close females can.

"Trent," Kira said in response to Zack's question.

"Computers," Trini said at the same time.

"Shopping," Kimberly replied simultaneously.

It might be a good idea to note that eye communication isn't foolproof.

Three pairs of eyebrows lifted in unison. "Want to try that again?" Jason asked in amusement.

"Computers," said Kira.

"Shopping," said Trini.

"Trent," said Kimberly.

They looked at each other again.

"Shopping for computers with Trent?" Kira suggested.

"Yeah!" Kimberly and Trini chorused, impressed with her logic.

The guys crossed their arms over their chests and gave them stern looks. "Not even _we're_ that dense," Zack said.

The girls shared another look.

_This sucks,_ Kira said using secret eye-communicating code.

_What now?_ Kimberly asked silently.

_What else? Run away,_ Trini replied.

"Trent!" Kira called loudly, racing off.

"Billy!" Trini yelled, rushing over to the two blue-clad computer geeks.

"Um…" Kimberly bit her lip, realizing that she was out of available guys; if she went after Ethan, she'd be in the same place as Trini, and Jason, Tommy and Zack would follow the two of them and try to get them to talk. She was probably better off heading over towards the teens, as Tommy wouldn't want to interrogate her in front of them, but Trent was talking to Kira, so that just left…

"Conner!" Kimberly called resignedly, and darted away.

Tommy, Jason and Zack looked at each other, confused and suspicious. "What do you think that was all about?" Tommy wondered.

"Maybe they were arguing over which of us was better-looking like we were doing about them," Zack joked.

"Yeah, right," Jason laughed. "And they went to go get Kira for a second opinion."

"I doubt it," Tommy said. "I don't think Kira would really pass judgment on how good-looking her teacher and his friends were."

"…Hey, there's an idea!" Jason said thoughtfully. "She'll know which of the girls is prettiest!"

"Wouldn't one of the guys be a better judge?" Zack asked.

"Yeah, like I want one of _them_ looking at my wife that way. Come on!"

* * *

"Trent," Kira said as she flopped down next to the sandcastle, "I have to tell you something or I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight."

Trent knocked a tower right off the castle, which thankfully Conner didn't notice, as Conner was now in an uncomfortable conversation with Kimberly (whose very presence still scared the crap out of him, as it brought to mind authority figures with glowing green eyes and twenty-plus years of martial arts experience). Trent turned to look at Kira slowly. A statement like that was never a good thing when it came from your girlfriend's mouth.

"Yes?" he said cautiously, steeling himself for the worst.

"You have wonderful abs. Better than any guy on the planet. Of _any_ age."

Trent looked down at his stomach, slightly puzzled at this comment but flattered just the same. "Um… okay. Thanks."

"I mean it. Your abs are the only abs that are ever on my mind. They're perfect. I will never look at another guys' abs."

Trent frowned, struggling to figure out exactly what had led him into this rather odd conversation. Before he could get his mind halfway around it, Kira was yanked away once again, this time by Jason and Zack.

"I didn't do it!" Kira insisted wildly as they hauled her across the beach to a halt in front of Tommy.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Jason said, waving his hand dismissively. "We just needed your help with something."

It was on the tip of Kira's tongue to tell them that if they wanted to know whether Jason, Tommy or Zack was hottest, they could forget it, but as that would have given her and Trini and Kimberly away, she bit back the comment and gave Jason an expectant look.

"Hold up!" Tommy said, thrusting his hand up like a traffic cop. _"They_ wanted to know. _I_ have no part of this. Just so we're clear on that."

"Whatever," Jason said impatiently. "Listen, Kira, we know this is a little, um, unusual, but we got into an argument and we were hoping you could tell us—who's prettier, Trini or Kim?"

Kira gaped at them, fully prepared to throw up her hands and storm off. It wasn't weird enough that she was kidnapped by Trini and Kimberly to get girl-to-girl opinions on guys? Now she had to have a bunch of guys ask her for an opinion about her own gender?

"Zack," Kira replied darkly, and pushed past them to rejoin Trent.

Jason, Zack, and Tommy stared after her as she sat down and firmly linked arms with Trent to anchor herself. None of the three guys were able to fathom how exactly it was that Zack was prettier than Trini and Kimberly.

"…I did say _Trini_ or _Kim,_ right?" Jason asked.

"She had a rough night last night," Tommy said with a shrug.

"Oh, yeah," Zack said, snorting a laugh.

"Yeah, there's no way you're prettier than my wife," Jason said, still oblivious to the events at the hotel the previous evening.

"Hey," Zack said indignantly.

"And he's _definitely_ not prettier than Kimberly," Tommy added.

"Hey!"

"Well, I think that was sort of implied, seeing as how Trini's hotter than Kim."

"She is not!"

"She is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

Leaving them to their fight, Zack shrugged and wandered off to join the sandcastle group (as Trini, Billy and Ethan were discussing technology, and the only things Zack knew about technology were things involving the operation of televisions, cars and CD players, and that was pretty iffy itself). With a slight grin, he turned to Kimberly and said, "Hey, Kim, do you think I'm prettier than you?"

She snorted. "Of course not."

"I am too!"

"You _so_ are not!"

Zack looked over at Kira, whom he figured would be on his side, but the moment Kira spotted him glancing at her she clamped her hands firmly over her ears while still keeping her elbow linked around Trent's. Shrugging, he turned to Conner. "Do you think Kim is prettier than me?"

Conner stared at him in horror. He couldn't say that Zack was prettier, because Conner _did_ have a reputation to maintain. He also couldn't say that Kimberly was prettier, because then it might get back to Tommy.

"Wrong guy!" he said emphatically, waving his hands as if to ward Zack off.

Trent chuckled, looking from defiant Kira to scared Conner to nervous-embarrassed-and-yet-curious Kimberly. "Thank god I'm escaping most of the weirdness," he said cheerfully, and went to fix the demolished tower with his free arm.


	14. The Mutiny

**Chapter Fourteen**

_The Mutiny_

Tommy and Jason finally agreed to disagree about whether Trini or Kimberly was hotter—or, rather, Tommy managed to distract Jason by challenging him to a race down the beach and four half-mile sprints later, he'd forgotten all about it. They'd all returned to chatting, playing sports, swimming and assisting Conner in the construction of his sand fortress, which they jokingly called Ranger Central and abandoned once it became bigger than Ethan.

When the sun began to sink behind the waves, they all finally decided it was time to leave and went through the customary processes of packing up their things, drying off, and shaking the sand out of their belongings and off their persons. At last, they headed back towards their cars.

"So what's on the agenda for tomorrow?" Ethan asked as they packed up the vehicles.

"Are we coming back here?" Conner asked hopefully, casting a wistful glance back at Ranger Central.

"I had something planned," Trini said casually. "It's a surprise, though. But there won't be much point if it rains, and I think the weather report for tomorrow was pretty iffy."

"Why don't we just meet up at the hotel tomorrow?" Jason suggested. "Around eleven?"

There was a general murmur of assent and then the chorus of goodbyes began.

"All right," Trini said, heading for Kimberly's car as the group broke up. "Later, guys!"

"Um… Trini? Aren't you forgetting something?" Jason asked expectantly.

"Sorry, honey," Trini said, smacking her forehead, giving him a quick kiss and then heading back towards Kimberly's car. "See you in the morning!"

Jason leaped in front of her; Trini quickly stopped before she could smack right into him. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?" he asked indignantly.

"Yay," Zack said, having been hoping for another entertaining married-life fight. He turned to look, as did the remaining guys, mostly because both Zack and Jason had yet to unlock their respective vehicles. Kira and Kimberly started giggling in advance.

"I'm going to spend the night with Kim," Trini said calmly. "We talked about this."

"We did not! You said you'd come back!"

"I did not! Jason, I was only gone one night!"

"It was too long! The dog keeps giving me these suspicious looks like I've murdered you or something and there's this big Trini-shaped hole in the bed and the house is all empty!"

"Billy _is_ there, you know."

"It's not the same! In ways I don't want to think about!" Billy grimaced in disgust, as did several of the others.

"I'll come back tomorrow." Her lips quirked in a small smile. "I have to protect Kimberly from the balcony boogeyman, remember?"

"…What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's a long story. A funny one. Which I will tell you about one day. But _today,_ I am sleeping at Kimberly's."

"Let Tommy protect her! Or Zack!"

"Come on. I can't entrust something _this_ important to Zack. Would you?"

"Yes!"

"Jason." She gave him a stern look.

"Well… if I knew what a balcony boogeyman was, I might—oh, for crying out loud, stop trying to derail me! You just want to spend the night at Kim's. You're making that boogeyman thing up."

"She really isn't," Kira spoke up with a violent shudder. "It was the weirdest night of my life."

Tommy coughed and looked away, praying no one could see how red his face was. Zack started laughing and Billy looked from them to Trini with avid curiosity.

"Oh, does the boogeyman have something to do with you seeing Dr. O in his underwear?" Conner asked, catching the actions of Kira, Tommy, Zack and Billy but unable to understand them. Trini closed her eyes to gather her strength, realizing that this argument was going to be much harder to win now.

"How _did_ you wind up seeing Dr. O in his underwear?" Ethan asked before Trini, Kira or Jason could come up with a good response to Conner. "Or do I not want to know?"

"You don't want to know," Kimberly piped up. "Trust me."

"You saw it too?" Conner asked, looking sympathetic.

"We all did. Zack was in his underwear too," Kimberly said with a shrug. She'd spent most of her life hanging around Zack and roughly three years hanging around Tommy; she'd seen Zack in everything from formalwear to footy pajamas and Tommy in more and less, so she didn't find the sight the least bit perturbing—in fact, she'd found it quite enjoyable, though she would never ever say it aloud… again.

_"What?"_ Jason demanded, looking at Tommy with several murderous intentions quite clear on his face.

"There was nothing wrong at all going on there!" Tommy insisted hurriedly, stepping back another ten feet away from Jason and Trini as Zack collapsed on the sand from his laughter.

"Come on, Jason! It was nothing new. I've seen Tommy in his underwear dozens of times," Trini said soothingly, attempting to calm her nearly-enraged husband.

_"WHAT?"_ Jason roared.

"Oh, stop it, Jason," Kimberly cut in, coming over to him and giving him her best glower. "You were there. We always crashed each others' sleepovers and sometimes when we had to rush off to battle we didn't have time to select a decent outfit and so on."

"All I meant was that Tommy doesn't exactly wear a tuxedo for sleepwear when we visit each other," Trini added. "Now stop freaking out, will you?"

"NO! No, I will not! You leave me for one night and you're hanging out with Tommy in your underwear?"

"His underwear! Not mine! And I didn't leave you, I—"

_"You were wearing his underwear?"_

"NO! I was wearing mine! I mean, my nightgown!"

"It's not revealing at all," Conner said, interrupting Jason in an attempt to help the situation. "It's a little low-cut, but it's not _too_ se—"

Trent clamped his hand over Conner's mouth, but it was too late.

"CONNER SAW YOU IN YOUR NIGHTGOWN?"

_"No!_ Well… yeah… but… Jason, there's a whole big story here and you haven't heard even _half_ of it…"

"Aha! So he did. And let me guess, Blue and White Junior did too, eh?"

"Um…"

"Humph! Which nightgown was it? Huh? The cute little red one you got yourself for my birthday?"

_"Jason!"_ Trini yelled, mortified. Everyone now looked torn between laughing and gagging at the implications.

"Well, was it?"

"No! Why would I take _that one_ to stay the night at Kim's?"

"I don't know, maybe so you could look good for Professor Underwear and Hyena Boy!"

"You guys just _had_ to come along on my vacation, didn't you?" Tommy growled at an apologetic-looking Conner, Ethan and Trent over Zack's still-laughing form. (They weren't sure what they were being sorry for, but their survival instincts had long ago informed them that it was a very good idea to act sorry whenever Tommy was upset and looking in their direction.)

Kimberly grabbed hold of Jason firmly and spun him around by the shoulders, forcing him to meet her eye. "Jason, listen to me. There's a big picture here, and it's a really funny one. And I know most of the details, so I'll explain, okay? Then you'll feel really silly that you're making a big fuss, and you'll realize that neither Tommy nor Zack, nor Billy nor Conner nor Trent nor Ethan nor Kira nor I nor whoever else you want to accuse, has any designs on your wife. And it'll give you something to rag on Tommy and Zack about by the time I'm done, okay?"

Jason swelled indignantly but managed to let out a "Fine."

Kimberly handed Trini her keys. "I'll meet you back at the hotel. Take Kira. Er… and you might want to drop Billy back at your place."

"Thanks," Trini said, putting all the emphasis into that word that a woman might give her organ donor. She ran to the Mustang.

Sensing that what could be his only shot for escape had arrived, Tommy reached into the laughing Zack's pocket, grabbed Zack's keys, and fumbled with the remote to unlock the doors. "Get in," he snarled at Trent, Conner, Zack and Ethan before diving into the driver's seat. "Bye, Jason!"

They all scrambled into the Escalade, Tommy throwing it into reverse and spitting sand like a tornado with anger management issues.

"What's the rush?" Conner asked, leaning forward into the front seat. "It was just getting interesting back there. I wanted to hear Kimberly's story."

"Conner, sit back, shut up, and live," Tommy threatened.

Ethan put a hand on Conner's shoulder and yanked him back against the seat. "I've got a better story for you," Ethan muttered to Conner and Trent. "As soon as we get back."

"What's up?" Trent whispered as Tommy put as much distance as possible between him and Jason while Zack wheezed in the front seat, struggling to stop laughing.

Ethan smiled slyly. "Not here. But I will say this—it looks like we three Rangers have one last mission."

Conner and Trent paused. "Ethan?" Conner said.

"Yeah?"

"That was really cheesy, dude."

"Yeah, even for you. And that's saying something," Trent added.

"Hey!" Ethan exclaimed indignantly.

* * *

"I hate you."

"What did I do?"

"You know perfectly well what you did."

"Hey, that fight was all on Trini, Jason and Conner. I didn't say a word."

"You were the one who convinced me to go on that balcony, you idiot!"

"Hey, I didn't put a gun to your head."

"One of these days, Zack, I swear I'm going to put a gun to yours."

Zack snorted a laugh and went to go brush his teeth. They had arrived back at the hotel, sent Ethan, Conner and Trent back to their room with a glare from Tommy and a cheerful wave from Zack, and gone about getting the remaining sand off themselves and getting ready for bed. Neither was reluctant for the end of the day.

"Stupid vacation," Tommy muttered, hanging his swimming trunks over the back of a chair. "I knew I should have stayed home. I don't have to be here. I wasn't an original, anyway."

A rhythmic tapping sounded on the door and Tommy stomped over to it with a groan. "What?" he demanded, pulling open the door to see a sheepish Kimberly standing in the hallway. "Oh… hi," he said lamely.

She was blushing at the sight of him once more in his boxers after the comment on the beach… at least, he thought she was; it was hard to tell in the dim light of the hallway. "Hey," she said.

"What's up?" he asked uncomfortably.

"I straightened out the mess with Jason." She smiled. "By the way, don't you own pajamas?"

"For the _winter,_ yeah," Tommy replied, somewhat defensively.

"Anyway," she said hastily, seeing him about to continue, "Jason told me to give you a message."

"What's that?"

"This." She pointed at him and let out a mocking cackle of laughter.

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Good old Jason."

Kimberly grinned. "Don't worry. I downplayed how terrified you looked when we caught you."

"Gee, thanks," Tommy said dryly, but he smiled. Then a serious look came over his face. "Kim?"

"Y-yeah?" she said nervously.

"What was that about, back there on the beach?" he asked. "I mean… you know… what did that _mean?"_

Kimberly suddenly became very still. "Um… how 'bout them Broncos?"

"…What?"

"Damn you, Trini," she murmured. Then she drew herself up to her full height. "Well, Tommy," she said, her voice dropping an octave and her eyes boring into his, "what do you _think_ it meant?"

With that, she practically ran down the hallway, leaving Tommy to stare after her. Shaking his head, he shrugged and decided that he no longer cared why she'd said it. All that mattered was that she _had_ said it.

"Dude," Zack said suspiciously as he exited the bathroom, "why are you strutting around like you're oh-so-cool?"

"Because I am," Tommy replied loftily. Zack stared at him. Attempting to muster some of his previous bite, Tommy added half-heartedly, "Shut up, Zack."

* * *

"So…" Conner said, "let me get this straight… Dr. O and Kimberly had this hot and heavy relationship and then Kimberly dumped him and they never spoke again?"

Ethan nodded. "Billy told me all about it when we went swimming. Says that he, Jason, Trini and Zack are all pretty sure that Dr. O's still in love with Kimberly, and he thinks Kimberly still wants Dr. O."

"So why aren't they together?" Trent, the only guy who had a current girlfriend, found this conversation a touch disturbing, especially after all the comparisons that had been made between him and Tommy.

"Billy said Kim dumped Dr. O in a letter after she went to Florida to be some sort of professional gymnast," Ethan said. "She apparently met someone else—"

"And she just dropped Dr. O?" Conner asked, looking angry on his teacher's behalf.

"Well, funny thing is—Billy talked to Trini a while after it happened, and a few things don't match up. He was kind of vague about it, but he thinks that there might have been something else going on."

"Like what?" Trent asked.

"I don't know. Billy said it wasn't like Kimberly to lie, but it also wasn't like her to dump Dr. O in a letter. But in any case… well, she's single now," Ethan said lightly, unable to conceal the mischievous look on his face.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Conner said, looking at Ethan in surprise.

"Yeah, are you thinking what Conner's thinking?" Trent repeated, looking at Ethan in horror.

"For once," Ethan admitted. "But don't get used to it. Now, are we going to do this or not?"

"I'm in," Conner said with a shrug.

"Why not?" Trent said. "So… what do we do first?"

Silence.

"Um… well, there has to be something we can do," Ethan said, frowning thoughtfully.

Conner began to pace. Trent started to doodle on his sketchpad idly. Ethan sat on the edge of the bed, thinking hard.

"You know, this is supposed to be your area," Conner said suddenly, rounding on Trent.

"How do you figure?" Trent asked, confused.

"You're the one with a girlfriend," Conner pointed out.

"Yeah," Ethan agreed.

"Well, just because I'm with Kira—"

"Of course!" Ethan shouted. "How could we have been so stupid? We've been going about this all wrong!"

"…We haven't even started going about it," Conner reminded him.

"Exactly. We've been _trying_ to go about it alone," Ethan said. "What we really need right now is the ultimate weapon when it comes to hooking up a couple of lovebirds."

"What's that?" Trent and Conner asked.

"A _girl."

* * *

_

"Who is it?" Kimberly called cautiously as frantic knocking sounded at the door. _Please don't be Tommy, please don't be Tommy,_ she chanted silently, edging closer to Trini just in case.

"Conner."

"And Ethan."

"And Trent."

Kira opened the door. "Guys, what—ack!"

Conner had seized her arm and dragged her into the hallway. "Let go!" she shouted, moving to hit him. Ethan grabbed her other arm.

"We need to talk," Conner said cheerfully. "Don't worry; it'll only take a second."

"We'll be right back," Trent added, yanking the door shut in Kimberly's face.

"Um… oh-kay," Kimberly said, shrugging. She wanted to talk to Trini alone about the use of the "options," anyway.

"Guys, let me go!" Kira shouted as they pulled her down the hall. She was getting quite sick of being hauled around like a rag doll.

"No can do, Kira. It's secret mission time!" Conner told her firmly.

The three boys literally dragged Kira back to their room and shut the door. "What is going _on?"_ Kira demanded in exasperation, flopping down on Conner's bed.

"It's like this," Ethan began. "Dr. O is still in love with Kimberly."

"See, we figure we should try and hook the two of them back up. Especially since they obviously still have the hots for each other," Conner said.

"How do you figure?" Kira asked, frowning.

"I said Kim was hot at the picnic and he glared at me. I swear his eyes did that thing Hayley told us about where they glow green when he's _really_ pissed off. Like 'in five seconds you're going to be a pile of ashes' pissed off." Conner shuddered violently.

"They do seem a bit too awkward around each other to be… you know… comfortable as friends," Trent added.

Kira stared at him incredulously. "You're in this too? You traitor."

Trent shrugged guiltily. "Well… I owe Dr. O a lot."

Kira sighed and started to refute Trent's claim about Tommy and Kimberly, then thought back to her inability to speak the first time Trent had approached her, right before Ethan had mocked her "Isn't he just wow?" comment and gotten socked in the arm. Now that she thought about it, that _was_ a fair point. They weren't comfortable with each other. She'd chocked it up to bad blood, but they didn't seem angry, just… uncertain.

"And since the guy's way too old to be dating, we figure he has no idea how to get a girl. Cuz if he did, he'd have one already," Conner continued.

"So we're going to try and hook him back up with Kimberly, but… uh… our plans kind of need a feminine touch," Ethan admitted sheepishly.

"And since you're the closest thing we have to an actual girl, we thought we'd ask you," Conner finished cheerfully.

"He didn't mean that!" Trent said quickly as Kira glared at Conner.

"Of course not. You're totally girly," Ethan added. Kira turned her glare on him. "Well, not totally. But…"

"But obviously, none of you have any idea about romance," Kira said dryly.

"Hey!"

"Except you," she said with a nod of acknowledgement at Trent. "Guys… look. Leave it alone."

"What? Why?" Conner demanded.

"Because it's not nice to mess with people. If they want to get back together, they'll get back together. If they aren't meant to be, then that's that." Well, that wasn't exactly Kira's philosophy… but she doubted that getting the guys involved was going to be a smart move. In fact, it would probably be a move that lead to a series of explosions.

"Yeah? Billy said Trini and Zack have been plotting to get them back together for ages," Ethan retorted. "They're his best friends. It seems to me that they would know if this was a bad idea or not. And why would Billy even tell me if he thought it was a bad idea?"

"I don't know! Maybe he just… felt like talking." Kira stood up. "Guys, it's a nice thought. But leave it to Trini, Zack, Jason and Billy, okay? This isn't a game."

"Come on, Kira! You're staying in Kimberly's room. You'd be the perfect person to convince her to ask Dr. O out," Trent pleaded.

Kira threw up her hands. "It's not that simple! This isn't easily fixed. There are a lot of problems between them, and it'll take time to fix them all. Begging Kim to ask Dr. O out isn't going to cut it. I admit, I want them together too—Kim is really cool, and it _seems_ like they care about each other. Right now, we're still trying to convince them to spend a few minutes alone, for crying out loud! Their first date is probably going to be when someone loses it and locks them in a closet together. Get it? Time is what we need, not goofy pranks." With that Kira stormed from the room.

"Great plan, Ethan," Conner said sourly.

"Well, that was a bust," Trent said with a sigh.

Ethan grinned. "Well… maybe not completely…"


	15. Two for One

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Two for One_

As Trini had predicted, Monday morning was dark and overcast, and it started to rain just as Jason and Billy arrived in the lobby. Tommy, Zack, Trini, Kimberly and Kira met them near the receptionist's desk.

"Looks like we need a backup plan," Trini said, glancing through the windows as the rain steadily increased. "An indoor one."

"Where are the guys?" Jason asked.

"I just woke them up a little while ago," Tommy explained. "They should be down any—"

"Dr. O! I think Ethan's going to kill him this time!" Trent burst out of the elevator doors.

"I hate kids," Tommy muttered, stalking towards the elevator.

"Hey!" Kira said indignantly.

"Maybe we should go help," Billy said worriedly.

"Eh, don't bother," Trent said with a shrug. "They're just arguing. I got tired of dealing with it. Dr. O has more experience with that, you know."

"Nice move," Kira said approvingly, lacing her fingers with his.

"Thanks."

Talk turned to plans for the day until Tommy returned with the two boys, both sporting a few new bruises (apparently things had escalated when Trent had left) and looking sour. Ethan immediately went to stand by Billy and Conner by Jason, avoiding looking at each other.

"Anyway," Trini said, as always trying to relieve tension, "we were talking about what we should do today."

All animosity was forgotten as Ethan, Conner and Trent looked at each other. "You ask them!" Ethan hissed at Trent.

"No, you!" Trent told Conner.

"No, you!" Conner said to Ethan.

Ethan sighed as the older Rangers and Kira looked at him expectantly. "Could we… you know..." he began, looking rather nervous.

"Spar?" Trent asked hopefully. "We'd really like to, well…"

"See what we've got?" Zack asked. "That sounds like fun to me."

"Now that does sound like fun," Billy said. "I'd love to see what Tommy's taught you guys."

"Probably how to yell 'wah' a lot," Jason said with a smirk.

"Hey! You do that too!" Tommy insisted.

"But you do it a lot," Conner pointed out.

"I do not!" Tommy half-shouted.

"You do too!" everyone else replied.

"Guys?" Kira said, noticing that quite a few people were looking at them curiously. "We should probably take this elsewhere."

"Yeah," said Zack. The receptionist had tried flirting with him when he'd showed up the day before yesterday, and he was no longer a fan of the lobby.

"Should we head back to the Youth Center?" Kimberly asked eagerly.

"No… it's a little too public," Jason said.

"Especially since the only ones in our group who are still youths are the four people who've never been here before," Trini added. "It might look a little odd if we all show up there to spar right before Power Rangers Day when we haven't been there in ages and we're accompanied by five people who are living in the home of the most recent Power Rangers team."

"What about your basement?" Billy asked Jason. "There would be adequate space."

"That'd work," Jason agreed.

They headed back to Jason and Trini's. As they crowded onto the porch, Jason gave Trini a somewhat put-out look as she fumbled with her keys. "Forgotten how the door works after all that time away?"

Trini laughed. "Jason, it's been two days," she said, giving him a grin. "Most normal people wouldn't even miss me yet—oof!"

As she pushed open the door, Tommy the dog came flying through it to put his paws on her shoulders and lick her face; Billy had to grab her to keep her from falling over as she was set upon by a hundred and twenty pounds of overenthusiastic canine.

"Aw, there's my wittle baby puppy," Trini cooed, scratching Tommy's ears.

"Little?" Conner repeated incredulously.

"Did ya miss me, Tommy? Yes, you missed me, didn't you? I missed you too! I missed you so much I couldn't stand it," Trini continued in baby-talk.

"You missed the dog and not me?" Jason demanded, looking utterly offended and pathetic.

"Aw, look at your jealous daddy," Trini said to the dog with a smile. Tommy barked at him in an almost mocking way.

"Well, the dog is better-looking," Tommy the human told Jason, smirking. Jason elbowed him in the stomach. "Ow!"

"Yeah," Kimberly said, giving Trini a significant, teasing look. "Tommy's _way_ better-looking." She patted the dog's head.

"Are you okay, Kira?" Trent asked in concern. Kira had started gagging.

"Fine," she said, with a look on her face like she'd been forced to eat rotten lemons.

"He is not," Trini told Kimberly firmly.

The dog, who'd been panting happily in her face, closed his mouth and looked as offended as Jason.

"Is too," Kimberly said, then blushed when she noticed Tommy the human giving her and Trini a thoughtful look.

"Is not!" Trini insisted, and the dog dropped back onto all fours and slunk away. "Oh! Tommy, I didn't mean it. You're just as cute as Jason, yes you are." She bent down and gave the dog a quick hug. He cheered up considerably.

Trini took the dog out to the fenced-in backyard (it was a chain-link; they were still debating the whole picket-fence thing) while Jason gave the others a quick tour of the house. "This is the family room—mostly it's just been taken over by the dog and Trini's dolls, but it's a nice place to sit and hang out, you know—and this is the living room—"

"Ooh, nice electronics," Ethan said, heading for the entertainment center.

"I've already started familiarizing myself with the video games," Billy said. "Trini and I used to have video game wars before I left, but obviously she doesn't have anything that I'm familiar with."

"And interrupting the Blue guys before they can ramble on for an hour about electronics because that's all they've done for the past two days," Jason teased, "this is the kitchen. Anyone want anything?"

Conner pulled open a cabinet. "Whoa. Freakishly organized."

"That's Trini's fault," Jason said.

"Dr. O could learn some serious habits off of Trini," Trent said.

"What's wrong with my organization skills?" Tommy demanded.

"Other than the fact that you don't have any?" Ethan replied.

"You mean, other than the fact that you claim you're the only one who knows the system and then you keep forgetting what the system is?" Kira asked Tommy.

"You know," Trini said, coming into the kitchen and washing the dog fur from her hands, "when Tommy first got that house in Reefside a couple years ago, Jason and I helped him move in. I helped him unpack and I spent an entire weekend organizing everything. Color-coded his clothes, even—which is pretty difficult with Tommy. I came by for a visit a few months later and the place looked like a tornado had hit it."

"That reminds me," Tommy said, giving her his most charming smile, "my lab got destroyed not long before I lost my powers. I could use some help with the rebuild…"

Trini sighed heavily, knowing she'd eventually give in but not looking forward to it. She liked organizing—it made her feel like she was battling chaos. But Tommy had far too much chaos even without monsters running around destroying his things. "What about Hayley? Why can't _she_ help you?"

"It's summer. There's a bunch of idiotic teenagers crowding her business right now."

"HEY!" Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent exclaimed.

"Sorry."

"We'll see," Trini said with a sigh. "It could take days, though, knowing you."

"Oh, I get it," Jason said in a tone somewhere between irked and furious. "This is about _me,_ right? First Kim, now Tommy. Running off all the time. Talking about Billy nonstop for a week." He looked at Zack. "Come on, out with it, buddy. How are _you_ going to steal my wife, huh?"

"I didn't do anything!" Zack complained.

"Jason, you're being ridiculous," Trini chided.

"I want my wife back! Is that so wrong?" He glared at Tommy. "Get your own woman!" He rounded on Kimberly. "And I want her back! Tonight!"

"You think that's what Kira and Trent will be like one day?" Conner asked Ethan curiously.

"Oh, totally."

Kira smacked Conner upside the head and Trent elbowed Ethan in the gut.

"OW!" Ethan gasped. "See, Conner? That's what Jason did to Dr. O on the porch. They're on their way."

"You do realize that if they're me and Kira, then you're on your way to marrying an alien chick, right?" Trent told Ethan.

"…I've come to terms with that possibility," Ethan said with his head held high, though he looked a little worried.

Trini giggled and flicked the water from her hands at Jason. "Come on, gang. Let's go spar before we kill each other."

They trooped down to the basement. "Nice weights," Conner said, looking at their exercise machines. He reached over to pick up a barbell, realized he couldn't lift it, and ran his hand along it instead, as if simply admiring the workmanship.

"What's that room over there?" Ethan asked, noticing the deadbolt on the door of the Secret Chamber.

"That's where we keep our Power Ranger stuff," Trini explained. "There isn't much left, of course, but what we do have is kept in there and locked up tight."

"You really should use an electronic lock," Billy said, shooting the room a nervous glance.

"Are you crazy? Those things cost a fortune. Besides, if the power went out, I'd be screwed, and electronic locks can be hacked or overridden, and anyone who does a bit of research can guess the password."

"I forget that things on Earth aren't as foolproof," Billy said apologetically. "But, really, all anyone has to do is break down the door, right? Or pick the lock."

"Trini had the lock built specially," Jason said. "It's all customized. Looks like a deadbolt but there's a lot of reinforcement in there. Anyone who throws their shoulder at it will end up with a broken arm."

"Really?" Ethan said, an odd tone in his voice.

"You should always kick doors anyway," Trent said. "Less chance for injury and a higher chance you'll actually break it, because you're applying the right force in the right place. You kick right at the lock, see, and—"

"Dude, what were you _doing_ when you were evil?" Conner interrupted.

"…I got it from a book," Trent said uncomfortably.

"We can poke around in there later, if you want," Trini offered. "For now, though… who's up?"

Kimberly became incredibly excited. "Ooh, me first! I haven't gotten to spar with anyone in ages." She looked expectantly at Kira, but before she could ask Kira to join her, Tommy spoke up.

"You should fight Conner." Tommy struggled to keep the sly smile and mischievous look off of his face. This would be the perfect opportunity to get back at Conner for the whole Hayley-in-the-secret-lair thing. Tommy had learned about a half hour into the Dino Rangers' first training session that pairing up Conner and Kira was a royally bad idea. Conner's tendency towards chauvinism always led to him getting his butt kicked (which he later played off as "I let you win!"). Conner held back, patronizing her, while Kira let loose, because he was patronizing her. Tommy had been quick to pair up with one of them and make Ethan pair with the other; usually, Tommy had gotten stuck with Conner, as Ethan and Conner tended to beat each other up a little too badly, though Tommy tried to pair them up anyway, as it was far easier to deal with Kira than Conner. He had been utterly relieved when Trent had brought the teens up to an even four and become Conner's regular sparring partner. (Trent had a tendency to hold back against Kira also, only in his case it was out of an unwillingness to hurt her.)

Kimberly shrugged and took off her shoes, setting them carefully aside while Conner stared at her in horror. He had yet to get over the whole green-eyed glare back at the picnic, and the revelation about Tommy's history with Kimberly hadn't done a thing to calm Conner's nerves around her. Gulping, he kicked off his sandals and stepped forward timidly. Tommy was so intent on waiting for the first blow that he didn't even notice Trini nudging Billy and Zack and smiling over in his direction; he was only vaguely aware of Trini whispering something to them.

"Go easy on me, all right?" Kimberly asked innocently. "I'm rusty." Conner nodded.

Tommy's grin broadened, recognizing that line as the oldest trick in Kimberly's book. She had often played up the damsel-in-distress act, appealing to Tommy's sense of chivalry. Tommy had been shocked as hell during their first sparring match when he'd been knocked on his butt three seconds after Kimberly had told him not to be too hard on her. She had pulled this sort of thing often on the guys, especially on Tommy and Jason. Back then, the Rangers had liked to keep score of how many times they knocked the others to the mat, with the exception of Billy, who was only in it to improve his Ranger skills and keep the bullies away (so he said, anyway). Kimberly's girly-girl trick hadn't worked half as well on Zack, who wasn't as protective as Jason and Tommy, and it naturally hadn't fazed Trini in the slightest; she'd even used it herself a few times, though never with the frequency and relish that Kimberly had. "Go easy on me" was Kimberly's way of saying "You're going down, sucker."

Conner began with a very weak punch at Kimberly's stomach and the next thing he knew he was staring up at the ceiling and wondering how he'd gotten on his back.

Everyone roared with laughter, save Kimberly, who grinned in an innocent, "I'm-just-a-ditsy-and-harmless-little-girl" way and said "Yay!" happily.

Conner rolled to his feet and stared at her incredulously as Kimberly bounced on the balls of her feet. A moment later, he was diving backward to avoid her incredibly fast kick; this succeeded, but suddenly he was flat on his face on the mat anyway, having only a vague idea of where he'd actually been hit.

"That's two!" Kimberly cheered.

Conner leaped up, angry and confused. He lashed out with a punch that might have actually done some damage if Kimberly hadn't seen it coming a mile away. She grabbed his outstretched arm and flung him over her shoulder.

"Three!"

_Revenge is sweet,_ Tommy thought evilly as Kimberly continued to humiliate Conner something awful. Eventually, somewhere around the fifteenth time he'd gone down by Kimberly's cheerful count, Conner began to fully apply himself, finally realizing that Kimberly wasn't a weakling but a skilled martial artist and gymnast. Around twenty-seven, he began to fight with a passion that he usually reserved for Ethan, monsters and Tyrannodrones, but by then he was so irked that he wasn't at his best; all it meant was Kimberly needed a little longer to knock him down.

"This is embarrassing," Trent muttered, though he looked thoroughly entertained. Something about this was so much more enjoyable than watching Kira beat on Conner.

"I know," Ethan said. "We should have bought popcorn."

Finally, Conner managed to even the score—at least, in his opinion.

"HA! I got you! I _win!"_

"Yeah," Kimberly said, giving him an odd look as she pushed herself up easily. "Forty-two to one."

"Who's the man?" Conner demanded of Ethan and Trent as he strutted off the mats.

"You the man," Ethan said sarcastically, patting Conner on the shoulder as Trent stifled a laugh. Conner completely missed Ethan's tone.

"All right!" Zack said, taking Kim's place in the center of the basement. "Who's next?"

Zack looked expectantly at the four teens. For all of his bravado, Conner looked very reluctant. Ethan was hoping to go up against Billy, Blue Ranger to Blue Ranger, and Kira was hoping for the same with Trini, so Trent stepped forward.

"Okay," Zack said. "I warn you, man, I'm pretty dangerous. You're about to get your butt kicked."

Trent smiled. "We'll see. I'm formerly evil. I didn't just get Dr. O's Two-Week Guide to Not Getting Killed as a Power Ranger. I trained with monsters, Triptoids, Tyrannodrones, Elsa, Zeltrax and occasionally even Mesogog."

"None of them have anything on me," Zack boasted. "Besides, I've still got my Power Coin."

Trent's eyes widened. "Isn't that kind of… you know… cheating?" he asked worriedly.

"Not in my book," Zack said, eyes glinting mischievously.

"You can take him, Trent!" Kira cheered.

"Kick his butt!" Conner added desperately, not wanting his friends to fare as badly as he had… and thus look like idiots in front of Tommy and his friends.

"Will do," Trent said, swallowing hard.

* * *

_Author's Notes:_ It seemed like, with chapter 13, a debate was sparked over who was the hottest. It was pretty cool getting everyone's opinions, so I figured, hey, what the hell—I'll throw in my two cents, and get Freyja to do it too. These are just my opinions, and a lot of them—from In Space to Wild Force—are based solely on what I've seen from Internet pictures; as a kid I stopped watching PR before Turbo and I didn't pick it back up again until Dino Thunder. These are based on looks, not on how much I like their characters. As for Trini or Kim… I think Trini is the more beautiful. I've always thought Asians are gorgeous.

_First MMPR Group_

1) Jason; 2) Tommy; 3) Billy; 4) Zack

_Second MMPR Group_

1) Tommy; 2) Adam; 3) Rocky; 4) Billy

_The In Space Group_

1) Andros; 2) Carlos; 3) T.J.; 4) Zhane

_The Lost Galaxy Group_

1) Kai; 2) Mike; 3) Damon; 4) Leo

_The Lightspeed Rescue Group_

1) Chad 2) Joel 3) Ryan 4) Carter

_The Time Force Group_

1) Lucas 2) Eric 3) Trip 4) Wes

_The Wild Force Group_

1) Danny 2) Merrick 3) Cole 4) Max

_The Ninja Storm Group_

1) Dustin; 2) Cam; 3) Blake; 4) Hunter; 5) Shane

_The Dino Thunder Group_

1) Tommy; 2) Conner; 3) Trent; 4) Ethan

_The S.P.D. Group_

1) Sky; 2) Jack; 3) Bridge

_Freyja's personal list of the hottest PR Guys_

Jason, Jack, Andros, Trent, Blake, Merrick, Tommy, Conner, Adam, Cole, Carlos, Sky


	16. When is a Ranger Not a Ranger?

**Chapter Sixteen**

_When is a Ranger Not a Ranger?_

Trent and Zack's fight was very entertaining. Their styles were completely different and both were fighting their hardest. While Trent had honed his skills against his father's monsters for hours each day, Zeltrax, Elsa, Mesogog, monsters, Triptoids and Tyrannodrones didn't use moves likely to be found in the latest hip-hop video, and Zack _was_ still in possession of actual Power Ranger gifts, even though they were slightly weakened by the loss of the Command Center.

They finally decided to call it quits when Zack was up about three points, and a sweaty Trent returned to the sidelines to praise from his girlfriend and a grudging "Nice one" from a battered Conner. Ethan, however, ignored Trent entirely and ran out onto the mat.

"Come on, Billy!" he said. He and Billy had been chatting quite a bit over the past two days, and Ethan was slowly starting to idolize the older Blue Ranger. He desperately wanted to prove himself… and to wipe the smug smirk off Conner's face every time he teased Ethan about Conner being stronger.

"All right," Billy said nervously. "I haven't been a Ranger in a really long time, though—so I'm probably off-form—"

"Hey, I only spent a year as a Ranger and I've never done any other fighting," Ethan said with a shrug.

Billy smiled. "All right then. I _have_ been training with the Aquitian Rangers…"

No one had been expecting much of this particular fight. Neither Blue Ranger had been very intense when it came to developing their skills… but apparently, they'd been practicing. Tommy, Jason, Trini, Kimberly, Zack, Conner, Kira and Trent watched, open-mouthed, as one of the most furious sparring matches ever seen blew every Blue stereotype out of the water.

"Where on Earth did Billy learn that?" Kimberly breathed admiringly as he flung Ethan to the mat.

"Not on Earth—on Aquitar. They don't exactly have karate," Trini said with a wry smile.

"What the hell do they have?" Jason asked, gaping at his shy, quiet friend as he fought like an angry Bruce Lee backed into a corner.

"Ethan's holding up well," Trent remarked. Somewhere along the way, the old and young had separated, so that Kira, Conner and Trent were standing several feet away from Jason, Trini, Kimberly, Zack and Tommy.

"He's not doing _that_ good," Conner said defensively as Ethan kicked Billy halfway across the basement.

"Don't worry, Conner," Kira said, patting Conner on the shoulder. "Just because Kimberly totally humiliated you doesn't mean we're going to tease you about it. Much." Conner glared at her.

The fight seemed to go on forever. Blurs of blue and miscellaneous yells punctuated the air as punches and kicks flew. While Ethan had very little background in martial arts compared to Billy, Billy was used to sparring on a planet with a different gravity—never mind the fact that he spent most of his time below water. Neither of them managed to gain the upper hand, and they finally called it a tie before returning to the sidelines a good long while later, on the verge of collapsing from the exertion. Their respective friends congratulated them whole-heartedly.

"Trini?" Kira asked hopefully.

"Of course," Trini said with a smile, taking off her shoes and joining Kira on the mat.

Like Conner, Ethan and Trent, Kira's martial arts experience paled in comparison to her older counterpart. However, Trini was kind enough to make allowances for this, and went rather easy on her. Kira was still a strong opponent… or at least, strong enough not to get slaughtered.

Conner was watching happily, his interest piqued by two pretty girls duking it out. "Dude, all that's missing is a mud-wrestling pit." Trent glared at him and smacked him upside the head. "Ow!"

Tommy immediately turned to Jason, preparing to hold him back if need be, but Jason had sensed that there was no need. The two yellow-clad women turned to glare at Conner so furiously that he instantly began to panic. He pressed himself against the wall and edged towards the stairs to the first floor.

"I didn't mean it! I really really didn't!" Conner wailed, waving his hands as if to ward them off.

Trini gave him a threatening smile. "You know, I think we've been sparring long enough, don't you, Kira?" She turned to Kira, who nodded uncertainly; Kira would have liked to keep going, but she was rather winded and it was obvious that Trini had a plan of some sort. "Why don't you and Jason go next, Conner?" Trini continued.

"Oh, yes," Kira said with a grin, rushing off the mat. Jason grinned evilly. He had never been one to hold back in a fight, save when Kimberly played up the poor little girl act. And Conner had just made a very rude comment about _Jason's wife._

"Come on, rookie," he said to Conner as Trini rejoined her friends.

"That was evil," Zack muttered to Trini, smiling.

"You know, I am responsible if anything happens to him," Tommy told her, torn between wanting Conner to get his butt kicked again and trying to be a responsible adult.

"He'll be fine," Trini said confidently. "Just a little… bruised."

Conner gulped as he stepped onto the mat. He knew he was in for it. Jason was the first Red Ranger, the first leader, and he hadn't lost a step if Tommy's tales of the Red Rangers' mission to the moon were anything to go by. Conner really wished he wasn't such a fan of saying whatever popped into his head.

Conner spent most of the fight on the defensive, blocking whenever Jason got close and then rushing back at the first opportunity. Jason was fast, Jason was strong, and Jason was Conner's idol. Therefore Jason was scary as hell. Conner was flung to the mat several times, and only managed to send Jason to the mat once, by sheer luck. Still, he fought as hard as he could, and the fight wasn't nearly as humiliating as the one against Kimberly.

"Ow," Conner moaned as he returned to the sidelines. He'd gotten off a few good hits, but the fact still remained that Conner had received a crash-course in martial arts from Tommy and a few nifty moves from his Ranger powers, while Jason had taken roughly a dozen forms of martial arts since before Conner was born and he'd spent twice as long in uniform as Conner had. "How exactly did the geek end up doing the best?"

"I've been training since we defeated Mesogog," Ethan said. "Whereas you went back to vegging all day."

"Me? Vegging? This from the king of the video games!"

"Keep talking, Mr. Got-My-Butt-Kicked-by-a-_Pink_-Ranger," Ethan shot back.

Conner glared at him. In the interest of staving off another argument, Trent turned to the older Rangers. "Why don't you guys show us how it's done?" he asked. When he'd been discussing the sparring idea with Conner and Ethan, they'd mentioned how cool it would be to see the older Rangers go at it.

They all looked at each other. "Let's go," Kimberly said to Trini. She was itching to get back on the floor… and Trini, unlike Conner, might actually be a challenge.

Trini cracked her knuckles. "All right, then. But I'm going to kick your butt, Kim. I always do."

"You used to," Kimberly retorted. "I've been practicing."

"Oh, please, like it'll help."

"And to think, Trini's the nice one," Zack joked.

"We'll see about that," Kimberly said cheerfully, and launched herself at Trini. Trini was definitely more skilled in martial arts, though she wasn't as nimble as Kimberly and didn't use flips and somersaults as much. She was, however, more apt to punch and use her hands; Kimberly relied almost entirely upon her powerful legs.

After about three minutes, Trini managed to pin Kimberly, holding her down with a knee in her back. "Give up?"

"Never!"

Suddenly, Trent smacked Conner upside the head again, while Kira simultaneously pinched his arm. "OW! What? I didn't say anything!"

"You were thinking it," Kira growled.

Kimberly flung her leg up to kick Trini in the back, and Trini rolled off before facing her friend. The two went all out, flinging each other around like rag dolls and putting on one hell of a show. "I wish I had a video camera," Zack said wistfully. "They'd make a great fight scene in the film I'm starting soon."

"What's it called?" Conner asked, obviously thinking that he could stand to watch similar fights, for which he received another pinch and a head smack. "OW! Jesus, guys, I'm bruised enough!"

Trini claimed victory for the sparring match, though it was a close thing; she was tired from her recent fight with Kira and Kimberly wasn't exactly a bad fighter. "You two going next?" Trini asked Jason and Tommy.

Tommy hesitated. He hadn't gotten a chance to spar with Jason in years, what with his job, and being a Dino Ranger, and college and working with Mercer and so on. He'd missed it greatly… but he wasn't exactly in the mood to be taken down in front of his students, and he and Jason had always been pretty evenly matched.

"Come on, Professor Underwear," Jason ribbed, heading out into the center of the basement.

Well, there was no backing down after a comment like that. "I can't help it if your wife likes my boxer shorts," Tommy told Jason loftily, ignoring Kira's gagging in the background. Kimberly giggled, Zack laughed, and Trini winced.

"Don't flatter yourself," Jason growled, kicking Tommy in the stomach before Tommy realized he'd moved. "At least I have a woman."

"Yeah, and you're whipped," Tommy retorted, forcing Jason back with a roundhouse and waiting for Jason to charge at him before nailing him with an uppercut.

"You want to talk whipped?" Jason demanded as he swept Tommy's feet out from under him. "When was the last time you were able to function without Hayley around, eh? The girl organizes your sock drawer!"

"She hasn't done that in years!" Tommy insisted. He and Jason continued to fight, barely noticing what they were doing as they cut each other down, just like old times.

"Right. The last time I came to see you, she was still leaving you little notes so you'd remember to pay your bills on time."

"Excuse me for being forgetful! And Trini does just as much for you. You can barely feed yourself when she isn't around."

"Oh, please! You rely on Hayley way more. Less than two days away from her and you're already getting your butt kicked by Trini and Kim for sneaking onto their balcony with Zack."

"That was Zack's fault!"

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"Hey, at least I'm not whining about it. 'Oh, Trini, when are you coming back, I can't live without you, I'm so whipped it's not funny'—"

"I am not whining!"

"You're totally whining! I've barely mentioned not having Hayley and you're all 'Boohoo, my wife wants to spent ten hours in someone else's house!'"

"Hey, that has nothing to do with how dependant I am on Trini! Just because you're not getting any from Hayley—"

"Do NOT go there!"

"Ha! Struck a nerve, did I?"

"No! But you just made my students want to hurl."

"Yeah, could you pick a new subject to make fun of him about?" Ethan called from the sidelines.

"Please?" Kira, Trent and Conner added.

"Tell me, what really happened when they were using your phone? Did they join forces and kick your butt?" Jason teased Tommy, figuring he might as well humor the students.

"Hey, just because you've never beaten Trini at arm-wrestling doesn't mean you have to take it out on me!"

"I was letting her win!"

"Oh, please. You sound like Conner."

"Hey!" Conner said indignantly.

"Well, Kim's gotten a bit tougher over the years."

"Somehow, I don't think Kimberly's toughness is a factor."

"Maybe she should kick your butt next, then. She used to do it all the time, as I recall."

"Not as often as Trini kicked yours!"

"Name one time Trini kicked my butt!"

"I seem to recall sitting calmly by the lake, enjoying the peace and quiet, when you ran by screaming your head off with Trini chasing you down—"

"I was chasing Richie! That so doesn't count!"

"Yeah? From what I remember, Richie ended up in the hospital and Trini beat the crap out of you for it."

"…I have come to accept that as the price of being too overprotective."

"You mean you actually know you're too overprotective? You had to spend two hundred hours in community service for the Richie thing! How many times a day does Trini have to beat you up for the overprotective thing, by the way?"

"Trini has never once kicked my ass!"

"Oh, whatever," Trini muttered, but quietly; she was a fan of sparing people's feelings.

"Yeah, right! She kicked your ass right after that mission to the moon!"

"She kicked yours, too!"

"She did not! I escaped!"

"Because she was _gonna_ kick your ass!"

"No, no, no. Because I didn't want to have to fight her."

"Tommy, when she first pulled up, you came running back to the rest of us, told me 'She knows,' and dove behind T.J.'s car like a sissy girl."

"Well, I could see her glaring through the windshield when she pulled up! I can't believe you were so whipped that you didn't tell her where you were going."

"I didn't want her to worry!"

"So you told her you were going fishing with me instead of telling her you were going to the moon to fight the last of the Machine Empire?"

"Hey, you were the idiot who wanted only Red Rangers. How was I supposed to keep her from coming once she found out?"

"Gee, I don't know—tell her no?"  
"Wait," Zack said slowly, turning to Trini. "Jason didn't tell you he was going to the moon?"

"No, he didn't. And he wondered why I wanted to beat the crap out of him and Tommy for it," Trini said mildly, watching the fight with amusement. "I love how this entire fight's about me."

On and on the two went, arguing playfully as they fought each other, both refusing to give up. They kept it up for over an hour, cracking on each other the whole time. Trini went to get the spectators drinks and snacks, and their attention spans began to wane. At last, when the others had all decided to sit down and were chatting amongst themselves, Jason and Tommy decided to call it quits.

"Whew, that was fun," Jason said, grabbing a towel off the rack they kept in the basement and tossing one to Tommy.

"Good match," Tommy said, getting himself a can of soda and settling down next to Billy.

"Good _long_ match," Conner complained.

"By the way," Trini said, and pinched her husband on the arm.

"OW! What was that for?"

"For reminding me that you were an idiot about that mission to the moon," Trini replied calmly, pinching Tommy as well.

"OW!"

"Must be a Red and Yellow thing," Trent said, watching with amusement.

"It is," Jason said sulkily.

"Just like Kira and Conner," Ethan said with a grin.

"Of course, Kira and Conner have never done any of the other Red and Yellow norms," Tommy said. The tone in his voice was a clear warning that he was taking another stab at Conner.

"Like what?" Kira asked.

"Like getting married," Tommy said, struggling to keep a straight face.

"Just because Jason and Trini—"

"And Andros and Ashley," Tommy interrupted.

"…Well…"

"And wasn't there a little something between Eric and Taylor?"

"Yep."

"Why would anyone marry a Red Ranger?" Kira grumbled sourly.

"Hey!" Tommy, Jason, Trini and Conner exclaimed.

"What? You're all whack jobs," Kira said stubbornly, linking arms with Trent.

"I'd be careful if I were you," Kimberly said lightly. "Trent could be on his way to becoming Red one day."

"Never!" Trent said emphatically, looking horrified.

"I don't know—you're halfway there," Jason said thoughtfully. "That's the exact same route Tommy went. Evil Ranger, White Ranger, Red Ranger. …You color thief," he added with a glare at Tommy.

"Hey, I didn't choose the color," Tommy insisted defensively. "They told me to go on the quest and I went."

"Sure, Tommy. Suuuuuuuure."

"Hey, I didn't want to be Red! They made me! There was no White Subcrystal, and for some reason they gave Adam the Green and Rocky the Blue, and they gave me Red."

"It's cuz you're a show-off like all the other Red Rangers," Kimberly teased.

"Hey!" Tommy, Jason and Conner yelled again.

"We're all show-offs," Billy said fairly.

"Speak for yourself," Jason, Zack and Tommy said, then paused as they thought over the unlikelihood of Billy, of all people, being the only show-off in the group.

"Don't worry, Kira," Kimberly said, taking advantage of the silence to console the younger girl, who was now squeezing Trent's arm so hard his fingers were going numb while she glared at Conner. "Your team has already deviated from tradition quite a bit. You didn't even have a Pink Ranger."

"Neither did the Ninja Rangers," Kira said worriedly.

"Ha! The Ninja Rangers," Tommy growled. "They had a Yellow guy and a Blue Girl!"

_"What!"_ Trini and Billy demanded, looking offended.

Tommy nodded. "I know! That's what I said. Well, that's what I thought, anyway. And they had Crimson and Navy Rangers! What is that? And Cole's team was weird too. They had a girl as a White Ranger!" He snorted, then realized he was being a bit too defensive of the color scheme and cleared his throat. "Well, are we done down here? Maybe we could head back upstairs?"

"I want to go again!" Kimberly exclaimed, hopping back out onto the mat. She scanned the crowd for a likely sparring partner. "Jason?"

"I don't think so, Kim. I'm wiped," Jason said apologetically.

"Oh, come on! The day is young! I wanna kick someone's butt! Again!"

"How much caffeine have you had today?" Zack asked Kimberly incredulously, looking at her empty drink can suspiciously.

Trini saw her chance and took it. She stepped on Zack's toes as inconspicuously as possible while poking Billy in the side. "I am too," Trini said innocently.

"Zack?"

"I'm tired, too," Zack said, trying to look more exhausted than he was.

"Why don't you go, Tommy?" Billy suggested casually.

Tommy hesitated. He didn't really want to face Kimberly… on the other hand, he did want to face _someone._ He'd forgotten how much fun it was to train with his friends; it was absolutely exhilarating. Still…

Tommy had a sudden vision of accidentally unleashing his repressed anger with Kimberly all at once and beating her to death. Shaking his head, he said, "I don't think so."

"Oh, come on, ya old fogey," Kimberly teased, her tone holding a slight note of challenge that she knew he'd pick up on. "Going _soft_ in your old age, are you?"

"Oooh!" Zack crowed. Jason smirked. Great. That meant they'd tease him forever if he backed out. The Dino Rangers would too, probably; seeing Dr. O backing down from a challenge would probably make their day, particularly Conner's.

A moment of careful consideration later, Tommy stepped forward, handing his drink to Jason. "Keep talking," he said with a grin, "while you're still conscious."

Kimberly laughed and moved into position, giving him a slightly nervous smile. "Don't go too hard on me, okay? I'm kinda tired."

"It's not going to work on me, Kim," Tommy said, trying to sound more certain than he felt. "I know that trick."

"It's not a trick," she insisted. "Ready?"

He nodded and she launched a feeble punch at his face. Tommy blocked easily and she spun around, fast as lightning, to elbow him hard in the gut.

"OOF!" he yelped, doubling over. Cackling evilly, Kimberly danced behind him and kicked him playfully in the butt; he went sprawling on the mat.

"GO KIM!" the four teens cheered from the wall. Tommy rolled over, not bothering to glare at them.

"One," Kimberly said simply, giving him a smug smile.

"Oh, that's it," Tommy growled good-naturedly, springing up. "You're going _down,_ little girl."

"Bring it," Kimberly retorted, sticking out her tongue.

Suddenly, just as it had with Jason, the world fell away. He was seventeen again, hanging out with his friends in the Juice Bar, feeling the rush of adrenaline and the spark of pure energy that came from a good fight, combined with the contentment of having his friends around him. He forgot about his relationship with Kimberly, he forgot about its ending; he forgot about everything except the fight.

Kimberly seemed to be feeling it also; she slipped easily into the banter they'd often indulged in back in Ernie's exercise area. "Come and get me, Tommy," she teased as they circled each other. "What's the matter? Too chicken to—"

Kimberly broke off as Tommy rushed her, faking a kick at her head only to knock her legs out from under her a split-second later. Kimberly hit the floor with a startled yelp.

"You were saying?" Tommy said coolly.

Kimberly's foot lashed out, striking him a few inches below the collarbone and knocking him back as well. She rolled to her feet. "Sloppy, sloppy," she chided, backing away as he flipped up.

"Right back at you."

"You're losing again, little boy. Where's your brain today, Tommy? Forget it at home?"

"No, did you spend yours on new shoes?"

"OOOOOH!" the gang chorused. "That was _cold!"_ Zack howled as they all dissolved into laughter again.

Kimberly glowered at him. "Mock not the shoes!" she shouted and then they were flying at each other, fists and feet striking out and never connecting as they fought with a ferocity that was too fast to follow. Just when Tommy was about to throw her down, she vaulted over his head with a very impressive flip that had won her many points with gymnastics judges.

"No fair," he joked as he turned to face her.

"You know what they say," Kimberly replied, "'White Rangers can't jump.'"

"Hey!" Trent said indignantly.

Kimberly and Tommy ignored him. "Let's prove them wrong," Tommy said, leaping into the air. Kimberly ducked but had to drop to the floor to avoid him; Tommy landed and pinned her before she could move. "That's tied again, Pinky."

She lurched upwards and he rolled off. "Oh, that so doesn't count!" she said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah? How 'bout this?" Tommy asked, getting behind her and pinning her arms to her sides, then throwing her down. She hit lightly but returned to her feet quickly; still, it was enough to count, according to the rules they'd set down as teenagers.

"Oh, the absent-minded professor actually has a few moves left in him," she mocked.

"Like I haven't heard that one before," Tommy retorted. "You should work on your material, Kim. You really _are_ getting rusty."

"Please. You haven't had a good comeback since the early Green days, buddy." Once again, they met in a whirlwind of kicks and punches before Kimberly got behind him and kicked him, making him stumble. "By the way, whatever happened to that evil laugh of yours?"

Tommy twisted around and managed to knock her down with a kick to the side. Then he cut loose with a purely wicked "Mwahahahaha!" He smirked at her as they began to circle again. "That the one?"

"There's the wannabe badass I remember," she said with a mock-serious nod.

"Dr. O… laughing maniacally," Kira remarked, staring at him in shock.

"I never thought I'd say it," Ethan said, "but Dr. O has a _killer_ evil laugh." Kira, Trent and Conner stared at him. "What? He does."

"Then why not form a fan club for it?" Conner said mockingly. "I can see it now—'Young Lads and Ladies Who Gather for the Wondrous Noise That Is—'"

"All right, you made your point. If anyone needs to work on their material, it's you," Ethan interrupted.

"It _is_ an awesome laugh, though," Kira said fairly. "Kind of like Trent's evil glare."

"Why do people keep comparing me to Dr. O!" Trent demanded. He was becoming quite exasperated with it all; he'd heard a lot of it before, but hearing it so often over the past few days had begun to seriously creep him out.

Back on the mats, Tommy and Kimberly were getting more and more animated. The light banter was flying back and forth as often as the punches; it was amazing to watch the pure chemistry of it all. It was a good long while before either of them got close to bringing the other down; after what seemed like ages, Tommy finally managed to grab her from behind again, but Kimberly swung her head about as fast as she could and her ponytail whipped over his face. His eyes stung.

"Ouch!" he yelped, leaping back. "Hey, no weapons!"

"What's the matter? Mad that you can't retaliate? Shouldn't have cut your hair, Tommy."

"Oh, here we go." Tommy dropped his stance and held his hands up, folding them a few times in the classic "bring it on" gesture. "Come on, Kim. Throw out a crack on my hair I haven't heard before. I dare you. Go ahead and try. It can't be done."

"Gee, let me think," she said, dropping her stance also and putting a finger on her chin. "I seem to remember a little something about pink bows and these _cute_ little braids…"

Jason, Trini, Billy and Zack died laughing while Kira, Trent, Conner and Ethan looked at them wide-eyed, wondering exactly what the story behind _that _one was. Tommy gaped at Kimberly in disbelief, unable to fathom that she had just delivered the ultimate burn.

"No you did _not_ just go there!" he roared.

"Oh, I so went there, _Cinnamon Buns."_

There it was, the one thing that could have made Kimberly's previous comment any worse. Jason fell over from laughing so hard. Billy clutched at Trini for support. Zack bent double and slapped his knee, pointing at Tommy, whose face was now the color of Jason's shirt. Kira took one look at the collapsing older Rangers and pulled a small pad of paper and a pen from her back pocket.

"Kira, this is no time to write a song," Conner told her. "It's just getting good!"

"I'm not writing a song," she replied. "I'm making a list."

"Of what?" Ethan asked.

"All the things I'm going to get Kimberly and Trini to tell me about later."

"You'll fill us in, right?" Trent asked eagerly.

"Of course I will."

"Hey," Ethan said, "put down all that stuff Jason and Dr. O were talking about, too!" Kira nodded and made a few more notes.

Back on the mat, Tommy was still staring at Kimberly. "No you didn't."

"I did," she said calmly.

"You wouldn't. You _didn't!"_

"I would and I _did!_ Deal with it, Tommy—I win."

"Like hell you win! You want to talk hair? What about you, with the three-foot-tall bangs?"

"Not even _close_ to on par with the _mullet,_ never mind the bows. You've lost, Tommy. Sorry for you."

"The bows were your fault! I did _not_ lose!"

"I won. I won, you lost, witness me victory dancing."

With a roar of frustration laced with amused mortification, Tommy threw himself at her. She was ready for him; the next thing anyone knew they closely resembled a ball of cartoon dust such as those seen on _Looney Tunes,_ only with blurs of black and pink thrown in.

Jason, Trini, Billy and Zack laughed themselves sick for the next fifteen minutes; they were soon piled together on the floor as Kimberly and Tommy continued to go at it, Kira occasionally making more notes. It was the sort of fight where no one could pick out all the moves, even if they taped it and played it in slow motion and paused every other frame. Soon the two of them were breathing too heavily to tease each other much; the spectator Rangers only caught the occasional word like "morph," "hair," "Bulk," "white" and "shirtless," none of which made much sense but seemed to egg Tommy and Kimberly on even more.

At last, Tommy flung Kimberly to the mat and pinned her. After a brief struggle, she reluctantly lay still… and just like that they were back to being an ex-boyfriend and an ex-girlfriend from a messy breakup who were trying to repair the damage, instantly losing the magic that had reverted them back to their happier, younger selves. They stared at each other, neither knowing what to say, both waiting for the other to make the first move. Tommy was only vaguely aware of the fact that his friends had stopped laughing, and some small part of him kept suggesting that he should get off of her, but his body didn't seem to agree. So he lay there on top of her, catching his breath, which was proving more and more impossible as time wore on. His eyes left hers for a moment, flicking down to her mouth for a fraction of a second, but Kimberly caught the movement all the same.

"Good match," Tommy said awkwardly.

Kimberly smiled at him brightly and without warning he was flung up and over to land bodily on the mat, Kimberly straddling his chest before the shock of the movement could register. Her smile turned into a smirk.

"You, too," she said smugly. "But I still win."

"Oh, yeah?" Tommy challenged.

Thus began one of the most unusual sparring moments in Ranger history—Tommy and Kimberly locked in some sort of vicious rolling fight, where all they did was flip each other around and make the occasional comment. Conner, Ethan and Trent watched avidly, while Kira, Trini, Jason, Zack and Billy looked on without seeing the moves… only the sparks.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Zack said to Billy and Trini.

"Dude," Jason said, overhearing him, _"everyone's_ thinking what you're thinking."

Trini, Billy and Zack looked at him sharply; Kira, Trent, Conner and Ethan looked from Jason to the others curiously. Before anyone could make another comment, however, Tommy and Kimberly returned to their banter and everyone instantly began paying attention to them again. At present, they had each other by the shoulders and were rolling from one end of the basement towards the other.

Kimberly broke Tommy's grip on her shoulders and flung him to the mat, holding him down. "I bet those spikes you got going on could still hold a few bows," Kimberly said with a tone that meant it was unmistakably a threat.

Using his legs and sheer body weight, Tommy reversed their positions. "I'd like to see you try, Ms. Bunny Pajamas!"

"Those pajamas were cute!" Kimberly insisted, tossing Tommy into the door of the Secret Chamber and then, realizing she was free, getting up to run. Tommy, however, dove on her before she could get far. She ended-up face-down with Tommy on her back.

"I know the Goat Man _really_ liked them."

Kimberly drove both of her elbows into his chest and flipped them both over; now they were facing each other again. She jabbed her finger into his chest, hard. "The Goat Man is off-limits! We made that rule ages ago!"

"Yeah? The bows were off-limits too!" Tommy kicked her over his head and flipped back on top of her.

"You shouldn't have brought up the shoe thing!" Kimberly retorted. She attempted to throw him off, but Tommy dug in and was able to stop her.

"HA!" Tommy roared. "I think I feel another evil laugh coming on. Looks like I win."

"Do not!" Kimberly snapped.

"You're pinned. You can't move! I win! Mwahahahaha!"

"That's _really_ starting to get creepy," Conner muttered.

* * *

_End Notes:_ I JUST MET SKY! I JUST MET SKY! Oh, and I met Z and Syd and Greg Argo… um, what was his last name? Greg… Aronowitz! Writer or something. No idea. He was cool though. But I got autographs! And I stole Sky's Sharpie after he left. Whoo… I was going to chase their car as they drove back to Toronto but I didn't want to seem TOO creepy and I didn't want them to crash trying to escape and the Canadian customs agents are apparently on strike and I didn't want to spend the next week in a Customs holding cell but I have autographs! And I took a couple pictures of Sky's butt when no one was looking, shh! At least, I _think_ no one was looking… he's really goofy, you know. Not at all like Sky. It was hysterical to see them all interacting and everything… I'm probably going to make a big livejournal post about it in the near future. I MET SKY! AND SYD AND Z! And I got autographs and pictures and I'm trying to shut up but I MET SKY!

P.S. If there are any grammar or spelling mistakes, or any other sorts of errors in this chapter, it is because we've worked on this chapter so thoroughly that me and Freyja are sick of looking at it, though we do still love it, and I hope y'all do too. But most importantly, I'm sorry if none of this makes sense, but it's all because I JUST MET SKY! …Okay, I'm done. (Freyja has been threatening to kill me if I don't shut up.) …And… um… I JUST MET SKY!


	17. Birds of a Feather

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Birds of a Feather_

Jason grinned as Tommy and Kimberly's fight continued. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since the fight began, but he did know that the others had all lost interest. Trini, Billy and Ethan had said something about video games and disappeared. Trent had fallen asleep sitting up. (Trent hadn't slept well in the past few months, especially given the trouble with his father and the fact that, after leaving Mesogog's team, he'd started sleeping in Hayley's Cyberspace for protection. So he had recently taken to falling asleep whenever the opportunity presented itself.) Shortly after Trent had nodded off, Kira had suggested that she and Zack go check out Jason and Trini's music collection, and Conner had fallen asleep shortly thereafter, leaving only Jason both in the basement and conscious.

Jason was smiling from ear to ear. Although he'd never talked to anyone about the Tommy/Kimberly breakup, it had deeply affected him, perhaps more so than any of the others. Kimberly had been one of his closest friends—in fact, she'd been the second friend he'd ever made. There were times when he forgot that she wasn't his little sister. And Tommy had quickly become his best friend, back in the early days of being Power Rangers. Tommy and Kim had seemed so perfect together that Jason had always figured they were the thing to aspire to. The beginnings of his relationship with Trini had, in fact, found him comparing himself and Trini to Tommy and Kimberly (with only slight color differences), and it had freaked him out beyond belief when it had ended, so suddenly and without warning and out of the freaking blue. What was a guy to do when the standard for relationships just disappeared? It didn't help that he and Trini had decided to cool it at the time. Jason had suddenly found himself thinking that if there was no hope for Tommy and Kimberly, there was certainly no hope for Jason and Trini… ever. He still couldn't believe that he was now married to Trini when Tommy and Kimberly were still single and hadn't spoken in years, and Jason still had a nagging suspicion in the back of his head that no relationship, no matter how perfect it seemed, was forever.

It bugged him, to say the least, especially since it had seemed so… _anti-climatic._ Kimberly sent the letter, they all tried to cheer up Tommy, and no one ever mentioned it again. Whatever guy Kimberly had dumped Tommy for had been gone a few months later; she'd been single when she came to visit right after Jason had lost the Gold Ranger powers… and Tommy had started dating Kat.

Jason had liked Kat, he really had; he counted her as a friend before long, though she wasn't quite as dear to him as Tommy, Billy, Zack, Kimberly and Trini. Yet something about her and Tommy had always seemed… off to him. She just seemed like… Kimberly's replacement, in more ways than one. Jason could have sworn he even caught Tommy stumbling over her name once or twice. Jason couldn't help but think that if it wasn't for her, Tommy would have gone after Kimberly. He wouldn't have just accepted it and not at least called or written for an explanation. Jason knew that Tommy had been rather shaken by Kimberly's leaving, and it seemed to Jason that Tommy had been trying to avoid thinking about it. He'd let Kat be the new Pink Ranger, Kat be his new friend… and somehow she'd become Tommy's new Kimberly.

Now, however, to see Tommy and Kimberly together again… it was really uplifting. They had fallen right back into the teasing, and the sparring match seemed so much like something they would have done as teenagers. Jason couldn't count how many times he, or one of the others, had been forced to break up similar matches before they went a little too far.

"I've got you! I've got you!" Tommy shouted, completely flattening Kimberly against the floor.

"No you haven't!" Kimberly shrieked, struggling for all she was worth.

"You're pinned! PINNED PINNED PINNED!"

"You suck!"

"What's going on?" A sleepy Conner, awakened by the sudden yelling, sat up and looked around wildly. Trent, who had slumped against him, slid down to the floor and woke with a yelp as he hit the ground painfully.

"Nothing," Jason told them. "Tommy and Kim were just spending a couple of hours rolling around on the floor."

Tommy looked up, startled. "Where is everyone?"

"Trini's having a video game war with the Blues and Kira and Zack are pawing through my CD collection," Jason explained. He smirked at Tommy, who was still lying on Kimberly. "Having fun?" Tommy's eyes widened in horror and he scrambled off of Kimberly as though only just realizing what he was doing.

"I would be if I were him," Conner muttered, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Shut up, Conner!" Tommy barked.

"What? I meant because you actually won!"

"Good match," Kimberly called over her shoulder, practically running up the stairs before anyone could blink.

"That is one perky person," Trent said, amazed that she still had energy to move. He and Conner tiredly followed her, Tommy glaring at them the whole way. Soon, Tommy and Jason were alone in the basement.

"Don't say it," Tommy said warningly.

"What? I'm not saying a word."

"You're thinking it."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help but think it."

"Stop it!"

"Okay, I stopped."

"…You did not."

"I did too!" Jason gave Tommy his most innocent expression. Tommy responded with a glare and stomped up the stairs.

The first floor of the house was full of noise. Kira and Zack had turned the family room into their own private nightclub; Kira was dancing on one couch and Zack on the other, both of them singing along to an old CD of Jason's. In the living room, miscellaneous monkey noises were issuing from the TV; Trini, Ethan and Billy were taking turns beating levels on _Donkey Kong Country_. Billy was far more comfortable with old-school Nintendo, Super NES and Sega games, and Trini and Ethan were more than happy to level the playing field. Kimberly sat huddled on the loveseat next to Trini, the two of them talking in low voices, the dog's head in Trini's lap and one paw up on Kimberly's leg as though trying to console her. Billy and Ethan were on the couch, complaining about Snow Barrel Blast and Oil Drum Alley, whatever that meant. Conner had stumbled off to the bathroom and a groggy Trent was sitting on an armchair, watching his girlfriend dance.

"Hey, Jason, Tommy!" Zack called, waving and hopping down. He shut off the CD player. "It's about frickin time, man! We got bored!"

"Thanks," Tommy said dryly. Tommy stood in the dining room, looking expectantly from one group to the other. "What are we up to, guys?"

"I don't know," Trini said, patting Kimberly on the knee and standing up, to the disappointment of the dog. "We should probably get some dinner or something."

"I'm starving!" Conner complained, coming out of the bathroom.

"You just had a whole bag of chips," Ethan pointed out.

"So?" Conner said blankly.

"Red thing," Kimberly muttered to Kira, who giggled.

"Pizza again?" Jason asked, glaring at Kimberly.

"That's pretty much all we've eaten for the past two days," Kira complained. "I'm going to be fat by the time this vacation is over."

"You could never be fat," Trent assured her. She grinned at him.

"Wow, he learned the basics young," Jason muttered to Tommy.

"Well… why don't we go to a nice sit-down restaurant?" Trini asked. "Then we can get whatever we want."

"I look like hell, Trini!" Kimberly complained. "I'd have to go back to the hotel and take a shower. Come to think of it, yeah, can we do that? I feel grimy."

"Any objections?" Jason asked the group at large. A few people shrugged. "All right."

"I'll come back with you," Trini said to Kimberly.

"No!" Jason half-shouted. "No more going back to the hotel! Ever! You won't come back! I know you!" As if to support his claim, the dog sat down on Trini's foot.

"Whipped," Tommy muttered with a grin. Zack suppressed a laugh.

Trini gave Kimberly a mischievous smile. "Okay, I'll stay here."

"Aw, come on," Kimberly whined. "I never get to see you." Trini gave her a significant look and mouthed "I'll see you tonight." Kimberly frowned for a moment, puzzling over what this meant, then wrinkled her nose and let out a small "Ew!"

Catching on, Tommy turned to Billy. "Why don't you come back with me and Zack?"

"Yeah, you should really stop wearing Jason's clothes," Zack added, though he'd yet to catch on to what Kimberly, Tommy and Billy had. "You look like Santa after the Atkins Diet on a casual Friday."

Billy looked down at his outfit—jeans and an old red T-shirt of Jason's, both of which were rather baggy on him and made him look incredibly skinny. The sleeves of the shirt were almost hanging at his wrists. "Smaller clothes would be preferable," Billy admitted. "Do you have anything blue?"

"Tommy should," Zack said cheerfully. "He has every other color known to man."

"Ha, ha," Tommy said, rolling his eyes.

"Actually, Blue's the one color he hasn't been, right?" Billy said, looking a little nervous.

"And I'm never gonna be Blue!" Tommy insisted. "I'm through. I'm done. Four was enough."

"First ever Orange," Jason said in a stage-whisper.

"I've got clothes you can borrow," Ethan offered Billy. "I have plenty of blue."

"So Jason and I will come meet you in an hour or two?" Trini suggested. The others nodded.

"That was an awesome match against Dr. O," Kira said as she and Trent climbed into Kimberly's car; the others were riding with Zack.

"Thanks," Kimberly said. "I kind of lost count of who pinned who more, though." She sighed and stretched her neck from side to side. "He's a heavy guy, you know."

"I'd imagine so," Trent said. "Anyway, thanks for humiliating Conner for us."

Kimberly laughed. "My pleasure. He seemed like he was holding back, though, at least at the beginning. Did you notice?"

"That's Conner for you," Kira grumbled. "He's kind of… chauvinistic."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. It took me a while to get him to stop calling me 'babe,' in fact." Kira rolled her eyes. "But you totally kicked Dr. O's butt, too—it was so cool!"

She smiled. "I don't know about that. He's really the strongest fighter in our group, except for maybe Jason. Trini and Zack are both pretty strong, too. Billy and I were always sort of the weaklings."

"Billy? He looked pretty tough to me," Trent said, surprised.

"Yeah, well—he's been working on it over the years. I think it really bummed him out when he lost his powers and the others got new ones; I know he was working a lot harder during that year, according to Jason. I guess he never fell out of the habit. Me, well… Tommy was probably holding back, too." She giggled. "I used to pull that girly trick on him all the time. He'd fall for it _every single time_ we fought. Trini always said I should stop using it so often, because I was losing the element of surprise, but he fell for it anyway. Jason did too, almost as regularly. The big softies."

"Dr. O, a _softie?"_ Trent said incredulously.

"He may not act like it," Kimberly said with a smile, "but he's just a big sweetheart deep down."

"Yeah?" Kira said casually, itching to pull out her notepad.

"Yeah." Kimberly shrugged, feeling rather nostalgic. She slipped back into her memories as she drove them back to the hotel, letting the good times of the past override her bad blood with Tommy, at least for the moment.

* * *

_Author's Notes:_ My tale of how I met Sky and Syd and Z is up on my livejournal, the link to which can be found in my profile. 


	18. Food Fight

**Chapter Eighteen**

_Food Fight_

Jason and Trini didn't show up for almost three hours; they came up to the sixth floor and found Tommy and Zack arguing over Tommy's wardrobe, their hotel door wide open. Zack was wearing a pair of jeans and Tommy only khakis while they both shook black shirts at each other like matadors waving flags at a bull.

"Get your own color!" Zack half-shouted.

"You don't have a patent on the color black!" Tommy retorted.

"You've got three other colors to choose from! Wear green or something! None of us were ever Green!"

"Knock, knock," Trini called through the open door.

"Trini, tell Tommy he can't wear that shirt!" Zack said.

"It looks nothing like Zack's shirt!" Tommy said. He and Zack held up a pair of almost identical black polo shirts; the only difference was that one had a chest pocket.

"It's the exact same shirt I'm wearing!" Zack insisted.

"Where is Billy?" Trini asked, ignoring their squabble entirely.

"He went to go borrow clothes from Ethan," Tommy said. "Look at these shirts. They don't look alike, do they?"

"Zack's right, man," Jason said. "Wear a different color."

"Maybe I'll wear red," Tommy said, narrowing his eyes.

"Whatever," Jason said, plopping down on Zack's bed. "Ready to go?"

"Are you okay?" Tommy asked. Jason had always "enjoyed" arguing colors with Tommy as much as Zack now was.

"I'm going to go check on Billy," Trini said, walking out quickly.

"Kay," Jason said serenely.

Tommy looked from the calm, peaceful, cheerful Jason to the space where Trini had been moments ago and made a disgusted face. That explained it.

"Oh, gross," Zack groaned. "I get it now."

"Get what?" Jason asked.

"Nothing," Zack said sourly. He turned to Tommy. "Come on, man. Wear something else, please?"

Tommy sighed and looked at the open dresser drawer full of his clothes. His nostalgic mindset when packing had led him to a lot of green, white and red choices; he supposed he could relent on the black polo. His shoes were black, anyway. "All right, fine," Tommy said with a sigh, fishing through his clothing for something suitable. Zack grinned and pulled his shirt on.

Before he could decide between a white button-down and a green T-shirt, Billy practically danced into the room, looking ecstatic. "Ethan had overalls!" he exclaimed by way of greeting. Billy no longer looked like Santa Claus minus a few pounds, but the expression on his face was worthy of a little kid who'd been Santa's favorite. Ethan had given him a pair of dark blue denim overalls and a light blue T-shirt.

"I thought you got over overalls," Jason said. "You never wore them by the time I came back to be the Gold Ranger. And you rarely wore them by the time I left for the conference…"

"That was because they went so out of style that I couldn't find them anymore!" Billy explained. "Oh, god, I missed these. I haven't worn a pair in ages! They're so perfect. They fit! They're functional, too. They don't slip, so I don't need to wear a belt or worry if my underwear is showing, or if a bully's going to pull my pants down—well, okay, no one really does that anymore, but it's the thought that counts—and they have plenty of pockets, and—"

"Billy, man, you can keep them," Ethan said, coming into the room, sounding both amused and slightly creeped out. "I only brought them because my mom helped me pack."

"Your mom helps you pack?" Conner said incredulously, entering behind Ethan.

"What, like yours doesn't?" Ethan retorted.

"No, she doesn't."

"Yeah, right," Trent said, coming in with Trini.

"She doesn't! Well, maybe just a little. Sometimes my brother, Eric, he likes to slip weird stuff in my suitcase. Some of it even smells." He turned to Jason. "Where have you been? I've eaten all of my reserve snack food. I was about to order room service."

"I'll go get Kim and Kira," Trini said, once more disappearing as fast as possible.

_Kim,_ Tommy thought grimly, turning back to his dresser and digging faster.

"Can I really keep them?" Billy asked eagerly before Jason could reply to Conner.

"Sure. I never wear them," Ethan said with a shrug.

"Ah, overalls," Billy said happily, fiddling with the straps. "I wonder if I could get someone on Aquitar to make them."

"Why don't you just buy a few pairs while you're here?" Trent suggested. "I'm pretty sure we could find some at the mall."

"Do you think so? Oh, wait… I don't have any money," Billy said. "Hey! You know, I need to go see my dad while I'm here… I haven't seen him in a really long time."

"Why don't you call him, once we get the whole gang together?" Zack suggested. "I miss crazy old Mr. Cranston. Haven't talked to him since before you left for Aquitar."

"How exactly does that work, seeing your dad when you don't live on the planet?" Conner asked curiously.

"Well, I came back for my stuff not long after I left, as soon as I was back to being a teenager and teleporting was possible; the circuits were fried right after I got there. Anyway, I explained that I'd gotten a job working with the government, and all that. Then Trini and I worked out a way to hook up the Aquitian communication module to a telephone and actually call him. So I've been using Trini as a relay to my father for years. I don't get to talk to him as much as I like, but I _do_ get to talk to him often enough. He just, um, thinks I'm working for the military and can't talk about my job. Which, technically, is almost kind of sort of true."

"Guys!" Tommy said, trying to keep the note of panic out of his voice. He still hadn't decided on what to wear; he waved four shirts at Jason, Zack, Billy, Conner, Ethan and Trent. "Which shirt should I wear?" He had gone past the green shirt and the white, adding a red polo and a black sleeveless T-shirt.

"I like the white," Trent said.

"Me, too," Zack said hurriedly.

"Nah, go with the red," Conner said.

"No, the green," Ethan said. They paused and looked at him. "What? Someone had to argue for the green."

"In that case, I suggest the black one," Jason said with a smile.

"Guys!" Tommy whined. "You're not helping!"

"What's going on?" Kira asked, walking in with Kimberly and Trini. Then she noticed Tommy wasn't wearing a shirt and walked right back out of the room, shuddering.

"What's up with Kira?" Kimberly asked.

"No idea," Tommy said firmly, looking speculatively at his shirts.

"Are we ready to go?" Trini asked.

"Tommy's having an identity crisis," Jason explained serenely, gesturing at Tommy.

Trini snorted, trying to hold in her laughter at the look on Tommy's face. "Tommy, it really doesn't matter, does it?"

Tommy huffed irritably. "Well…"

"You must have a heck of a time getting dressed every morning," Conner said thoughtfully.

"Remember when he first became the Black Ranger?" Ethan said. "Said he had to go shopping because there was a shortage of black in his closet?"

Jason laughed. "Did you really?"

"Shut up, Jason," Tommy said wearily.

"Tommy, let me teach you what I do to choose an outfit when I'm in a hurry," Kimberly said, stepping forward.

"Oh, this outta be good," Zack joked.

"It's a highly sophisticated, foolproof method," she said seriously. She held up her index finger and began pointing at each shirt in turn. "Eeney, meeney, miney, moe," she intoned.

Tommy laughed and pulled one of the shirts over his head at random. "Thanks, Kim. I'll remember that."

She nodded and grinned, then turned back to the others. "So where are we going?"

"Somewhere good," Conner insisted.

"Seafood?" Billy suggested hopefully.

"No," Tommy said emphatically. They turned to look at him. "Sorry. Recent falling out with calamari."

"Why don't we go somewhere with more variety?" Trini said. "I'm sure we'll all want something different."

Trini was right; they spent a good long while discussing where they should go and twenty minutes later had tentatively agreed on a place and were heading out the door.

Once they were led to their table in the restaurant—well, three tables pushed together in the middle of the non-smoking section—Billy brought up his father again. Trini, who had considered Mr. Cranston as good as an uncle to her ever since she and Billy were first placed in advanced classes together in elementary school, immediately offered up her cell phone, but Billy decided to use Tommy's instead, as Reefside's area code was less recognizable.

Billy swallowed nervously. His father was very smart, and it would take some fast talking to cover his new occupation and residence; he'd had some near misses over the phone. He felt bad that he never got to see his father, but between the hours he worked, the difficulty of scheduling a properly-timed phone call to another planet, and the fact that it was hard to hide his life on Aquitar, it couldn't be helped.

"Maybe I should surprise him?" Billy asked.

"He might not be home," Trini said. "He could be out of town, for all you know. You should tell him you wanted to surprise him but you'll be by in the morning. Say I'm picking you up at the airport."

Billy nodded and dialed the number. His father answered on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Dad?"

"Billy! Oh, it's so good to hear from you! Any particular reason you're calling?"

"Well… I was hoping that in the morning you could say 'it's so good to see you.'"

"You're in town!"

"I'm going to be," Billy lied. He hadn't been able to tell his father he was coming into town; there had been a major computer malfunction right after he'd set up the trip and he'd barely had time to sleep, let alone plan, while dealing with it; his only chance to contact Earth had been a few hurried conversations with Trini. He didn't want to hurt his father's feelings by saying that he'd been in town for a few days, but in all honesty he'd been so excited to see the gang and come back to Earth in general that he'd kept forgetting to mention his father once he'd arrived. The gang had a tendency to make him forget everything, even his inventions, and the last few days had been rather hectic, even though it was definitely the good sort of hectic. "Trini's picking me up at the airport tomorrow. I was going to surprise you, but then I thought you might not be home, so…"

"I'll be here! It'll be so great to see you, son. Where are you staying?"

"Well… Trini and Jason have a guest room, so I thought I'd stay with them. Wouldn't want to impose on you. Plus, you know, I'm guessing my old room's still roped off."

"Yes. I kept putting off fixing up that whole in the wall; it's still just boarded over. The scorch marks remind me so much of you! Unfortunately, though, I'm going out of town tomorrow; my plane leans at four. I'm giving a couple of lectures at John Hopkins, but I'll only be gone until Friday. How long are you staying?"

"Until Sunday, at least," Billy said. "So, can I come by in the morning?"

"Of course, of course! Around ten?"

"That should be fine."

"Say, why don't you bring Trini with you?"

"Sure, Dad. She said she missed seeing you. And Jason and Zack—"

"Zack? I thought he was in Los Angeles."

"He's coming back into town for the week. So are Kimberly and Tommy. Er, and some of Tommy's… um… friends," Billy said. There really was no tactful way to describe Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent.

"Bring them all, bring them all! I miss them, too. You kids, wandering around in the garage for hours on end, occasionally blowing things up… good times."

"I didn't blow things up that often," Billy insisted, but without any real conviction.

"Sure you didn't, son. Well, I can hear a lot of background noise—are you busy?"

"Oh, I'm out eating dinner," Billy said guiltily.

"Well, I'll let you go, then. I'll see you at ten, okay?"

"All right." Billy and his father said their goodbyes and hung up. Billy handed the phone back to Tommy.

"What's wrong?" Ethan asked. "You look kind of worried."

"More like terrified," Billy said dryly. "It's really difficult to keep a secret identity from a genius father. I only managed it as a kid because he's so absent-minded."

"Why not just tell him?" Trent suggested.

"Because the more people who know about our identities, the less likely it is that they'll stay a secret," Tommy said severely. Of all of them, Trent understood this the least; his father had known, of course, and now his dad's girlfriend—that is, Principal Randall—knew as well. Trent had no other family, so he was unaccustomed to hiding the information like the others were.

"Then how come you told Hayley?" Conner asked curiously.

"I didn't _tell_ Hayley," Tommy said grimly. "Do you really think I could keep that from _her_ for long? She found out a few months after we moved in together."

Ethan choked on his water. "You and Hayley used to live together?"

"For a couple years, yeah. Our college didn't allow coed roommates, so we rented a house together off-campus. I was sick of getting stuck in the dorm elevators, especially since she wouldn't come up to my room and help me with my homework when the elevator was broken, and she needed someone to go in with on the rent. Hence, roomies."

"Oh, so you didn't live together as in _live together,"_ Conner said, nodding wisely. "I gotcha."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Of course we didn't. Anyway, we all said way back when that we wouldn't tell _anyone._ It was tough, but it was necessary. I mean, my parents would have flipped if they knew I was fighting Rita and Zedd."

"Join the club," Zack muttered.

"Hey, it was straight from Zordon that we never tell anyone," Jason pointed out. "Besides, it's not like we want a whole lot of people to know."

Zack thought of the female population of Los Angeles. "Speak for yourself."

"We'd be treated like celebrities," Trini said in disgust.

"Why is that bad?" Conner asked, looking thoughtful.

"Read a tabloid sometime," Tommy said darkly.

"Besides, it wouldn't be fair if I got to tell my father and no one else did," Billy said.

"Yeah, _Trent,"_ Conner said loudly. "It wouldn't be _fair,_ Mr. Never-had-to-explain-why-I'm-sneaking-in-at-two-in-the-morning-to-angry-parents-who-were-really-worried-when-they-discovered-I-was-gone-because-there-was-a-monster-attack. Do you have any idea how many times I had to give my brother hush money?"

"Well, excuse me for having a temporarily evil dad," Trent said mildly. With a slight edge to his voice, he added, "Mr. Never-had-to-live-in-a-cyber-café-because-I-was-afraid-of-getting-killed-in-my-sleep." Conner considered this, and gave Trent an apologetic look. A tad annoyed, Trent added, "Do you have any idea how many times I had to jump out of Kira's bathroom window in a towel?"

Far from strengthening his case, this made everyone give him shocked looks. Conner was too busy gaping at him to try and puzzle out any other meanings this statement might have.

Trent and Kira's faces both burned brightly as they realized what everyone was thinking. "Because she used to let me borrow her bathroom," Trent clarified in a pathetic sort of tone, "back when Dad was evil and I wasn't."

"Oh," everyone said awkwardly.

"Hang on," Conner said suspiciously. "We didn't know Mesogog was Mercer for a long time. Kira wouldn't have known you couldn't go home."

"I told her Dad and I had a disagreement about my drawing and he kicked me out of the house," Trent replied defensively. "I didn't go to her place often, anyway. Tried to make due with public restrooms, the truck stop shower by the highway, and the locker rooms at school. Especially after the first time her parents almost caught me."

"How long were you not going home?" Tommy demanded. "You should have told me."

Trent shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal. I managed."

Ethan slapped his forehead. "Oh, so _that's_ why you were taking home economics—so you could use the washer and dryer and eat the food."

Trent shuddered. "Don't remind me of that class. There's nothing more frightening than cooking with Conner."

_"You_ took home ec?" Jason asked Conner incredulously.

"I did, too. Great way to meet women," Zack said before Conner could open his mouth.

"Exactly!" Conner said.

Trent snorted. "Just about every girl in that class hated him by the end of the first month."

"Did not," Conner said woundedly.

"Surprised it took them a month," Kira teased.

"Hey!"

"Anyway," Trent said loudly, determined to get off the subject of his son-of-Mesogog days, "what's good here?"

"Oh, yeah, we might wanna look at the menus," Tommy muttered; none of them had bothered yet.

"Um… I like the steak here," Zack told Trent.

"The fish is good, too," Trini said.

"Where's our waitress, anyway?" Conner asked, looking around hopefully. Their orders hadn't even been taken yet.

Two waitresses, meanwhile, were standing at the hostess station, arguing over who would be the one to wait on the ten athletic people who looked like they'd be loud, messy and extremely needy. It didn't help that not one of said people was over thirty, and younger people tended to tip less.

"You do it! It's your section!"

"Hey, I covered two different tables in your section today! And I haven't had my break yet!"

"I'm not doing it. Will you look at them? They'll probably eat half the kitchen and ask for seven refills each."

"Well, I'm not doing it, either."

"I'll do it!" said a third waitress eagerly, and the two looked at her oddly. "What? The guys over there are all really hot. And in case you haven't noticed, there are seven guys and only three girls. Some of them _have_ to be single."

"That's okay, Ann, I'll do it."

"No, I'll do it!"

"No, me!"

"Come on, guys! There's seven of them. Plenty to go around."

"Fine. Me first."

"No, me first! It's my section!"

"You covered two different tables in my section today! And you haven't had your break yet!"

"They're usually kind of slow here," Jason was saying absently back at the table. "Worth it, though. And the waitresses are nice."

"That's cuz you're hot," Trini muttered darkly. Kimberly giggled.

"So their fish is good, Trini?" Billy asked.

"Very. And their calamari—"

"Wouldn't do it, if I were you," Tommy interrupted with a small shudder.

"What is it with you and calamari?" Zack asked.

"Doesn't agree with me," Tommy said firmly.

"I can see three waitresses arguing over there," Ethan said, squinting over at the hostess station. "Oh, wait, one of them's coming this way."

The winner of the waitress war took their orders, which took a considerably long time, and promised to return with their drinks and a bread basket. "Hey, she was kind of cute," Conner said once she was out of earshot.

"Eh, I like blonds," Ethan said.

"Good, then I'll take her," Conner replied cheerfully.

"Wonder whatever happened to Tori," Ethan said thoughtfully.

"Last I heard, she was very happy with Blake," Tommy said with a sarcastic smile.

"Aw, man," Conner and Ethan complained.

"Guess you'll have to give up that dream of finding someone with the same color scheme, Ethan," Trent joked, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Yeah," Ethan said with a sigh.

"How come there aren't any female Red Rangers, Dr. O?" Conner asked.

"I don't know," Tommy said with a shrug. "They're always Yellow and Pink, except for Alyssa and Tori."

"That's so sexist," Kira said with a sniff. "And how come we didn't get a Pink?"

"I never found a Pink Gem," Tommy said, shrugging.

"Couldn't you have looked harder?" Kira whined. "Much as I love these three idiots, I could have used another girl."

"Hey!" Trent, Conner and Ethan complained.

"Two idiots," Kira amended with a teasing grin at the guys.

"To be honest, Kira, I was _planning_ on having two girls," Tommy said. "You stole Trini's Gem. And Ethan stole Hayley's."

"What?" Ethan demanded. "Trini and Hayley were going to use the Gems?"

"No one was _planning_ to use the Gems. At all. Ever. But once I found them, I couldn't just leave them for someone like oh, say, Mesogog to find. So I figured if I needed them, I'd call out the old gang. White for me, Black for Zack, Red for Jason, Yellow for Trini, and Blue for Hayley, since Billy wasn't on Earth. That's why I was so prepared."

"He found them right around the same time he got that job with Mercer," Jason said. "He called us up, and we all started talking about it. We weren't going to go back to active duty, but we'd be able to fight if we needed to. We all still have morphing abilities, 'cept Kim and Billy, but we don't have zords or bikes or anything. So he and Hayley worked it all out, with Trini helping and Billy occasionally giving advice over the Aqua-phone."

"Anton funded the whole thing. He walked in on a choice conversation, and offered to fund all sorts of things; we were looking for a new project, after scrapping the Fossilador. He contributed some brilliant work, too. But I was never going to use the Gems," Tommy repeated sourly. "I was going to store them. Preferably at Jason's. Once I had all the kinks worked out, I was going to ship them off to someone else's house and I was going to… the World Series."

"What?" Ethan asked.

"The World Series. You know, baseball. Gotta love baseball. Not as good as football, but still a nice, normal sport. Yep."

"Huh?" Conner stared at him, confused. "What's up with the abrupt subject change, Dr.—" A glass of Coke landed in front of him and he jumped, realizing a waitress was standing behind him. "Oh." He smiled brightly at the waitress as she dished out their drinks and set them up with bread plates. "Yeah, we're talking about football."

"I used to play football. Back in high school," Tommy said desperately, nodding.

"Did you?" the waitress asked with a broad smile, looking him up and down.

"Yep," Tommy said, returning her grin. She turned her smile up a notch before leaving.

"It's about time," Zack muttered, tearing into the bread.

"That was a different waitress," Conner said, watching her walk away. "Not as hot."

"Is too," Ethan said. "I like her better."

"No way. She has glasses."

"I _like_ women with glasses."

"…Why?" Conner wrinkled his nose.

"Doesn't matter," Trent said in the hopes of getting them to shut up, mostly because he knew Kira was annoyed by it. "She was flirting with Dr. O, anyway."

"Ew," Conner and Ethan groaned.

"She was not!" Tommy insisted, his face burning as Jason, Trini, Zack, Kimberly and Billy laughed.

"What are we doing for the rest of the day?" Kira practically yelled, trying to change the subject. "And tomorrow?"

"Well… the day's mostly over," Trini said. "We were in the basement for a really long time."

"Yeah, and you and Jason were somewhere _else_ for a really long time," Zack mumbled. He received a sharp kick in the shins. "OW!"

"OW!" yelled Trent, who was sitting next to him.

"Sorry!" Trini exclaimed. "I was aiming for Zack."

"Don't worry, I got him," Jason told her. Zack muttered something about "uncalled for attacks."

"Anyway," Trini said, "there won't be much left to do tonight by the time we leave here; there's no point in paying for any sort of attraction for just a few hours, I don't see the ten of us agreeing on a single movie, and the mall closes at nine and will be packed. Maybe we could go back to Ernie's, though."

"Yeah!" Kimberly said. "I want to go see him again."

"The guy does make a killer smoothie," Conner said.

"Yeah, I miss him," Jason said. "I started going to that Juice Bar as soon as I was old enough climb up on the stools. Took my first karate lesson there, too. Ernie was like a father to us when we were growing up."

"Speaking of fathers," Ethan said thoughtfully, "aren't the rest of you going to go see your parents while you're here?"

"Jason and I see our parents all the time, since we live here," Trini said.

"My folks don't live here anymore," Zack said. "Moved out to San Diego."

"My mom lives in France," Kimberly added. "And I just saw my dad a couple weeks ago."

"Mine are on their second honeymoon," Tommy said. "My dad just got early retirement, and my mom's a school teacher, so they'll be gone for most of the summer."

"So it'll probably be just Mr. Cranston," Trini finished. "Pity he's going out of town. Maybe you can stay longer, Billy, spend some more time with him."

"I hope so," Billy said, looking around the crowded restaurant wistfully. "I really do miss this place. Earth, I mean. Not to mention all of you. And you know, while I'm here, I'd kind of like to see the others. Rocky, Adam, Aisha, Tanya, Kat…"

"Tanya and Adam should be in L.A., and Rocky's still living in Stone Canyon," Tommy said. "But Aisha's in Africa, so that might get difficult."

"And Kat's back in Australia," Jason said without thinking.

Tommy paused and tried to look nonchalant, noticing Trini giving him a look out of the corner of her eye. Kimberly looked down at her silverware awkwardly.

"Well, I can at least see Rocky, Adam and Tanya, if not the others," Billy said hastily. Jason looked apologetic; Trini pinched him in the arm while glaring at Billy for bringing Kat up in the first place.

Tommy fought back a sigh. Mentioning Kat around him wasn't exactly forbidden or anything. They hadn't ended on bad terms, really; she'd gone to London, he'd said he didn't want to do the long-distance relationship thing. She had screamed and ranted and stormed off, to be sure, but she'd come back and apologized and asked him to reconsider. He'd said no, though he'd truly been sorry about it, but he could tell she'd taken it hard. They'd promised to stay friends, but that hadn't worked too well, either. They simply hadn't had much to say, though they tried to chat on occasion and he'd seen her a few times since. When it came down to it, he wished her the best, and he was pretty sure she returned the sentiment. So it wasn't that Kat was a taboo topic around him—but he knew fully well that the others were freaking out about the fact that she'd been mentioned around both Kimberly and Tommy. That wasn't just awkward, it was annoying; he didn't want the others thinking that he was trying to do anything other than repair his friendship with Kimberly. It also sparked a bit of that buried anger within him—after all, _she_ had left _him._ Why shouldn't he have dated other girls?

Conner, Trent and Kira exchanged confused looks as the others lapsed into silence; Ethan, however, had the same slightly-panicked expression that Jason, Trini, Billy and Zack did. Tommy looked at him thoughtfully, even though he knew that there was no logical explanation for Ethan finding out about Kat. But then again, logic didn't seem to like Tommy very much. In fact, logic seemed to have chewed him up and spit him out. Violently. Leaving him a gooey mess on the floor for chaos to step on repeatedly. With spiked heels.

"Do you guys need anything?" asked yet another waitress, appearing out of nowhere behind Billy.

"Refill," Tommy said quickly, even though he'd only had a sip of his drink. "And, uh… an appetizer! Yeah. Do you have any… um… potato skins?"

"Sure," she said, looking at him oddly for a moment before letting it go. "Anyone else?"

They gave her a few random orders and she left. "Now that's a good waitress," Tommy said gratefully.

Conner stared at him. "She was ugly."

"Yes, Conner, because ugly people can't be good at waiting tables," Kira growled, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway," Tommy said loudly in the hopes of getting everyone's attention off the fact that he'd been ready to hug the waitress for interrupting at the right moment, "what were doing tomorrow, again?"

"Well," Trini said hurriedly, "like I said, I had something planned, but it was really more of an outdoor thing and I think it's possibly going to rain until tomorrow afternoon; it's been raining off and on all day today and a storm's supposed to hit tonight. We should probably push it back to Wednesday."

"What is it?" Kira asked.

"It's a surprise," Trini said, smiling. "But regardless, Wednesday's supposed to be a really nice day, so I think we should just wait until then. Besides, we can go see Billy's dad tomorrow, and stay there a few hours. You guys will like him."

"We won't be imposing, will we?" Ethan asked.

Billy shook his head. "My dad was always welcoming random teenagers to my house before I moved to Aquitar. He couldn't step into the garage without finding a friend of mine. He used to say that my friends were over so often that it was like having a lot of talkative houseplants."

"Oh, so _that's_ why he talked to your plants occasionally," Zack said, smacking his forehead. "I thought he was crazy."  
"Just absent-minded," Billy said defensively.

"Like Dr. O," Ethan said, nodding.

"I am not absent-minded," Tommy said firmly.

Everyone stared at him for a moment.

"Not that much, anyway," Tommy said, sighing heavily. Then he clammed up, knowing that it would go worse the longer he tried to defend himself.

"If you say so," Jason said, obviously struggling not to laugh. Then his expression turned thoughtful. "You know… after we go see Billy's dad, there's something I kind of wanted to do."

"What?" Kimberly asked.

Jason glanced around the table for eavesdroppers and then motioned to everyone to lean in. This would ordinarily have alleviated suspicion, but ten people gathered around three tables in the middle of a busy restaurant all suddenly leaning in as close as they could to each other is bound to look strange.

"I sort of want to go see the ruins of the Power Chamber," Jason said quietly. "See if it's still there and all."

"I went back, just before grad school," Tommy whispered. "Wanted to see what worked. Took Hayley with me; she'd already found out by then. It looked… well, you know how the Power Chamber was rebuilt from the ruins of the Command Center? The building's gone, and there are huge chunks of stone all over it, and sand. I broke in through the entrance to the basement chamber where they made me the White Ranger. Some of the equipment is still there. Hayley was able to extract a lot of files from the computers. It's damaged, but it's there."

"I never did get to see the Power Chamber," Trini said, her fingers twitching as if longing to type on some unknown keyboard for a powerful computer. "Neither did Zack or Kim."

"Wasn't as cool as the Command Center, anyway," Tommy said.

"Question," Conner said. "What are you talking about?"

"Our old base," Kimberly explained.

"The Command Center was around until the days we—well, I, and later Jason—became Zeo Rangers," Tommy explained. "Then it got blown up. The Power Chamber was the next level, built in the same place. A few months after I passed on my powers to T.J., the Power Chamber got blown up, too."

"And now our headquarters has been trashed by Zeltrax," Kira said. "You'd think secret hideouts would last longer."

"Um," said a new voice, and they all jerked back in their seats, "am I interrupting something?"

Tommy cursed himself for ordering potato skins as the first waitress held them out uncertainly.

"Of course not," Conner said cheerfully, smiling brightly at her. "We were just admiring that flower thingy in the center of the table. It's very beautiful. And, um, healthy."

"It's fake," the waitress replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh. Still, it's very, um, nice-looking."

"Fake and nice-looking. Like you, Conner," Ethan cracked.

The waitress grinned and left. Conner elbowed Ethan sharply while the others laughed.

"Back to the Power Chamber," Jason said quietly, deciding against leaning in, "do you guys want to go?"

"Yeah," Zack said. "I want to see this place."

"I want to see it, too," Kimberly said. "Especially if there's old stuff out there regarding poor Zordon and Alpha. But… how are we going to get out there?"

"Yeah, where's the sinkhole we have to fall into?" Conner asked.

"Sinkhole?" Billy asked.

"That's how they broke in to my basement lab and ended up with the Dino Gems," Tommy explained. "They found my escape tunnel."

"The Command Center and Power Chamber were out in the mountains," Jason said. "Above ground."

"It was this huge building," Zack added. "We had to teleport out there, or else take the RADBUG."

"So how are we going to get there?" Kimberly repeated. "It's a bit far, from what I remember."

"The RADBUG should still be in my garage," Billy said thoughtfully. "It might take a little work to make it fully operational once again—I would assume it has deteriorated in my absence. Still, with Trini, Jason and Tommy around, we should be able to get it off the ground again."

"What's a RADBUG?" Trent asked.

"Flying car," Zack explained cheerfully.

"Awesome!" Conner breathed. "How come we never got a flying car?"

"Hey, I gave you enough toys," Tommy said indignantly.

"Well, even if we don't have the RADBUG, we could probably find it by driving," Trini said. "Tommy, you drove out there, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Took me forever to find it, though."

"Well, if you remember where it is—"

"That's a pretty big if," Jason couldn't resist saying with a smirk.

"If we can't get the RADBUG going, we could always take our cars. Probably Zack's, Tommy's, and Jason's; they would go off-road better then the Mustang or my Nissan."

"The Power Chamber," Tommy mused, feeling a pang of longing for the old days. "We should definitely go."

"I want to see it," Kira said. "It's probably a lot cooler than Dr. O's basement."

"Hey!" Tommy said indignantly. "Didn't stop you guys from coming over all the time!"

"Well, we kind of had to," Ethan pointed out.

"You definitely needed more snacks around your house, though," Conner said wistfully. "Speaking of which, where's our food?"

* * *

_Author's Notes:_ We apologize for the fact that there's not a lot of movement in this chapter; we're having fun with the banter, and the restaurant idea… well, it's fun to show them in natural settings and point out just how _weird_ the rest of the world must find them. The next chapter has a bit more in the way of interesting things, and will be up VERY soon, and after that should be flashbacks to incredibly funny things like Bulk and Skull attempting to attack Jason, plus some more Ernie appearances. Oddly enough, Power Rangers Day itself is probably going to be sixty million chapters away… but these past couple chapters of extreme dialogue are winding down. Still, this fic is not really about Power Rangers Day… it's about the hazards of _getting_ to Power Rangers Day.

Sorry for the length of this chapter. Despite the fact I'm saying that a lot lately, still, don't get used to it!

Coming up in _Of Love and Bunnies:_ Goat trucks, Hayley, hair bows, bad dreams, flashbacks galore, and Jason hitting himself with a mop. Bonding between younger Rangers and older, and maybe a few more balcony problems, you never know…

Freyja and I have won a Guardians of Earth Award for this fic. Thanks to all those who voted for us, and to the one who nominated us.

Just out of curiosity… Freyja and I are thinking of writing another story, a little something along the lines of "Trent's Survival Guide for Children of Evil Super Villains," about all the perils he'd have to go through living with Mesogog, including some of the things mentioned in this chapter. Would anyone be interested in reading a story like that if we do write it?

The story of how I met Chris Violette, Monica May and Alycia Purrott (Sky, Z and Syd of S.P.D.) is up on my livejournal, for those of you who'd like to read it.


	19. Missing Green

**Chapter Nineteen**

_Missing Green_

Tommy's phone started ringing; he jumped at the sudden buzzing and beeping. "Must be Billy's father, calling back," Tommy said. Knowing that Mr. Cranston had an excellent long-term memory (just a poor short-term one, like Tommy), he deepened his voice in the hopes that Mr. Cranston wouldn't recognize him.

"Hello?"

"…Tommy?"

"Oh, hey, Hayley."

"Hi, Hayley!" the four teens called cheerfully. Conner even waved. A passing customer who couldn't see Tommy's cell phone from her angle looked at them oddly, wondering why they were calling a man "Hayley" and waving when he was sitting two feet away.

"Ooh, I want to talk to Hayley!" Trini exclaimed. "Let me talk!"

"The gang says hi," Tommy said, fending off Trini's groping fingers. He was getting overly protective of his cell phone.

"Tell them I say hi back."

"Hayley says hi, guys. Jesus, back off! Jason, could you restrain your wife?"

"Gladly." Jason pulled her to him. Tommy made a disgusted face.

"By the way, why were you trying to disguise your voice? Doing something illegal at the moment?" Hayley asked.

"When have you ever known me to do something illegal?" Tommy demanded with a snort of laughter. He was far from a law-breaker. Well, except for the occasional traffic violation. And it probably wasn't exactly legal to fight crime without some sort of license, like the sort bounty hunters and private detectives had to get, but it wasn't like anyone complained about the Power Rangers when aliens attacked. Even though they'd—somewhat illegally but still accidentally—destroyed a lot of property in the line of duty. And, okay, some of those experiments he'd done with Mercer were probably pushing the envelope. Just a small envelope, though. But that's why they'd had that remote island lab. And Mercer had plenty of connections to keep them out of trouble. Of course, using those kinds of connections was probably illegal, come to think of it. And it probably wasn't too legal to go—

"Tommy, I went to college with you."

"Oh." Tommy grimaced. "All right, point taken." The teens, wondering exactly what was going on, gave him funny looks. Tommy gave them a stern Teacher Look and they backed down.

"Well, I was just wondering if you were okay. You said you'd call and tell me you made it okay, and I figured it slipped your mind, but here it is two days later and I thought I'd make sure you weren't dead or wandering around Seattle and wondering why you can't find the Angel Grove Inn."

"Ha, ha," Tommy said. He cleared his throat. "Actually, we did get pretty lost. We got here around eight or nine."

"Wow. How did you manage that?"

"Five people in a Jeep and not one of us could properly read a road map."

"Ah. Guessing you have a lot of new bizarre fears? Like how you won't use umbrellas after that trip we took to the Grand Canyon?"

"No! Well, McDonald's. But that's it."

"Oh, well, plenty of people fear McDonald's."

"…What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing. McDonald's is a scary place. It's the clowns. Clowns are terrifying. Not to mention those other costume characters. The big purple guy always freaked me out."

Tommy decided to let it go, though he could practically hear her smirking sarcastically through the phone. "How's Reefside without us?"

"Blissfully quiet. I could use Trent's help, but on the other hand I don't have to keep sneaking off to help you save the world, so it's evening out."

"Gee, thanks."

"Welcome. Having fun on your big vacation?"

"Pretty much. Well, there is—"

"Do you guys have to do that at the table?" Zack demanded of Jason and Trini, drowning Tommy out. Knowing your friends are married and watching them make out are two different things.

"Yes," Jason said. Trini pushed him away, looking embarrassed.

"Anyway," Tommy said, "as I was saying—"

"Hey, here comes our waitress!" Ethan said.

"It's about time," Conner muttered sourly

"Hang on a second, Hayley," Tommy said, setting the phone down until the waitress had taken his order. "Okay, I'm back. Now, where was—"

"Hey, Dr. O, will you get me a margarita?" Conner asked suddenly.

"I'm on the phone, Conner," Tommy said. "And no."

"Tommy! _Let me talk!"_

_"I'm_ talking, Trini, do you mind?"

"Hey, could you ask her if I could have Monday off, too?" Trent asked.

"It's awfully loud in here," Zack commented. "Oh, look, guys—desert menu!"

"I'm on the phone!" Tommy repeated irritably.

"Is this a bad time?" Hayley asked in amusement.

"No, it's okay, I'm—hang on, they're doing that thing where they sing for people's birthdays." A group of singing and clapping waiters and waitresses went by with a birthday cake. "Sorry about that. Okay, I—"

"They have balloons!" Conner yelled as a group of little kids walked by with them.

"Would everyone just SHUT UP!" Tommy roared.

This would have ordinarily worked. However, it worked a little too well, and the entire restaurant turned to stare at him, dead silence prevailing.

"Oops," Tommy said, chagrined, and the noisy chattered filled the room again.

"Sounds like everything's going well," Hayley teased. "Hey, is that Trini I hear in the background?"

"The one yelling 'I wanna talk to Hayley' the loudest? Yeah, that's her."

"Put her on."

Tommy sighed and handed Trini the phone reluctantly. "Hey, girl!" Trini said cheerfully.

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Great. It's so great to have the gang back together again. You should come down for the big day on Saturday, you know."

"Thanks, but I've lost enough business from hanging out with the Power Rangers, unfortunately," Hayley replied, almost apologetically. "Maybe next time. So Billy's back?" Hayley had chatted to Billy over Tommy's Aqua-phone so often that Billy had eventually sent her one of her own. The idea of another friend that they could talk to about Power Rangers business appealed to just about everyone, because it was very difficult to constantly be careful of what they said. However, none of them had ever told anyone anything; Hayley was the first to uncover the original team's secret since they'd left Angel Grove. Thus Hayley had met and befriended nearly all of Tommy's friends.

"Yep, everyone's here. Billy, Jason, Tommy, Zack, me and Kim."

Hayley nearly dropped her phone. "Kim? THE Kim?"

"Yeah," Trini said slowly, holding very still. There was a lot to be learned from Hayley's reaction and Trini knew it.

"He failed to mention that," Hayley said dryly. "Wow. Has he had a panic attack yet?"

Trini laughed. "No, not that I know of. Well, maybe a small one. But that was my fault."

"How's he holding up?" Hayley asked anxiously.

"Fine," Trini said. "I've got plenty of good stories to tell you about when I get a chance."

_Oh, no,_ Tommy thought, realization dawning as he stared at Trini. He knew _that look_ and _that tone._ They were the warning signs of a Yellow Conspiracy. Whenever Trini was up to something, _that look_ appeared on her face and _that tone_ entered her voice. Both Aisha and Tanya had had their own versions of this, and he had come to dread its arrival with a passion. _I'm imagining it,_ he told himself desperately. _Please let me be imagining it._

"Hey," Conner said suddenly. "She's doing that thing Kira does right before she sneak attacks me."

"Oh, yeah," Ethan said, nodding.

"I'm doomed," Tommy muttered.

"What thing?" Kira demanded.

"That little overly nice tone in your voice and that evil gleam in your eyes," Trent said. Kira glared at him. "I love it when you do that," he added hastily.

"Wow, he's _really_ well-trained," Jason said.

"Scary, isn't it?" Zack remarked.

"I do not use an overly nice tone right before I sneak attack Conner. Nor do my eyes gleam," Kira said with a sniff.

"Not all the time, no," Conner conceded. "Only the times when I see it coming right before it's too late."

"Someone needs to fix that guy, though," Jason said to Zack in a stage whisper. "Before he gets himself killed."

"Be my guest," Tommy said with a grin. "I tried, I failed."

"I'll train him," Kimberly said, trying to get back into the conversation without being awkward about the fact that she'd been sitting out since Hayley called. "Conner?"

The moment she leaned across the tables to the easy-going, currently cheerful Conner, he leaned back hurriedly with a glance at Tommy, a noise that sounded suspiciously like an "eep" issuing from the back of his throat.

"Conner, Kira's about to smack you," Kimberly said in an exaggerated kindergarten-teacher voice.

"Oh, she does that all the time." Kira pinched him. "OW! That too."

"He's hopeless," Kimberly said, leaning back.

"I've been saying that for years," Ethan agreed.

"Hey!"

"There's gotta be a self-help book for it or something," Jason said. "Trini bought me some but I never got around to reading them."

"Funny, I've never seen them around your house," Zack said. He frowned. "Heeyyy, is that where you've been getting all my Christmas gifts?"

"Of course not," Jason said with a very straight face.

"Tommy!" Trini called. "Hayley wants to talk to you again!"

Tommy held out his hand for the phone, but Trini proceeded to say a three-minute goodbye before finally surrendering it. He finally grabbed it and pressed it to his ear. "Hello?"

_"What the hell?_ Why didn't you tell me that Kim was going to be in Angel Grove?" Hayley hissed.

"It slipped my mind," Tommy lied.

"It did not! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Don't strangle her."

"I won't! I'm getting along with… um, with Conner… just fine."

"Conner?"

"I'm at a restaurant, you know…"

"Oh! Okay. I gotcha. You're in public. With her. You're sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"And everything's going okay?"

"Will you stop worrying about me?" Tommy demanded, exasperated. He and Hayley were very close, but occasionally she had an overprotective-older-sister aura about her. Of course, he had an overprotective-older-brother aura about him every so often, so he couldn't complain too much, but still. "I'm fine. The trip has been great, except for the drive in and Trini catching me on the balcony in my underwear and Jason and Zack overhearing this goofy cheer and for some reason I let the gang talk me into getting on a tour bus driven by Skull and then they told that horrible story about the zord wreck and my temporary paranoia about crowds, but other than that, I'm doing just fine."

"…"

Sensing her disbelief, he hastily added, "I mean, I got to see Ernie. And the gang and I are having fun. We sparred today. That was… mostly cool. Er, and we went to the beach yesterday. That was… um, okay, you know what? I should probably get off here… our food should be out soon."

"I want to talk to Hayley!" said Billy, Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent.

Tommy sighed and handed the phone to Billy, who was sitting on his left.

"Hey, Hayley. I'm good. It's great being back on Earth. Bit tiring, though—Earth's gravitational pull is much stronger than the conditions on Aquitar. I'm going to see my dad tomorrow, though; here's hoping I can explain everything away. Ooh, and Ethan had overalls! Yeah, I don't have any Earth clothing anymore… I love overalls, I'd forgotten how incredible they are…"

When Billy seemed about finished, Tommy held out his hand, but Billy passed the phone to Ethan without noticing Tommy. Tommy watched, squirming, as the phone traveled down the line, unable to help his flashbacks of the last time the four teens had "borrowed" his cell.

"Yeah," Ethan said, "it's really cool! Billy's awesome. The guy's told me all about alien technology. And he kicks butt at video games; Trini has this awesome collection—"

"Hayley!" Conner whispered. "Remember that time you told us a few funny stories about Dr. O? I swear he did that green-eyed thing on Saturday! All I said was—"

"CONNER!"

"Gotta go!"

"Hi, Hayley, how are you?" Kira said cheerfully. "It's great. Zack has killer taste in music, you know. I've been staying with Kim and Trini. They're both so cool! Kim showed me this new makeup technique—wow, did I just _say_ that?"

"Um, Hayley?" Trent asked. "Could I have Monday off? I was thinking, I'm probably going to be exhausted when we get back… I fell asleep today in Jason's basement… yeah, long story…"

Tommy expected this to be the end of it, but Zack was sitting next to Trent and took the offered phone. "Hi, Hayley! The Dino Rangers are cool. Yeah, we're all bugging the crap out of Tommy. It's been a lot of fun."

To Tommy's horror, Zack finished his part of the call and passed it to Kimberly without thinking. Kimberly, who'd been trying to ignore the whole other-woman-calling-Tommy-while-his-ex-is-sitting-a-few-feet-away thing, was absorbed in a conversation with Jason, and as such she took the phone without thinking and said, "Hello?"

"Hi."

"Oh, um… sorry. Zack just passed me the phone and I didn't realize…" Kimberly grimaced, not knowing what to say.

Before Kimberly could hand the phone to Jason, Hayley asked, "Trini? Is that you?"

"No, um, uh… this is Kim. The, uh… I'm… former Pink." The table fell silent and Kimberly struggled to not look panicked.

"Oh. I'm Hayley. Tommy's… _friend…_ from college. We're really close."

"Yeah, um, Trini mentioned that. Kira said you helped the team a lot, too."

"Yes, I did." Hayley swallowed, trying not to sound as cold as she felt. She knew all about Tommy's past with Kimberly, and she didn't like it much.

"Well… ah… nice talking to you," Kimberly said and thrust the phone at Jason. Zack let out a pained shout a split-second later.

"What's up, Hayley?" Jason said, a bit too loudly and exuberantly.

"So that was Kim, eh?"

"Yeah." He paused, hoping no one would figure out what he was talking about, and added, "Zack's an idiot."

"Well. She doesn't sound like a _total_ bitch."

"Hayley…"

"I'm sorry. That was out of line. I just… I feel bad for him."

"Yeah, I know. We all do," Jason admitted. Unlike the rest of them, Hayley didn't know Kimberly, wasn't friends with her, and therefore she had no cause to be forgiving about Kimberly's past, no opinion of her other than "girl who dumped my close friend." Jason hadn't talked with her much about Kimberly, but he did know that Hayley had spent a good deal of time talking about it with Tommy. She'd met Tommy not long after he'd broken up with Kat, and therefore he'd been rather sulky on the subject of ex-girlfriends during the formative stages of his friendship with Hayley.

Hayley, for her part, felt rather flustered and upset. Her friend was dealing with something hard, and she wasn't there to help him; worse, he hadn't even told her about it, and she could only guess as to why. Tommy had become far more introverted and sarcastic than he was in his youth. Not only were Tommy's actions a bit troubling, but she now felt embarrassed about her comment to Jason. She didn't know Kimberly's reasons, or anything about her character besides the fact that Tommy adored her and she'd dumped him, and sad as it was that happened all the time for a number of reasons. She also felt a bit bad about her standoffish tone and downright ashamed of the way she'd said she was his "friend" from college; she'd sounded like a possessive girlfriend warning another woman off of her turf. Hayley had no romantic feelings for Tommy whatsoever, but it was an old defense mechanism from college, used often when one of them attracted the wrong sort of people. Just the sight of the tall, muscular Tommy had been able to scare off many an unwanted person, and Hayley's patented glare and sharp wit had done the same. Hayley had unwittingly tried to chase Kimberly off, without any knowledge of Kimberly's intentions—or Tommy's, for that matter—and Tommy wasn't necessarily Hayley's to protect in anything more than a platonic manner. It had been instinctive, and part of her stubbornly insisted that it was the action of a best friend—but the majority of her felt like an idiot, and it wasn't often that Hayley felt like an idiot.

She needed to know more about Kimberly. She needed to know if she was playing the wrong game when all the players were watching TV instead. She needed to do a little recon.

"You know what, Jason?" Hayley said slowly. "Maybe I'll come up on Saturday after all."

"That'd be great," Jason said sincerely, though he privately couldn't help but wonder what that would mean for Kimberly. Hayley could be intimidating, and she felt she needed to be intimidating towards Kimberly, while—unbeknownst to Hayley—it wasn't necessary.

"Could I have my phone back, please?" Tommy said desperately. He now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he should never have bought a cell phone, let alone let others borrow it.

"Listen, Tommy's whining. Talk to you later?"

"I want to talk!" Trini insisted, being last down the line.

Tommy reached out and snatched the phone without giving Jason a chance to pass it to her. "You guys are killing my battery!" he said, glaring at Trini before she could say anything. "You can all call Hayley on your own phones later!"

Hayley chuckled as he pressed his phone to his ear at last. "All right, you. Call me in a few days, let me know you're still alive?"

"Sure thing. Sorry about not calling sooner."

"Not a problem. Love ya."

Tommy hesitated; he and Hayley had a tendency to say that before hanging up the phone, the way a brother and sister would, and he knew Hayley had said it without thinking. It wasn't just Kimberly's presence that made him not want to respond in kind—he didn't know what the teenagers would think.

"You, too," he said casually, and hit the end button with a strong sense of relief.

There was a momentary lull in the conversation. Everyone seemed to be darting furtive glances at one another.

"Well," Tommy said with an exasperated sigh, "how 'bout them Broncos?"

Kimberly suddenly burst out laughing; she was the only one to get the joke. Tommy couldn't help but smile, feeling a bit of the tension ease.

Everyone relaxed a bit, feeling a bit foolish. They had enough drama in their lives without imagining any more between Hayley, Tommy and Kimberly; until it went any further, they were willing to drop it.

"Dude," Zack said, leaning back in his chair, "where the hell is our food?"

"Anyone see one of the waitresses?" Jason asked.

"Don't call them over," Tommy said warningly. "They're kind of freaky. I swear they're staring at us from around the corner over there."

"Eh, you're just being paranoid," Jason said with a sniff.

"Well, maybe we can go find one or something, so they don't have to come to us," Zack suggested.

"I'll do it!" Conner said cheerfully.

"No!" Tommy, Kira, Ethan, and Trent yelled.

"I'll do it," Trini said quickly, standing up.

"Hurry back," Jason said with a smile. "I'm starved."

* * *

Dinner took a long time to complete, especially since Trini didn't come back very quickly and after a while they'd started to worry, which turned into panic before long. Jason got antsy, and then Zack had gone into a rant about how the waitresses might have kidnapped her and chopped her into tiny cubes and were now adding her to the beef stew and they'd never see her again and never find her body and then Tommy had kicked Zack in the shin hard enough to almost knock his chair over. That ordinarily would have helped, but by that point even Billy looked nervous and Kimberly wanted to go after her; it wasn't like Trini to wander off. Then Jason had stood up and it all would have gone very bad for the waiters and waitresses if Trini hadn't returned just in time with their numerous plates of food and the manager, who was apparently an old friend from the broomball team back in high school and she'd stopped to chat with him on her mission to find their meal. Unfortunately, they showed upright asTommy was coaching Jason in a calming chant ("I will _not_ hurt waitresses for chopping my wife into little pieces without proof, I will _not_ hurt waitresses for chopping my wife into little pieces without proof") and the waitresses pretty much scattered once their food was on the table; no one was able to get any more refills, extra sauces and so on for the rest of the evening, and Trini had to chase down the manager, who was a tad nervous himself, to get their bill. Jason insisted upon going with her but Tommy forced him to stay seated, knowing that by this point Jason could prowl for hours without ever seeing a single waitress. Tommy went with her instead, as much to escape Conner's complaints about missing out on getting the hot waitresses' phone numbers as to hurry along the process of leaving the restaurant.

After dinner, they all decided to head back to the Youth Center, the Dino Rangers in one car and Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly and Zack in his SUV. Kimberly was relieved when they all started chatting, leaving her free to sit back and have a good long think.

The Hayley woman had been nagging at the back of her mind for a while now. Kimberly didn't know where she stood with Tommy, but she didn't know where Hayley stood with Tommy, either. But it wasn't the relationship factor that was bothering her. She wasn't really expecting to regain what she once had with Tommy, even though part of her hoped for it. However, it bugged her to truly see how _clean_ the break between her and Tommy was.

She hadn't known he was the Black Ranger. She had only found out about the Red Ranger thing because of that little incident where she'd gone evil, come to think of it. It was upsetting, to know that he had been risking his life for over a year with a whole other team and no one had been comfortable enough to tell her; she wondered if they would have even called her to help if Tommy had needed it. She hadn't heard anything about Tommy in years. Every chance she might have had to see him had exploded—Jason and Trini's wedding, for example. At the time, she'd been sorry to miss it, but grateful she wouldn't have to see him. Yet now she felt horrible. The Tommy she'd known had been replaced by someone with a PhD in paleontology, a life as a teacher, and a fondness for red and black in addition to green and white. All the things he'd gone through, done, accomplished… she should have been there. She should have seen him graduate from college, should have had a beer with him when he'd become a Ranger again, should have let him know that he just had to pick up the phone if he needed a former Ranger and she'd be there. Losing a boyfriend shouldn't have made her lose Tommy so completely.

And Hayley… it had really bugged her, to see the way everyone was chatting with Hayley. From Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent to Jason, Trini, Billy and Zack. They knew her. They were a part of Tommy's life, still shared the same friends. Hell, Billy didn't even live on the _planet_ and he'd talked to Hayley like she was an old friend he saw every weekend. She should be doing the same. She should be in Tommy's life. She should be his friend.

What hurt the most, however, was that he'd planned to give the Dino Gems to Jason, Trini, Zack and _Hayley_ if they ever needed them. Not Kimberly. It wasn't that Kimberly was angry about Hayley's friendship with him and the others—it was that she wanted the same thing. She wanted to be the one the gang called when they needed a Ranger. (Even if she would have to be Blue.) It suddenly seemed horrifying to her that things were so _over_ with her and Tommy that he hadn't even considered giving her a new Ranger power when he found one. She knew, of course, that Tommy was within his rights to give the Gem to a friend, but she wanted that friend to be _her._ It was totally understandable, maybe, but still devastating. It was like the more she had cut out Tommy, the more she had cut out the _group._ They were a team, despite the end of their powers, and while she still had a team with Jason, Trini, Billy and Zack, only with Tommy were they complete. Kimberly now felt a strong twinge of guilt towards Jason, Trini, Billy and Zack; they'd been forced to not only juggle their work, their families, their non-Ranger friends, and each other, but also find time to divide their time spent with fellow Rangers between Tommy and Kimberly.

She needed to talk to him. She needed to stop dancing around it and just ask if they could forget the last ten years and start over. She didn't want to go home at the end of the week and never see him again. She wanted to call him every other Saturday like she did with Jason and Zack, tell him funny stories from the gymnastics center and hear tales of his students at Reefside High. She wanted to hang out with him every so often, have fun with him. For the first time, any pang caused by a thought of Tommy wasn't about how much she missed their relationship—it was about how much she missed their friendship.

_After we go see Ernie,_ she promised herself, _me and that boy are gonna have a talk.

* * *

_

_End Notes:_ Y'all are probably going to kill us for that cliffhanger, because we have a LOT to do at Ernie's before we can get back to it, but I promise the detour will be enjoyable. This fic is full of detours, and we're not planning to stop them. Ever notice how you can go on vacation and have a really nifty moment at gas station number four, or tell your friends the best story about what happened on the plane in addition to what happened once you got there? That's this fic.

A few notes about Jason's protectiveness—it may be over the top, but I think it's not at all out of character. His best friend and adoptive kid sister broke up while he was taking a break from his relationship with the girl he loved; he and Trini were having a long-distance friendship while leaving it open that they might get back together when Tommy and Kim, perfect couple in their friends' eyes, just fell apart. Jason is an overprotective guy, and he also broods a lot and wonders if things are his fault, as he did when Tommy lost his powers, for example. Plus Trini is a friendly person who probably chats/helps/enjoys the company of many people—and that is innocent on her side but bound to make a boyfriend suspicious. We play it up, but I don't think it's a stretch to have him be a bit of a jealous sort; he's classic Alpha Male. As far as this fic goes, he's thought a lot about the lack of certainty in love, and he's just spent the last week thinking a lot about Tommy and Kim's relationship (because they were both coming to PR Day) while Trini chattered about how nice it would be to see Billy and how much she missed him and the others nonstop for a week, then took off to hang out with her friend overnight while Jason stayed home, feeling their marriage was vulnerable. I don't care who you are, that does things to your psyche. Most of us fear the loss of loved ones a lot, without reminders that our friends have lost theirs.


	20. Out of Control

_Author's Notes:_ Quotes from future sections of the story can be found below; figured we'd leave some hints about the upcoming chapters. Hope you all enjoyed this. And a big thanks to all those who voted for us in the Guardians of Earth Awards; we won! The title is a subtitle to one of the "Green With Evil" episodes, btw.

**Chapter Twenty**

_Out of Control_

It was only a couple hours before closing time at the Youth Center, and the place was empty, save for Ernie, who was clearing off the last dirty table. "Hey, guys!" he called cheerfully. "Guess what I found yesterday!"

"Winning lotto ticket?" Zack asked.

"Even better." Ernie set down his tray and bustled over behind the counter, the ten ex-Rangers clustering around the counter. He lifted a large cardboard box onto the countertop and reached inside, producing an old newspaper with the front-page headline "Who is the Red Ranger?" above the sub-head "The _Sentinel_ Hunts for Red's Secret Identity." A picture of the Red Ranger dominated the front page, surrounded by several smaller shots of various men… one of whom looked a whole lot like Billy. "It's all my old Power Rangers news clippings!"

"Oh, no," Jason whispered, staring at the picture while Tommy, Kimberly, Zack and Trini laughed and Billy groaned in a long-suffering sort of way.

"Ouch," Kira said, staring at the article. "The newspaper went on a hunt for Jason's identity?"

"For weeks," Jason moaned. _"Everyone_ went on a hunt for my identity. That was right after the zord wreck."

"Wow." Ethan whistled as Ernie pulled out more papers. "You guys really downplayed how much damage was done."

"Dude, isn't that you?" Conner asked Billy, pointing to one of the pictures on the first paper.

"It was horrible," Billy said with a shudder. "People following me around for weeks, asking me to sign autographs in red ink. Wouldn't leave me alone. Tommy and I didn't speak for weeks."

"Why not?" Trent asked.

"It was right after the Ranger Parade. He had that fear of crowds for a good long while," Zack explained. He sighed wistfully. "Ah, memories…" Jason glowered at him.

"What exactly was going on there?" Ernie asked curiously. "I remember you guys coming in here covered in oil a lot after that… always with some silly excuse about broken cars and striking oil…"

"Well," Trini said slowly, "Goldar came into the Kinko's where Billy worked and tried to copy something. Billy went after him. By the time we got there, he'd been chasing Goldar in circles around the building for so long that he didn't realize Goldar was gone."

"So we thought he was overworked, maybe having a bit of a breakdown," Tommy said. "They say geniuses are prone to mental illness, you know."

"Really?" Ethan said, looking worried.

"Come on, Ethan," Conner teased. _"You_ have nothing to worry about."

"Hey!" Ethan said indignantly. "You should talk!"

"Anyway, we got our zords and tried to chase him down and ended up crashing. Then we had to tow our zords back to our hidden base in the mountains," Kimberly continued. "Well, actually, we tried to tow them to a mechanic first, but no one could help us, and somewhere along the way the governor got us a marching band and a police escort."

"So they threw me to the fan girls in the crowd so they could slip away unnoticed," Tommy growled.

"Hey," Zack said, "it was for the—"

"If you say 'good of the team,' I'm going to kill you with Ernie's blender."

"Listen to him, Zack," Ernie said nervously. "I love that blender."

"I can't believe you told those reporters I was delusional," Jason said to Zack, glaring down at the papers.

"Hey, you were the one who let Tommy's name slip! What was I supposed to do, give them Tommy's full name and address?"

"How about, keep your mouth shut?" Jason said dryly.

"I hate to admit it, but Zack's right," Billy said fairly. "If he hadn't said that, someone might have stumbled upon Tommy's identity."

"This from the guy who begged me to morph at school to get rid of his fan club!" Jason retorted.

"Guys?" Conner said, smoothly interrupting before Billy could reply. "You've _got _to tell us _this_ story."

"Yes, please do," Ernie said eagerly.

Jason merely groaned while his friends looked at each other, trying to decide where to start.

"Well," Tommy said slowly, "after Jason said my real name in front of those reporters following us, Zack said that Jason had had a head injury and heard voices. Billy made a comment about people being able to guess who Jason was by looking through medical records, and of course, everyone took his advice."

"Isn't that, like, illegal?" Kira asked. "Aren't those private?"

"Well, they're supposed to be," Kimberly said. "But people don't always follow the rules. And computer hackers are hard to trace."

"Trini and I caught a few of them, but we'd broken so many laws intercepting people that there was no point in going to the police with the information," Billy said with a sigh.

Tommy frowned, not liking the fact that Billy was letting slip that he'd committed a felony for the sake of Power Rangers work (who knew what Conner would do if he thought Ranger work was a good excuse for committing crimes) and Tommy hastily continued. "And reporters don't have to reveal their sources."

"They go to jail when they don't, though, don't they?" Conner asked.

"If the judge is dead set on getting their source, yeah," Trini said. "The judge just charges them with contempt of court and holds them until either the judge or the reporter cracks. But the reporters who go to jail rather than talk are considered heroes by everyone else in their profession and every civil rights activist. Besides, no one in Angel Grove was very concerned with that sort of breach. Every able-bodied psych patient was a possible Red Ranger."

"The town went nuts," Jason grumbled. "Just like they did every other time they got some sort of clue about who one of us was."

Conner, who was now digging through the box of papers, clippings and magazines, yanked out another copy of the _Sentinel,_ dated a week after the first Ernie had shown them. "Hey, which of you guys is this?" he asked, pointing at the picture.

Tommy stared at it in horror. It was a black-and-white photograph, a fifth-page article, but no less cringe-worthy than a front-page exclusive. There were Tommy and Kimberly, morphed and hugging tightly, a fiery explosion in the distance behind them.

Zack burst out laughing. Billy looked down at his feet. Trini seemed to be trying not to grin. Jason bit his lip, trying to decide whether to laugh or say something to distract Conner.

"That's me and Tommy," Kimberly said in a determinedly calm tone, taking the paper from Conner, who didn't put up a fight, but only because it was Kimberly and she was scary enough to Conner even before she'd wiped the floor with him in Jason's basement. "There was a lot of speculation about the Pink and White Rangers, too."

"Yeah," Tommy said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Jason was so happy when they started that," Zack said through his laughter. "He was glad to have the focus off of him."

"Ow! Ethan, that was my foot," Conner complained, looking at Ethan. Ethan, who'd made the attack deliberately in the hopes of making Conner realize his mistake, just rolled his eyes and fished a magazine out of the box.

"'Who is Billy Cranston?'" he read, turning to look questioning at Billy. A younger, cringing Billy, surrounded by various people, covered the front page of the magazine. "What's this all about?"

"Well," Billy said with a sigh, "the trouble with all those reporters going through medical records didn't end with Jason. My friends were worried about my mental health after my 'hallucination' of Goldar, so they convinced me to see a therapist. I figured it couldn't hurt, get some of the stress off my chest…"

"And, of course, Billy had been taking martial arts classes from Jason and training hard," Kimberly said. "It didn't help that he was—and still is—a genius."

"Exactly the sort of kid you'd expect to be leading the Power Rangers," Ernie said, nodding. "I remember people saying that the Rangers' voices sounded like teenagers, and that's why they were leaning more towards you all being younger than a lot of the candidates."

"So… everyone assumed Billy was the _Red_ Ranger?" Kira said. They all nodded. "How'd you prove them wrong?"

"Well," Tommy said, "we all seemed to be snapping, one right after the other. Zack had his laughing fits—"

"Tommy had his fear of crowds," Trini interrupted with a smile.

"And Trini had a violent streak," Tommy retorted.

"So it was no surprise that Jason was about to crack," Zack continued. "Soon Billy lost it completely, and he took Jason down with him."

* * *

_1994_

"Isn't there anything good on?" Kimberly complained as Zack flipped through the channels.

"Cartoons, soap operas, picture of us… wait." Zack flipped back to the news, staring at a picture of the Power Rangers on the screen with a voice over of a Channel Six reporter. The words "The Hunt for the Real Red Ranger" were at the bottom of the screen in big bold letters.

"Due to a slip of information from the Blue Ranger we have managed to compile a database of possible Red Rangers, though only one can be our crime-fighting Kinko's spokesman." The screen changed to show profiles of various people, the reporter explaining each for the sake of the blind. "Dustin Andrews, age 31. Incarcerated for burglary and grand theft auto. He was released a year and a half ago on parole and is attending group therapy, where he is struggling to make up for his sordid past." Dustin was blond and toothless and had an intense gaze that could make children hide under their beds on general principles. Kimberly shuddered.

"Right, like HE could be the Red Ranger!" Jason spat loudly. "He's a _thief!_ A dishonest person with _no_ control over impulses! Are these people _insane!"_

"Aw…" Zack cooed, reaching to pat Jason's head. "Is someone jealous?"

"Zack, any part of you that touches me, you're not getting back."

"Alfonso Manquitar, age 59. Well-known in the fields of martial arts, kickboxing and electronics. Currently, he resides in Angel Grove Asylum." The picture was of an old man, with a full beard, hair coming out of his ears, and a bald head covered with liver spots. The lazy eye didn't help, either.

Jason groaned in despair and laid his head down on the table. Trini patted his back soothingly and muttered something comforting in his ear.

"How would he get out of the asylum to fight?" Kimberly asked thoughtfully.

"Well, you know, Power Rangers can do anything," Zack said cheerfully. Jason growled and tossed a piece of wax fruit from the table's centerpiece at him.

"Apparently they can't duck too well," Tommy joked as Zack rubbed the side of his head.

"Rafael Sanchez, age 23. Released from Angel Grove Asylum three years prior and is now taking a boxing class." Rafael looked like a stereotypical gangster, with a do-rag on his head and tattoos covering his neck. Though they lived relatively sheltered suburban lives, the teens could pick out one or two gang symbols in the mess of tattoos surrounding a large, ornately detailed pot leaf. The only really out-of-place thing about his clichéd appearance was a neatly-trimmed mustache that curled at the ends. Jason took one look at the screen and Trini attempted to cushion his forehead as he tried to slam it repeatedly against the table. The remaining wax fruits rattled in their glass bowl.

"And finally, William Cranston—"

Jason's head shot up and everyone stared at the TV.

"—gymnast and martial artist who recently decided to undergo therapy for unknown reasons. These are only a few clues to the identity of the Red Ranger; Channel Six will continue the search tonight at eleven…"

Slowly, everyone turned to look at Billy. He looked back at them, equally surprised. Silence settled over them for a long while. Of course, Zack was the first to finally break it.

"…Billy… you're the… and you never _told_ us?"

* * *

The next few days alternated between hell and darker hell for Billy. There were the random people coming up to him for autographs (as the wrong-colored Ranger), the death glares Jason threw at him all the time, the groupies crowding him between every class, and the countless other things he didn't want to think about. Bulk and Skull, as always, managed to make everything worse, but then again, that was what they excelled at. Bulk and Skull alternated between trying to convince everyone that Skull was the _real_ Red Ranger (Bulk was just smart enough to realize no one would believe _he_ was the Red Ranger), and trying to get Billy to divulge even a tiny clue about the identity of the other Rangers. Billy was so annoyed by this point that he almost told them that he had never actually met them, they just fought crime and had communal sex together, but he was too afraid it would end up on the news (like everything else he'd said lately), so he simply glowered at Bulk and Skull each time they approached him and spent the rest of his time trying to give his crowd of fans the slip. Finally, Billy couldn't take it anymore. Billy decided it had to _end._ _Now._

And Jason was the only person who could help him end it.

* * *

Jason wandered down the hallway, fingering the hall pass he'd stuffed in his pocket. He was being sent to the office for some random reason with about ten other people and that guy who always got called to the office no matter what had happened. It was probably some P.R. thing (public relations or Power Rangers, it didn't really matter), like "Being the Friend of the Red Ranger." Again. One of those things where he got to sit down and talk about how great it was to be best buds with a Ranger, especially the Red one. And oh, he'd never have guessed. I mean, Billy? Leader of the Power Rangers? He doesn't seem like the type at all. Not at ALL. AT ALL!

Jason grimaced at the rather bitter irony. That stupid P.R. thing would have been aired, too, if Zedd hadn't sent one of his monsters and the Red Ranger had gotten the idea to lure it over to the area near the news building—because of course the street was really wide there honest, much better battleground than the park, cuz you know the park has all those people milling about in that wide open space—and the ensuing battle had destroyed half the news building "before" they could stop it. If only the Red Dragonzord hadn't head-butted the monster when he was standing right in front of the building… then it wouldn't have collapsed like that and burst into flames… it was an accident, really… and downtown Angel Grove was very good at evacuating so it's not like anyone died… and it's not like he'd _meant_ to kick a corner of the building across the street when he'd converted the Dragonzord to Warrior Mode and tackled the monster…

"PSST! Jason! C'mere!"

Stopping, Jason turned towards the sound and saw a hand beckoning to him from the janitor's closet. Coming as close as he dared, Jason peered into the dark. "…Billy?" He crept closer. "What are you—_hey!"_ Billy's hand shot out and grabbed the front of Jason's shirt and hauled him in, shutting the door. Alone in the dark with Billy, the closet seemed quite ominous.

"…Billy. I'm going to ask you this very caref—"

"Jason, _Jason, JASON!_ You HAVE to help me! I can't take this anymore!"

"Calm down, Billy. First off, I don't know if I care. Second, I have to get to the office—"

"No, no you don't. I called you out by calling the office from the payphone _outside_ the office—you know, the only one that's not out of order?—and I nearly went into severe and sudden cardiac arrest every time a faculty or administration member walked by the window!"

"…Okay, now I'm confused—"

"I'm not speaking techno or riddles!"

"No, I mean, what's so important that you nearly got caught doing something… bad… by people who'd probably give you their first born?"

"It has to _STOP!"_

"What has to stop?"

"The fans, the crowds, the signing autographs that are the wrong color, the stares—"

"The Red Ranger thing? …Wait. Just _how_, exactly, do you want me to help?"

"Morph!"

"…Morph?"

"Yes! Morph! And wander around the halls! So people can see you _and_ see me so this grievous oversight can come to an end!" Billy's tone was frantic and desperately, and though he wasn't laughing Jason was reminded strongly of a maniacal cackle.

"But this whole thing is _your fault!"_

"I do admit that my overzealous commenting to throw the demonic Paparazzi-like individuals off the scent is a primary cause of this unsavory turn of events but I am requesting that you help me in this endeavor so life may return to its prior norm."

Jason stared at Billy in the blackened shadows of the janitor's closet. "…Oh for the… whatever! Fine!"

"I knew you would see the positive ramifications of this undertaking!" Billy stumbled out of the closet, startling a random student. He looked oddly at Jason and Billy before running off when Jason glared at him. "Give me a few minutes to get back to class to reinforce the fact that I am not your secret—"

"You _could_ just beep me."

"…Huh?"

It occurred to Jason suddenly that Billy wasn't _quite_ in top form today. Raising his arm, Jason tapped his communicator. Billy nodded and scurried off and Jason closed himself back into the welcome darkness of the janitor's closet.

Sighing, he beat his head against the wall and accidentally whacked himself with a mop. "I _knew_ there was a good reason I applied to go to that Peace Conference…"

* * *

Veronica strolled through the hall, feeling quite pleased with herself. She'd managed to miss a good twenty minutes of her utterly boring class by telling her male teacher she was having "woman troubles," and she'd spent the majority of that time chatting with her boyfriend in New York (once that nerd Cranston had gotten off the pay phone; she couldn't believe people actually thought that loser was the Red Ranger) and practicing a nice apologetic expression for when she returned to class.

As she passed the janitor's closet, she paused, listening hard. She could hear movement in the closet, accompanied by an odd beeping in the form of a slightly catchy tune. Someone was in there… and that meant she might be able to score a juicy piece of gossip. After a moment she heard a deep, vaguely familiar male voice muttering "Tyrannosaurus," and suddenly a flash of red light shone brightly through the cracks around the closet door. Startled, she waited, staring at the door expectantly.

There are plenty of odd candidates for sneaking around in a high school closet. Teachers, for one. Or two students who by all rights should dislike each other, such as a jock and a punk, or a geek and a cheerleader. Veronica, however, felt she was very prepared for any sort of shock, no matter who it was. Personally, she was hoping for nerds; the little do-gooders doing something wrong was definitely a story worth retelling over and over to a crowd of admiring friends and classmates. She didn't know what the red light was all about, or why someone would say "Tyrannosaurus" while hiding in a closet, but she was waiting eagerly with a malicious gleam in her eye, utterly ready for anything.

Except a superhero.

Veronica stared at the Red Ranger, her jaw hanging open nearly to the point of falling off. The Red Ranger looked around cautiously for a moment before spotting her. "Oh," he said uncertainly. "Hi."

"You… you… you're…"

"I'm the Red Ranger?" he said. "Yeah. I am."

Veronica turned and calmly ran like hell. When confronted with a Red Ranger coming out of a closet, there was only one thing to do—tell everyone you ever met.

* * *

Minutes ticked by slowly in Miss Appleby's class. It was sixth period, and students were bent over their class work. Well, some of them were… most were either talking quietly, staring off into space, writing notes/stories/poems, or other things not allowed during class time. Bulk and Skull were sitting near the back, conspiring about something undoubtedly Power-Ranger related. Kimberly was writing a response on a note to Tommy, her ink choice a bright pink that threatened to burn your retinas if you looked at it too long. Tommy sat a seat away on her right, doodling aimlessly all over his homework while waiting for Kimberly to finish. The poor soul sitting between the lovebirds was timing herself to see how much work she could get done before she got tricked into passing the note. Miss Appleby was at the chalkboard, writing something for her next class.

Suddenly, the door flew open, startling everyone. Standing within the frame was Veronica, who by all rights should be in an entirely different classroom. Before Miss Appleby could demand what she was doing, Veronica boomed out her earth-shattering news. "THE RED RANGER'S HERE!"

"Actually, I think he's in Mr. Dorsey's trig class right now," said a random girl in the back, pulling out a red notebook covered in pink hearts and leafing through it. Tommy and Kimberly looked at her in horror as her friends crowded closer to her desk.

Veronica shook her head violently. "No, he's _here!_ Walking around the halls! With the _SUIT!"_

Tommy and Kimberly glanced at each other sharply. "Monster attack?" Kimberly mouthed, horrified.

Tommy tapped his communicator and shrugged, as if to say "I haven't heard anything." He looked down at his wrist suspiciously, held the communicator up to his ear and shook it violently. Kimberly did the same. When this yielded no results, they looked back at each other and shrugged again.

Miss Appleby frowned and set her chalk down with a snap. "Is this another one of your clever excuses to get out of class and disrupt mine?"

"No, it isn't, I swear! I heard someone whisper 'Tyrannosaurus' on my way back from the bathroom and I stopped to see who was in there and the Red Ranger came _wearing the suit!"_

"It's Billy Fergston!" someone shouted.

"Craigstein!" someone else corrected.

"CRANSTON!" Tommy and Kimberly yelled angrily.

"He's proving he's really the Red Ranger!" another student exclaimed.

"Why would he have to prove it?" someone else asked. "We all know it's true." Kimberly rolled her eyes and struggled to keep her mouth shut. Tommy suppressed a laugh.

"Settle down!" Miss Appleby shouted, and everyone instantly quieted. "I'm going to the office to see about this. Everyone, stay where you are." Miss Appleby marched out the door, dragging Veronica off by the arm.

"D'you think he's really in the hall?" someone wondered dreamily.

"Of course not!" Bulk roared, standing. Skull followed suit. "Do not be fooled by an imitator with a cheap costume! This—" Bulk wrapped an arm around Skull's neck and pulled him to him, despite the fact there was a desk between them— "is the _real deal!_ He's seen it all! Show them, Skully!"

The now-free Skull ran down the aisle and took a flying leap onto Miss Appleby's desk. He teetered a moment, nearly falling off, then turned around, striking a heroic pose. Someone in the back clapped faintly for three whole seconds.

"Yes! This man has seen _action!"_

"I've seen _ack-she-on!"_ Skull repeated proudly.

Bulk began stalking around the classroom, occasionally leaning over a startled and disgusted classmate, staring at them all with wide, dramatic eyes. "He's seen his life dangle before his eyes as he thought his doom was nigh!"

"But I kept on truckin'!" Skull snapped his fingers and bobbed his head like a redneck with delusions of country music stardom.

Bulk leaned his considerable girth over Kimberly, gazing down at her in a boogeyman sort of way, waggling his fingers. She scrunched up her nose and scrunched down in her seat, cringing and wondering why the desk had to have that stupid bar blocking her in. "He's seen the bowels of hell, so dark and disgusting! Mere humans would run screaming away!"

Skull smiled brilliantly and jerked his thumb upwards towards himself. "Not me, muchachos!"

"Yes _this_—this is a man who's looked fear in the face, laughed and said—"

"Do I know you?"

"Yes, ladies and germs, Eugene Skullovitch is the _real deal!" _

With a final pose, Skull called out, "Red Ranger, ACTIVATE!"

Kimberly and Tommy, unable to take it any longer, burst into loud, hysterical laughter. "Oh," Kimberly gasped, "you can't _pay_ for entertainment like this!"

Without warning, the (real) Red Ranger stepped into the room, gave a half-hearted wave, then stepped out again as though it were the most common thing in the world to be a superhero randomly popping into a classroom and waving. Everyone stared blankly at the spot where he'd been, and then Bulk and Skull bolted after him, screaming, "IMPOSTER! Stand and fight! IMPOSTER!" while echoing each other perfectly.

Tommy and Kimberly looked at each other, wide-eyed, before sweeping everything off their desks and cramming it into their book bags. Racing for the door, they collided with about seven other students who had either done the same thing a second earlier or had just left everything behind. A few well-placed elbows and knees got Kimberly and Tommy through first, and they dashed down the hallway after Jason.

* * *

_And now, for a taste of things to come:_

1) Trent, not sure if Kira was in a "me-hate-Conner" mood or a "me-hate-everyone" mood, backed right into the headboard as Kira stalked towards him…

2) Kimberly stood before him, clad in her pink silk tank top and pajama shorts, holding her toothbrush in her mouth and a sparechange of clothes in her hands…

3) With a tone of pure bitch-slapping challenge, Kira added, "How much do you like your job, teacher man?"

4) In the slight pause that ensued, they could hear Bulk over the phone saying, "Don't worry, we're fine. That giraffe was no match for me! We couldn't get the monkey in, though, so we're working on a way to take off the orange paint."

5) Understanding and pure evil lit on Zack's face. "Did someone sneak her in whilst I was sleeping for a little hanky-panky?"

6) "I'm going to hell," Ethan whimpered.

"Yeah," Trent said fervently, "you really, _really_ are."


	21. Jason's Battle

**Chapter Twenty-one**

_Jason's Battle_

_1994_

As Jason wove his way through the halls, followed by the growing mob of students, teachers, and various other school personnel sundry, he began to find he did, indeed, have a temper. A rather dangerous one, too. Full of anger, annoyance, no self-control, and an actual imaginary friend named Sven he'd thought up when he was seven.

_This is stupid. Why am I doing this? To gain my _dignity_ back?_ Jason snarled audibly as he passed a group of people, which happened to include Trini. Confusion registered on her face as the whole group simply joined the throng that was closing in on the Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger. Tommy and Kimberly were trying to fight their way through the crowd, Tommy grimacing at the presence of so many Ranger-adoring girls in a single group, reminding himself over and over that as long as he didn't morph no one would jump him.

"Red Ranger! RED RANGER! Will you sign this for me?"

"Red! Red! RED!"

"Take your helmet off!"

"Yeah, take it off! What do you look like?"

"Take it ALL off!"

"Kiss me!"

"No, kiss ME!"

"What's the name of the White Ranger?"

"IMPOSTER!"

"I LOVE YOU!"

As random girls (some Jason recognized, some he didn't) began crowding him and pawing at him, he was feeling decidedly claustrophobic. He pressed on, hoping to step into a few more classrooms before they trampled him, but they kept getting closer, reaching out over and over again; no matter how many times he smacked a hand away, another took its place. It wasn't until he felt fingernails biting through his power suit that he quite suddenly panicked and ran. The chatter of his tagalongs rose to a dull roar, the noise pounding through his head.

Pausing a moment at the first commons he encountered, Jason leapt onto a table, if for no other reason than to gain a better vantage point of the mob and escape a few of the more uncomfortably-placed groping fingers; the table was surrounded in seconds. He took a moment to scan the crowd for Billy.

Trini was at the back of the crowd with Tommy and Kimberly, attempting to fight their way through, but not even well-placed knees and elbows will deter frenzied fans once they've become a mob, especially mobs the teenage girl variety. Tommy wasn't trying very hard, anyway; after a moment he yelped and backed away, slouching in the corner with a glazed look in his eye. Kimberly bit her lip, looking from him to Jason, torn about who to go after; after a long moment she sighed.

"TOMMY!" she called, heading over to him.

"Through the park… through the mall… through downtown…"

"Tommy!" she snapped in exasperation, trying to smack at his cheeks as he rocked back and forth and moaned. "Get over it, will you?"

Billy, meanwhile, was in the back of the crowd with Zack, was telling anyone who would listen, "See? It's not me! I'm here and he's up there so I can't be the Red Ranger, see? I'm not a Power Ranger! Especially not the Red one!" while Zack nodded next to him and tried not to laugh.

Jason's gaze locked on Billy and Zack. _Zack and Billy._ Billy the hallucinating catalyst, Zack the big mouth, the two responsible for the last two weeks of horrid annoyances for everyone. The delusional Red Ranger. All the work hammering out dents in the zords. The truth about Jason and Trini's relationship. Zack wouldn't stop laughing. Zack was always laughing. Zack thought it was funny. Zack thought it was smart to tell reporters Jason was delusional. _Zack and Billy. Billy and Zack._ Billy had been walking around for two weeks signing autographs in red ink and talking to fans, _Jason's_ fans, answering questions about how he knew the other Rangers and was he really crazy and what was it like to lead the team. _Billy and Zack. Zack and Billy._ Meanwhile, Zack had been laughing, making dumb jokes, trying to tell Jason to just go with the flow and be thankful that no one suspected that Jason was the actual Red Ranger.

Jason stared at them, his vision starting to blur with fury. And then, at the worst possible second, _Zack started laughing._

Tolerance completely snapped, Jason drew his Blade Blaster, pointed it at the ceiling, and fired.

_That_ got everyone's attention; a few even ducked and screamed. Jason swept his gaze over all of his friends. Kimberly cringed, looking nervous, while Tommy stared unseeingly into nothingness, adding a pang of guilt onto Jason's anger. Trini's eyes widened and she suddenly ran off; this caused Kimberly to panic, and she seized Tommy by the arm and attempted to drag him out of the room, figuring that if Trini was making a break for it now was the time to leave. Billy and Zack simply stared blankly forward, covered in dust and bits of ceiling tile—Jason had "accidentally" blasted a hole right over their heads—but thankfully, Zack was no longer laughing.

Holding his Blade Blaster in both hands now, Jason addressed the crowd calmly. "Everyone see this deadly-weapon-shaped thing I have? It's called a Blade Blaster. Watch what it does to that trash can!" Aiming, he fired at the innocent trash can (which suddenly had a very large people-free space around it). It blew backwards, a good third of the side fired-on completely gone, the rest badly charred. Trash rained down like soot. Everyone gaped in disbelief as the remnants of the trash can and its contents appeared to be slowly melting and fusing together.

"See, this little baby has helped me and my fellow Rangers down a monster or two. It's _powerful._ _Really_ powerful. _Power Ranger_ powerful." Shakily, he pointed randomly into the crowd, watching as most ducked in terror, while others simply stared in awe. "Now," Jason's voice became tight and somewhat frantic, "I would appreciate it if you just left me alone."

Everyone appeared to think about this for a second. They looked from him, to the mutilated trash can, and back.

"Are you single?"

"If you're not Billy Craigstein, who are you?"

"Are you really crazy?"

"Are the other Rangers single?"

"Can I have the White Ranger's phone number?"

Jason stared at the last person to speak, amazed that they could still badger him after such an obvious display of power… but before he could puzzle it out, whatever part of him, if any, that hadn't snapped already totally shattered.

She wanted the White Ranger's number. The _White _Ranger. Jason was the _Red_ Ranger. Jason had led the team up until a couple months ago. Jason looked just as good in a suit as the White Ranger. Jason fought just as well. Better, even. He just didn't have a nifty talking sword with lots of cool powers. He was still way cooler than the White Ranger. He was always picking up the slack when Tommy was late or forgot to do something, which was often. Jason was the coolest. What did she want with the _White Ranger's number?_

"Leave the White Ranger alone!" Jason snarled. "He's perfectly happy with the Pink Ranger! They've been together for, um, a good while now and they're happy and they're not breaking up so get over the delusion that you'll one day marry a Power Ranger! He's with the Pink Ranger! And I'm not jealous, because after all I have Yellow! So we're not single! None of us! Except for Blue and Black, but you wouldn't want to date either one of them, because after all the Black Ranger is a player and no one can understand a word Blue says and anyway I'm better-looking than both of them! Combined! Now are you gonna leave me alone? Huh? Or would anyone like to see another demonstration? How many of you do you think I can take? I can jump higher, run faster and kick harder than _any of you!_ HOW MANY DO YOU THINK I CAN TAKE? ALL OF YOU! _ALL OF YOU STUPID MORTALS!"_

Through the haze of red ironically clouding his vision, a blur of yellow seeped in. His eyes cleared just enough to focus on Trini, who was politely pushing her way through the crowd to get to him, muttering "Excuse me," as people gaped at her in awe. She had morphed also, and those she touched to push aside, especially the guys, clutched at the spot on their bodies where her hand touched, awed. Reaching the front of the line, she hopped up on the table and gave him the best glare she could while wearing a helmet.

For a moment, they both attempted to stare each other down. Jason was so happy to be getting his frustrations out that he didn't want to let go of the rage, but Trini had always had a calming influence on him. Trini reached up and gently touched Jason's helmet, fingertips grazing the tinted visor. People began whispering to each other when the Red Ranger seemed to deflate and returned the gesture with his free hand.

"Put the blaster away," Trini said in a soothing, talking-to-lunatics voice. "We help and serve these people, remember? We don't shoot them. We help them. No shooting. Or kicking. Or punching. Come on, put it down…"

Jason jerked back, appearing to shiver for a moment, then waved his blaster threateningly at everyone one last time, jammed it back into his holster, hopped off the table and wandered away.

Turning to the crowd, Trini cleared her throat. "He's really sorry. Red's a real great guy… just… um…" Letting out a gusty sigh, Trini went ahead and said the only thing she could think of. "He's just… he's not well."

With that, Trini whirled around and chased after the angry, weapon-toting Red Ranger.

* * *

_Present day_

More laughter filled the Youth Center than oxygen; the younger Rangers and Ernie were practically in fits and even Jason and Billy had to smile. This was very common with most of the not-so-nifty Ranger moments; the ones who hadn't enjoyed it shuddered a bit when it was first brought up, only to look back on it and laugh once the rest of the gang started the almost-always humorous retelling. Hayley had been a wonderful audience for getting over their past annoyances over the years, as had members of other Ranger teams who sought them out (they laughed the hardest, because, of course, they could relate).

"Oh, that was great," Kira gasped.

"Definitely," Conner agreed. "Did they stop bothering you and Billy after that, Jason?"

"No," Jason said with a heavy sigh. "After that, things got worse."

"And this is how," Kimberly said, grinning and holding up one of Ernie's papers. "The next day, the _Angel Grove Sentinel _printed an anonymous letter to the editor. Remember this, guys?"

"Oh, yeah!" Zack exclaimed, snatching it from her and beginning to read it aloud. "'While I am forced to admit that Billy Cranston as a logical candidate for a Power Ranger is now questionable, I am shocked to see that the _Sentinel_ hasn't done a better job of connecting the dots between Cranston and Red. You see, I was in the crowd the day of the Power Ranger parade. I heard the Rangers speaking. None of them sounded a day over eighteen. Judging by their voices alone, I'd put them mid-twenties at the latest. However, after the appearance of the Red Ranger at Angel Grove High, I am convinced that he is a high school student. It was obvious that he was there to prove he was not, in fact, Billy Cranston… but why prove that? Why hasn't he tried to disprove all the _other_ candidates for Red Ranger named by Angel Grove's various media sources? Why did he start with Cranston, and why hasn't he been seen since? My only guess is that Cranston _asked_ him to do it, which means that Cranston either knows the Rangers, is one of the other colors, or is actually the Red Ranger himself and asked one of the other Rangers to fill in as the Red Ranger to protect his identity.'"

"See, this is what happens when you get involved with the media," Tommy said to the four laughing teens.

"It doesn't sound _that_ bad," Conner said.

"It gets worse," Billy said dryly.

"Trust me, guys," Tommy said, "learn from others' mistakes, so you don't have to make them yourself."

"Anyway," Zack said, and continued. "'Cranston is hailed as the smartest student to ever hit Angel Grove High, which would add to the conclusion that he planned Red Ranger's visit. Besides, whoever was in that suit, they have to be a student or faculty member at Angel Grove High, as that young lady who spotted him first says he emerged from the janitor's closet and the high school's security reports no visitors to the school that afternoon.'"

"Ouch," Ethan said sympathetically.

"I had to go visit every other person they suggested of being a candidate for Red Ranger," Jason moaned. "All twenty-nine of them. They just kept adding to the list. It wouldn't end! I mean, I single-handedly took out the Channel Six News building. I thought that would be the end of it. But no. The _Sentinel,_ Channel Two, Channel Eight, the high school paper…"

"You took out a news building?" Trent asked incredulously.

"Did I say that? I meant I accidentally knocked a monster into it with my Dragonzord. I didn't _mean_ to—"

"Uh-huh," Tommy said dryly. "You're lucky no one got hurt."

"Everyone got really good at evacuating long before then," Zack said fairly.

"So… how did you get it to stop?" Conner asked. _"Did_ you get it to stop?"

"Eventually. About a month and a half after the zord wreck," Jason said.

"How?" Kira asked eagerly.

Jason hesitated. "Well… the _Sentinel_ was the most persistent, you see…"

"Interviewed every friend Billy had," Kimberly grumbled. "I was so terrified. I mean, me and Trini were pretty much his only close female friends at the time, and me always wearing pink… they interviewed us before Jason blasted that hole in the cafeteria roof, and that was nerve-wracking but fine… but afterwards…"

"It was all about 'are you a Ranger' using sneaky reporter tricks," Trini said. "I told them I dabbled in martial arts and the next thing I know it's three hours later and I'm still talking to the guy."

"There were a lot more reporters around our battlefields, too," Tommy said, jerking his head at the picture of him and Kimberly hugging in morph.

"Until Jason 'accidentally' almost stepped on a news crew from Channel Four with his zord," Zack said with a laugh.

"I was never so happy to be in that zord as when we fixed it and I could scare a couple reporters," Jason said with relish.

"But how did you get them all to back off?" Ethan pressed.

"Well," Tommy said slowly, "Jason's breakdown wasn't quite over yet…"

* * *

_1994_

"Hey," Jason called, hurrying over to Trini during the break before last period. "Where were you all day?"

Trini sighed. "Another reporter."

"Again?" Jason made a face. "Aren't we old news by now?"

"Apparently not. I think the school is milking it for the publicity."

Jason slid his arm around her shoulders and pecked her cheek. "What did you tell them?"

"Nothing. They latched onto the fact that I take martial arts, but I handled it well. I think." Trini sighed and gently pushed him away. "I've got to get to class. I was so busy re-checking the zords' computer systems last night with Billy that I didn't get to finish my homework. Between that and the interviews, I'm way behind."

Jason watched Trini walk away, anger burning within him. They were all very tired. Their schoolwork, family obligations, martial arts classes, extracurricular activities, and so on were enough on their own, and Zedd had been sending down a lot more monsters, apparently pissed off about their blatant disregard for tradition in that battle with the foul-smelling Viking pig. Jason and Trini's relationship was definitely suffering from the lack of time; not only did they have their respective duties, but Trini was still working out a few kinks in the now-repaired zords with Billy while Jason was taking time to visit every last possible Red Ranger named by the news. (There were far too many crazy people who knew how to fight in Angel Grove.) Not only that, but it seemed like every time they got together, someone interrupted them; the others had taken a special interest in "spying on the lovebirds," especially since Jason and Trini hadn't quite been able to finally admit that they were together, though the others now had very little doubt.

"Hey, Jase!" called Zack, walking up to him with Kimberly and Tommy. "What's going on?"

Jason's eyes narrowed as he took in Tommy and Kimberly's joined hands. _They_ weren't having issues. _They_ didn't have to fix computers or visit insane martial artists. _They_ were having a grand old time making out like they were during the last battle when Jason had to cover for Tommy yet again and Trini, Zack and Billy had been forced to pilot the Assault Team without Kimberly. Yes, Tommy and Kimberly were happy, and Zack was probably laughing on the inside, and meanwhile Jason's girlfriend wasn't in the only three classes she had with him because she was off insisting that he wasn't a Power Ranger to some evil reporter.

"It has to end," Jason growled at them all, and stalked off.

Tommy, Kimberly and Zack looked at each other. "Um… that can't be good," Zack quipped.

"I'll see if I can catch him," Tommy said.

"I'll try and steal his morpher like last time," Zack added.

"I'll go get Trini," Kimberly said quickly. They had become far too used to these sorts of moments with Jason in the past few weeks.

"Ah, life as a Ranger," Zack joked, and they split up and ran off.

* * *

_End Notes:_ "Jason's Battle" is also a subtitle from one of the "Green with Evil" episodes. Next chapter up soon! 


	22. Fourth Down and Long

**Chapter Twenty-two**

_Fourth Down and Long_

_1994_

The _Angel Grove Sentinel_ sports department was not the most enjoyable place to work. Carrie had spent three years working as a stringer, writing high school sports. Now she was so good at her job that she had to edit the work of the other stringers, which was often terrible, in addition to dealing with idiot coaches who couldn't even remember what league their school was in and answering calls from whack jobs with random sports trivia. It was also really grating on her that just about every guy who called into the department referred to her as "sweetheart" or "darling" and found some way to patronize her for the crime of being a girl. Despite the deeply engrained rivalry between the sports and features departments, Carrie longed to leave the world of sports behind and become a features reporter; many _Sentinel_ employees claimed they'd gotten their starts in reporting as stringers, which was why she'd taken the job in the first place. However, it didn't look like her chance to move on was coming anytime soon. Everyone in Angel Grove news jobs clung to their employment—covering the world's first superheroes was bound to look good on a résumé, so Carrie was stuck where she was.

Today, things were particularly bad, even without the annoyance at work. Her car had started making that funny noise again, she'd torn her favorite jeans, the cat had ruined another set of curtains, and she'd gotten a call from her mother demanding that they have lunch sometime soon. Not only that, but Jenny, Carrie's best friend and fellow stringer, had called in sick, and the only other stringers in the office were two of Jenny's ex-boyfriends. Ex No. 1 kept trying to ask Carrie for advice about getting Jenny back, while Ex No. 2 kept trying to hit on Carrie; unfortunately, the Girl Code dictated that she couldn't date the ex of a friend, and she couldn't give the other ex advice without permission from Jenny.

Then one of the copyeditors had reminded Carrie that they needed toner for the printer, which was another of Carrie's unofficial duties—stealing toner from the features department. (Sports had a very low budget, so toner theft was Carrie's way of ensuring that she didn't get laid off; being underpaid and hating your job were not good reasons to let employment slip through your fingers.) Unfortunately, she'd been forced to use Ex No. 2 as a lookout since Jenny wasn't at work, and he'd made some comment about photocopying her butt and now she was going to have to avoid the copy machine for the next few days, just in case.

"What's wrong?" Ex No. 2 asked, giving her a flirtatious grin. "You look like you're having a bad day."

Carrie forced a polite smile. "I don't know if anyone's having as bad a day as I am."

"What's wrong?" Ex. No. 2 asked, but before she could answer, an angry roar sounded from somewhere near her left and she spun her chair around, fearing the wrath of the sports editor. She nearly fell right out of the desk chair at the sight of the Red Ranger, fully suited with his Blade Blaster in one hand, standing not five feet away and radiating anger like a dragon woken up to find a bunch of idiot adventurers trying to make off with its treasure hoard.

"LISTEN UP!" the Red Ranger shouted, waving the blaster at the six copyeditors, three designers, two editors, three stringers and an agate clerk. "I am _sick and tired_ of proving that _every person_ you've suspected of being the Red Ranger is _not me!_ I have spent weeks dealing with all sorts of problems that _you people_ have caused with your stupid articles and I'm here to tell you that no monster attack is _half as scary as I am!_ IF YOU DO NOT STOP NAMING CANDIDATES FOR MY SECRET IDENTITY, I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL, UNDERSTAND?"

The _Sentinel_ sports staff stared at him.

"Do you have any idea what it's like, trying to have a normal life while fighting monsters and dealing with all sorts of issues and I just want to spend a few hours alone with Yellow without the others trying to spy or without us having to fight something and you know, it's really rude of you to put me through all this when you'd all be dead if it wasn't for me! And I am _not_ crazy! At least I wasn't until now! I'm perfectly sane, you hear? Now stop writing those horrible articles or _I'll kill you all,_ get me?"

The staff continued to stare, none of them doubting that the Red Ranger was in fact very much insane.

"Um," Carrie said slowly, swallowing heavily and raising her hand as though in class. "Mr., um, Red Ranger…"

"Yes? What is it, evil reporter?"  
"I'm… I'm not a reporter. I'm a stringer. With all due respect, sir, this is the sports department. The features department is over there." She pointed around the corner, where a group of angry reporters was clustered around a printer some thirty feet away, wondering where their toner had gone this time.

The Red Ranger sighed heavily. "Can't you just, you know, pass along the message or something, please? You guys have memos and stuff, right?"

Carrie gave him a shaky, apologetic smile. "They don't really like us that much."

The Red Ranger stared at her for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed in a rather creepy way. "Of course not. Of course not. I'm giving intimidating speeches to the _sports_ department. By the way, the Angel Grove Warriors need better receivers, not a new quarterback. Anyone could see that."

He took a step towards Carrie, frowning at the bowl on the edge of her desk, which was full of ice and cheap cans of pop (staff members occasionally brought in food or drink for everyone, but actually making punch was too involved for those who were suited to work in sports; cookies and such were likewise store-bought). "You guys have Red Pop."

"Yep. Gotta love Faygo," Carrie said nervously, fully aware that a psychotic superhero was approaching her desk.

"Can I have some?" the Red Ranger asked hopefully. "I've been doing a lot of shouting lately. Rather thirsty."

"Well, um, y-you'd have to take off your helmet," she replied.

"Oh, you'd love that, wouldn't you, evil reporter!" he snarled.

"No! And I'm _not_ a reporter, I'm a stringer. Actually, I… hey, how about a straw? That could fit under your helmet. I'm sure we have a straw around here somewhere. Why don't you just, um, calm down and watch the game?" She gestured at a row of televisions set high up in the wall, playing various sports events.

"Thanks, evil reporter," he replied solemnly. He sat down on the edge of her desk and plucked a can of Red Pop from the bowl, trying valiantly to open it with his gloves on. Seeing that he was concentrating hard, she turned to Jenny's two exes.

"You," she hissed at Ex No. 1, "go dig through the packet drawers and see if you can find a straw. And you," she added to Ex No. 2, "go convince someone from features to come over here."

As they scurried off, Carrie caught her editor's eye; he nodded slightly, then looked at the Red Ranger, indicating (she assumed) that she was doing something correctly before he picked up his phone and began to whisper into it. She turned back to the Red Ranger with a large smile and offered to open his drink for him. Despite his insanity and threatening nature, she was quickly developing a liking for him. Here was a man who knew what it was like to have a bad day… and here was a man who could be her ticket out of the sports department and into features. There had been many rumors of the paper putting out a reward to anyone who could give reliable information on the Power Rangers… and here was her chance to give just that.

* * *

"Anything?" Tommy asked as they met up in the park.

"Nothing. There hasn't been any sort of panic at any of the TV stations," Trini replied in frustration.

"I checked the newspaper offices. No one running or screaming there," Kimberly said.

"I've been by his house, the Youth Center, everywhere," Zack added.

"Negative at the Command Center, and I couldn't get near the Viewing Globe without Alpha overhearing," Billy said with a sigh.

Tommy sighed. While he was slowly becoming a good leader, he found himself wondering what to do far too often. He wasn't above asking Jason for advice, either, and that was what he would have done right now if Jason hadn't gone completely mental. "Okay. I guess it's time to call him on the communicators."

"Don't use his name," Billy warned. "We don't know if his location is public."

Tommy nodded and started to lift his wrist to his mouth, then stopped. "Um, Trini," he said slowly, knowing she could tame a rhinoceros in ten words or less, "maybe you'd better do it."

* * *

Jason hummed to himself as he sat cross-legged on the girl's desk. She had explained to him that she was no evil reporter, but rather a "stringer," which meant she just wrote tiny blurbs about high school sports. He liked that; the only reason he got the paper was for the comics and the sports page (and, lately, he hadn't been able to enjoy the paper at all), and he had to admit it was nice to see his name in the paper and grin about the fact that the whole town knew how many yards he'd rushed in the big game (not that he could tell her that, as it would give away too much of his identity). Apparently there weren't any reporters at all in the sports department, especially this time of day; sports reporters rarely came into the office at all, spending most of their time out covering games. So he was free to sit around and chat with Carrie and somehow he felt very, very relaxed. Sports often made him feel much better about things.

She told him a lot about the way the department worked, explaining that copyeditors were the ones who made reporters' stories fit neatly on the page and edited the reporters' terrible grammar and spelling, and tried to tell him what all the odd terms floating around were. The sports staff was trying hard to ignore Jason entirely, and so they continued their work, calling out all sorts of confusing jargon to each other. Jason didn't understand much of it, but there was something comforting in knowing that not everyone who worked for the media was Satanic and out to get him (and even more comforting to know that the people who weren't Satanic covered football). Oddly enough, being in the news building was the calmest he'd felt in days.

Jason sipped his can of Red Pop through the Burger King straw that one of the other stringers had produced. "So," he said to Carrie, "I think I understand what a subhead is, and I'm pretty sure I get why you all keep talking about inches and factboxes and 'the wire,' but what's a packet drawer?"

"The sports gang is well-known at every take-out, fast food, and pizza restaurant within five miles of the building," Carrie explained. "We always save a lot of ketchup packets, salad dressing, napkins, plastic forks, you name it. And when no one could see the desk tops, we designated a couple packet drawers. I wouldn't actually use anything edible from them—most of it is pretty old—but the straws and utensils and stuff are good."

"I see." Jason looked at his straw contemplatively for a moment before nodding at the game. "You rooting for Chicago or—ack!" The sound of his communicator nearly startled him right off the edge of the desk.

"What was that?" Carrie demanded, looking around for the source of the odd beeping noise.

"Nothing to worry about," Jason said, determinedly holding on to his peaceful moment. He was not going to leave. He was going to sit here until someone made him leave. Or until they ran out of Red Pop. Clearing his throat, he lifted his wrist to his mouth. "Red here."

"Red? Where are you?" Trini's voice came through, sounding concerned.

"Oh, I'm watching the game."

"Watching the game? What? But… but you weren't home…"

"Nope, I'm not home."

"And you're not at the Y… the hangout?"

"Nope. I'm in the sports department."

"…What? What sports department?"

"The one at the _Sentinel._ Me and Carrie here are watching the Chicago game."

There was a pause. Jason waited, wondering what was going on. He could hear hesitation in her voice, thought he heard the others muttering in the background. He waited for her to order him to leave the building, to stop being an idiot, to—

"Who's Carrie?"

Oops.

"Random 'stringer,' whatever that means. She insists she's not an evil reporter, though."

There was the sound of a scuffle, then Trini yelping. "OW! Jesus, use your own!"

"Red! Are you going to get out of there on your own, or do I have to come get you?"

"White! Let go of my arm!" Trini yelled. Tommy was obviously using her communicator.

Jason narrowed his eyes behind his helmet, a bit incensed at the thought that Tommy was annoying Trini, but he let it go, still trying to stay calm. "Is the city being attacked?" Jason asked.

"What? No," Tommy replied.

"Then I see no reason to leave. I've got Red Pop, I've got the Chicago game, I've got a nice comfy desk to sit on. I'm not leaving."

"Red, don't make me come after you," Tommy threatened.

"I'm not going to make you. You do what you want. And _I'll_ do what _I _want."

"Red, leave the _Sentinel._ That's an order."

The haze that had been clouding his vision so often lately came back. _"Excuse me?"_

"I said—"

"You listen to me, _White!"_ Jason snarled. "I led your sorry butt for a year and I've covered you on numerous occasions. While you were slacking off, _I_ was leading. And I'm fine that you're the leader and I'll take your orders in combat but I'm not leaving this building and you and your stupid talking sword aren't gonna make me! RED OUT!"

Jason flung his wrist back on his lap, ignoring the subsequent beeps of his communicator. He was _not_ going to put up with crap from Tommy. He needed some time off, and if his only solace was thirty feet away from the people who wrote evil stories about him, then he was just going to have to take what he could get.

* * *

"RED! COME IN! Jason, do you hear me? I'm gonna beat you like Rita never did if you don't answer me now!"

"Tommy, LET GO!" Trini roared, kicking him in the shin. He had her arm in a death grip and was shouting at it, shaking her wrist as if he was trying to talk some sense into her communicator instead of Jason.

Tommy let her go, suddenly quite enraged. He understood that Jason had been put through hell these past few weeks. But it had been _Jason_ who let Tommy's name slip and forced Billy and Zack to cover it up, and anyway it had been Jason's idea to throw Tommy to the fans, and Tommy thought it was rather big of him to forgive something like that so Jason had no right getting pissed at him. And Jason was the one causing his own stress about Jason and Trini; sure, Tommy was trying to bring it to the surface because it was interesting as hell, but Jason was the one keeping secrets when none of them ever had before. At least, not anything major.

Tommy hadn't asked to be leader. He wasn't even sure why he'd been made leader, though he suspected it has something to do with the powers of the White Ranger and Saba. He couldn't help it if he was late and forgetful; he tried not to be. And it wasn't his fault that sometimes he got so involved in certain things that he didn't hear his communicator! And he wasn't always kissing Kimberly in the Juice Bar! …Sometimes they were at the park. Or by the lake. Or… well, that wasn't the _point!_

"That wasn't an unreasonable order, was it?" he demanded of his friends. They all took a nervous step backwards, save Trini, who glared at him and rubbed her wrist.

"Well… no," Kimberly said. "I don't think so."

"He shouldn't be in a news building, especially in morph," Billy admitted.

"I'm going after him," Tommy growled, reaching for his morpher.

"Tommy," Trini said slowly, "Jason's got a lot of problems right now—"

"We've all got problems," Tommy snapped. "Jason's sitting in a newsroom right now, possibly compromising his—_our_—identity because he's having a bad day. I'm putting a stop to it. Tigerzord!"

Before anyone could say another word, Tommy teleported away. Trini winced. "Damn," she muttered.

"Jason will be fine," Kimberly told her. "Tommy won't—"

"I'm not worried about Jason," Trini interrupted. "I'm worried about _Tommy._ Now's not the best time to storm off and get in Jason's face. The boy's out of his mind."

Trini shrugged, turned, and wandered away, looking down at her arm and muttering about ice. Kimberly, Billy and Zack glanced at each other, now decidedly more nervous.

* * *

"I'm serious," Ex No. 2 insisted for the thirty-eighth time. "He's here! He just wandered in and started yelling at us and Carrie sent me to go get someone from the features department!"

The five reporters and three copyeditors from features glared down at him. "Yeah, right," said a skinny man with a ponytail, snorting derisively.

"You want to tell us what happened to our toner?" asked a short woman with a square jaw.

"I saw you hiding around the corner, trying to look nonchalant, right before the toner disappeared," the ponytail guy said accusingly.

"This is just some sort of distraction to steal more of our office supplies, isn't it?" said Square Jaw.

"No! Honest! I don't know what happened to your toner! I'm just a lowly stringer! A freelancer! I don't even get benefits! I don't even get free parking!"

"Yeah? Do the printers in the sports department have toner, kid?" growled Ponytail.

"I didn't take your toner! We have plenty of toner! Guys, please, the Red Ranger is sitting over in sports department and there's no one there to right a story about it! Come on!"

"Whatever," Ponytail said contemptuously. "As if Power Rangers would actually come _here."

* * *

_

Tommy teleported to the top of the building across the street from the _Sentinel _and immediately started scanning the rooms through the windows. "This doesn't look like a battle site," Saba commented, sounding a little confused.

"It's not," Tommy said distractedly. "I'm looking for Jason. He's in the building somewhere, possibly in morph."

"Is that him over there? On the fourth floor?"

Tommy swung his head around. "Where?"

"There."

"Where?"

"I _am_ a saber, you know. I don't exactly have fingers to point with."

Tommy sighed, then smacked the forehead area of his helmet and pulled Saba from his belt, aiming the point of the sword at the building. "Okay, tell me hot or cold, then."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Say left or right!"

"Oh. Left. I said left. Still left. No, no, _my _left, not _your_ left."

"You don't have a left!"

"Go right, then, for crying out loud! Wait, back back back! You know, if you let me go, I can float around and—"

Tommy let go. With a short scream, Saba plummeted a good ten feet before catching himself and raising back up and aiming straight at Jason. Tommy squinted at the building, finally spotting a large red figure sitting cross-legged on a desk, next to a smiling girl in a desk chair, who was nodding at him as though engrossed in whatever he was saying. Tommy prayed no one saw the White Ranger aiming his sword at the building and panicked, but no one seemed to be looking his way.

"What the hell is he doing?" Tommy growled, stuffing Saba unceremoniously back in his rightful place. Saba let out a yelp of protest. "Singing Kum Ba Yah?"

"Lovely tune, that," Saba said. He began to hum a few bars.

"Saba, now is _not _the time," Tommy said sternly. His sword was more of a weirdo than Tommy cared to admit; never mind that its speech and numerous abilities made it weird in the first place.

"Right, sorry."

Tommy looked at the line of windows near Jason, finally spotting an open one nearby. The sports department was in the back corner of the building, and a window at the very corner was wide open. Landing on the ledge beneath the windows would normally be unbelievably tricky—well, okay, impossible—but of course it was nothing to a Ranger.

Tommy smacked against the side of the building a few seconds later, grabbing the sill to keep himself from falling backwards. Holding tight to the window, he leaped up and slid through feet-first.

A yelp alerted him to the fact that others had noticed his arrival. He was now standing right behind a row of low-walled cubicles. The nearest cubicle held a bald man with glasses, who was staring at him in horror. Everyone in the area was turned in his direction, but Tommy ignored them for the moment, familiarizing himself with the layout of the building first. The sports section extended for ten or fifteen yards, ending in room with vending machines and microwaves, flanked by bathrooms. A hallway led to the left, with a sign hanging above and pointing the way to several other departments.

Just out of sight of anyone down the hall, Jason sat Indian-style on a girl's desk, sipping Red Pop through a straw wedged carefully under his helmet, taking no notice of Tommy. While everyone in the vicinity was now trying to appear busy, Tommy noticed that they kept sneaking glances at both him and Jason, their heads cocked towards one of the two. Great. So everyone had been hanging on Jason's every word and he'd probably never noticed. The only person who didn't appear to be listening to Jason and the girl was a man in the corner, speaking in low voices on the phone. Tommy distinctly heard the name "Perkins" and realized with no small amount of horror that Perkins was the most well-known sports columnist the _Sentinel _had; apparently the man on the phone was trying to get the reporters back into the office. Tommy hoped he was failing miserably. (He was.)

"So do you have a job?" the girl asked Jason casually. Tommy had heard somewhere that it was a reporter's job to put the people they interviewed at ease, giving them not only the chance to talk but the desire to do so. Tommy hoped he wasn't too late.

"Well, saving the world's kind of my job," Jason said carefully. "Other than that, I can't tell you."

"Of course not. I was just going to say, it must be _awful_ trying to hold down a job when you have to leave all the time to fight monsters. Sounds _really_ difficult."

Jason took a sip of his drink, stalling for time. If he said yes or no, she'd think he had a job. If he said anything else, she'd assume he didn't. But if she suspected he was a student, and from what he gathered she was pretty bright, then he needed to be quiet.

"Totally sucks," he replied finally. Better to mislead her than to let her get close.

"I can't even get time off when I've got a fever," she said, letting a note of admiration creep into her voice. "So… tell me. Is it difficult to be… you know… hallucinating?"

Jason went rigid. Tommy halted his approach, wanting to hear the answer to this. Jason swallowed and tried to think of a good crazy person answer. "Just because no one else can see my invisible friends, doesn't make them hallucinations," he said, figuring that anyone who was crazy wouldn't think their delusions were false. "And by the way, they'll never find me in the medical records. Ever."

"You don't see a doctor for your condition?" she asked, startled. She knew, from eavesdropping on the investigative reporters, that everyone they were looking at could fight, had suffered a head injury in the past, and was undergoing psychiatric treatment.

"Even if I _was_ seeing a doctor," Jason said in exasperation, "do you really think I wouldn't have a fallback plan to cover myself? The Power Rangers have the technology to create giant fighting robots. Don't you think we can destroy a few medical records? Why would I even bother going to a doctor in Angel Grove, anyway? If they even _guessed_ I was a Ranger, I'd be screwed."

She raised her eyebrows for a moment before remembering herself. "You're very smart."

"Yes, I am. Some of the others are even smarter. Can I have another can of Red Pop?"

Tommy decided now was as good a moment as any to take action, mostly because the dozen or so people in the room were making him feel claustrophobic again. "Red!" Tommy yelled, stomping over to him. "Come on, let's go."  
"Hi, White," Jason replied calmly. "Carrie, this is the White Ranger. Obviously. White, this is Carrie, um… I didn't catch her last name—"

"I don't care what her last name is! You're jeopardizing your—OUR—identity by even talking to her! Now come on, let's get out of here, before Zordon finds out."

"Is Zordon an ally of Rita's?" Carrie asked eagerly.

_"I'm_ jeopardizing our identities?" Jason said mildly, giving Tommy a pointed look. "Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black. Or, um, Red. Or—"

"Red, come _on!"_ Tommy said, throwing up his hands.

"White, I don't see what your problem is, but—"

"You don't see what my _problem_ is?" Tommy interrupted incredulously. _"You don't see what my problem is?_ You've sent all of Angel Grove on a manhunt for the most sacred possession we have—our identities. You're keeping secrets from the rest of the gang. You're snapping at everyone. You're doing crazy things with B—Blue, for crying out loud! BLUE! The sanest one of us all and _you're_ convincing him to—"

"Hey, _he_ was the one who wanted to do it!" Jason snapped. _"He_ was the lunatic who caused the whole mess! I made a mistake, yeah, but I'll remind you that _you've made plenty!"_

"I didn't ask to be leader, you know!"

"That's _not_ what this is about!"

"Yeah? Then what is it about, huh? Yellow? Pink? Are you really just a psycho? What?"

"White," Jason said, climbing off the desk, "you're like a brother to me. But I'm warning you—_get out of my face."_

"Or what? Huh?"

Jason wasn't sure why he was so angry. He wasn't sure why Tommy was so angry. He wasn't even really all that sure what they were arguing about. But Jason was tired of dealing with Ranger life. This was the first peaceful moment he'd had in a long time… and he wasn't letting Tommy drag him out of here without a fight.

Jason drew back his fist.

* * *

_End Notes:_ We have been nominated for "Best Laugh" at the Power Rangers Couples Awards. Please vote if you feel we deserve it. The link will be posted in my bio. Voting is open until February 21.

Since the hints were so popular, here's a few more:

1) _"Hayley!"_ Tommy wailed, with an "it's too good to be true" sort of tone. "It's _you!_ _Thank god!_ You'll save me, won't you!"

2) There was now a sort of gleam in Jason's eye, a _mad_ gleam, a _determined_ gleam. A gleam of _warning. _"I love my wife," Jason announced in a cheerful but somehow threatening tone. _"And she needs her chainsaw."_

3) "We might have to bust Kira and Zack out of jail for attempted bicycle theft and a couple other things. Or, um, at least post their bail."

4) "And that's how I met Jason," Zack finished.

"I'd forgotten about that," Jason said, shaking his head.

Zack nodded. "Good thing we met, eh? Otherwise there'd be a lot less Play-Doh in the world."

5) _Whoa,_ Tommy thought wildly. _SO not ready for this conversation._

6) Tommy gaped at him. "Conner's wandering around a strange city… _alone!"_ he yelled. "Oh, _god!_ _I'm responsible for him!"_

7) "All right, then," he said, beginning to write just beneath the heading "The (Very Top Secret) Mission to Reunite Dr. O and Kim." "This is what we're going to do."


	23. Rangers in the Outfield

**Chapter Twenty-three**

_Rangers in the Outfield_

_1994_

"They've been gone a really long time," Kimberly said worriedly.

"Yeah… maybe we should, you know…" Zack began.

"Yes?" Billy prompted.

"Go home and wait for them to call?" Zack finished.

Kimberly rolled her eyes. "How brave of you, Zack. I'm going after them. Coming, Billy?"

"I would rather eviscerate myself than accompany you on an excursion to—"

"Billy, Trini's gone now."

"Sorry. …I… would rather rip my own guts out than… set foot?... in the _Sentinel."_

"Oh-kay… Zack?"

"Er… well…"

Kimberly sighed. "I'm sure nothing's going on. They're probably fine."

"Oh, good. Then you won't need us. You can go alone."

She rolled her eyes and pulled out her morpher.

* * *

Carrie stared in shock at the two brawling Rangers. It had happened so fast. One minute she was getting the Red one to open up like a can of dog food, and the next he had White Ranger in a headlock while White let out strangled gasps and drove his elbow into Red's stomach repeatedly and Red kept stomping on White's foot. The entire staff had given up all pretenses of ignoring the Rangers and was watching openmouthed.

"What the hell?" said a new voice, and everyone turned to see the Pink Ranger staring at them in confusion.

"Your fault somehow," Red was snarling. "Not sure how but yours!"

"You're just jealous!" White choked out.

"Guys!" Pink yelled, grabbing Red and hauling him off of White. Apparently she expected this to end it, because she was totally unprepared when White dove at Red. She squirmed between them at the last second and tried to force them apart, but her smaller size was no match for the two most powerful Rangers, especially given their acute rage. "Guys! Stop it! What are you doing? Now is not the time! YELLOW! BLUE! BLACK! HELP!"

Carrie half-rose from her chair, feeling helpless. She wanted to assist the Pink Ranger in breaking it up… but after all, if another Ranger couldn't do it, then Carrie would probably die trying. She sighed and simply watched, taking mental notes as best she could.

At that moment, Ex No. 2 came skidding around the corner. "Carrie! The features writers wouldn't believe me! And they want their toner back!"

Carrie smacked her forehead. "You didn't cave, did you? They _always_ accuse us of taking their toner! We _always_ deny it!"

"How was I supposed to know that?" Ex No. 2 demanded, wringing his hands. "Who's gonna write the story on them?" he asked, nodding at the rumbling Rangers.

Carrie's mouth set in a grim line. "Me."

"You?"

"Sit down and shut up," Carrie snapped, watching the Rangers carefully.

"Guys!" Pink wailed, getting crushed between the two men as they throttled each other. "I know life hasn't been very easy right now but come on! You're best friends!"

"You threw me to the wolves!" White choked out.

"You sent me out of my zord to wave!" Red retorted. "Never would have happened if you hadn't!"

Pink finally stopped pushing on their chests and jabbed at her left wrist with her right hand. "Blue! Black! Yellow! A LITTLE HELP, PLEASE!"

Two flashes of light appeared, and when it faded the Blue and Black Rangers stood next to their three teammates. Pink was now smushed in between White and Red, slowly suffocating.

"What the—?" the Black Ranger yelled, leaping at White. Blue grabbed Red and heaved, throwing him bodily towards the restrooms.

"About frickin' time!" Pink exploded. "Where have you been?"

"What are you talking about?" Blue asked. "You just now beeped us!"

"I was yelling for you for ages!"

"You know that the helmets' speakers only work when we're in morph," Blue told her.

Pink paused. "Oh."

"Guys," said Black, struggling to restrain White, "can we get out of here?"

With that, the five Power Rangers teleported away.

_

* * *

Present day_

"Ah, the good old days," Zack said cheerfully as the team concluded the tale.

"You actually got into a fight with another Ranger in the middle of a _newsroom?"_ Ethan asked Tommy incredulously.

"And they about crushed me in the process," Kimberly said with a playful glare at Jason and Tommy.

Tommy shrugged, embarrassed. "Yeah, well… it was kind of a spontaneous thing. I wasn't _always_ Mr. Responsible."

"You're still not Mr. Responsible," Jason joked, pawing through the box of news clippings.

"Wait," Trent said slowly. "How, exactly, did that end things?"

"Dear old Carrie," Jason said. "Wrote a very moving article about the stress the public and the media were placing upon us. I'm pretty sure that it was her who persuaded those college kids to protest the constant news coverage, because she was the one who wrote the articles on that, too. She made the whole city realize how crazy they were driving us, and the apology was practically a boycott of all Power Rangers-related stories. Sales and ratings plummeted for anyone who covered us extensively. I couldn't stop grinning every time I walked past a newsstand and saw a whole bunch of articles that _weren't_ about us."

"I caught Jason trying to write a letter to Carrie, thanking her," Trini said. "Made him stop. Figured it would just escalate things in a bad way."

"So, there's only one thing left you haven't told us, right?" Conner asked.

"No, I think that's everything," Kimberly said, frowning as she tried to recall.

"But… come on. Who won the fight?" Conner prodded eagerly.

Tommy and Jason looked at each other. Neither of them spoke, but they were both reminded of the end of that fight.

* * *

_1994_

"I give up," Zack said after the fourteenth time his attempt to pull the two apart had gotten him thrown halfway across the clearing. He limped over to the boulder Kimberly and Billy were sharing and plopped down in front of them.

They'd taken Tommy and Jason to the same secluded place in the park where they'd met up to go find Jason. They were all still in morph, because Tommy and Jason hadn't powered down and they were afraid of someone finding them all near the two battling Rangers; besides, they'd needed the power boost of morphing to try to stop them all.

"Trini's still not answering her communicator," Kimberly said worriedly. She'd been trying for half an hour now.

"Tommy hurt her arm, remember?" Billy said. "She would have taken it off to ice up her wrist. Melting ice could have damaged the wiring of the communicator, perhaps beyond repair."

Kimberly swore, then narrowed her eyes and stood up. She pulled out her Power Bow and took careful aim at Jason. They'd been trying to avoid hurting either boy while trying to break them up, but desperate times called for serious ass-kicking.

Kimberly's arrow knocked Jason away from Tommy and into a tree. Before he could get back up, Kimberly grabbed Tommy by the arm and shook him.

"You are both acting like three-year-olds!" she shouted. "I don't know what your malfunction is, but stop it! _Now!"_

With that, Kimberly marched off through the woods, demorphing as she went. Billy and Zack hurried after her. Tommy sighed. Great. Now he'd upset Kimberly.

Tommy turned to look at Jason and warily powered down. Jason stood up and did the same. They stared each other down for a long moment and then they burst out laughing.

"Red Pop?" Tommy asked Jason incredulously through his laughter.

"It's good stuff," Jason said defensively.

"Whatever, man," Tommy said, shrugging. "I prefer Rock and Rye, myself." They laughed themselves out for a while longer, walking over to the boulder and plopping down on it.

"You should have seen the look on Trini's face when I grabbed her arm," Tommy said.

"You should have seen the look on those people's faces when I started screaming at them," Jason said. "Here I am, ranting about how horrible the reporters of Angel Grove are, only to realize I'm talking to the sports department. The _copyeditors_ of the sports department."

"Here I was gonna ask if you got to meet one of the sports reporters," Tommy joked.

"No such luck. Although I did make a new friend." Jason shook his head ruefully and laughed again. "Oh, life is so crazy. It's days like these I feel like pitching my morpher off a cliff."

Tommy frowned, suddenly troubled. "Did I ever tell you what Zordon said when I asked him why he decided to make me leader?"

Jason stared at him. "You asked him why he did it?"

Tommy nodded. "Before you guys even found out about the White Ranger. Zordon told me I was going to be leader and I panicked, thinking you would hate me. Things between me and you guys were kind of rocky as it was, what with me losing my powers and everything. I didn't want to upset anyone. So I asked. And Zordon told me that he did it because he sensed you were going to leave."

"Me? Leave? Are you insane?" Jason jumped up. "I would never leave the team!"

Tommy sighed. "Zordon says we all will eventually. He said he chose you as leader solely on intuition and mystic divination, or something like that. It was really confusing. Anyway, he said that he sensed it was almost time for you to move on, so he needed to ensure that there would be a leader once you were gone. And he chose me."

Jason stared at him. That made sense. After himself, without Tommy in the equation, Jason would have chosen Trini to be leader… but Tommy had shown amazing character during his time as the Green Ranger and his power loss. Tommy had proven himself. So Jason had forced down any doubts and upset when Zordon had referred to the White Ranger as the new leader. It had thrown him, and for a while he had wondered if he had done something wrong, but he knew that it wasn't very likely for Zordon to punish Jason for anything, and Jason couldn't recall a single instance of wrongdoing… well, wrongdoing major enough to take away his leadership, anyway. Jason had brooded a lot about the loss… though he hadn't ever begrudged Tommy the new role. He had simply wondered why. Now he knew.

Trini was the only other person on the team that Jason felt could possibly be a great leader… Trini understood people, and was honorable, but even so Jason wasn't so sure she could pull it off. Zack was a good guy, but often rash. Billy was very smart, but tended to absorb himself in his work, and his dedication was to inventing, not to fighting. Neither was Kimberly's; she was fun-loving and spirited—the word "wishy-washy" just seemed to describe her perfectly—and Jason certainly couldn't see her calmly making life-and-death decisions. Kimberly let her emotions rule her actions, and the decisions Jason had been forced to make would have destroyed Kimberly. He knew that they would do the same for the cheerful Zack, the shy Billy and probably the (usually) peaceful Trini. Tommy, though…

"You _are_ the best choice," Jason conceded. "You're the strongest. You're the bravest. You're probably the best person for the job, if I was going to leave. But I'm _not_ going to leave the team. I would _never_ leave."

"Jason," Tommy said in exasperation, "think about it. I know I have. Ten years from now, do you really want to be running around in spandex fighting evil in your spare time? Risking losing your job because you had to skip work to fight evil or because you got, I don't know,trapped in rockor turned evil or whatever? I don't know about you, but I'm not prepared to do this forever. I want to go to college, and I want to have a nice job, and I want a family one day. I want a life where my friends and family aren't jeopardized because they've got ties to a Power Ranger. I want to travel and eventually I want to be able to live without the knowledge that I may have to run off and fight at a moment's notice. You want that too, Jason, we all do. These past few weeks aside, we love being Rangers… but we're all gonna leave the team eventually. Besides, what exactly are we going to do with ourselves once Rita and Zedd are finally obliterated?"

Jason shifted uncomfortably, and Tommy plowed on. "As weird as it is to say, we're all kick-ass people, Jason," Tommy said. "Billy was probably accepted to Harvard by the age of two. Trini's almost as smart as him. Kimberly will probably be a great gymnast one day, traveling the world to compete."

"Or she'll become the Infamous Saks Fifth Avenue Bandit," Jason deadpanned.

Tommy paused. "Is it bad that I can actually see that happening?" He had a sudden vision of Kimberly, her Pink Ranger suit dyed black, kicking butt on high class department store security guards and running off with numerous shopping bags full of shiny things. He shook his head vigorously. "Anyway. Zack will probably run off soon enough, dancing through the world and making people laugh. And you are an incredible fighter, and a good guy besides; who knows where you'll end up? Me, though, I want to settle down one day. Live the quiet life. I'm not sure what I'll be doing when I do, but that's what I want. None of us will stay here in Angel Grove forever, going to Angel Grove Community College and forsaking all the opportunities we could have as civilians. Even if we wanted to, Zordon wouldn't allow it."

Tommy stood up and regarded him sadly. "Zordon's right, Jason. You're not destined to spend the rest of your life as a Power Ranger. Neither am I. These past few weeks have just emphasized how stressful the Ranger gig can be. We'll have to move on eventually. And I'm only leader right now because Zordon thinks you're going to move on first."

Jason bit his lip, suddenly thinking of the Peace Conference application he'd sent in. He had planned to turn it down if he got in, he'd just wanted to see if he'd be able to get past the selection process. Hundreds of thousands of people had applied. But in the back of his mind, it had sounded like a beautiful dream. Traveling the world, helping people, getting a top-notch education and having incredible experiences…

"Maybe," Jason said. "But I sure as hell hope not." He sighed and looked Tommy straight in the eye. "I'm _not_ jealous, Tommy. I'm really not. I'm happy for you. In some ways… it's a relief, not to be leader. I'm so glad to be rid of the leadership that I feel guilty about it. Besides, the team's in good hands."

"I hope I do as well as you did," Tommy said quietly. "I know I haven't always been a model leader. But I'm working on it. I'm trying harder. And I'm going to keep trying harder, Jase."

Jason smiled. "Good. Cuz according to Zordon, I'm not always going to be around to cover your butt when you're making out with Kim."

"Hey," Tommy complained. "You're no saint yourself, buddy! I know there's something going on between you and Trini. And if you don't come clean, I'll just have to prove it."

Jason shrugged. "I've been dating Trini for months."

Tommy nearly fell over. "What?"

"I _am_ dating Trini. I adore her. I've been madly in love with the girl for years." Jason gave him a playful glare. "So you can stop hiding in the bushes outside my house whenever she's over, okay?"

Tommy smiled, shaking his head. So that was it, then. The air was finally clear between them. For the first time since their friendship began, Tommy felt, deep in his gut, an overwhelming certainty that no matter what, he and Jason would always be best friends.

* * *

_Present day_

"Earth to Dr. O?" Kira said tentatively as he and Jason stared at each other.

Tommy shook his head as if to clear it. "Hmm? Oh. The fight." He told them an abbreviated version of the laughing fit they'd had, but he failed to mention the conversation about leaving the team. How odd it seemed now… _Tommy_ insisting that they'd have to move on one day?

"Then I told him that Zordon had only made me the leader of the team because he felt Jason was about to leave. That was less than a month before the Peace Conference, by the way," Tommy said.

"How did he know?" Ethan asked.

"Remember how I told you that the power chooses you?" Tommy asked. The four teens nodded. "Well, Zordon _was_ the power."

"When he first brought us to the Command Center, he talked like he _knew_ us," Billy said. "He was highly intuitive."

"And he knew Jason was getting ready to move on," Tommy said. "That's what I told Jason after our spat."

Jason laughed. "You also said that, ten years from then, you didn't want to still be a Power Ranger." He shook his head and laughed harder.

Tommy also laughed at the irony. "Well, I learned my lesson. No more verbalized hopes for the future. Ever." They both cracked up, and the others smiled.

"Didn't you just tell me at prom that you wanted to continue teaching and live the quiet life?" Trent said suddenly, looking uneasy.

The others burst into giggles as Tommy stared at him. Trent shifted uncomfortably.

"Trent?" Tommy said slowly.

"Yeah?"

"Never mention that again."

"But—"

"No. If I don't admit it, it didn't happen."

"Anyway," Jason said as his laugher quieted, "that was the day I told him the truth about me and Trini, too. That was the last time Tommy and I ever had a serious fight."

Tommy nodded. That was why Jason had felt it was necessary to tell Tommy that he wasn't trying to take back the leadership when Jason had returned as the Gold Ranger—Zordon had done it because Jason was leaving, so what was Tommy supposed to think when Jason came back? Though he hated to admit it, that statement from Jason had filled Tommy with deep relief.

Jason unearthed three papers from the bottom of the box, two of the _Sentinel_ and one of the _Angel Grove Clarion._ "Ah-ha! Here they are. The Carrie stuff."

"Oh, yeah," Trini said, snatching the _Clarion_ article. "I was so offended by this!" She turned the paper around to show to everyone. Its headline read, "Who Is Carrie Jeffries?" and the subheading said, "Why Was Red So Friendly?" "Apparently the _Clarion_ thought Jason's hanging out with this Carrie girl, combined with her yellow shirt, might mean she was the Yellow Ranger, because Yellow and Red were rumored to be dating. I pitched a fit. Didn't speak to Jason for two days after I saw it. First and last time I was ever insanely jealous."

"And this was Carrie's response," Jason said, holding up one of the other articles. "The second story she ever wrote—replying to the _Clarion_. She really ripped them a new one, wording it so subtly that it took you a minute to understand every line was an attack on the other paper. But this…" He set down Carrie's rebuttal and held up the other _Sentinel_ article, with the title, "The Stress We Place on Our Heroes." "This was what she wrote about me. Stopped the crazed identity-seeking in its tracks. All about how much pressure we were under and how ungrateful the city was being to add other stress." He set it down reverently. "I have it framed at home." A wistful look crossed his features. "I wish I could've thanked her. I still read every article she writes."

"It _was_ really nice of her," Trini conceded, though she looked at the picture of Carrie on the _Clarion _article with a distinctly unpleasant expression.

Ernie chuckled. "You know, back then, I always felt so privileged to know that I was probably one of the only people to ever figure out who you guys were. Now I realize I wasn't half as in the know as I thought. You were some amazing kids." He nodded at Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent. "And I bet you four followed nicely in their footsteps." The four teens beamed at him.

Kimberly raised an eyebrow at him. "Ernie, we just told you about how Jason went crazy, got locked in a death match with Tommy, and then I had to shoot him with my Power Bow."

"That really did hurt," Jason said mildly.

Ernie shrugged. "Still, you guys amaze me."

"Thanks," she said, blushing. The others all nodded.

Ernie started to say something else, then caught sight of the clock on the wall and smacked his forehead. "Oh, man, I was supposed to close twenty minutes ago."

"We really should get going, anyway," Billy said with a sigh. "I promised my father I'd come by early in the morning, and I still have no idea what I'm going to say. Plus I'm kind of tired."

"Jetlag from an alien planet must totally suck," Conner said.

"It does. But… my primary concern is what I'm going to say."

Ernie gave him a sympathetic smile. "Say hi to him for me. Good man, Mr. Cranston. I'm kind of beat myself, anyway—but you guys _will_ come back again, right?"

"Ernie, have you _ever_ known _us_ to stay away for long?" Jason asked with a wry smile. "If I'd known you were back, I'd have pitched a tent in the parking lot."

"Same here," Zack said. "We'll be back soon. Coming to Power Rangers Day?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Ernie said promptly. "Though I hope I don't get kidnapped again. That wasn't the best day ever. Oh, and by the way, thanks for the rescuing-the-entire-town thing."

"No big," Kimberly said with a shrug.

Ernie looked at her funny for moment, as though slightly offended by that, but then he just smiled and showed them out, and they headed for their cars. "Where to now?" Tommy asked.

"I was thinking me and Billy could stay at the hotel tonight," Jason said. "Party hard. Plus Trini's just down the hall." He smiled wickedly at her; she blushed. Zack, Tommy and Kimberly rolled their eyes, though Billy fought off a grin.

"Sounds good to me," Tommy said.

"You can regale us with all the fascinating stories of Reefside," Zack said eagerly. Tommy had yet to get a chance to tell the guys all the tales of his new Ranger days.

"The fossil stories?" Conner said. "Better than sleeping pills."

"Don't start, Conner," Tommy said good-naturedly.

They split up, heading for their two vehicles. As Kimberly climbed into Zack's SUV, she couldn't help feeling a twinge of panic. Did she really want to go through with her plans to talk to Tommy?

_Don't you dare chicken out,_ she told herself firmly. _I'm not letting him out of my life again without a fight. And I'm a damned good fighter._

Kimberly buckled up and leaned back in the seat, plotting her next move carefully.

* * *

"So are you guys showering tonight, or in the morning?" Kira asked as she, Trini and Kimberly entered their room.

"We just showered a few hours ago," Kimberly said with a shrug. "I can wait."

"I—er—kind of want to shower now," Trini said sheepishly. "I didn't get a chance to earlier."

Kimberly wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Too much information, Trini. _Way_ too much."

Kira wasn't sure whether to grimace or laugh; she settled for ignoring the comment and shrugging. "I think I might go see what the guys are up to, if you guys don't care. Make sure they don't sneak out again and force me to rescue them in my pajamas."

"Good plan," Kimberly said casually. "I'm gonna go… take a walk."

Trini arched an eyebrow. "A walk?"

Kimberly nodded, praying that she could manage to fool Trini. "Yep. A walk."

"Okay," Trini said with a sly smile. Kimberly edged to the door, Trini watching her the whole time. Before Kira could follow her out into the hall, Trini grabbed her arm.

"What?" Kira asked, confused.

"Kim's up to something," Trini whispered. "And I'm going to find out what. Are you in?"

Kira grinned. "Of course." She paused. "Weren't you going to take a shower, though?"

Trini waved her hand dismissively. "Ah, details, details. Trust me, this is going to be much more important than cleanliness."

Kira paused, frowning slightly. "More important… than showering?"

Trini sighed. "I feel gross enough as it is. Can we not dwell, here?" Trini crossed to the door and propped it open with the door stop. She and Kira leaned as close to it as they could.

* * *

"So then I go, 'Can't help you there. I'm just a high school science teacher,'" Tommy told Jason, Billy and Zack with a grin. They laughed uproariously.

"Oh, that's great," Zack gasped. "I wish I could've seen the look on his face."

Tommy waved his hand. "He didn't really have a very expressive face. It was the snout. And the beady eyes. And he always had this weird spitting tongue thing when he… anyway, he was _so_ pissed," Tommy recalled with relish. He started to continue, but a knock sounded on the door, and he got up to answer it. "Aww, man. I hadn't even got to the part where I said, 'Why can't you just want to take over the Earth like all the other sickos?'"

Tommy pulled open the door, still facing the guys, who were laughing hysterically at Tommy's last comment. "Oh, what I wouldn't give to say that to Ze—" Jason's words halted abruptly, and his eyes widened at the sight of who was in the doorway. Tommy turned slowly, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Hi." Kimberly gave him a small smile.

"Hey, Kim!" Zack and Jason chorused, far too brightly. Billy waved emphatically

"What's up?" Tommy asked her, shifting nervously. An instinctual sense of foreboding suddenly stole over him.

"I wanted to talk to you," Kimberly told him, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Tommy blinked, acutely aware of the fact that Zack, Jason and Billy were dead silent behind him; he didn't need to look at them to know they were all sitting frozen and holding their breath. "What about?" he asked, resisting the urge to take a step back. She wasn't being intimidating, but he suddenly felt like it was time to be afraid. Kimberly wasn't an "I want to talk to you" person. She was a person who said what she wanted to talk to you about with very little reservations or preamble. She tended to bring the word "ambush" to mind. Of course, that was the old Kim; who knew if she was still the same? Besides, it wasn't like their situation was perfectly natural.

Kimberly looked over Tommy's shoulder at the three staring guys, who promptly turned to each other and tried to look busy, talking to one another loudly but not loud enough to drown out anything juicy that Kimberly might say. "Let's take a walk," Kimberly said, grabbing Tommy's arm. Before he could react, she hauled him out into the hallway and pulled the door shut. They could clearly hear loud whispering from inside the room and the sounds of Jason, Zack and Billy piling up to listen at the door.

"Come on," Kimberly said, and yanked on his arm, dragging him down the hallway.

"Kim, what—"

"In a minute! Let's get out of the hall."

"Uh… Kim?"

She ignored him. A moment later, she pushed on the half-open door to room 603 and looked around at Conner, Ethan and Trent, who were having some sort of contest to see who could jump the highest on Conner's bed.

"Hey!" Kimberly called loudly, nearly killing them all; badly startled, it was all they could do not to fall off the bed as they crashed into each other.

"Jesus!" Ethan complained as Trent and Conner tried to disentangle themselves from him. "You scared us to death."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Kimberly said impatiently. "Everybody, out!"

"What?" Trent said blankly.

"Out!" she barked, and Tommy didn't need to see her face to know she was doing her patented Pink Ranger Glower. "Go do something. Go… go down to the pool. Go on!"

Trent and Ethan scurried away, eyes wide, but Conner remained behind, frowning. Kimberly put her hands on her hips, and his resolve began to quickly weaken, but most of his fear regarding Kimberly was all for Tommy, not for Kimberly herself. So he kept it together just long enough to give Kimberly and Tommy a suspicious look and ask, "Are you guys gonna make out?"

Tommy, who for the most part had been trying to catch up with Kimberly's odd behavior, abruptly returned to action. He lunged forward, seized Conner by the shirt front, and flung him bodily out into the hallway. Conner barely managed to stay upright, his arms wind-milling like mad as he collided with the far wall. Tommy pulled the door shut firmly, but not before Conner shouted, "Just try and use _Trent's_ bed!"

Tommy closed his eyes, praying for the strength to fight off this new twist in the path of weirdness that was his life, which was hard to do when half of his mind was growling "Die Conner die" over and over and the other half was shouting "You _idiot!_ You just locked yourself in with _Kimberly!_ Are you _insane?"_ After a long moment involving lots of failed attempts at deep breaths, Kimberly pulled him over to one of the beds (Conner's, but Tommy doubted they were going to "make out" and anyway it would serve Conner right if they did something much worse on Conner's bed) and sat him down.

Tommy waited for her to speak, wondering how on earth they were going to explain this impromptu meeting to their friends.

* * *

Trini gaped at the door behind which Kimberly had disappeared. Trini's vantage point was terrible for espionage of the romantic variety, but she'd been unable to risk moving any closer. The involvement of Tommy in whatever Kimberly was planning hadn't been a total shock, but it had been enough to risk peering out into the corridor with Kira. She couldn't believe it; Kimberly had just barricaded herself in a _bedroom_ with _Tommy!_ _Yes!_

"Did you _see_ that?" Trini breathed.

"What was that about him using Trent's bed?" Kira asked, her face screwed up like someone who was trying to make the most disgusting mental image ever disappear. As far as Kira was concerned, Dr. O "using" Trent's bed was the ultimate horror.

"Come on!" Trini hissed. "We've _got_ to hear _this!"_

Kira groaned. "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll cover my ears," she muttered, but she followed Trini anyway.

* * *

_End Notes:_ That's right, folks, Tommy/Kim convo is next! Thanksto those of you who voted; no word on the results yet but I appreciate the sentiment regardless of the outcome. Sorry, no hints this time.


	24. Another Song and Dance

**Chapter Twenty-four**

_Another Song and Dance_

"I can't hear anything!" Zack complained.

"Shut up and you might!" Jason snapped. Just then, however, someone knocked on the door, seriously upsetting Jason, Billy and Zack's eardrums.

Disentangling himself from the other two, Billy pulled the door open to reveal Ethan and Trent. "What's up, guys?" Billy asked, casually sticking his head out into the hallway and turning it this way and that to look for Tommy and Kimberly.

"Um… Dr. O and Kim just locked themselves in our room," Ethan said. "We were hoping you could do something about it."

"Conner said something about them using my bed," Trent added desperately.

Billy, Jason and Zack looked at each other, then as one unit they burst out of the room and ran down the hall to Conner, Trent and Ethan's room; three muted _thunks_ sounded as they pressed their ears against the door.

"They're totally making out," Conner said with a smirk. "Why _else_ would they kick us out?"

"Will you _stop saying that?"_ Trent fairly wailed. "It's _sick!"_

"What? They're not your parents," Conner said.

"Close enough," Trent groaned, wrinkling his nose.

"What? Dr. O could _use_ a good—"

"SHH!" Jason hissed. "We're trying to eavesdrop here!"

Conner clammed up, mostly because he was still striving to impress Jason. They all leaned a bit closer to the door, but all they heard was someone behind them ask, "What are you _doing?"_

There was a loud chorus of "OW!" as the six guys bumped heads while trying to lean away from the door, followed by an even louder chorus of "SHH!" "Shut up!" and "Be _quiet!"_

"Honey! Kira!" Jason nervously greeted the two yellow-clad girls, who were staring at them in confusion. "You know, this might look kinda odd, but I can explain—"

"Dr. O threw us out of our room so he can make out with Kimberly on Trent's bed," Conner interrupted.

Jason sighed. "Dude—training. Get some."

_"What?"_ Trini demanded, pushing Jason and Zack aside and shoving her head against the door as well.

"Are you _serious?"_ Kira demanded.

"Kimberly came in and told us to go to the pool," Trent told her. "Dr. O was with her. That's ALL we know," he added defiantly to Conner.

"Uh-huh. Sure," Conner replied, smirking as hard as ever.

* * *

Kimberly sighed as she heard the commotion in the hallway. "Maybe the balcony would be best," she said thoughtfully.

"There isn't one in this room," Tommy said.

She sighed again. "Great."

"What did you want to talk about?" Tommy asked carefully, figuring he might as well get it over with.

Kimberly looked down at her feet, almost wishing for another distraction (almost, mind you). Now that the moment was here, her courage was rapidly leaking out of her expensive sandals. "I… I realized something today."

"That Vanilla Ice had some sort of mind-altering capability to make us think he was cool?"

Kimberly blinked, then grinned, but the moment was short-lived. That was just the sort of sarcastic comment that she wouldn't have expected from the old Tommy, but the new Tommy seemed to make them all the time. Where had his cynical side come from? Had it always been lying dormant only to be pulled out by one too many Power Ranger colors?

"No—I already knew that," she replied. "I meant… I realized something… about you."

_Whoa,_ Tommy thought wildly. _SO not ready for this conversation._

Before Tommy could choke out a response, she continued. "Today… when Hayley called…"

"She's not my girlfriend," Tommy blurted out, to his complete and utter horror. Where had THAT come from?

"I know. Trini said… it's not important. It's not about that. It's… things never should have been this way. Even if we…" She exhaled sharply and started over. "I want to be _friends,_ Tommy. I'll understand if you don't want that, if you laugh in my face and storm off and knock over all of our friends on your way out the door. I'd kind of expect that, really. But Tommy… things never should have been this way!" She twisted her hands together, regarding him pleadingly. "I miss you. Not you the boyfriend—just _you._ I miss having you around. I want you in my life. I want to bury the past and be what we should have become when we broke up—friends."

Tommy stared at her, fully aware that every second he stayed silent was making it all the worse for Kimberly but unable to come up with anything halfway intelligent to say. _Out of nowhere, out of nowhere, out of nowhere with this! What am I supposed to say? What am I supposed to DO? Damn it, if only Jason, Zack and Billy weren't blocking the door right now!_

_Think, Tommy. Tell her what you want. What do I want? Come to think of it, now I kind of want to make out with her on Conner's bed, just to—no, no, no, FOCUS. What do I want? What the hell, friends? NOW she wants to be friends? She couldn't have said that in the stupid letter? No mention of friends in the letter. Just I will always care about you sorry for ripping your heart out you'd love my new boyfriend if you didn't want to kill him slowly and now friends?_

It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her to go to hell… but he held back. He knew that if he shot her down now, he'd never see her again… and that was far too sobering a thought. He'd lived over ten years without Kimberly, and that was far too many. He wanted her back in his life. He wanted her to be there, like Hayley, like Trini, like all his other friends. He missed her. He missed her laugh, her shopping obsession, her wicked grin whenever she conned him into something by playing the Damsel Card. He missed her cheerfulness and her glib puns and her caring nature. He _did_ want her in his life… and yet "friends" wasn't nearly the word he wanted to use to describe her relationship with him.

He had a sudden urge to grab her, to shake her, to kiss her, to hit her. He loved her. He was furious with her. He hated her. He wanted her. Every emotion he'd ever felt for Kimberly was unresolved and still there, threatening to burst out at the mere thought of what she was asking. He wondered what she'd do if he did try to make out with her, if he did break down and start screaming. Would she let him kiss her? Would she scream back? Would she—?

"Tommy I'm having a panic attack here, _say something."_

Tommy jolted back to reality with a start. Kimberly, who'd been watching the emotions flicker in his eyes like the TV stations when someone accidentally sits on the remote control, was staring at him desperately. It occurred to him suddenly that she was sorry. She was sorry for every bit of pain she'd ever caused him. Despite how much she'd apologized in the letter he'd never thought she might actually have regrets.

"Okay."

"Okay… what?" Kimberly asked carefully.

Tommy tried to respond, made a noise that sounded sort of like "Kuth-put-thh," and tried again. "I want you in my life, Kim. I want your friendship. I want to start over. I want you around again. I've _always_ wanted you around again," he said in a rush, as though his thoughts would extinguish if he didn't get it all out in one breath.

The next thing he knew, Kimberly had thrown her arms around his neck; startled, he hugged her back, and abruptly realized how good it felt to do so. They'd found closure, at least a little. For the first time, something about the mess with Kimberly was really and truly _over._

He pulled back, frowning thoughtfully. "Kim—I want to move on, I really do. But I don't know if it's possible."

"What's the harm in trying?" she asked desperately. "I mean, hey, we can't hurt each other any worse, right?"

Tommy nodded, grimacing slightly. "I suppose that's true."

She smiled wanly at him. "Look, let's just _try._ Let's just ignore the past and get on with life. Catch up. Pretend I've been living on an alien planet for the past decade, okay?"

"Shouldn't be that hard. I've already studied the role of friend-to-resident-of-other-planet."

She grinned and stood up. "So… I'll see you in the morning?"

He nodded. "Absolutely. We should talk more, soon as we get the chance."

"You can tell me what happened to your hair," she said, giggling.

He was torn between smiling and wincing. "Don't like to talk about it. There was fire involved. And tomato sauce."

She laughed. "Sounds like you."

"Yeah," he said long-sufferingly. "Yeah, it really does."

Kimberly headed for the door; they heard a scuffle from the hallway, as though their friends were scurrying to find hiding places. She shook her head and reached for the handle.

"Wait," Tommy called. Kimberly paused, looking at him questioningly, but he turned away and looked down at Conner's bed, which was littered with random objects (which Ethan had thrown at his head all night in the hopes of getting the snoring to stop even for a moment), while the blankets were in a pile at the end of the bed. Tommy reached over and swept the objects from the bed, threw one of the pillows across the room, and then grabbed the blankets, shook them out and put them back on the bed in a more haphazard line.

Kimberly, realizing what he was doing, arched an eyebrow at him. "Protecting your manly reputation?"

"Nah," Tommy said with an apologetic shrug. "Just messing with Conner."

She laughed, and Tommy felt his spirits lift. She had shared in the joke—she hadn't admonished him for it or acted embarrassed. Maybe there was hope, after all.

It appeared that their pause had made their friends think that they weren't going to come out of the room after all; they were in the process of creeping slowly back to their posts at the door. Kimberly didn't make it two feet before she found herself surrounded by the other Rangers, and she didn't have time to warn Tommy before he stepped out into their midst. They all gave him casual smiles, their eagerness to hear the dirt barely contained.

"So," Jason said.

"So," Tommy replied coolly.

"What's going on?" Trini asked Kimberly off-handedly.

"Nothing, you?" Kimberly returned challengingly.

"Were you two really making out?" Zack blurted out, utterly destroying the finesse of the verbal sparring match.

Tommy grinned. "Of _course_ we were," he replied. Trent's eyes widened in horror and he dove into the bedroom to see if Tommy had indeed been using Trent's bed, thus creating a gap in the air-tight enclosure of ex-Rangers around Tommy and Kimberly, which Tommy stepped through and casually sauntered away. Tommy's mood improved even more when he heard Kimberly laugh and fall into step behind him, passing him on the way to her own room as he stopped at Zack's. He turned to look after her for a moment, and suddenly his good mood shattered. For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that this hopeful new friendship was just that—hopeful. Hope, it seemed, had never been a wise thing to have in matters regarding Kimberly.

_"I miss you. Not you the boyfriend—just _you." Tommy frowned. Had she really meant it that way? Did she really feel absolutely no connection to him romantically?

No. Tommy had heard her say she still cared about him when he'd snuck onto her balcony. _And that she still thinks I'm hot._ Tommy put a hand to his hair contemplatively.

Tommy wasn't surprised to hear his friends break out into shocked whispers behind him; that meant he had less than two minutes to barricade himself in the bathroom with enough provisions for a few hours of hiding out from inquiring minds. Now was not the time for reflection; he'd have plenty of opportunity for that while hiding. He was now kicking himself for having his moment of fun; they were sure to blow his joke out of proportion and annoy the crap out of him and put him back in the awkward stage with Kimberly. His mood worsened—but it lightened considerably when, a few minutes later, he heard Conner's disgusted shout of "Oh, _sick!_ I told him to use _Trent's_ bed!" soon followed by Kira, Trent and Ethan's rancorous laughter.

* * *

Billy's eyes snapped open at approximately five a.m. the next day and suddenly he found himself full of trepidation. Today would be the first time he'd get to see his father since coming back to Earth to pick up his things… and he still hadn't come up with a strategy.

Billy winced as he climbed out of the bed. He and Jason had thoroughly enjoyed staying over with Tommy and Zack; while they couldn't get Tommy to talk about the Kimberly thing after Tommy emerged from the bathroom, they'd had a blast asking Tommy about being the Black Ranger and reliving the old days, swapping stories about after Jason and Zack had left with tales of the Peace Conference until roughly three hours ago when they'd started passing out one by one. It had filled Billy with a great longing for the past, as much as he had enjoyed it.

Billy had assumed, upon leaving Aquitar, that being on Earth would just remind him of all the things he loved about Aquitar. But it didn't. All it reminded him of was how much he missed Earth.

Billy looked down at himself ruefully as he headed for the bathroom. His old clothes had lasted a very long time, but he'd left seven years ago and few outfits lasted _that_ long. He'd come to enjoy wearing Aquitian clothing, but he had never fully gotten used to the fact that Aquitians didn't wear underwear or pajamas. He'd brought a few pairs of very old, ill-fitting underwear to wear under his friends' borrowed clothes… and while he'd become accustomed to the alien attire he couldn't help but feel like singing at the feel of cotton. It frightened him to realize how badly he missed boxers and jeans.

And the food… now he knew how Rocky must have felt all the time. He was having trouble not making himself sick. Pizza, hamburgers, fries… what he wouldn't give for a good guacamole cheeseburger. Oh, and chili. And chocolate, chocolate was sinfully wonderful…

He couldn't help but be overwhelmed by all the things Aquitians didn't have. The smell of fresh-cut grass. Smoothies. Video games. Cheese. Denim. Contact lenses. Dogs. Coca-Cola. Showerheads. Toothpaste. Cartoons. Forests.

Trini, Jason, Tommy, Kimberly, Zack. Kat, Aisha, Rocky, Adam, Tanya. Alpha and Zordon and Ernie.

His father.

How had Billy allowed Aquitar to make up for it? Sure, he had many Aquitian friends. Sure, he had Cestria. Yet his contact with Earth was weakening. His work was demanding, and his friends on Earth were busy people.

"Face it," he mumbled to the bathroom mirror. "You were depressed when you left. _That's_ why you stayed."

That was true. His powers were gone, and the realization that he couldn't become the Gold Ranger had made him think he would probably never have the power again. True, he had let go of the power. He had given it to Tanya and stepped aside, realizing that the fight against the Machine Empire would probably be better handled by the others, whereas he could be of real use to them in the Power Chamber. And it had been his senior year—the year he really needed to concentrate on his academics. Or at least, he _would_ have, if he hadn't been practically kicked out of the school. He missed being on the team, and every moment when the others hung out without him was like a knife in the chest, a horrifying thought that "Billy isn't one of us anymore." Only Jason's return had kept him sane… but Billy had been so unhappy. No school to take his mind off things, no Ranger abilities, no Trini, no Kimberly, no Zack.

The sad thing was, one of the few things he'd looked forward to upon leaving the team was the end of lying to his father. That hadn't lasted either—he'd had to run off and help so often that he might as well have been a Ranger. He was terrible at lying, and it had bothered him immensely, especially because he and his father had gotten incredibly close ever since his mother had died. It tore him up every time he had to do it, which was one of the reasons that he'd often let Trini or the others make excuses for him when he had to.

Trini… her move had bothered him a lot. She was the only one who could understand _him,_ not just what he said. She had a good grasp of a lot of the things Billy did—computers, science, math—and yet she also knew the rest of the world, helping him understand the outside world, encouraging him to develop other interests. Billy had also been forced to rework his entire speech patterns, which was distracting and difficult.

It also hadn't helped that his love life was nonexistent. Trini with Jason, Tommy with Kimberly, Adam with Tanya, Zack and Rocky cheerfully playing the field. Billy hadn't been able to keep a girl around long enough to become a girlfriend; most of the girls who liked him were just as smart as he was and had no other interests like his friends did, and somehow conversations with other "geeks" never seemed to last. There were only so many times you could discuss quantum physics before the subject got boring. All of his childhood friends had left Angel Grove. Then Kat had confided in him that she liked Tommy—and Billy had been crushed to hear it, having long-since harbored feelings for her.

Then he'd found himself back on Aquitar with Cestria. Cestria had been the first person other than Trini that he'd really related to—a genius, to be sure, but the culture barrier had ensured they'd have a lot to learn from each other, and she was also very active, very interested in his tales about sports he'd played with his friends and so on. Like Trini, Cestria had more to her than her intelligence. His recovery time had been the first really good time he'd had in a long time—and when it had come time to come home, he had been filled with dread.

So he'd stayed on Aquitar, returning for his things when he could, explaining to his father that he'd been given the chance to work for the government. He'd used Aquitar to forget how unhappy he'd become on Earth… and now he realized that he should have been using _Earth_ to forget how unhappy he'd become.

"You don't appreciate what you've got until it's gone," he whispered. He looked around the bathroom sadly. Toilet, sink, towels, bathtub and shower. So different from the Aquitar system. So much better. Even the simple things like this.

Billy didn't want to leave Cestria. He loved her. He loved the Alien Rangers and his other friends. He had tried hard to bring them simple Earth things like basketball and video games, some of which had gone over better than others. They had been very interested in the concept of ice cream, for example, but without cows, goats or any other sort of mammals, Billy had been unable to find a way to get milk for the process. Popsicles were working out better, but they were still a prototype.

Billy hopped in the shower, wondering what he was going to say to his father today, what he could tell him that wouldn't be total lies and fabrications. He was going to have to be careful about his friends and the teens; he had absolutely no idea if his father would buy the cover story he'd thought up for Dino Rangers, and he couldn't very well explain the truth. How he wished he could tell his father everything in his new life…

How he wished he had his old life back.

* * *

End Notes: This story has won first place in the "Best Laugh" category in the Power Rangers Couples' Awards! Thanks so much to those of you who voted for us! I can't stop grinning…

Sorry for the angsty ending. Don't know where the hell it came from. Sometimes I think there's a colony of little demons that live in my fingers and type up whatever the hell they feel like. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the Tommy/Kim moment. Now that we've had that, the really funny torturous bits of—I mean, um, the _rebuilding of the relationship,_ honest—can begin.

I'm probably going to do some minor editing for this story within the next few weeks. I want to take out all the mentions of dates—how long it's been, what year flashbacks happened, etc.—and change a few things. I'll tell you when and what I do.

The next chapter won't be up for a while, probably, because it's time for boys' basketball district tournaments at work, and that means I'm going to be busy as hell, with extra hours and editing and scheduling and all sorts of crap. I will probably only have time to sleep, work and watch Power Rangers until the 11th of March. I also need to do some serious editing on my stories in my other fandom so… hate to say it, but this story might suffer a bit for the next few weeks. Fair warning.

Hints time!

1) "It's not important," Tommy said. "I don't care where she is—as long as it isn't Florida—because _I'm going after her._ If you're coming with me, let's go."

2) Rocky held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Hey, lady, I have _no_ idea what's going on. I just ran into them twenty minutes ago."

3) He hugged Hayley for a good long while, waiting as patiently as he could for her to pull back. When she finally did, she naturally began hitting him—hard.

4) "Don't mess with me, Trini," Tommy growled. "I'm not one of your little dolls you can toy with. Neither is Kim. What happens is up to _me."_

Trini smiled darkly at him, lifting both hands and patting his chest mock-consolingly. "That's right, Tommy. Keep telling yourself that."

5) "You do that, honey, and try not to get killed," Hayley said sleepily. A click sounded as she hung up her phone.

6) "Was he better-looking than me?" Tommy asked suddenly.

7) "Security system armed. You have ten seconds to deactivate primary countermeasures. Please enter one of the passwords now. Ten…"

P.S. All hints—these, previous and future—are from rough drafts of future chapters. They might change, but only slightly. Some of them are from flashbacks, by the way.


	25. Strange Relations

**Chapter Twenty-five**

_Strange Relations_

There was a mad scramble to get ready in the morning. Billy awoke the guys a little before eight, and Jason woke the girls while Tommy roused Conner, Ethan and Trent. Despite the fact that they had three bathrooms and three bedrooms between them, it was difficult to get everyone out of the door in time; they barely had time to snag donuts from the continental breakfast downstairs before rushing to Zack and Tommy's cars.

They made it to Billy's old house by five minutes to ten, but only because Zack was following Tommy and Tommy was using his skills as a former race car driver to make it there in time. The ten ex-Rangers stumbled shakily from the two cars and they all followed a nervous Billy up onto the porch (well, as many of them would fit on the porch).

Mr. Cranston flung open the door the moment Billy pushed the doorbell. "Billy! Oh, it's so good to see you, son!" he exclaimed, giving Billy a warm hug before turning to Trini. "And little Trini, look at you, all grown up… and Jason, married, so I hear… good grief, Tommy, you look so different without all that hair! Zack, good to see you again… and little Kimberly, still as well-dressed as ever… and Rocky…" Conner, who as a tall brunette in a red T-shirt was presumed to be Rocky, hugged Mr. Cranston back without bothering to correct him, and Mr. Cranston turned to Trent with open arms. "And …" He paused, slightly confused. "Wait a second," he said, squinting at Trent. "You're not Adam."

"They're the friends of Tommy's I told you about, Dad," Billy said, shooting Trent and Conner an apologetic look. "That's Trent, and that's Kira. Ethan's the one in blue, and the one in red is Conner. Not Rocky."

"Oh! Terribly sorry."

Conner shrugged. "No prob."

"Come on in," Mr. Cranston said, gesturing towards the front door; by now he'd moved off onto the lawn. "I've made lemonade. Wouldn't drink it, if I was you—anyone want a soda or coffee?"

Thankfully, Billy's father had two L-shaped couches, so they were all able to sit down, though it was a close thing and they were pretty squished. Billy's father sat across from Billy, next to Trini, after retrieving their drinks. "So what brings you back into town, son?" he asked.

"Oh, no real reason in particular," Billy said uncomfortably. "I was just way past due for a visit."

"And you all came back into town at the same time?" Mr. Cranston asked, nodding at Tommy, Kimberly and Zack.

"Well… once we heard Billy was coming…" Kimberly said, tucking her hair behind her ear to give herself an excuse to look down, away from Mr. Cranston's shrewd gaze.

"You see," Trini spoke up quickly, "I told Tommy about Power Rangers Day this Saturday, and he has summer vacation, and I told Billy that Tommy was coming into town, and Zack had some time off too…"

"I see. And how do you four know Tommy?" Mr. Cranston asked the teenagers.

In the hotel the night before, Trini had brought up the subject of explaining the Dino Rangers' relationship to Tommy, and the group had worked out an feasible cover story—Tommy was friends with Trent's father, and the plan was for both Tommy and Anton to come, along with Trent's girlfriend and two of their friends… but Anton had been forced to cancel at the last minute. It was very plausible, much more so than saying they were Tommy's science students and had somehow become close enough to him to hang out regularly. Unfortunately, they'd forgotten to tell the Dino Rangers the plan.

"He's our science teacher," Conner said promptly.

"Your… science teacher."

"Yep. Well, ex-science teacher, really; we just graduated. Anyway, we really wanted to go to Power Rangers Day and he finally agreed to take us. It's gonna be so awesome to see the original Rangers!" Conner said, for all the world as though he hadn't spent the past several days hanging out with the original Rangers.

"Pinch him for me," Kira hissed at Ethan. She couldn't reach him without it being conspicuous.

"What?" Ethan whispered back, having missed what she'd said. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"They're my best students," Tommy said, shifting uncomfortably. "And I've been teaching them martial arts, too."

"I see," Mr. Cranston said, though he still looked very suspicious. "And you're living in _Reefside,_ I hear?" Billy had been keeping his father up to date on his friends' lives, not only because Mr. Cranston had known them well but because it filled the gaps in the conversation when Billy couldn't talk about his job, where he lived, or his alien girlfriend. Unfortunately, it looked rather bad that Tommy, who'd moved to Angel Grove right when the Green Ranger showed up and stayed until right before the Rangers disappeared, now lived in another Power Ranger city.

"Um, yeah. Just started teaching last September. My friend runs a café there, and she knew the superintendent and was able to get me a job interview."

"That's great. I hear Reefside's got Power Rangers, too?"

"Um, yeah. Five of them. From what I understand, they beat the evil villain, though. No one's seen them in weeks."

"Hmm. Were they as incredible as Angel Grove's Power Rangers?"

Tommy couldn't resist. "Nope. Not even half as cool." He grinned at the wounded looks on Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent's faces as they fought with themselves not to respond.

"So you came back for Power Rangers Day, specifically?" Mr. Cranston asked.

"No, no, that's just why the gang tagged along," Tommy said hastily, gesturing vaguely at Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent in a somewhat threatening manner. "I told them about it and they wouldn't leave me alone."

"I see. _Five_ Power Rangers in Reefside, did you say?"

Tommy struggled not to make a frightened noise in his throat. It was much easier to come up with Ranger-business-related excuses when he knew that he was about to run off into the sunset and fight something, thus ending the conversation as quickly as possible. Mr. Cranston's plane wasn't leaving for a good long while.

"Yeah, there were five," Trini said casually. "Tommy told us a bit about them, but they were only there for a year, not—what was it here? Five?"

"Something like that," Jason said uncomfortably.

There was a long pause, and then finally Mr. Cranston sighed and looked Billy straight in the eye. "You want to tell me what's _really_ going on, son?"

"What?" Billy asked, feeling the beginnings of panic fill him. "What do you mean?"

"You know, I've been a college professor for a very long time now. But before that, as I'm sure you remember, I taught high school. And I always said you got much better interaction between students and teachers in college. I've had coffee with my students and discussions with my students and every time I do I've thought to myself, 'You just can't do this with high school kids.' Not only do teens put less effort into their academics in high school, but the line between student and instructor is far more defined. Even though I've met with students after class, I've never had one in my _home,_ much less traveled with four of them."

"Oh, Mr. Cranston, that's not nearly as weird as you're thinking," Zack said quickly.

"Yeah, um, Tommy's friends with Trent's father, Anton Mercer," Trini added, "and Mercer was going to come and bring along the kids but then he had to cancel and Tommy figured that—"

"Trini, please," Mr. Cranston interrupted sternly, though his expression was gentle. "I'd rather hear it from my son. He, unlike you, is a terrible liar."

_"Excuse_ me?" Trini spluttered, horrified to hear Mr. Cranston, whom she'd always adored, refer to her as a liar.

"Do you honestly think it didn't escape my attention that it was always _you_ who explained everything away?" Mr. Cranston asked with a knowing smile. "When Billy started coming home bruised, bloody on occasion, often late? You always made some excuse for him, because on the rare occasions that he dropped by alone, I could tell he was lying about where he'd been. You were the one who explained why he kept running off at odd moments, why he was suddenly becoming so athletic, why he would sometimes vanish for hours, even _days,_ without so much as leaving a note."

"I wasn't making—"

"Oh, yes, you were. I'm not sure if that hogwash worked on _your_ parents, but it didn't work on _me._ Now Billy can't say a thing about his job, or where he lives, or just about anything to do with his life, and government employee or not, he should be able to. Just about every government worker could at least talk about their neighbors and their coworkers, and if he were _that_ top secret, he should at least have a few _false_ things to tell me. Now all I get is 'Washington's fine, Dad, but I can't talk about it.'" Mr. Cranston looked at Billy sadly. "You honestly didn't expect me to take your coming back as a coincidence, did you, son?"

Billy sighed. "I was hoping you would."

"For crying out loud, Billy, you can tell me anything, you know that. So tell me."

"It's not just about me, Dad. It's… it's complicated. It's…"

"It's you're back in town for Power Rangers Day and Tommy lives in Reefside."

There was a sudden, oppressive silence. Trini looked ready to cry. Billy felt terrible. It wasn't just his secret to tell; it was the team's secret.

_"Keep your identity secret. No one must know you are a Power Ranger."_

Zordon's words. Three rules. Obey them, or risk losing the protection of the power.

"You already know, don't you," Jason said to Mr. Cranston quietly. "You've known all along."

Mr. Cranston smiled. "You tell me."

Billy swallowed. "I don't work for the government. At least, not the United States government."

Mr. Cranston's eyebrows shot up, apparently not expecting this. "What?"

"Dude, you're a Russian spy?" Conner asked Billy incredulously.

Billy ignored him. "I live on an alien planet called 'Aquitar.' I have become a renowned scientist and diplomat, handling numerous problems with the planets' technology and acting as a delegate to other planets, primarily the ones who threaten war."

_"What?"_ Mr. Cranston repeated.

"That time, right after I graduated, when I asked if I could go on vacation for a few days?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with any—"

"I was recruited by Cestro, the Blue Aquitian Power Ranger, to help build a device to fight off a warring race. I've been living there all this time, and it's difficult to travel between planets. That's why I haven't told you anything."

Mr. Cranston stared at him, stunned. "Are you… are you _serious?"_

Billy nodded. "I've made a life for myself there. I'm respected, well-known, famous even. I'm also involved with a very wonderful Aquitian woman named Cestria."

"You're dating an _alien?"_ his father repeated loudly.

"Came as a bit of a shock to me, too," Trini said, patting Mr. Cranston on the shoulder.

"But… but… why are you back _now?"_ Mr. Cranston asked.

Billy sighed. "It was just a good time to come back. I had a bit of free time. Needed a vacation. And the teleportation system is much safer than it used to be. It used to be pretty dangerous, which was the main reason I didn't come back. That, and I don't have any money or clothing common to Earth. I've been staying with Jason and Trini. My friends have been lending me their clothes and paying for my meals."

Billy stopped, waiting for it to all take effect. Mr. Cranston could see that Billy was serious, but it isn't easy to accept that your son is living on another planet.

"Wait, hang on. You've been calling me, you couldn't have done that if you weren't on Earth…"

"There's a communication device in our basement that Trini connected to some sort of ghost cell phone," Jason added. "She's been fielding your calls for the past—what is it now? Seven, eight years?"

Mr. Cranston looked at him sharply. Billy realized with a sinking feeling that while he'd almost convinced his father that Aquitar, not Power Rangers, was behind his odd behavior, any points he might have scored with his father were about to be taken away. "He told you?" Mr. Cranston demanded. "Why tell _you,_ if it's supposed to be some sort of big secret?"

"I was there when Billy left," Jason said. "Me and Tommy were. Right before he officially moved out, Tommy and I told you we were taking Billy hiking in the mountains because he'd seemed a little down lately. In all actuality, he'd gotten sick and the Aquitians had taken him to their planet to help him. While he was being treated, he decided to stay."

Mr. Cranston stared at Jason for a moment, then at Tommy, then Trini, before finally turning to stare at Billy. Billy prayed that his father would accept this explanation, this half-truth, without delving further. His father had always believed in aliens; with any luck, Mr. Cranston would simply demand that Billy tell him all about Aquitar and leave it at that.

"Do you remember," he asked Billy slowly, "back before your mother died, when she used to run the observatory?"

"Yeah, of course," Billy replied cautiously, not sure where his father was going with this.

"We used to talk about aliens all the time. You always said you hoped you got to meet one some day, and I agreed." Mr. Cranston shook his head. "Do you really expect me to believe that you wouldn't tell me when you did?"

"I'm telling the truth, Dad."

"Oh, I know you are. I don't doubt for a second that in a world with Power Rangers and monsters and villains like Rita Repulsa, there are aliens. I also don't doubt that you've met them. But you've yet to explain _why._ You've yet to explain why you didn't tell me. You've yet to explain to me why Tommy's traveling with his students from Reefside. You've yet to explain what you're doing here _now."_

Billy opened his mouth to tell him that Tommy was friends with Trent's father, that he'd just heard Tommy was coming into town and decided to come back as well, that he was just intrigued by the thought of an alien civilization. But there was only one reason why he wouldn't tell his father where he was going—because his involvement with Aquitar was directly linked to his involvement with the Power Rangers.

Suddenly, Billy just couldn't do it. He had lied to his father enough, lost too much time with his father. His father was getting old, missing Billy terribly, and he already knew. Billy couldn't lie to him again. And suddenly, Billy knew Zordon would understand.

"It's simple, really," Billy said. "I'm a Power Ranger."

The silence that filled the room seemed to echo, his final words etching horror and panic on his friends' faces as his father simply stared at him. Then—

_"Ha, ha, ha!"_ Kimberly fairly screamed. "That's a good one, Billy."

"He's just kidding," Zack added. "Billy's not a Power Ranger. He would have told us."

"Give it up, guys," Trini muttered, looking a tad miserable. "He knows. He always knew." She laughed hollowly. "He always _did_ look at me funny when I came up with an excuse for Billy."

Mr. Cranston smiled. "It really was quite a tip-off when Billy magically became athletic. He could barely walk in a straight line before the Power Rangers showed up. Afterwards, he was suddenly on the football team."

"I'm sorry, Dad," Billy said. "We agreed not to tell anyone, and moving to an alien planet was part of being a Ranger, so I had to keep that quiet, too, and—"

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" Kira interrupted worriedly.

Mr. Cranston looked incredibly startled. "Tell anyone? Me? Good heavens, no! You have no idea how serious this town takes its Power Rangers. The reporters of Angel Grove would be begging Billy for interviews as soon as they figured out how to make phone calls to this—what did you call it? Aquitar?" He leaned towards the Dino Rangers conspiratorially. "You know, when Billy was a teenager, people somehow got it into their heads that he was the Red Ranger. Wouldn't leave him alone for weeks. He about had a nervous breakdown."

The ten Rangers shot each other looks of suppressed mirth.

"Anyway," Mr. Cranston said, turning back to Billy, an eager expression on his face, "which one were you, son? Blue?"

"Yes," Billy said. He looked down at his clothes. "I guess it's a tad obvious."

"Well, not really, no. I began to notice that you all never went very long without wearing certain colors, but the trouble was plenty of people wear one of those six colors, and you all wore a lot of _other_ colors. Particularly Tommy."

"Uh," Tommy said, shifting uncomfortably.

Jason laughed. "Yeah, Tommy was definitely the best at that."

"But when you all left town—Rocky, Adam, Aisha…"

"Yeah, they took over. And Kat took over for Kim," Billy said. "And Tanya for Aisha."

"And Justin for Rocky, and T.J. for me, and Ashley for Tanya, and Cassie for Kat, and Carlos for Adam," Tommy finished.

"I was so confused when those four were revealed to be the Rangers," Mr. Cranston said, shaking his head. Ever since their return to Earth, and the world-famous battle involving the citizens of Angel Grove against Divatox's army, T.J., Cassie, Carlos, Ashley, Zhane and Andros had been something of celebrities. T.J. had particularly relished the fame; he'd given dozens of interviews and even written a book about his battles as a Ranger (of course, the other Rangers claimed the book was embellished). They had, of course, never released the names of Tommy, Rocky, Adam, Kat, Tanya and Justin, though they admitted that they weren't the original Rangers.

"Do you think our parents figured it out, too?" Zack wondered aloud. "If Billy's dad…"

"I don't think so," Mr. Cranston said. "Personally, I think Billy was probably the most obvious. His sudden athleticism, determinedly enrolling in Jason's fighting classes when he'd never shown much interest, the increase of explosions in the garage…"

"And Billy was absent more than the rest of us," Trini added. "He was in the Command Center helping out more."

"If my parents noticed anything odd, they probably just chalked it up to the divorce," Kimberly said thoughtfully.

"We were busy even without Ranger duties, more than Billy," Jason agreed. "Classes and school sports and clubs…"

"All I had was a few science clubs," Billy said. "You guys were always off playing basketball and volleyball and practicing martial arts or gymnastics or dance or what have you. I was just the newly athletic geek." He smiled self-deprecatingly.

"You know," Trini said, "maybe we should give Billy and his dad some time alone. They've got a lot of catching up to do."

Mr. Cranston blinked. "But… but I want to hear everything! Every battle, every alien, every experience! How do you teleport, exactly? Oh, the physics must be advanced beyond belief! And tell me, would it be possible for me to get a hold of the plans for one of those giant robots? It could advance Earth's technology by decades! Centuries, even!"

Trini looked askance at Billy. He nodded slightly. She stood up, pulling Jason with her. "Billy's the one to tell you that, not us," she said quietly. "But we'll catch up. We'll come by and see you after you get back in town." She handed Billy her cell phone. "Call Jason when you want us to come get you, okay?" She shook Mr. Cranston's hand. "I'll be back by, Mr. Cranston. I want to catch up, as well. But for now—well, I think you two should have some time to yourselves."

Mr. Cranston bit his lip. "I feel sort of silly, inviting you over only to have you leave within a half hour."

Trini smiled. "Don't worry. We need to go outside, have a few panic attacks, and then think up subtle ways to ask our own parents if they know. Besides, we'll be back. I promise."

"Good," he said. "Don't be a stranger, Trini." He squinted at her. "You were Yellow, right?"

She nodded. "I was. Jason was Red, and later Gold. Kim was Pink, Zack was Black, and Tommy was Green, then White, and then he became Red shortly before Billy graduated."

He smiled and looked over at the teens, pointing at Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent in turn. "Black, Yellow, White, Blue?" he asked hopefully.

Conner looked down at his black shorts.

Ethan looked down at his white T-shirt.

Trent looked down at his blue jeans.

"Well, you got me right," said Kira.

"I was Black," Tommy said. "Conner was Red, Trent was White, and Ethan was Blue."

"Ah," Mr. Cranston said, scrutinizing Tommy's multicolored outfit.

With a chorus of goodbyes, they all filed out, leaving Billy alone with his father. Billy stared numbly into the blank space Trini had vacated. He was alone with his father. And he had absolutely no game plan.

"OH MY GOD HE KNOWS!"

Billy jumped. Ah, yes. The first of the panic attacks. Trini was frighteningly accurate about certain things.

"Do you think they all know? They can't _all_ know!"

"My _mom_ can't know!"

"Guys, don't freak! I mean, none of us are even you-know-what anymore—"

"Easy for you to say, Mr. Able to Be Honest with Dad Cuz He Used to Try to Kill Us!"

"THEY KNOW!"

"They can't! They _don't!"_

"I'm really glad I didn't beat up Derrick now. Or join the football team."

"My dad's gonna freak!"

"He doesn't know! They don't know! They _can't know!"_

"SHH! Guys, the neighbors!"

"Who cares about the neighbors? EVERYONE KNOWS!"

"I take it telling the parents is a fairly uncommon concept amongst Power Rangers?" Mr. Cranston asked wryly.

* * *

_End Notes:_ I'm not too keen on this chapter, mostly because it's more of a plot point than a… well, than the usual bit where any plot is interwoven with funny parts where Freyja and I get to torture the characters. So I'm posting two chapters at once. Please review! 


	26. History

**Chapter Twenty-six**

_History_

James stretched his head from side to side as he pulled open the front door, intent on getting the paper. He was getting older, and he was starting to regret never caring about how healthy he'd be once he hit middle-age. Thank god he had Tuesdays off work; he'd actually gotten to sleep in until ten today.

He stopped as he reached the sidewalk, staring at the neighbor's front lawn. Mr. Cranston next door was ordinarily a quiet sort, never having loud guests, although when his son Billy had still been at home there'd been all sorts of noise and explosions and once James could have sworn he'd seen a flying VW Beetle taking off from in front of the house. People had always been coming and going, too, which was odd because the Billy kid seemed a tad too nerdy to have as many friends as he did, or to sneak into the house at three a.m. as he'd often done. But after Billy had left—James had assumed he'd gone off to college—things at the house next door had quieted down and there were never any more flashing lights coming from the garage. Now, however, there were three girls and six guys on the lawn, babbling incoherently in a panic.

James tried to listen in, but all of them were talking quickly and at the same time, so all he got was that someone had found out some sort of secret. Suddenly a tall kid in red pointed straight at him.

"You know, too, don't you?" the kid screamed "Everyone _knows!_ But I can deny it to my dying day! This is just a witch hunt, that's all, and I'm not going to let you make me tell you the truth by using tricky mind games to make me panic because my mom's gonna kill me when she finds out and Eric will never—"

A kid in blue clapped his hand over the shouting kid's mouth while a blond girl in yellow smacked his arm. All nine of them smiled nervously at James in a distinctly creepy manner.

_Worse than when that Billy kid was always blowing stuff up in the garage,_ James thought in annoyance. He muttered something about calling the police, hoping that would scare the kids away; sure enough, as he turned to go into his house, he heard the sound of car doors slamming, quickly followed by squealing tires.

* * *

Tommy drove to Jason's house at a speed Skull could only dream of, arriving a good five minutes before Zack. Once they were all together again they dove into the privacy of the house and continued freaking out, ranting and raving and trying to come up with plans that somehow always ended in ranting and raving. Only Trent wasn't panicking—but then, Trent wasn't faced with the idea of coming clean about his superhero identity to his parents. Trini was fairly calm herself—but she seemed pretty down and withdrawn, as though depressed about what Mr. Cranston thought of her. Mr. Cranston hadn't been angry, of course, but Trini seemed distressed that he'd known she was lying all along.

"Guys, seriously," Trent said in exasperation. "Don't you think they would have said something if they knew?"

"Billy's dad didn't!" Kimberly fairly yelped.

"Only because he was cool about it."

"And Ernie didn't!" Zack pointed out.

"He was cool about it, too. Besides, neither of them ever told anyone, and they both promised they wouldn't. After all, they've been keeping it a secret for what, ten, eleven years now?"

They all thought about that for a second.

"God, you're wonderful." Kira breathed a sigh of relief and flung her arms around his neck.

"Yeah, you are," said Conner, and tightly hugged both of them. Trent fought off an irritated sigh. It was started to annoy him that he hadn't gotten much alone time with Kira lately.

"Suddenly feeling kind of silly," Zack said. "Scared as hell, but silly."

"Why don't we just all… calm down and talk about something else?" Trent suggested hopefully.

"Like what?" Jason asked.

"Like… oh, tell us something about the Ranger days," Trent said. "Surely you guys have more stories for us."

"Yeah!" Kira and Ethan chorused. Of all of the teens, they were the most interested in Ranger history. Conner was mostly interested in Jason's past, while Trent found the whole subject risky, because it sometimes ended up being a tad disturbing, as it often seemed to lead to him being compared to Tommy.

"Yeah, cuz _that's_ always _fun,"_ Tommy muttered darkly, thinking of the zord wreck with a shudder.

"What do you want to know?" Trini asked quickly, figuring any distraction was better than angry parents—after all, parents weren't known for keeping their children's secrets. It was why they always told their children's friends embarrassing stories involving diapers or some other such taboo thing.

Trent frowned, thinking; he pushed Conner away from him and Kira, mostly because it needed to be done but also because it was rather distracting. "Well… um… how did you all meet?" Trent asked. "Was it when you became Power Rangers?" Trent had befriended Conner, Kira and Ethan long before finding his Dino Gem, but he knew Conner, Kira and Ethan hadn't really given each other a second thought before stumbling into Tommy's basement lab.

Tommy shook his head. "The others were already friends when I moved to Angel Grove. I met Jason during a karate tournament, and Kimberly in the hall the next day. Scared the crap out of Bulk and Skull; they were hassling her."

"And you said you'd meet me in the Youth Center after school and decided to get yourself turned into the evil Green Ranger and try to kill us instead," Kimberly teased.

"Yeah, well, plans change," Tommy said, giving her a sheepish smile.

Glad that his idea appeared to be working, Trent pulled Kira over to an armchair and sat down, taking her with him. "But… what about the rest of you?"

Kimberly and Trini looked at each other.

* * *

Flashback

* * *

Five-year-old Kimberly stationed herself by the kitchen stove play set and looked around for another kindergartner to spend playtime with. Her eyes landed on a pretty Asian girl a few feet away. "Want to play house?" Kimberly called, holding up a plastic teapot.

The girl shrugged. "Okay."

* * *

Present Day

* * *

"We were best friends after that," Trini said. "Within a month, you couldn't pry us apart."

"Just like that, eh?" Ethan asked.

"Yup."

"Ah, the simple days," Kimberly said wistfully.

"Tell me about it," said Zack. "That's the same way I met Jason."

* * *

Flashback

* * *

"Hi."

Zack looked up at the speaker. An extremely short boy with brown hair was staring at him, confused and possibly a little upset.

"Hi," Zack said. "I'm Zack."

"I'm Jason. What are you doing?"

"Eatin' Play-Doh."

"Why?"

Zack thought about it for a second. "I don't know. I wanted to see what it tasted like."

"What _does_ it taste like?"  
"Here, try some!" Zack offered.

"I don't think you're supposed to eat it," said Jason, looking down at the red Play-Doh in Zack's hands with a slightly offended expression.

"Sure you are. What _else_ can you do with it?"

"You make things." He took the Play-Doh from Zack, sculpted it with his hands for a minute, and then proudly presented his work to Zack. "See? A sword."

"Whoa!" Zack said, deeply impressed. He grabbed another hunk of Play-Doh and molded it into a cross-shaped lump. "You're right! It's a sword!"

"Wanna sword fight?" Jason asked.

"Yeah! Hi-YA!"

* * *

Present Day

* * *

"Dude!" Conner said, looking in Jason at surprise. "You were _short?"_

"Horribly short," Jason said with a sigh. "Right up until about eighth grade. Believe it or not, Kim actually used to tease me about being shorter than she was."

"Whoda thunk?" Conner said, shaking his head.

"Anyway, that's how I met Jason," Zack said.

"I'd almost forgotten about that," Jason said, shaking his head.

Zack nodded. "Good thing we met, eh? Otherwise there'd be a lot less Play-Doh in the world."

"Only you, Zack."

"You were just mad it was _red_ Play-Doh."

"I don't even remember what color it was," Jason lied. "I wasn't even obsessed with red back then."

"Yeah, but—"

"What about Billy?" Trent interrupted, glad that everyone was finally starting to calm down and anxious to keep anyone from getting riled up again. "How'd you meet him?"

"Well," Trini said with a faint smile, "I met him first…"

* * *

Flashback

* * *

Trini looked around the room where her principal had told her she would be taking gifted classes this year. There were only four other kids in it at the moment, none of them from Trini's kindergarten class. Three of them were chatting while the fourth, a blond boy with glasses, sat alone, looking dejected. Trini hefted her advanced reading textbook under her arm and marched over to him.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Trini."

"That's a pretty name," he said, looking startled by her very existence.

"Thanks! What's your name?"

"B-Billy," he stammered.

"That's a pretty name, too."

"It is?"

"Yep. Will you be my friend?"

"I don't have any friends," Billy said apologetically.

"Why not?" Trini asked curiously. She had never met anyone who didn't.

"Everyone says I'm weird because I have an extensive vocabulary." Billy paused. "'Extensive' means 'big,' 'large' or 'long,' and 'vocabulary' means—"

"I know what it means," Trini said importantly. "It means the words you use."

"That's a simple way to put it," Billy said, staring at her in shock. Very few kids his age had ever been able to understand him; at best, they might catch every fifth word. Even teachers occasionally had trouble with his vocabulary.

"Well, I don't think you're weird," Trini said. "I think you're cool. I like your glasses."

"Most people say glasses are dorky."

"Well, most people aren't all that nice," Trini said firmly. "My mom says they have no respect for their peers."

"That's what my mom says, too," Billy said. "I didn't think she was right, though."

"Of course she is. If most people aren't being nice to you, and those same people aren't respecting you, and they're your peers, then most people who aren't nice have no respect for their peers, right?"

"Well… maybe. _You're_ nice to me," Billy said, slightly accusingly.

"Well, I'm not most people, I'm _me,"_ Trini pointed. "And you're you."

Billy thought about this for a second. "Okay." He paused. "Does your daddy read the dictionary with you, too?"

Trini blinked. "No. Only when I hear a new word I want to look up."

"Then how come you also have an extensive vocabulary?"

"Well, because my mommy says that if I get really smart and study really hard, I'll get a _really_ good job and take over the world and never be second-best to a man."

"Why do you want to take over the world?" Billy asked, wide-eyed.

"Well, because then I could make sure they play nothing but Scooby Doo on TV."

"Scooby Doo?"

"Yes."

"What's that?"

Trini gaped at him. "You know words like 'extensive' and you don't even know who Scooby Doo is?"

"I don't watch a lot of TV," Billy said apologetically. "My mom says it isn't very educational."

"Oh. Well, it's my favorite show. Kimberly's, too."

"Kimberly?"

"She's my other friend. You should play with us sometime. She's really nice. And she has lots of cool toys and dress-up clothes _and_ she can fold herself in half."

"She can—what?"

"Fold herself in half. Kimberly takes gymnastics."

"Oh. Do you?"

"No, no. Daddy says martial arts is much more useful. Teaches discipline and honor."

"Martial arts? You mean, you _hit_ people?" Billy looked appalled.

"Well, sometimes. But not very hard," she lied hastily at the look of terror on Billy's face. "And only when they deserve it," she added. At least that was true. Well, mostly… sometimes it was part of the class to train with other kids… and that bully Farcus back in kindergarten had usually deserved it.

"Are you going to hit me?" Billy asked resignedly.

Trini stared at him, startled. "Of course not. You're my friend now."

"I am?" Billy said, quite sure he hadn't yet agreed to that.

"Yep. You're going to sit with me and Kimberly at lunch and play with us at recess. And maybe sometime you can come over to my house and watch Scooby Doo."

"Um…" Billy said. He wasn't too certain how friendship worked; it had never happened to him before. So he didn't know if this was a good idea or not. But Trini seemed nice, and she was pretty and smart, so she would probably make a good friend. Besides, if she knew martial arts, she might could beat him up.

"Okay."

* * *

Present Day

* * *

They all cracked up. Picturing Billy cowering next to Trini was an oddly fitting image. "So you basically threatened him to be your friend?" Kira asked.

"Well, _no,_ I wouldn't say _threatened_—but that's how he took it," Trini said. "It was pretty funny, looking back."

"So what was it like when you met him, Kim?" Kira asked eagerly.

Kimberly shook her head. "Oh, man… what a disaster that was... it was later that same day…"

* * *

Flashback

* * *

"Hi, Kimmy!" Trini called cheerfully as she plopped her lunch tray down across from Kimberly. The first-grade students had an assigned section of the cafeteria, but no actual assigned seats, so even though Trini was in a different class this year she could still eat with Kimberly.

"Hi, Tri!" Kimberly replied, waving enthusiastically despite the fact that Trini was less than three feet away.

"This is Billy," Trini said.

"Who's Billy?"

"This," Trini said, gesturing to the seat next to her as she dug into her food.

Kimberly frowned. "Oh, is Billy your invisible friend?"

"What? No, he's right—" Trini looked over at the seat next to her and blinked. Billy wasn't in it. "Where'd he go? He was right behind me!"

Trini stood up and looked around. Billy was nowhere to be seen. Trini narrowed her eyes. "I'll be right back," she said in a determined sort of way, and stalked off.

Kimberly shrugged and fought to open her chocolate milk. A moment later, Trini returned with a hand firmly clamped around the forearm of a blond kid with glasses. "This," Trini announced, "is Billy. I'm his very first friend. You get to be his second friend, Kimmy."

"Cool," Kimberly gushed as he was forced into the seat next to Trini. "I like your glasses."

"But… but people are supposed to think glasses are dorky," Billy said desperately. Spending an entire three hours in class with Trini had rather shaken his outlook on life.

"Glasses aren't _dorky!_ I have some too, see?" Kimberly pulled her prize possession from the empty seat next to her—a big pink suede purse with a beaded strap. She flourished it at Billy to show it off before fishing inside it for a moment and pulling out her glasses. Then she jammed them on her face. "See?" she repeated proudly.

Billy stared. Kimberly's glasses were nothing like his. The frames were pink plastic and star-shaped, with dark lenses. He wasn't too much of an expert on cool, but they didn't look dorky to him at all. "Those _are_ sunglasses, you know," he pointed out uncertainly. He wasn't sure if sunglasses were supposed to be dorky like regular glasses or not.

"They're _still_ glasses," Kimberly insisted. "My mom says they make me look like a movie star. And Dad says they make me look like a prima donna."

"But 'prima donna' has negative associations."

Kimberly stared at him. Billy's eyes widened in horror—the first big word usage was always the moment right before someone called him weird and either made him go away or walked off themselves. Or worse.

"Billy has an extensive vocabulary," Trini explained.

"Oh, that thing you have sometimes?"

"Yeah, that." To Billy, Trini said, "Kimberly's not _really_ a prima donna. She just dresses like one."

"Oh." Billy blushed and pushed his glasses a little higher up his nose. He got the distinct feeling that Trini didn't feel the need to explain _every_ word to Kimberly.

"Billy's going to be our friend from now on," Trini continued. "We're going to be just like the Three Musketeers."

Billy looked rather nervous at that, but Kimberly just shrugged, smiled and said, "Okay. Can you open my milk, Trini? It's stuck again."

Trini took the carton and tried her best, but failed. "Billy?" she asked. "Want to try?"

Billy took the carton worriedly, wondering if this was some sort of test, or perhaps some trick to make him embarrass himself. Considering how emphatic Trini seemed to be about being his friend now, he was pretty sure it was the first one, though. He looked at the carton for a second—the flaps had been peeled back, but they wouldn't push outward; they were stuck together. So Billy stuck his fingernail in the gap in the middle and yanked as hard as he could.

And found himself covered in chocolate milk.

Billy stared blankly ahead, unable to fathom this new twist in life. He wasn't sure what was going on with the girls, because the milk had doused his glasses, too, but he could hear them both shrieking. Well, there went his new friendship.

The next thing he knew, paper napkins were being pressed firmly all over his head. He wondered if this was some sort of attack, if they were angry, if he'd gotten milk on them too. So it came as a complete surprise when a half-drenched Trini yanked off his glasses, her face really close to his to make sure he could see her. "Billy! Are you all right?" she asked, as though he'd just fallen off a building and broken a leg.

Billy blinked. He was still a bit too shocked to speak.

"I'm sorry! I never should have asked you guys to open my milk!" Kimberly wailed. "Please don't hate me! Oh, Trini, your dress is ruined! And Billy's hair is turning brown! Argh, napkins, we're out of napkins!" There was a sound of a scuffle at the table behind them, and then Billy felt Kimberly whacking him in the chest with her new supply of napkins.

"I'll clean off your glasses," Trini said, still looking worried.

"It just exploded," Billy said in awe, looking down at the dripping remains of the carton in his hands through blurry eyes.

"Well, the next time we experiment with new ways to open Kim's milk, we're not doing it that way," Trini said firmly, wiping down his glasses and then wringing out the side of her dress into the pile of soggy napkins on the table.

"My milk never opens right," Kimberly complained, nearly pushing him right off the back of the bench with a nice firm whack to one of the brown stains on his shirt.

"Mine's always half-frozen," Trini said.

Billy looked down at his milk-covered person, then at his arm, which Kimberly had jerked away from his body to clean off. He resolved to always drink the white milk from now on.

"We'd better go to the office," Kimberly whimpered, trying to haul Billy to his feet.

"Why?" Billy said distractedly, his brain slowly shutting down, as if it could no longer handle his utterly strange day.

"That's what I always do when there's a problem," Kimberly said, pushing him towards the door. Trini took his hand and began to pull, leaving Kimberly free to race on ahead.

* * *

"Mrs. O'Connell!" shrieked Kimberly, bursting into the main office in a panic. "Mrs. O'Connell, it's _terrible!"_

The secretary sighed. Kimberly was well-known in the office as the school's resident drama queen, and she'd only been in the school for a year so far; usually, Mrs. O'Connell let the other secretary deal with Kimberly, but old Mrs. Waverly had retired and they hadn't found a replacement yet. "What is it, Kimberly?"

"My new friend Billy tried to open my milk for me and it went _bad!"_

Mrs. O'Connell stared at her. This had to be the lamest, weirdest thing Kimberly had come to the office for yet.

"Well, Kimberly, there isn't much I can do about—oh dear." Mrs. O'Connell stared in shock at the sight of the two kids coming into the office behind Kimberly, the girl steering the boy gently by the arm, holding a pair of sticky glasses in her other hand. The little boy had a thoroughly stunned expression. He was soaked from head to toe in chocolate milk, still dripping in some places. The girl leading him was drenched almost exclusively down her left side. Mrs. O'Connell fervently hoped there hadn't been anyone else sitting near little Billy when he'd tried to open Kimberly's milk.

"Please fix them!" Kimberly wailed. "I don't want to lose my friends!"

"We're not going to stop being your friends," said the milk girl patiently, with the air of one who has said the same thing over and over again to no effect.

"You might! What if you do, Trini, what if you _do!"_

"I'm covered in chocolate milk," Billy said in a dazed sort of way, as though it hadn't yet sunk completely in.

Mrs. O'Connell struggled to come up with something reassuring to say as she reached for the radio to call the janitor; no doubt the cafeteria had a good deal of chocolate milk all over it right now. Before she could pick it up, it beeped and the lunch monitor's voice crackled through.

"Red alert, repeat, red alert! Three first graders missing. Abandoned their lunches. Appear to have left cafeteria. One apparently stole napkins from six people at neighboring table before making a break for it. Red alert, three missing first graders, calling all hands on deck, over!"

"Shut up, Hal, they're in the office," Mrs. O'Connell said tiredly into the radio. Hal was a little excitable. She had no idea why they'd put someone like him in a cafeteria full of elementary school kids, especially given his Hitler-like tendencies.

"Send them back to the lunch room immediately! They didn't ask my permission to leave! Over!"

"Two of them are soaked and the other one's in tears. I'll deal with them, thanks. Out." Rolling her eyes, she turned to the one exasperated and two distraught first graders. "Now, what are your parents' phone numbers?"

"My friends are never gonna speak to me again!" Kimberly sobbed.

"I'm covered in chocolate milk," Billy whispered, staring blankly at the wall.

"Five-five-five-oh-six-one-oh," Trini said calmly.

"And you, son?" Mrs. O'Connell asked Billy sweetly.

"I'm covered in chocolate milk."

"He's a little traumatized," Trini whispered to Mrs. O'Connell in an apologetic sort of way. Mrs. O'Connell blinked, startled at her choice of words. "But his last name is Cranston, if that helps."

"Thank you," she said.

"You're not going _home,_ are you, Trini?" Kimberly demanded, grabbing Trini's hand and staring at her in horror. "Who will I play with at recess?"

Trini sighed, looking as though going home greatly appealed to her at this point. "Mrs. O'Connell, aren't there any clothes in the lost and found bin we could wear? Mrs. Smith found me a new shirt that one time when Farcus spilled finger paint all over me last year."

Mrs. O'Connell stared at her for a moment before pulling the bin out from under the counter. "I'll look, sweetie, but that one—" she pointed at Billy— "probably needs a bath. And maybe therapy," she added worriedly.

"I'm covered in chocolate milk," Billy whispered again.

"No luck," Mrs. O'Connell told Trini a moment later. They cleaned out the bin over the summer, and the school year had only just started yesterday, so there wasn't much in the bin—just an old belt, a pair of earmuffs and one tennis shoe.

"You _can't_ leave, Trini!" Kimberly wailed. "You _have_ to play with me at recess! You _always_ play with me at recess! You were supposed to come over after school, too! You hate me, don't you?"

Trini gently took Kimberly by the shoulders, and then shook her until her sunglasses fell off. "Kim, get a grip! If I have to go home, I have to go home. But I probably won't. If they don't find me some new clothes to wear, my mom might bring some. I don't want to go home. I'll try not to. _Calm down."_

_We need more kids like that,_ Mrs. O'Connell thought, picking up the phone. "Kim, dear, why don't you go back to class?" Kimberly let out a whimper that became a low whine and, sensing where it was going, Mrs. O'Connell hastily added, "Or you could just sit quietly over there until after I call Trini's parents and find out if she's going home, how's that?"

"Okay," Kimberly sniffled, sitting down in the small plastic waiting chairs.

Trini gently guided Billy over to a chair next to Kimberly, then sighed when he didn't take the hint to sit down and shoved him into it. She slid his milk-streaked, sticky glasses back on his head—after all, napkins only did so much against milk on glass—and then returned to the counter. "Sorry about that," she said quietly, looking slightly embarrassed. "Kimmy's a little high-strung."

"You're a very unique girl," Mrs. O'Connell said. "Five-five-five-oh-six-one-oh, you said?"

She nodded. "Yep. Trini Kwan. Please explain that I'd like to stay at school, and would really appreciate it if she'd just bring me clothes."

Mrs. O'Connell nodded, and Trini remained patiently at the counter, as if reluctant to join Trauma Boy and Sobbing Girl. Figuring she might as well go for the easier call first, she dialed the Kwan residence and started flipping through the emergency cards, looking for Billy Cranston.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Kwan?"

"Yes?"

"This is Mrs. O'Connell, over at Angel Grove Elementary, and—"

"I honestly don't understand why you people keep insisting that Trini isn't allowed to defend herself when that goon Farcus attacks her."

"Oh, um, actually… Oh, I remember her _now!_ She never talked much when they brought her in before for fighting; I didn't realize it was the same… I mean, um, there's been a bit of an incident in the cafeteria with a couple friends of hers and some chocolate milk, and she needs a spare change of clothes, probably a bath."

"Oh. Well, is it all right if I just come pick her up? It's already almost noon. School will be out in two hours. There's no point in my coming out there twice. And she has karate today, so if she needs a bath, I need to get her one soon…"

"Well, she was hoping she could stay for recess, but it's your decision."

"All right, then. Tell her I'll pick her up. Oh, did this involve Kimberly?"

"Well, yes, Kimberly and another boy."

"Ah. Just so you know, if Kimberly starts sobbing, Trini is probably the only thing that can make her stop," Mrs. Kwan said, and hung up.

Mrs. O'Connell sighed and dialed the Cranston residence. A man answered on the second ring.

"Mr. Cranston?"

"Yes?"

"This is Mrs. O'Connell, from Angel Grove Elementary School. Your son had a bit of an accident in the cafeteria and—"

"I'll be right there!" Mr. Cranston interrupted worriedly. "Make sure you find out who did it this time!"

The line went dead. Mrs. O'Connell sighed, knowing Kimberly wasn't going to like this and praying someone else got to deal with her.

"Can I stay?" Trini asked.

"I'm afraid she wants to take you home," Mrs. O'Connell replied.

Trini nodded sadly. "I thought she would. Well, I'd better start cheering up Kim in advance."

And Trini did just that, although by the ninth time the girls sang the _Sesame Street_ theme song Mrs. O'Connell was starting to feel faint stirrings of a violent streak. Thankfully, Mrs. Kwan arrived in the middle of the opening lines of the eleventh rendition.

"Good heavens, Trini, look at you," she said. "What on earth happened?"

"Kim's milk wouldn't open and Billy tried really really hard to—"

"Where is he?" demanded a breathless Mr. Cranston, bursting into the office, his penny loafers skidding on the tiles. "Is he okay? Did you get the bully's name?"

"He's, um, he's fine, Mr. Cranston, he just—"

Mr. Cranston wasn't listening; he'd spotted Billy sitting rigid in the chair, staring straight ahead through his milky glasses. "Billy! Son, what is that all over you? Did someone pour milk on you this time? Rude little devils! I swear!"

"Excuse me, Mr. Billy's dad," Trini said, stepping up. "No one poured milk on him. It was an accident."

"Who are you?" Mr. Cranston demanded, eyeing the milk stains on her dress suspiciously.

"I'm Trini Kwan, sir," Trini said, extending her hand. "I'm Billy's very first friend. Kim here is his second friend."

Mr. Cranston shook her hand absently, staring at her. "Is that right?"

"Yep. Billy was trying to open Kimberly's milk for her and it just _exploded._ We tried to wipe him up, but I don't think we got it all."

"That's my girl," Mrs. Kwan said in affectionate exasperation. "Drying other people off while her new dress drips all over her shoes. You're a little _too_ sweet sometimes, honey."

Trini proudly threw out her chest. "Billy's my _friend,_ Mom. I _had_ to help him."

Mr. Cranston shook his head and turned back to Billy. "Are you okay, son?"

"I'm covered in chocolate milk," Billy said blankly.

"He's a little traumatized, sir," Trini said. "But I think he'll be okay."

"I'm really sorry," Kimberly said, her lip quivering dangerously; Trini looked at her worriedly. "I wouldn't have asked him to help with my milk if I'd known it could do _that."_

Mr. Cranston nodded kindly at her and shook Billy slightly. "Son? Speak to me, Billy."

Billy blinked, only to find himself unable to see. He pulled off his glasses, which didn't do much for his vision except remove the brown streaks. "Hi, Dad," Billy said, still rather dazed.

"You okay?"

"I made a new friend, Dad."

"And an enemy out of the chocolate milk, I'd wager."

"What?"

"Nothing. That's very good, son."

"Two friends, right Billy?" Kimberly asked desperately.

"Oh. Yes. Right. Two friends."

"Come on," Mr. Cranston said worriedly. "Let's get you home."

Mr. Cranston had to pull Billy up to his feet by the hand; Billy swayed unsteadily for a moment. Just as Mr. Cranston tried to nudge him around towards the doorway, Kimberly shrieked "WAIT!" so loud that everyone jumped.

Kimberly got up and flung her arms around Billy's neck. Billy assumed this was hug. He wasn't sure, because only his parents had ever hugged him, and they were a lot taller and therefore it didn't work quite the same. So he just copied Kimberly's example until she let go and turned to hug Trini, her pink dress now dotted with the occasional brown stain. "Are you still coming over today, Trini?"

Trini looked at her mother. "We'll see," Mrs. Kwan said.

Trini sighed. "Have fun at recess, okay?"

"I'll try," Kimberly said tearfully.

Trini patted her on the shoulder and then smiled at Billy. "Have a good day, Billy."

"I'll do that," Billy said blankly.

Mr. Cranston shook his head worriedly. "He usually bounces back much more rapidly from a bully attack."

"Well, it's one thing to face down a bully," Trini said wisely, gesturing to her ruined dress, "and it's a whole other story to face down chocolate milk."

* * *

Present Day

* * *

"Billy told us it took hours to recover from the shock," Kimberly said with a sigh. "I felt so horrible. But he dutifully sat with me and Trini again at lunch, when he finally came back to school."

"That school had the most annoying milk cartons ever," Zack complained.

"That was the same day I met you, wasn't it, Kim?" Jason asked.

"Yup. That was the first time I didn't have anyone to play with at recess," Kimberly said.

"What, he saw you sitting alone and decided to ask you to play with him?" Ethan asked. People were always doing that—well, the teenaged version of that—to him, which he actually found kind of annoying. No one seemed to understand that when he was sitting alone, it was because he _wanted_ to sit alone, to play his Game Boy or read a good sci-fi book or whatever. People never seemed to understand why he didn't constantly crave social interaction.

"Nope," Jason said, shaking his head. "I was alone that day at recess, too. Zack had gotten punished for eating Play-Doh. Again."

"It was _good!"_ Zack insisted. "The red stuff tasted the best, but the blue was all right, too."

"Do you still eat it or something?" Kimberly asked. Zack ignored her.

"Zack, Play-Doh doesn't have individual flavors," Jason said, rolling his eyes.

"How would you know? _You_ never ate it." He looked around at the rest of the group. "Come on, guys, back me up here. We've all eaten Play-Doh at some point, right?"

Everyone stared at him blankly for a second.

"Of course," Conner said. "But I thought the yellow tasted best. Ooh, and the white."

"Nah, man, white was _nasty!"_

"Dude, remember the green?" Both Conner and Zack shuddered and made disgusted noises, then cracked up.

"Getting back on subject," Jason said loudly, "I ran into Kim on the playground."

"Actually," Kimberly said, jokingly pulling her face into a wide-eyed expression of awe and hero-worship, "you saved my _life."

* * *

_

_End Notes:_ This was just an interlude I was dying to do… hope it's as funny as I thought it was. Personally, I can just picture Zack as a Play-Doh eater and Kimberly as a six-year-old diva. The title, "History," is technically an S.P.D. title, but as it fit and the episode had Conner, Kira and Ethan in it, I figured I'd use it.

**Random poll of the day:** What's everyone's favorite episode of Power Rangers?

* * *

_Behold the Future:_

1) "I didn't understand a word he just said and he looks the same as he did back in high school," Kimberly said. "Wow. Billy's _back."_

2) At last, Jason took his hand down and looked solemnly at Tommy. "You know she's going to kick your ass, right?"

3) "Trini, I'm going to ask you this very carefully," Kimberly said, fighting off a grin. "What is Tommy doing in our bed?"

4) Jason's grin widened. "It's just killing you that I might have gotten in the winning hit, isn't it."

5) Conner pouted. Ethan patted him on the back. "Don't worry, Conner. _He's_ the one who put a sinkhole at the entrance to his secret lab escape tunnel. And you were just trying to help. We'll look back on this and laugh, Conner. Who knows, maybe this will even work out all right."

6) "…Don't you mean _Trini_ swooned?" Zack asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No, JASON. _Jason_ swooned."

7) "All bets are off in a Ranger-to-Ranger battle," Trent said. Everyone turned to look at him. "What?" he demanded defensively.


	27. Rangers Back In Time

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

_Rangers Back In Time_

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

Kimberly sat dejectedly on the swing, not even bothering to swing properly. No Trini, and Mrs. O'Connell had said Billy might need _therapy._ Kimberly wasn't sure what that was, but it would probably take a very long time. Maybe even _days._

First grade wasn't going so well. Of course, it was only the second day of first grade, but still. In kindergarten, there had been a lot less work and a lot more playtime, and even naps (most of her classmates didn't enjoy those, but Kimberly had always spent that time dreaming about meeting Prince Charming and having him carry her off on his pretty white horse, maybe even unicorn). And now she and Trini weren't going to be in the same class. At least neither of them would have to be in the same class with Farcus this year, though. (Trini's mother had made sure of that. On numerous occasions, Farcus would annoy Trini for reasons unknown. He was especially fond of pinching and hair-pulling. And Trini was fond of kicking him in the shin, and punching if it came to that. Trini's mother had always gotten Trini out of trouble by saying that Trini's teachers were forcing Trini to handle his harassment herself—which was true. But it didn't console Farcus's parents to know he'd spent half of kindergarten hopping around on one foot. So Farcus was hopefully never going to be in the same room with Trini and Kimberly again.)

Kimberly was so lost in her own depressed thoughts that she didn't even notice the group of fourth-grade boys approaching her swing until they had her surrounded. One of them, a beefy kid with a rattail, got right up in her face, jolting Kimberly back to reality.

"Hey, kindergarten baby," he sneered. "You're on my swing."

"It's not _your_ swing," Kimberly said irritably. "And I'm not in kindergarten."

"You still look like a kindergarten baby to me," he retorted.

"That's because you're stupid," Kimberly replied. She would have stuck out her tongue, but he was so close she might accidentally lick him.

"If you've got something to say, say it to my face," he growled as his buddies snickered.

"I just _did_ say it to your face," Kimberly said in confusion.

He thought about this for a second, then shook his head as if trying to shake off water and glared at her. "I think you need to be taught a lesson."

"I think you're too stupid to actually teach me anything," Kimberly said, now slightly nervous. He was an awfully _big_ fourth grader.

"HEY!" someone shouted. _"You leave her alone!"_

Kimberly pushed the big kid away, hopped off the swing and turned to look for her rescuer. But there was no rescuer. Just a short, skinny boy who couldn't be any older than she was, and was actually an inch or two shorter.

"Uh-oh," Kimberly muttered with a sigh. Unless this kid was a superhero in disguise, they were both in big trouble now.

"Who's gonna make me?" the kid demanded.

"Me," the boy said, marching forward. Two boys parted ranks to let him through, as if not quite certain how to handle a majorly squishable first grader with an attitude.

"You and what army?" the kid snorted.

"Me and the one-man army of Jason Lee Scott!" he said proudly, coming to stand with his fists up in between Kimberly and the big kid, his eyes flashing death at the kid two feet taller than him.

The kid snorted again. "Out of my way, twerp."

"I'm not going to let you pick on her! Only weak, stupid, mean people pick on girls!" Jason said defiantly.

"Look," Kimberly said desperately, "I'm off the swing. You can have it. I'll just go swing on another one."

"You better leave her alone, or else!"

"Or else what?"

"Nice shiny swing!" Kimberly yelled, grabbing the chain and shaking it at the big kid.

"Or else _I'll_ have to teach _yo_u a lesson!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Shiny, empty swing!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"I don't even _like_ swings!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"YEAH!"

"Okay, if Trini was here, what would she do?"

"Oh, yeah?"

"YEAH!"

"Oh—OW!"

Kimberly had kicked him in the shin with her brand-new pointy-toed cowgirl boots as hard as she could, just like Trini had often done to Farcus. The bully was responding the exact same way Farcus did—by grabbing his leg and teetering dangerously and screaming. Jason looked at her in awe, startled at her intrusion into the time-honored tradition of hero and villain exchanging angry words. Kimberly grabbed his hand and prepared to run—to drag him off if necessary—when the fourth grader made a wild swing. Jason pushed her down and out of the way, dropping to his knees and slamming his fist into the kid's gut. The kid went down, howling, possibly crying.

Jason grinned proudly, but before he could gloat another fourth grader dove at them. Jason let out a karate yell and punched him right in the groin. The kid screamed and dropped beside his fallen leader. Jason turned to Kimberly, only to see her whacking another member of the gang of fourth graders upside the head with a large pink purse. Jason looked at her in respect for a moment before facing the remaining fourth graders, dropping into the stance Sensei Mike had taught him and letting out another "Hi-ya!"

Two of the fourth graders bolted. The third looked at the two kids writhing in pain, then at the one Kimberly was still beating, then at short, crazy Jason, and decided retreating was the best idea.

"And don't come back!" Jason shouted after them, pumping his fist in the air, only to feel a hand close tightly around it. He looked up in horror to find the principal glaring down at him, holding Kimberly back with his other hand while she continued to wave her purse threateningly at the sobbing kid on the ground.

* * *

Mrs. O'Connell fought off a groan as the principal dragged the two first graders into the office. She knew little Jason fairly well; while Mrs. Waverly had always dealt with Kimberly and the Trini/Farcus war, she'd left Jason—who'd gotten into several fights last year—to Mrs. O'Connell. Jason's parents had a tendency to lecture him before leaving, and that was going to be even more annoying with Kimberly added in.

"These two," the principal growled, "fought three fourth graders."

_"These_ two?" Mrs. O'Connell repeated incredulously.

"Yes, these two. The nurse is tending to the fourth graders."

_Kimberly's awfully good at falling in with the weird sort. At least she isn't sobbing yet,_ Mrs. O'Connell thought grimly, a full two-point-four seconds before Kimberly burst into tears.

"It's not our _fault!"_ Kimberly wailed. "These big mean kids tried to make me get off the swing and Jason rescued me and that one kid tried to steal my purse while Jason's back was turned and they were mean and scary and I didn't know what to _do!"_ she finished in a shriek. "I didn't want to fight them! I didn't mean to hurt him! He was trying to steal my _purse!"_

The principal's face softened. He looked at Mrs. O'Connell. "Has she ever been in a fight before?"

"No, not that I know of. Well, other than when she gets caught in Trini Kwan's crossfire."

He paled. "Trini Kwan… as in Truc Kwan, the parent most likely to call the school board?"

"Yes, that's her. Little Trini is Kimberly's best friend."

"Oh, dear," the principal muttered. He nodded at Jason and Kimberly, releasing them. "You two, go back to class, and stay out of trouble."

Jason stared at him. "But… aren't you going to call my dad?"

The principal arched an eyebrow. "Do you _want_ me to call your dad?"

Jason shook his head violently. "No, sir."

"Good. Then go to class."

Jason walked out behind Kimberly, rather dazed. As soon as they got out into the hallway and the office door closed behind them, Kimberly stopped crying and smiled. "Works every time," she said in a self-satisfied sort of way.

"You _planned_ that?" Jason said, shocked.

"Well, yeah," Kimberly said sheepishly. "But I only do it when it's not my fault."

"That was _awesome,"_ Jason told her, utterly impressed and relieved. His father was never very happy when Jason got sent home from school, and his mother's disapproving frown was worse. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

Kimberly beamed. "My mom," she said proudly.

"Do you think you could teach me how to do that?"

"Well, actually, my mom says it's kind of a girl thing," Kimberly explained apologetically.

"Oh. Darn. Well, thanks for getting me off the hook."

"You're welcome. Thanks for saving my life."

Jason shrugged modestly. "It was nothing. You were pretty good with your purse, too."

"Aw, thanks!"

Jason held out his hand. "I'm Jason."

Kimberly shook it. "I'm Kimberly. Who's your teacher?"

"Mrs. Dowagiac."

"Bless you."

"I didn't sneeze, silly, that's her name. She spent a whole hour teaching us to pronounce it yesterday."

"That's the funniest name I've ever heard!" Remembering Billy's speech patterns, she asked, "Does she teach the gifted class?"

"Gifted? No. We haven't gotten any gifts."

"Ah. Well, my friend Trini's in the gifted class… and so's my friend Billy." Kimberly looked down at her feet, a little saddened by the thought of poor, brave Billy. "You'd like them. They're both really brave. And Trini's the only other person I know who can fight like you do. She takes karate."

"Really? I never met a girl who took karate." Jason looked rather interested by this.

"She's supposed to come over and play with me today. Would you like to come, too? I'm pretty sure Trini won't mind."

"I'm supposed to play with Zack today. He's my best bud. But maybe I can ask if we can come over to your house instead. Can I bring him?"

"Sure!" Kimberly fished in her giant purse and pulled out a fuzzy pink pen and a pad of Sleeping Beauty stationary and scribbled something on the pad. "Here. Call me at three o'clock, okay?"

"I will. Nice meeting you," Jason said, stuffing the number in his pocket. He paused, a sudden thought occurring to him. "If me and Zack can come over… don't let him use your Play-Doh, okay?"

* * *

_Present Day_

* * *

_"Hey!"_ Zack exclaimed. "Is _that_ why Kimberly always pretended she didn't have Play-Doh when I saw a big case of it under her bed?"

"Told you he saw through that," Trini said. "After all, you had every _other_ toy on the planet."

"Well, Jason was really adamant about the Play-Doh thing."

"He ate ALL my red Play-Doh!" Jason complained. "Like it was candy or something!"

"I said I was sorry! Your mom _said_ it was snack time!"

"You guys were weird kids," Ethan said.

"Oh, like you never ate Play-Doh," Conner said.

"No, I ate cookies like a normal kid," Ethan retorted.

"Yes, Ethan, because you're oh-so-normal." Conner paused. "Eric used to eat dog treats. But I liked Play-Doh. It wasn't as crunchy. And it was saltier and—"

"So… let me get this straight, Kim," Kira interrupted. "You beat up a fourth grader… with your purse?"

"Well, he _was_ really big, and it wasn't like I was a third-degree black belt at the time," Kimberly said sheepishly. "I was six years old. Give me a break."

"Besides, she keeps a lot of crap in her purse," Tommy said without thinking. "She dropped one of them on my foot once and I thought my toes were broken."

"Oh, yeah, when we went out for our first anniversary," Kimberly said. "You asked me to put the purse back in the car and I kept running back out to get things from it."

"And then you wouldn't put the purse down when we were m—" Tommy stopped, horrified, suddenly realizing what they were talking about. "Um, when we were… back in the car."

"Oh, yeah," Kimberly said, eyes widening and face reddening. She wanted to kick herself. She should've just defended her purse's contents, not brought up the fact that she'd dropped it on him while on a date, let alone on their anniversary. They'd just crossed one of the most important invisible lines. Pretending to start over didn't really work if one brought up the parts of the past that defined the past as _there._

There was a long, ugly silence. No one knew what to say. Tommy and Kimberly stared firmly at opposite walls.

"Anyway, that's how Zack and I fell in with Trini," Jason said desperately. "Through Kim."

"It was love at first sight for those two," Zack said. Realizing that the awkward Tommy and Kimberly moment wasn't quite over, he added, "For Trini and Jason, I mean," which of course just made matters worse.

Trini smiled brightly, hopping in with fervor; saving the day with well-placed words was what Trini did best. "Jason _did_ seem really taken with me, looking back."

"Hey, you thought I was cool, too," Jason said, looking a tad put out at that comment.

"Yeah, I did. But you were all _amazed_ with me."

"You were amazed with me, too," Jason insisted.

"All right, fine, I was," Trini said, though it was uncertain if she meant it or if she was placating him.

"That's right, you were," Jason said firmly, sliding his arm around her shoulders. He grinned. "My dad was so nervous about the fact that I wanted to go play with girls. Didn't want me to pick up bad habits, like playing with dolls or something."

Trini grinned. "Good old Mr. Scott. Not exactly a chauvinist, but he certainly has a well-defined sense of 'guy things' and 'girl things.' My mother loves beating him at arm-wrestling. So does Dad, really."

Jason shook his head. "I remember I told him that you took karate so you probably weren't a _real_ girl. He got a bit calmer after that, but he was still kinda freaking out."

"Is that why your dad asked if I really wanted to go play with girls?" Zack asked.

"Yeah. To which you replied, I believe, 'Depends. Does she have Play-Doh?'"

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

Jason waved enthusiastically to Kimberly through the window of his father's truck as he as Mr. Scott pulled into the driveway. "That her?" Zack asked, struggling to see out the window over Jason.

"Yep. She's really cool."

"Remember what I told you," Mr. Scott said worriedly.

"No dolls, no dress-up, no makeup, no kissing," Jason recited dutifully.

"Yeah, no dolls, no dressing, no making, no kiss-up," Zack repeated absently.

Jason and Zack unbuckled themselves and hopped out of the truck, Mr. Scott close behind. Kimberly was standing on the front lawn, straining against her mother's hand, which was firmly clamped to hers.

"Hi Jason!" Kimberly shouted, waving so hard she nearly whacked her father, who was standing on her other side. "Welcome to my home," she added in a more lady-like, rather rehearsed tone before switching back to perky mode. "This is my mom. And my dad. Trini isn't here yet. She has karate today, so she won't be here until four-thirty. Want to play Candy Land? Or Clue? I like Clue. Or we could watch TV. Or we could play on my swing set. Or we could play house. _Do_ boys play house? Mom says boys don't play house. And Dad says boys don't play house until they're married and thirty. Hi you must be Zack!"

Kimberly extended her left hand for him to shake, as her mother was still holding the right. Zack tried to figure out how to shake her hand, but he wasn't too good at distinguishing his right from his left yet and couldn't figure out why his right hand couldn't clasp hers properly, so Kimberly's mother finally let her go, shaking hands with Mr. Scott instead and introducing herself and Mr. Hart over the kids' heads. Kimberly shook Zack's hand enthusiastically and then hugged Jason. Startled, he hugged her back.

"Do you have cooties?" Zack asked Kimberly as she pulled away from Jason.

"What? No. I don't think so."

"My cousin Lamar says girls have cooties."

"Well, I don't have cooties. I could get some, though. Mommy, I want cooties!"

"We'll see," Mrs. Hart said noncommittally, shrugging. Mr. Hart grinned, putting his fist against his mouth to hide it.

"I like your hair," Kimberly told Zack. "How do you get it so poofy like that?"

Zack patted his hair, which extended about four inches from his head. "It just sort of does it."

"It's very cool hair. Trini has cool hair, too. Your hair's cool, too," she added as an afterthought to Jason. "Mommy, can you make my hair look like Zack's?"

"Eh, maybe tomorrow," Mrs. Hart said, fighting off a smile.

"Do you have Play-Doh?" Zack asked.

"Oh, ye—"

Jason shook his head frantically.

"No. No I don't."

"Oh." Zack's face fell, but he quickly brightened. "Can you dance?"

"Of course I can dance," Kimberly said importantly. She put her arms over her head, ballerina-style, got up on her tiptoes, and turned a circle. "See?"

"That's not dancing," Zack said, confused. _"This_ is dancing." Zack bopped his head and moved his legs and swung his arms around.

Kimberly stared at him. "That's not dancing. Here, try this!" Kimberly stood on one foot, stuck her leg straight out back, put her arms back over her head as gracefully as she could and went up on her tiptoes again.

Jason and Zack shrugged and tried it.

"AHH!" Zack yelped as he fell into Jason.

"OW!" Jason complained as the two sprawled on the front lawn.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Maybe we'd better try it your way," Kimberly said, helping them up. "My way's too dangerous. That's really advance ballet, you know. I saw it on TV."

Mr. Hart snorted into his hand, struggling not to laugh.

"I think I've had enough dancing for one day," Jason said sourly, rubbing his shoulder.

"Well, we could play on the tramp'line. Do you like tramp'lines?"

"We don't have a tramp'line," Jason said.

"What's a tramp'line?" Zack asked.

"Ooh, come on, I'll show you!" Kimberly grabbed their hands and pulled them towards the backyard.

"Told you she'd be fine," Mr. Hart told Kimberly's mother.

Mrs. Hart pursed her lips. "I'll go keep an eye on them."

Mr. Scott and Mr. Hart looked at each other. "Nice truck," Mr. Hart commented.

"Thanks. Nice, ah, station wagon. 82, is it?"

"That's the wife's," Mr. Hart said hastily. "I drive a Chevelle."

"Really?" Mr. Scott perked up.

"Bought it the day I turned sixteen; it's still in perfect condition. Come on, I'll show you; it's in the garage."

Mr. Scott looked nervously in the direction the girl had dragged his son, then shrugged. She didn't seem so bad, for a girl.

* * *

Trini skipped into the backyard, her dad now arm-wrestling Mr. Hart and Mr. Scott in the garage. She was curious to meet Jason; he sounded pretty cool, from what Kimberly had told her over the phone before Trini had gone to karate.

"Hi, Trini," said Mrs. Hart absently, avidly watching the three bouncing kids on the trampoline.

"Hello, Mrs. Hart," Trini said.

"TRINI!" Kimberly yelled, leaping off the trampoline. Zack and Jason scrambled down after her, both looking winded; neither boy had wanted to jump down before she did, but they'd been on that thing for over forty-five minutes.

"Hi, Kimmy!" Trini called.

"Trini! You're okay!"

"It was just a little milk," Trini said as Kimberly flung her arms around her.

"Is your dress okay?"

"Mom's still soaking it in the washing machine."

"This is Zack and Jason!"

"Hi." Trini waved.

"Funny, you _look_ like a girl," Jason said, frowning.

"I _am_ a girl, silly," Trini said.

"But you take karate," Jason pointed out. Kimberly had told them Trini's life story already, in addition to what she knew of Billy's.

"Girls can do anything boys can do," Trini said fiercely.

Jason was about to reply when Zack fell right over. They all clustered around him, concerned.

"Zack! Buddy! Speak to me, man!"

"Oh, no! I've killed _another_ new friend! That's the third one I've hurt today!"

"Zack, how many fingers am I holding up?"

"No more trampoline," Zack groaned.

Trini helped him sit up. "You okay?"

"Could use some Kool-Aid," Zack said faintly.

"Kim, go ask your mom," Trini said. Kimberly ran off. "Ew, you're all sweaty." She took the edge of her T-shirt and wiped his forehead.

"Good thinking," Jason said solemnly. "I don't think he's cut out for trampling."

"Not everyone is," Trini admitted. "I'm really good at it, though," she couldn't resist adding.

"How good are you at karate?" Jason asked.

"Pretty good. I'm a yellow belt."

"Me, too. …Who's the coolest Ninja Turtle?"

"Well, Donatello is the smartest, and he's funny, too. But the team is nothing without Leo."

"Leo's my favorite, too." Jason paused. "Who's the coolest character on _Scooby Doo?"_

"Velma."

"I like Freddy best."

"Well, Freddy's real important, but Velma's the one who solves all the mysteries in the end. But Freddy's good at planning and saying 'Let's split up, gang.'"

"Yeah, I guess they're both pretty important."

"Of course." She tilted her head to the side. "Do you like Scooby or Shaggy best?"

"Shaggy's funnier. And I can understand what he says."

"I can understand Scooby really well, but I like Shaggy better, too."

"What's the best food in the world?" Jason asked, a note of challenge in his voice now.

"Ice cream, of course."

"Do you play video games?"

"I'm the best!"

"Can you roller skate?"

"Sure. I can even do _tricks."_

"Bicycle?"

"Oh, yeah. No training wheels for me!"

Jason nodded. Now for the final test. "Favorite Kool-Aid flavor?"

Trini thought about it. She liked lemonade best, but lemonade was _lemonade,_ not Kool-Aid. "Red," she said finally.

Jason stared at her, awed. "Kim was right. You really _are_ cool."

"Thanks! You're cool, too."

"And you're pretty."

"Thanks. You're pretty, too."

Jason frowned. "I am?"

"Sure you are."

"Um, thanks. Kim was right about your hair. It's very cool."

Trini tossed her head proudly. "Thanks. I—"

"KOOL-AID!" Kimberly fairly screamed, thrusting a giant pink cup in Zack's face.

* * *

_Present Day_

* * *

"You forget just how things worked when you were a kid," Trini said. "How easy it was to make friends, what was truly important—"

"Freddy was way more awesome than Velma," Conner said.

"No way, dude. Velma was the best," Ethan said. "Plus she had that cool catchphrase. 'Jinkies!'"

"I forgot all about that 'fro Zack used to have," Kimberly said with a grin.

"What is it with you and hair?" Zack demanded, touching his braids gingerly. Trini nudged him, giving him a warning look. Tommy cleared his throat.

"My mom teased my hair way out for Halloween that year, remember?" Kimberly asked, ignoring Zack.

"Of course I do. You were the only fairy princess with bride-of-Frankenstein hair," Trini replied, laughing.

"So… when did you guys meet Billy?" Trent asked Jason and Zack.

"A few days later, at recess. Billy didn't come back to school for a couple days, and Zack and I had both gotten blamed for Zack's Play-Doh fetish, so we had to eat lunch in the classroom—something about not getting the privilege of eating with friends until we could learn how to eat actual food," Jason said. "I want to say it was that Friday."

"It was. I remember because it was my last karate day before I moved past yellow belt," Trini said. "And we all had a sleepover that weekend."

"Oh, yeah, in Trini's living room," Kimberly said. "With Mr. Cranston on the couch."

"He was a little leery of new people, considering how often Billy got beat up," Zack said.

"Although after he started hanging out with me and Kim regularly, no one really messed with him until middle school," Jason said. "Everyone knew us as the Psycho First Graders after that day on the playground, but once middle school came around only half the elementary school was still around to remember it. We had to stake out a whole new rep."

"Anyway," Trini said, "Billy told me he was scared as hell about the whole thing. Kim and I'd already been hanging out with Jason and Zack all week after school and at recess and during lunch, but he didn't meet them until that day on the playground…"

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

Billy trudged behind Trini as she marched across the playground, Billy's wrist clamped firmly in her hand. He didn't see why he had to meet her new friends. After all, she'd only been friends with Jason and Zack for a few days. Kimberly was one thing—she was nice to anyone that wasn't mean to her first. But boys were a whole other story. Boys always tried to hit Billy, or at least say something rude. There was no kindness for an extremely smart boy who talked funny and dressed funny and now hung out with two girls all the time. And from what Billy understood, Trini had met Jason because he had been trying to fight off a bunch of big kids, so Jason must be pretty strong.

"Hi, guys!" Trini yelled all too soon, making Billy jump. He swallowed as Trini stopped beneath the monkey bars, where Kimberly was hanging by her knees. A strong boy with brown was swinging from bar to bar, heading towards the end away from Kimberly.

"Hi, Trini!" the boy called enthusiastically, releasing the bars and landing in a cloud of dust, still upright; he easily popped back up to his feet. Billy jumped, startled. Billy would never have the nerve to do something like that!

"Hi, Trini!" Kimberly said, waving at her cheerfully, her long brown hair now dangling just about the boy's head. She pulled herself up, grabbing hold of the bars and letting go with her knees, then dropping all the way to the ground as well. Billy stared at her in amazement. He had no idea Kimberly could do things like that! What would she think of Billy when she found out he'd never been anywhere _near_ the monkey bars before? He couldn't even do hopscotch very well!

"GERONIMO!" screamed a voice close by, and Billy nearly yelped at the sudden noise. He looked around to see a boy come _running_ down the nearby slide, as easily as if it was flat ground—a whole lot easier than Billy could run on flat ground, too—and, as the slide ended, he just _kept going._ He hit the ground running and jogged over to them, breathless as he skidded over to Trini, hopping from foot to foot as though he wasn't quite sure how to stop moving. Billy gaped at him. These rambunctious, tough, monkey-like boys were Trini's _friends?_ They were going to _hate_ Billy! He couldn't even slide down a banister properly!

"Who's your friend?" the boy from the slide asked Trini curiously. He poked Billy experimentally in the chest a few times, as though trying to see what Billy was really made of. Satisfied, and a little apologetic after Billy's odd (well, terrified) stare, he pulled back.

"This is Billy," Trini said. "Can he play with us, too?"

"Sure," said the monkey bar boy, without even bothering to ask the others, though neither Kimberly nor Zack seemed like they wanted to challenge the decision. "I'm Jason," he added. "That's Zack, and this is Kim."

"I've met Kim before," Billy said, struggling to remember what Trini had told him about using small words.

"We were gonna play Scooby Doo," Jason continued. "I get to be Freddy. Who do you want to be?"

"I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with that particular form of entertainment."

Jason stared at him. Zack stared at him. Kimberly scratched her head and looked expectantly at Trini.

Billy could have slapped himself. There went his shot at surviving this forced attempt to make new friends. Billy braced himself for their rude comments, praying that Trini wouldn't agree with Jason and Zack's coming assessment that Billy was a dork, that she wouldn't laugh at him and tell him she never wanted to play with him again and—

"Billy doesn't know how to play Scooby Doo," Trini explained.

"Oh!" Jason said. "Why didn't you just say so, Billy?"

"That _is_ what he said," Trini said apologetically. "Billy has an extensive vocabulary, is all."

"Hey, I know that word!" Zack said. "'Extensive' is what my cousin Alisa gets done to her hair!"

"That's _extensions,"_ Trini corrected gently. "'Extensive' means 'big.' Billy uses big words."

"I apologize," Billy said sadly, sure he was about to be shunned and still waiting for the moment when they told him to go away. "I become agitated in social situations."

"What?" Zack demanded, frowning.

"Billy says he's sorry, and that he gets a little scared when he meets new friends," Trini clarified.

"Oh!" Jason, Zack and Kimberly chorused.

"Dude," Jason said, flinging a surprisingly heavy arm around Billy's shoulders, "you don't have to be scared. We'll teach you how to play Scooby Doo, won't we, guys?"

"Of course we will," Kimberly said, smiling sweetly at Billy. Billy could have fainted from relief.

"Tell you what," Jason said, "you can play Scooby. I'm _always_ Freddy, and Kimberly's a good Daphne, and Trini's the bestest Velma _ever,_ and Zack's just like Shaggy, but we still need a good Scooby."

"Scooby's the dog, right?" Billy asked hopefully. Trini had tried to explain the show to him, but it sounded so ludicrous that Billy hadn't quite grasped the entire concept.

"Yep. He's really cool, and he's really important, and he talks funny like you do," Jason said. "So you'll be a great Scooby."

Billy stared at them, wide-eyed. They thought the fact that he talked funny was _cool?_ _Wow,_ Billy thought, _Trini was right!_

"See," Jason continued, "the Scooby Doo Detective Agency wanders around solving scary mysteries involving ghosts and witches and monsters and zombies and stuff. And Freddy's the leader, Velma's the smart one, Shaggy's the funny one, Scooby's the… well, the dog… and Daphne… er, she's just sort of _there._ But she's pretty and she wears pink and she gets into trouble a lot and has to be rescued, so she's a lot like Kim. Anyway, all you have to do is follow Shaggy around, talk real weird, and run like crazy if you get scared, okay?"

"Those duties sound simple enough," Billy said, nodding.

Jason frowned slightly and looked at Trini. "Um… that did mean yes, right?"

She nodded. "Yup."

"Good," Jason said, relieved. "Okay, what should be our mystery?"

"Ooh, can I be kidnapped again?" Kimberly said eagerly. "That was so cool when you guys saved me from the top of the jungle gym!"

"Sure thing, Kim. Okay, gang, Kimberly has just been kidnapped by the Mean Ghost Vampire, and it's up to us to save her! Ki—I mean, Daphne, go lie down on the monkey bars and act like you've been tied to them, okay?"

"Why?" Kimberly asked.

"Cuz they look like train tracks, and villains _always_ tie girls to train tracks," Jason explained solemnly. Kimberly grinned and skipped off to climb back onto the bars.

"Come on, Billy," Zack said, putting his arm over Billy's shoulders like Jason had done. "I'll teach you how to say, 'Scooby Dooby Doo!' the right way."

* * *

_Present Day

* * *

_

"He can still say it," Trini said, shaking her head. "He does it over the Aqua-phone sometimes. It's a remarkably good imitation of Scooby." Trini smiled reminiscently. "I forgot how quickly I fell into the habit of translating him."

"Back then, Billy wasn't so out of control," Kimberly said. "We'd all almost catch up in the summer, only to lose him again when school started."

"There were whole _days_ in high school when I didn't say a word to Billy," Zack said. "The days when Trini wasn't around. When you went on that one vacation I actually tried to keep up with a pocket dictionary. Didn't work too well. I couldn't spell half the words he said, so I couldn't find them in the stupid book."

"He's not that hard to figure out," Ethan said.

_"Now_ he isn't. Back when I first met him, I don't think even _Zordon_ got him all the time," Tommy said. "He toned it way down after Trini went to the conference, but if you caught him when he was really into something you just sort of stared and waited for him to remember you weren't that smart. He had to really cut back on the techno-speak once his translator was gone. Plus he can't go too far off the deep end on Aquitar; not everyone there speaks his language."

"Besides, Ethan, you're a Blue geek like him," Conner added. Ethan rolled his eyes.

Jason sighed. "You guys think he's okay? Talking to his dad, I mean?"

Trini nodded. "I'm sure he is. He just needs to sort it all out."

"Wonder what Zordon would say about it," Zack said.

"Ah, yes, the three rules speech," Tommy said quietly.

"Not the same thing. Mr. Cranston found out. Billy didn't have to tell him. He already knew," Trini pointed out. "I think it'll be really good for Billy, in the end. It really tears him up that he can't talk to his dad anymore like he used to. Now he can."

* * *

Billy had never felt so truly _relieved_ in all his life. For the first time, he was able to talk about _everything,_ not just the bits and pieces that he felt comfortable telling this friend or that friend. Every moment as a Ranger, every problem, every secret thought he'd never told his friends, every bit of depression he'd felt after giving up the power… he'd never realized just how much he needed to get it all off his chest, and while he'd told Trini the most, there were some things he just couldn't bring himself to tell her.

Then, too, there was Aquitar. Much as he loved his friends, he couldn't help but hold back when talking to them about his new home. They were upset about him leaving, he knew, but they were trying to be happy for him; he couldn't bear to tell them about the problems he had with Aquitar. He didn't want them to think that he'd left them for something less than perfect, nor did he want them to feel bad for him. Still, he'd had so much bottled up inside that he hadn't even noticed it until he'd popped the cork. Nor had he felt comfortable telling his Aquitian friends about what was bothering him; they'd tried so hard to accommodate his needs, and Billy was anything but ungrateful for that.

His father listened avidly, rarely asking questions, wanting to hear every minute detail. Billy told him everything. He just kept talking, hour after hour, getting it all out. He felt closer to his father than he had felt in years, and suddenly he realized that he was being an idiot. He needed to make more of an effort to come back to visit, money or not. He needed to find a way. Earth was his world, not Aquitar, and he needed to stop hiding on it. He needed to stop working so much, needed to find a way to get money to stay on Earth, needed to make some serious improvements to the Aquitian teleportation device. Once this vacation was over, it was time to work on repairing his relationship with his father, and with his friends. He'd lost too much time already, and he wasn't losing any more.

* * *

_End Notes:_ Wow. We had no idea so many people in the world have actually eaten Play-Doh before. The reviews were eye-opening. I now have a creepy urge to taste it sometime. Despite the fact that many of you implied that Play-Doh is rather salty and one or two of you said the different colors actually do have flavors, I was making it all up as I went along; neither I nor Freyja have ever eaten Play-Doh. It just seemed like something Conner and Zack would do.

As for the whole Random Poll about favorite episodes… most of you couldn't pick just one. We couldn't, either. Here are our answers, if any of you are interested. Both of us stopped watching MMPR when we were kids (me shortly after Jason, Trini and Zack left, and Freyja after Kim left), but we got all nostalgic during 2004 and jumped back in. So we just gave a couple of episodes per each season that we've seen a lot of.

Freyja's picks:

_MMPR:_

"Gung Ho!"—Tommy. Jason. The… well… shirtless.

"A Star is Born"—Tommy psychotically jumping upon the table. Very him. It was hysterical enough that Freyja never forgot it, even after a decade…

_Ninja Storm:_

The episode where Shane is in his boxers. Not sure what it's called, but have sneaking suspicion that when saying "the episode where Shane is in his boxers," most of you will immediately go, "Oh, yeah! _That_ one!"

_Dino Thunder:_

"Wave Goodbye"—We first meet Trent. "Isn't he just _wow?"_

_S.P.D.:_

"S.W.A.T. Part 1"—Jack does pushups. Enough said.

CrazyGirl47's picks:

_MMPR_

"Gung Ho!"—See above.

"Calamity Kimberly"—The beginnings of Tommy's shy days, Kimberly's damsel-in-distress days, and the start of the first canon ship ever to hit PR. Whoo.

"White Light, Part 1"—Tommy in swimming trunks. Swimming trunks that were almost skin tone.

"White Light Part 2"—Kim fainted. Tee hee. And the bit with Saba… there's not nearly enough in the fic world about the weirdness of having a talking sword stuck in your belt.

_Ninja Storm_

I've only seen a few episodes, but the bit where Tori drops the guys off in the woods and destroys their generator was great. Also loved the appearance of Cyber Cam. However, my favorite was "Prelude to a Storm." Cam's exasperation and their stumbling over how to morph was just _awesome,_ dude.

_Dino Thunder_

"Disappearing Act"—Ethan tangoing with Conner, Dr. O saving Ethan's butt, etc. I also loved the fact that Tommy said Kimberly's infamous "Catch you on the flip side" line right before Hayley doused him with the slime.

"Legacy of Power"—Huge, not just for the stock footage, but for the plot and Tommy's one-liners. I mean, those were some of the best lines ever to come off the show, in my opinion.

"Thunder Struck, Part 2"—Surely I wasn't the only one to cackle maniacally when Tommy said that "Live the quiet life" line, was I? The whole episode was nifty, but that was just… one of those days you remember why you're still watching Power Rangers even though Tommy's always in long sleeves now. (What? Was a tattooed science teacher just something Disney couldn't handle? He wasn't shirtless at _all_ in Dino Thunder!)

"Thunder Storm, Part 1 & 2"—The evil Ninjas were awesome. Trent's jealousy about Kira and Blake was great.

_S.P.D._

"Idol"—I love the character of Sky… and I swear, that "wild and wacky" line was just the most beautiful thing ever. The look on Sky's face…

"Endings, Part 2"—Piggy's "show me a sign" speech was just… every single moment of my life. I have never ever related to a TV show, let alone Power Rangers, the way I related to him screaming "Show me a sign that I've done the right thing" right before his café van rolled away and exploded. The rest of the lines were great, too, though, including when Piggy blasted the Krybots for them. Seeing Sky become Red was nifty as hell.


	28. Trust in Me

**Chapter Twenty-eight**

_Trust in Me_

Their discussion of Billy had led them into a slightly depressing place, and they were quick to pull themselves out of it. None of them wanted to think about having to lie to their parents, and none of the older Rangers wanted to think about the problems Billy must be having as resident of another planet, especially when there wasn't much they could do. So they stopped talking and started chatting.

Kira, Zack, Kimberly and Jason got into a discussion on music, congregating around Jason's large stereo in the living room, Kira and Kimberly discussing the guitar (which Kimberly also played, just not with the fervor that Kira did) and Zack and Jason arguing over who was the coolest rap artist of all time. Meanwhile, Trini and Trent got into a discussion on art; Trini liked to paint a bit, and they started debating the finer points of certain art supplies, when Trini wasn't shouting out some battle cry or other at Ethan, whom she was currently challenging to one of the many games in the _Mortal Kombat_ series, while Conner watched, checking out the cool fight moves and the female characters' skimpy outfits.

Tommy knew he should join into one of the two groups, but he wasn't in the mood to get slaughtered by Trini or Ethan at video games, he wasn't a very good artist and while he loved singing and music, he wasn't nearly as into rap and hip-hop as Jason and Zack and he knew nothing about musical notes and chords and so on like Kira and Kimberly. So he sat back on the couch and allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts.

He and Kimberly were doing fairly well. Today, for the first time, he'd been truly comfortable around her, or at least the closest he'd been to it all week. It was… a _relief._ Ever since that last time he'd seen her, just after she and Jason had been kidnapped, he'd tried so hard to avoid her, to avoid any _thought_ of her. When Jason had asked him to be best man at the wedding, for example—the first time the two of them had to both be somewhere that they couldn't justify getting out of—Tommy had been terrified of running into her, and utterly relieved when she'd been trapped in France. All the measures they'd taken to skirt around it—Tommy staying in a hotel because he knew Kimberly would be dropping by to help Trini with wedding plans, Jason always meeting him somewhere other than Jason's house… and Tommy still wondered if Jason had been giving out dire warnings about mentioning Kimberly when Tommy had seen him whispering to Rocky, Adam and Zack just before the bachelor party. The worse part was he knew he shouldn't have been relieved when Kimberly wasn't there; he should have been as disappointed as everyone else. No one had even felt comfortable complaining about it in front of him, which led to Tommy walking up to chatting groups all during the reception only to have them stop talking the moment they saw him approaching.

The trouble was, he was oddly calm most of the time. He'd thought he'd have been panicky, or a lot more nervous. Or angry, demanding answers and screaming at her. But all they were doing was acting like they used to. They were all doing that. It was so easy, to just pretend it never happened, that Kimberly was just another friend, another Trini or Jason. He supposed that was all he'd ever been doing, really—pretending that Kimberly had never happened.

It hadn't always worked. He'd gotten better at it, but part of the reason his memory was so poor was that his mind kept thinking about a billion things at once. With all the work he'd been doing with Anton Mercer and Hayley, he'd spent the past several years thinking about his Ranger days more than he knew was healthy for him, and Kimberly was a large part of that.

Tommy had never mentioned much about Kimberly to his friends; he couldn't recall ever talking about it with anyone, not even Jason. After Kimberly had left Angel Grove, everyone had kept trying to come up with something to say, and that had made him clam up and get really good at changing the subject. The only person he'd confided in about it was Hayley, because she was safe; she didn't know Kimberly, didn't have any connection to her. Even then, he tried to limit his conversations about it; most of his thoughts on her had stayed in the deepest corner of his mind. The only time he'd really spent a good long time thinking about it was when he'd watched her gymnastics competitions on TV, always in private, usually glaring at any guys sitting relatively close to her.

They hadn't had much of a chance to really talk today, but they'd joked in the car, and he hadn't avoided looking at her at Billy's house, which he'd been in the habit of doing lately. He hadn't even really been embarrassed when Trent had asked how they'd all met, inadvertently bringing up a lot of memories of Tommy's relationship with Kimberly, and her teasing him about becoming the Green Ranger had actually made him smile, inducing a lot of fond memories of the team joking with each other. That bit about her purse, though… that was a step in the wrong direction. Although come to think of it, he was getting less and less sure of what the right direction actually _was._

He wondered if the gang had somehow _planned_ that. It seemed like something they would do. He was fairly certain they'd set him up to spar with Kimberly yesterday, and some of Jason's comments during their match had been suspicious. There were so many little moments that kept happening, making him pause and wonder, but they weren't big enough for him to actually accuse anyone of anything. Zack passing Kimberly Tommy's phone at the restaurant, Trini's chat with Hayley, Zack bringing up Kimberly their first night in the hotel, Kimberly going straight to Trini after that comment she'd made on the beach… they'd been talking about something right after that, Kimberly and Trini were arguing, and they wouldn't tell Tommy and Jason and Zack what they were…

_Oh, god,_ Tommy realized with a thrill of horror. _Kira_ had been in on that conversation. They'd all three been in on… whatever they'd been doing. Trini was bad enough, but he hated to think of her recruiting another Yellow. Yellows were the tricky ones. Pinks were the… well, the datable ones. The girly ones. Yellows were the scary, compassionate, sneaky ones. He'd known all along that if Trini _was_ planning something, she'd have Billy and Zack and maybe Jason on her side; they were far too good at teamwork.

Tommy knew there was nothing he could do to keep his friends out of his hair. But he drew the line at letting Trini recruit the Dino Rangers. The look on Ethan's face when Billy had mentioned Kat… Kira staying with Kimberly and Trini… Ethan buddying up to Billy, Conner following Jason around… oh, god, was he _insane?_ How had let this happen?

Tommy sighed. Much as he didn't want to get into any deep conversations with Trini, he had to tell her to back off. He couldn't have her working her magic—dark, evil magic—on him and Kimberly; it was too much of a risk that something would mess up. Tommy just wanted to enjoy this week, and then once he went back to Reefside and she went back to L.A. he'd take it from there. After last night's little moment of weirdness—which he was sure Trini was dying to dissect—he had to stop Trini in her tracks before she ran over his head.

"Hey, Jason? Mind if I raid your fridge?" Tommy asked, praying Jason wouldn't come with him.

"Sure. Just don't eat anything marked 'Not for Jason,'" Jason replied, scanning his lengthy CD collection.

Tommy got up and went into the kitchen. After giving himself a few moments to collect his thoughts and to alleviate suspicion, he took a deep breath and called, "Trini, can you help me find something?"

"I'm in the middle of the game!" Trini shouted back, intent on whipping Ethan's butt, which wasn't half as easy as she'd originally thought it would be. Trini was fanatical about her video games, however, mostly because it was a primarily "male" hobby and she loved destroying sexist notions in cocky guys at the arcade. Ethan, however, loved destroying everyone at the arcade and was proving to be quite the challenge. "Everything's labeled!"

"That doesn't help if I don't know where the thing with the label I want is," Tommy replied, watching her carefully from the kitchen doorway.

Trini sighed even as her character sent Ethan's crashing through the ceiling with an uppercut. "Jason, could you—?"

"He wants you," Jason responded, not looking up from the CDs.

Trini hit the pause button, frowning. Something about Jason's response told her this was more than an inability to find the potato chips. She absently passed the controller to Trent, who wasn't a huge video game lover but took it anyway; between having a rich father and working in a cyber café, he'd picked up a few tricks. Trini stalked into the kitchen without another word.

"What's up?" she asked, regarding Tommy with caution.

He leaned casually against the counter. "I can't find the—"

"Cut the crap," she interrupted bluntly.

"Good. I suck at subtleties." Tommy exhaled and ran his hand over his spiky hair. "I need you to stop, Trini."

"Stop what?"

"What happened to cutting the crap?"

"I'm not seeing any crap, Tommy. Stop what?"

"Stop trying to play matchmaker with me and Kim."

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are. I _know _you, Trini. You know how people tick. It's what you do. You've got a plan, and if you don't you'll make one up as you go along. You and Billy and Zack, and maybe Jason. And who knows what you're doing to _my_ Dino Rangers. I'm not stupid, Trini. And I want you to cut it out. I'm not looking to get back with Kim, and you know it. We grew up. We got over each other."

"Oh, really? Then why do you have a giant box labeled 'Kim' in your basement and no giant box labeled 'Kat'?"

"That's not the issue," Tommy said sharply, frowning.

"Then what is?" Trini tilted her head to the side, looking up at him through narrowed eyes. She hadn't known he didn't have a Kat box, but she was glad to hear he didn't. "So, what? After this vacation, you're just not going to see her until the next Power Rangers Day?"

"I don't know, Trini. I haven't figured that out yet. We said we'd be friends, and we're trying, and right now that's enough."

"And six months from now?"

"Six months from now, I'll be pretending I'm a blissfully normal science teacher with my reading glasses and my lab coat and my house in the middle of nowhere. Might not even fix the lab, might just seal it off," Tommy snapped, fighting to keep his voice low and under control as the irritation bubbled up from deep inside him. "To be honest, I don't care what happens with Kim six months from now. I really don't want to think about it. I've been doing just fine without her and yeah, I miss her, but I don't _need_ her, and I need _you_ to understand that."

Trini shrugged. "No."

He stared at her. "No? No what?"

"No, I'm not going to understand that. I'm not going to accept that. I'm not going to leave you to your own devices, Tommy, because every time I do, something explodes. Often literally."

_"Excuse me?"_ Tommy hissed, now bordering on enraged.

"This isn't about _you,_ Tommy. I know you don't get that, but it's not just about _you."_

"Kim doesn't want to get back together with me. She wants to be friends."

"It's not just about _her,_ either."

"Yeah? Then who's it about? Because the last time I checked, when Kim and I were dating it was just the two of us involved."

Trini snorted. "It's about _us,_ nimrod."

"What?"

_"Us!"_ Trini waved her hand vaguely at the rest of the house. "Me and Jason and Billy and Zack. And Rocky, and Adam, and Aisha, and Tanya, and Kat. Everyone who's been affected by your stupidity. Everyone who's _still_ being affected."

Trini got right up in his face, which was currently a relatively dangerous move. "You know what? I'm _through_ leaving things up to you two. I should have done this a _long_ time ago, Tommy. I should have fixed this mess the moment it happened. But I didn't. So I'm gonna do it _now._ And I'm gonna succeed."

"Yeah, you and Billy and Zack are _really_ going to force me to do something I don't want to do," Tommy snapped sarcastically, glaring not just daggers but rather large samurai swords at her.

"But you _do_ want it, Tommy, and we _all_ know it. I'm tired of playing games, Tommy boy, so this is gonna be my last when it comes to you. You're going _down,_ not because you want to, not because she wants to, but because _I_ want what's best for you."

"You don't get to choose what's best for me!"

"I do when you can't figure it out for yourself," Trini retorted. "You're my friend, whether you like it or not, and so help me I'm going to throw everything I've got at you until I've fixed your dumb ass. I love you too much to let you keep being a retard about Kim, and I love her too much to let her wander on through life without you. I'm not going to sit back and give you what you want, Tommy—I'm going to step up and give you what you _deserve._ What you _both_ deserve. What _we_ deserve."

"Don't mess with me, Trini," Tommy growled. "I'm not one of your little dolls you can toy with. Neither is Kim. What happens is up to _me."_

Trini smiled darkly at him, lifting both hands and patting his chest mock-consolingly. "That's right, Tommy. Keep telling yourself that."

Trini stepped away from him, pulling a Coke from the fridge. Tommy grabbed her arm tightly, angrily—an action reminding Trini strongly of Jason whenever Bulk had been bothering her. He glowered fiercely at her.

"Don't think you can play with me, Trini. I'll knock you right out if I have to."

Trini knew the phrase was metaphorical, but she felt the need for a show of strength. He was challenging her, and she wasn't backing down—or perhaps that was reversed. He was asking her not to make him step up.

Trini yanked her arm free in one good twist and faced him coldly. "You screwed up, Tommy. I'm not leaving your fate, and Kimberly's, in your hands again."

Tommy moved away from the counter, getting in her face this time, barely a millimeter separating them as they glared fiercely at each other. Trini was playing God with him, and they both knew it. And she wasn't going to stop unless someone made her.

"Ahem."

Neither Tommy nor Trini needed to look to know that Jason was in the doorway, or that he was alone. Only Jason would have announced himself as such—and only Jason would be standing there quietly. They both instinctively knew he had been watching a long time, but he hadn't commented on a thing, not on how close they were standing, how furious they both seemed, or what they were talking about. They also knew he wasn't going to.

Trini tossed him the Coke with a flick of her wrist; Tommy caught it without looking, seemingly unperturbed by the speed and abruptness with which she threw it. The two old friends continued to stare each other down blackly.

"May the best Ranger win," Tommy said slowly after a long, ugly silence. The air around them was practically crackling from the tension of challenge.

"I will," Trini said simply.

"Right. Billy and Zack are going to be a _great_ help, I'm _sure."_

She smiled. "They're a hell of a lot more than you've got, Tommy. All you've got is _you._ And I've got weapons you can't even _imagine."_

With that, she turned and sauntered out of the room, not even sparing her husband a glance. Jason continued to lean against the doorway for a moment, his fist against his mouth and a serious, thoughtful expression on his face.

Neither spoke for a good long while.

At last, Jason took his hand down and looked solemnly at Tommy. "You know she's going to kick your ass, right?"

Tommy wasn't sure what to say to that, so he just leaned against the counter once more and said what he actually felt.

"One can hope, Jase. One can hope."

* * *

Trini frowned darkly as she flung herself into a chair, stealing the controller back from Trent without warning and proceeding to come back from almost zero health to wipe the floor with Ethan. He didn't get it. She knew Tommy wasn't exactly very bright, at least in matters of the heart, but she didn't think he could actually be stupid enough to never notice what he'd inadvertently done to the rest of them.

God, it had shaken them. The world's most permanent couple suddenly dust in the proverbial wind. Tommy and Kimberly, so nauseatingly in love. She had been so startled, hadn't even believed it when Kimberly had called to tell her. She'd had to drive for days to try to console both Tommy and Kimberly before it had really sunk in… and when it had, she'd immediately started planning.

Why she hadn't tried to patch things up between them now seemed beyond her. At the time, she'd wanted to give them space, figuring they'd work it out on their own, but they'd just continued to ignore their former relationship. Finally, at Trini's urging, Kimberly had planned to talk to Tommy upon returning to Angel Grove after the Pan Global Games. Get everything out in the open and just talk it through and work it out. Jason, Tommy and Billy had all failed to tell Trini that Tommy was with Kat by that point, probably because of Trini's continuing close ties with Kimberly—and it didn't help that Billy had been in the middle of his own mess, Jason was too close to both Tommy and Kimberly, and Tommy was awkward around her, not wanting to send her into her thought-provoking mode (he was trying to simply put his hands over his ears and yell "La, la, la!" about the whole thing). Plus Trini was busy at MIT. So Kimberly had wandered back to Angel Grove on vacation, fully intending to work things out… only to try to kill him thanks to Divatox's evil spell and then discover he was dating Kat.

Kimberly clammed up the moment she was rescued. Finding out about Kat had been bad enough. Kimberly had confided on many occasions that she was self-conscious about Kat—Kat was gorgeous, after all, and obviously liked Tommy. The separation from not only Tommy but her friends had got Kimberly thinking all sorts of crazy things, like that Tommy had told her to follow her dream because he didn't want Kimberly around any more. Trini had reassured her over and over—Tommy would never cheat on you, Kat doesn't seem the sort either, Tommy was just being supportive when he said you should move to Florida—but she wasn't too certain it was working. Then the letter…

She'd meant what she'd said about Tommy. This wasn't all about him, or Kimberly. It was about them _all._ The breakup had touched them all.

At times, Trini had blamed herself, despite the fact that she knew, logically, that she shouldn't. It wasn't easy to convince herself, however. After all, the group consisted of Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly, Zack and Tommy… and when Jason, Trini and Zack had left, the other three had fallen apart. Billy had gotten depressed and left the planet. Kimberly and Tommy didn't speak, didn't even talk about each other. Without the leader, the therapist and the joker, they were just the brains, the chick and the new guy. Trini had often wondered if she was at least partially at fault, if Kimberly and Tommy would still be together and if Billy would still be inventing in his garage if Trini hadn't left when she did, if they'd still be happy if she hadn't wandered off to Switzerland, depriving them of a friendly ear, a shoulder to cry on, a moral compass and someone to influence them when they got off track. She had never voiced these insecurities, however—mostly because she knew Jason, and maybe Zack as well, were feeling them too, and probably more so.

Over time, she'd noticed that the guys' outlook on certain things had been altered by Tommy and Kimberly, and not for the better. Jason had become horribly worried about his own chances in relationships, particularly since he and Trini were separated at the time (which had been Trini's idea, not his). Zack had become less obsessed with dating, and more determined to stay single. And Billy… well… When it came to girls, Jason was a bit dim, Zack was very dim, and Tommy was an idiot, but Billy was worst of all. Trini had never known what to do with him. Billy didn't think people would accept him in general, and despite the fact that several girls admitted crushing on him he never believed it. He just kept telling himself that no one would ever really like him, no matter what people said, often without even realizing he was doing it. Trini had tried, time and again—as had Kimberly—to get Billy to realize just how attractive he was and how desirable girls found his personality, but they'd repeatedly failed.

From what she'd understood, Billy had had feelings for Kat, and she'd ended up with Tommy, thoroughly upsetting him. It didn't help that he regretted his decision to give up his powers, and that he was devastated by the fact that he couldn't become the Gold Ranger. He'd graduated early, without warning, so he hadn't been prepared for college and hadn't wanted to leave the Rangers completely behind either. Then there was the fact that he was left with only Tommy in Angel Grove. Trini, Zack and Kimberly—his first real friends—were gone, and Jason was back only on a temporary basis. Kat had been a blow. But what had really shaken Billy was Kimberly's breakup with Tommy—if a guy like Tommy couldn't keep a good catch like Kimberly, what hope was there for the geek? Was it any surprise that he'd thrown everything in Angel Grove—indeed, on Earth—right out the window and started fresh on a whole new planet? Trini also had a horrible feeling that, while he did love Cestria, he was with her because he was _comfortable_ with her, unwilling to leave the security she'd given him behind.

Zack, she had also worried about. Zack had taken it to heart as well, but he hadn't let it show, ignoring it as best he could and therefore driving the fears and uncertainties it caused deep down, where they became subconscious issues rather than faceable problems. Zack had started to shy away from serious dating at every turn. Before the breakup, Zack had been obsessed with finding a girl. After, Zack had simply wanted to keep his life as casual as possible. For a while, Trini had assumed it was just because Zack was getting old enough to realize that "dating" and "sex" weren't synonymous and was therefore going after the better of the more enjoyable of the two, but eventually she'd realized that his problems with Angela, his difficulty finding a girl at the Peace Conference (a place full of foreigners who came and went, wandering back to their hometowns thousands of miles away, making any sort of relationship difficult) while Jason and Trini were happy together, and his horror that Mr. and Mrs. Perfect had become exes had combined to make him fear getting hurt badly enough that he didn't want a relationship at all. He was still a bachelor, and probably would be for quite some time at this rate. Yet despite his constant field-playing, he wasn't meant for it. Zack was the sort of person who bonded with people for life, particularly in his friendships. He was never much for fair-weather friends, and Trini was quite certain that he wasn't too happy with dating around. It showed on his face every time he talked about failing to pick up a girl, or failing to keep one around. The fact that Zack was a player wouldn't have bothered Trini at all, if it weren't for the fact that she didn't think he wanted to be.

Then there was Jason. Tommy's best friend. Kimberly's big brother. Happy for them both. They'd both been doing so well—they were in love, Kimberly was following her dream, and Tommy was holding down the fort as leader of the Power Rangers. When Trini had suggested breaking up after the Peace Conference, Jason had been downright appalled at the thought. It had been Trini who'd insisted upon it, while Jason kept saying, "If Tommy and Kim can do it, we can do it, too." Trini had just smiled sadly, her conversations with Kimberly telling her how rocky the two were becoming, and replied that they weren't Tommy and Kimberly. Trini and Jason separating had made sense at the time—after all, she was planning to spend a good long time in Massachusetts, and Jason just wanted to get back to California and open a dojo. Jason had reluctantly agreed with her, only to become utterly terrified when Tommy and Kimberly had simply ended.

Trini let her fingers and eyes take over the video game, her mind slipping back to the day she'd come back to comfort Tommy…

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

Trini was vaguely aware of voices, but she couldn't be bothered waking up fully to see what they meant.

"Isn't that… Trini?" said a woman who sounded suspiciously like Tommy's mother.

"Yep," said Tommy.

"Isn't she supposed to be in Massachusetts?"

"Yep."

"How'd she get here?" asked Tommy's father.

"Drove."

"From _Massachusetts?"_

"Yup. People do it all the time. Honest."

"…Is she going to be waking up any time soon? We might want to actually use the couch eventually…"

"I don't think she is, no. I get the feeling she hasn't slept in a few days."

"Well, maybe you should move her somewhere more comfortable, then."

"Where should I put her? My room?"

"No!"

"Then I guess she's staying here. Sorry about the couch."

"That's… all right… well, make sure she eats something when she wakes up."

"Will do, Mom."

Trini sank fully back into unconsciousness. When she woke up again, she was feeling much more rested—and staring up at Jason.

This was a sight she'd seen often; Jason and occasionally Zack had often crashed in her room at the conference, to the point that Trini had never kept a roommate longer than three months and twelve days, and Jason and Zack had always delighted in waking her up in the morning, usually in odd or loud ways. So she was used to seeing Jason above her first thing in the morning—so used to it that she completely forgot it was now several months after the conference.

"Hey," she said, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. She snuggled back deeper into the cushions… and then suddenly realized she now slept on the top bunk of a dorm bed in Massachusetts and Jason did not.

She sat up, gazing around with bleary eyes. "Where the hell am I?"

"Tommy's house," Jason said, throwing his arms around her. "God, I missed you."

"Same here." She sighed. "How'd I get to Tommy's house?" Trini asked, hugging him back warmly.

"We're not sure. Tommy just said you came out of nowhere. He seems awfully cheerful about it," Jason added, a tad suspiciously.

Trini shrugged. "Tommy needed a hug."

"A hug, eh?"

"Yes. I figured he'd be upset."

Jason pulled back, just enough to look her in the eye, not wanting to let go. Much as he hated to admit it, Trini had been one of the first things to pop into his head the moment Billy had called to tell him the news about Tommy and Kimberly. Not that Trini was ever far from his thoughts; their separation was bugging the crap out of him, and the last bit of hope he had for reconciliation was currently being crushed beneath the internal screaming voice that kept chanting "Oh my god they broke up I'm doomed." It was unbelievably good to hold her again.

"So you drove all the way here just to hug him? I'm jealous."

"Well, don't be. I think I took a nap somewhere during the hug, anyway," she joked. She tossed her head, her arms still around Jason's neck. "I probably look like hell."

"You never do."

"You're too kind."

"I mean it."

"Jason, I just drove over four thousand miles in less than a week. Closer to five thousand, considering I got lost a couple times. There's no way I _don't_ look like hell."

"Sorry, but I'm sticking to my previous statement," Jason replied with a smile.

"You're so sweet." Trini sighed again and motioned for him to sit next to her. He put his arm around her and she leaned against him. "Where are the guys?"

"Tommy, Zack and Billy are out back. Told them I'd go get them when you woke up."

"Then why don't you?"

"Eh. It can wait."

"Mm." They lapsed into comfortable silence.

"Who told you?" Jason asked finally.

Trini didn't bother to ask what he meant. "Kim."

"Oh, yeah?" Jason said, his expression darkening.

"She called me a few days ago, sobbing hysterically."

Jason turned to look at her, shocked. "She was crying?"

"Profusely. I got her calmed down, though. I think she'll be okay."

Jason stared at her for a moment. "What all did she say?"

Trini shook her head. "Let's not talk about it. It's not our place."

Jason looked at her sharply. "You saw this coming, didn't you. You knew it was going to happen. That's why you wanted to break up with me."

"No, it isn't." Trini stared at him, as if completely unable to believe that he'd think that. "I wanted to break up because it was best for _us._ I'll be spending _years_ in Massachusetts, and I can't afford to come back every spring break and Christmas and summer. That rental car is going to set me back enough as it is. California is way too far away, Jase—trust me, I just drove here and I want to pull a Thelma and Louise just thinking about the ride back. We just need a break. For crying out loud, Jason, we've both never actually dated anyone else. We've been practically living together for the past two years. We needed space, needed to branch out and see what life was like without each other. That's the only way we'll ever know if we really want our lives to be with each other. We're eighteen, Jason; we're too young to fall into a rut or settle down. When I'm out of school, and you've got your dojo on its feet, and we're both within driving distance, then things'll be different. Meanwhile, things need to be given a chance to change."

"I don't want them to change."

"Have you even been _listening_ to me?" Trini demanded. Jason shrugged, sulking. "You don't know that until you've given things a chance to be different," Trini told him, a tad more gently. "I broke up with you because we needed to take a few steps back and see what the rest of the world has to offer us. We're not Tommy and Kim, Jase, and we never will be."

"So… what? Four years from now we'll just run back into each other's arms?" Jason demanded, almost angrily.

"I don't know, Jason. That's sort of the point." She bit her lip and looked away. "But I hope so."

Jason felt a strong sense of relief, to hear her say that. He smiled slightly and leaned his head back against the wall. She hadn't said that before, just "We'll see" and "I don't know" and "There's no point in guessing where we'll be in five years." However, the uplifting moment didn't last.

"But you did see this coming, didn't you."

"Well… not exactly, no. I saw that they were having problems. Weren't talking as much. Kimberly mentioned Kat quite a bit. Tommy kept trying to feel me out about the guys Kimberly talked about, as if trying to see if there was anything more to them than she'd said. They weren't staying in touch as much, Tommy was always fighting and Kimberly was always training… but the sad thing was, there wasn't an end in sight. Kimberly was going off to be a gymnast, and Tommy… well, he's going to stay a Ranger to the bitter end. What were they going to do? Kimberly traveling the world and training in Miami… did Tommy plan to follow her and just teleport back when something went wrong? Did Kimberly plan to marry him and pop back to California for three minutes at a time to see him? It didn't look good, I'll admit it. But they were doing surprisingly well, considering. I thought they had a good chance." She nestled a little closer to him. "Us… we were different. I knew I'd be back in California as quick as I could, and we kept in touch without trying to stay tied down to each other. I didn't want us to crack from the distance, Jason."

"Just because they did doesn't mean we would've."

"Jason… when people crack, it's much harder to glue them back together. It's better that things are taken apart intentionally—because it implies they can be restored, made whole again. Something that's been shattered and then glued back together is never the same as it was before it broke."

Jason thought about this for a moment. "Are you saying there's no hope for them?" he asked quietly.

"Of course there's hope. There's _always_ hope. Hope doesn't go away until you give up on hope. And we don't give up around here, Jason. It's just not what we _do."_

"Got a plan yet?"

"Not yet. But I'm working on it."

Jason started to say something else, but just then two yells of "Trini!" sounded and the couch let out an ominous noise as Billy and Zack flung themselves at her.

* * *

_Present Day_

* * *

She was still working on it. She didn't have all the kinks worked out, she had to admit. But this Power Rangers Day thing had been a blessing, and the Dino Rangers' presence was an unbelievable bonus. She only hoped things went according to plan.

She only hoped Tommy realized that this was all in his best interests. She knew he was pissed. Tommy was a leader, and while he didn't mind stepping down to let someone else take over once in a while, he didn't like being usurped. This had been hard on them all, however, and now that she finally had the gang back together, Billy and Kimberly and Tommy all in the same place and talking and hanging out, she had to make her move. They were a team, and they'd lost a good chunk of that when Tommy and Kimberly had broken up. She didn't ever want to worry about the two of them coming over at the same time again. She didn't want to watch what she said around them.

Besides, it wasn't like they wouldn't make a good couple.


	29. Golden Boy

**Chapter Twenty-nine**

_Golden Boy_

Tommy stared down at the Coke in his hand. That was Trini—a plan for everything. She didn't trust Tommy to actually leave the kitchen with something edible, and if he didn't, the others might figure out he hadn't really needed her help to find something and they'd wonder what had actually gone on. However, throwing the Coke at him had probably ruined it, as now it was going to be shaken all to hell. Tommy tapped his finger against the opening, knocking the fizz back down to the bottom of the can. Ironic, really. She'd had a little moment of foresight to give him something from the fridge, and yet if he hadn't been paying attention, it would have literally blown up in his face. Gee. What a comforting thought.

Tommy frowned, staring idly at the kitchen wall. Jason had left the room; he could vaguely hear Jason and Zack arguing about Eazy-E in the living room. He could also hear Ethan's protests and shouts of "Ha! I got you!" (Trini was now faring much worse at _Mortal Kombat_) and Kira and Kimberly's chatter about music that was beginning to sound as much like a foreign language as Billy's techno-speak. Tommy wasn't really paying attention to it, though; he was too lost in thought. Things were finally starting to make sense.

She was plotting against him, he knew. However, he didn't think she had all the details yet. (If she had, he'd probably already be married.) Kimberly was probably still mostly oblivious… and the Dino Rangers were probably being moved about like pawns on a chessboard without even knowing they were a part of the game. He wasn't really surprised. It was what Trini did. Like the time when he and Jason had been trying to get along for the upcoming Team Ninja Finals, and Zack had been spouting off about teamwork like nothing else, while Trini kept going on and on about "gung ho." Tommy and Jason had finally gotten Zack to admit that Zack and Billy had only offered to manage Tommy and Jason because Trini had told them to do it, had basically _ordered_ them to do it. When Tommy had mentioned this revelation to Kimberly, she'd just said, "Oh, yeah, I thought that might be why Zack was suddenly acting all, like, drill sergeant about the teamwork thing. Trini mentioned that Zack was going to work with you guys all day the next day, right before that big fight with the Super Putties on the playground." When Trini was looking to accomplish a goal and sensed no one would listen to a direct approach, she went covert.

Something was off, though. He couldn't think of what, but somewhere during their spat Trini had set off the warning bells in his head.

_She snapped at me._

Tommy stood up straight without realizing he was moving, eyes wide in horror. That was it. Trini didn't snap. Not unless people deserved it. She'd been too… too _rude._ She was often fiery, to be sure, and definitely a person you wanted on your side because it was a hell of a lot better than the alternative, but there had been something different in her when she'd been arguing with him.

"She knows something," he hissed, crushing the half-empty Coke can in his hand without noticing he was doing it. She knew something important, something major, something he'd missed.

Tommy tossed the can into the sink, marched into the family room, grabbed Trini by the arm with his free hand, and hauled her right up off the couch and out through the back door before anyone could react.

"Hey!" Ethan yelled. "I was finally about to win!"

"Dude, who cares? Come on, it's eavesdrop time!" Conner exclaimed, jumping up.

"No one go near that door," Jason commanded loudly.

"What? Why?" Kimberly asked suspiciously.

"Because it's their business, not ours," Jason said firmly. "Let them talk it out."

* * *

"Do the words 'Can I see you in the backyard, Trini, please?' mean anything to you?" Trini demanded as she jerked free of Tommy's grip.

"You said if I ever wanted to talk, you'd listen," Tommy retorted. "I want to talk. _Now."_

"So talk," Trini said, rubbing her wrist irritably.

"What do you know?"

"Lots of things, Tommy. For example, the quadratic formula is _x_ equals negative _b_ plus or minus the square root of _b_ squared minus 4_ac_ all over 2_a_."

"Ha, ha. What do you know about Kimberly that I don't?"

"Well, she had a traumatic experience with Southern Comfort two years ago and now can't even be in the same room with it without gagging."

"Stop it, Trini! I'm serious. _What do you know?"_

"I don't know what you mean, Tommy."

"I don't, either, okay? What's your problem, Trini? Why are you so angry at me? Is it because I didn't go after her? Is that it? Or is it just a girl thing?"

"A _girl_ thing? _Excuse_ me? What are you rambling about?"

Tommy felt like pulling his hair out in frustration, but the trouble was he could no longer get a good grip. "The breakup. There's something you're not telling me."

Trini frowned. "I think you know all the same things I do."

"I…" Tommy stopped. Where was it? Where was the glitch in the program? It had something to do with Trini and Kimberly, he knew that, but…

"Who told you?" he asked suddenly.

"What? Who told me what?"

"Who told you I broke up with Kimberly?"

"…Kim did. I should think that would be obvious."

Tommy shook his head. When she'd showed up on his doorstep, he'd been too startled to think about it, especially since her odd little hug had managed to knock some sense into him. Rocky, Adam, Tanya, Billy and Kat had already known about the breakup, and Billy had called Jason and Zack… but the guys hadn't mentioned Trini. Trini was synonymous with Kimberly. Until she'd arrived, Tommy wasn't even sure he could still count on Trini's friendship—he knew that it had been an irrational fear, given his history with Trini, but back then he'd wondered if being Kimberly's best friend meant she would no longer be Tommy's. He had been too stunned and too busy figuring his life out to think about the fact that no one had mentioned contacting Trini. She'd just _appeared._

"What did she say?" Tommy asked slowly. Had she blamed Tommy somehow? Had she told Trini why she'd done it? Had she told Trini all about the new guy in Florida? What? If only he'd realized it sooner… Trini knew what Kimberly had been thinking back then. With that sort of information, he could have changed a lot. If he had known how good his chances were of making her take him back, he might have tried to reconcile before things went past the point of no return.

"I'm not too sure. It was hard to make anything out through the sobbing."

"The… what?"

"She was crying her heart out, Tommy," Trini said softly. "I figured you would have guessed. What else would she be doing just then, huh? She was hysterical. She cried, then she slept, then she cried some more."

Tommy stared at her, completely shocked by this revelation. He'd never thought Kimberly would have cried about it. He'd just figured she'd gotten bored with the long-distance thing and stopped caring and written her letter and gone off into the sunset with her new beau. That was why he currently had a hard time believing she still cared. It was downright cruel of her to do that, so completely _wrong_ of her that he hadn't imagined her being sorry, being upset, caring at all about how much it had hurt him. She'd never tried to contact him after that, and it had just confirmed all of his suspicions about her.

"She was upset?" he asked carefully.

"No, Tommy, upset it what you are when they discontinue your favorite ice cream. Kimberly was devastated." Trini fixed him with a steely gaze. "I figured if she was that hurt, you'd probably be needing me, too. That's why I came out here. It tore you both up, Tommy, and don't pretend it didn't."

Trini lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. "I guess it doesn't matter now, Tommy. After all, you're still going down. I'm gonna fix you two if it's the last thing I do."

Tommy didn't reply, lost in thought as she calmly went back into the house. Kimberly _did_ still care. He hadn't actually believed it, despite what he'd heard on the balcony, despite what anyone had said or done. She really was sorry. She had been all along.

"Of course she was," Tommy muttered to himself, shaking his head. How could he have doubted that about her? She wasn't like that. Last night, he'd figured she'd just picked up the regret somewhere in the past few years, or else it had hit her when she'd seen him again after all this time… but she'd regretted it from minute one.

He wasn't sure how, but it made a difference, a huge one. She cared. He wasn't sure if she wanted him back—hell, he wasn't sure if he wanted that, either. But she cared, and right now, that was enough.

* * *

Billy's story wasn't over by one o'clock, but for some reason he was glad it wasn't. He supposed it was because leaving the tale unfinished meant he could have more of these talks with his father. It was starting to sink in that he hadn't had a real conversation with his father since the mid-nineties, and now he finally could.

The telephone was what ground the talk to a halt; the cab company was calling to confirm his one-thirty pick up.

"I've got to get to the airport," Mr. Cranston said heavily as he hung up the phone. "Security has been terrible ever since 9/11—it's even worse here than a lot of other cities, what with aliens and monsters on top of terrorism concerns and everything else. I've only got carryon luggage, so I'm hoping I don't get held up too badly, but still."

Billy dug Trini's cell phone out of the pocket of the jeans he'd borrowed from Tommy that morning. "You'll be back on Friday, right?"

"Friday evening, around nine. To be honest, I'll probably be exhausted—I still can't seem to get a good rest on a flight. And I assume you'll be spending most of Saturday at Power Rangers Day?"

"That is the plan, but I don't have to go."

"No—I want to come see the show. I imagine it will be something. You lost your powers, though, didn't you? How are you planning to, you know…"

"We have copies of the suits. Zordon and Alpha created them and put them on display in the Command Center after we all lost our powers and everything," Billy explained. "Jason kept mine for me. So technically I'll simply be in costume, rather than in morph."

"I see. Well, I wouldn't miss it. Besides, you should spend time with your friends, as well."

"I can do that while you're at John Hopkins."

Mr. Cranston smiled. "Well, I suppose you can. When are you leaving?"

Billy paused. He'd planned to leave on Sunday morning. But he didn't have to. The teleportation device could stand some extra time to recharge after a jolt like the one he'd given it to send him to Earth. There was an Aqua-phone in Trini's basement; he could use that to let Cestria know. He _did_ need more time. The Aquitians would survive without him for two weeks as easily as they had for one. After all, they'd dealt fairly easily with that Gruumm character, who was actually stupid enough to believe that he could break through Aquitar's defenses, and they'd settled that dispute between Xybria and Inquiris; Billy had been one of the people to sign the treaty as a witness. Things were running smoothly for Aquitar right now—at least, as smoothly as they were going to get for a while, considering it, too, was a planet with Power Rangers.

"A week from Friday," he said. "Maybe longer."

"But I thought you said something about—"

"Doesn't matter. It's not like they'll terminate my employment or anything." Billy smiled wryly. "I've been mediating and inventing and strategizing and fixing and so on for so long… I'm beyond indispensable, Dad. I'm a liaison to other planets, I'm their chief engineer… they'll understand that I need time off. I'll just extend my stay; it would probably be very beneficial for the teleportation device, anyway."

"Well, why don't you come by some more after Power Rangers Day," Mr. Cranston said. "Sunday morning, perhaps? And I'd like to talk more with Trini and the others, too. You kids… sometimes I still can't believe you're not running around the backyard pretending to be the Scooby Doo Detective Agency."

Billy laughed. "Funny thing is, Dad—once we got our powers, that's all we ever did. We were just playing Scooby and Ninja Turtles—with some really cool toys as props. And we didn't have to take turns being the villain." He paused. "We did that on occasion, though. Most of us have been evil at some point."

Mr. Cranston clapped him on the shoulder. "Spend some time with them, too, Billy. We'll have next week, and when you go back to Aquitar you can give me one of those alien phones that your friends have. Kimberly, Tommy and Zack aren't going to be in town for as long as I am, now, are they?"

"No." Billy shook his head. "You're right. But I've gotten to talk to them more. They knew, all of them…"

"Well, I know now. That's the important thing." He smiled. "So don't forego seeing your friends just for me. You're important to them, as well." Mr. Cranston smiled. "You know, if you want, the garage is still in pretty much the same shape as it was when you left. You should show your friends around. Make an invention or something. I still keep a key inside the old wind chime."

Billy looked up. "Is the RADBUG still around?"

"Of course. It's parked in the backyard. I haven't used it in a few years, though, not since 2000. It still had gas back then, if I remember correctly, but I daresay it's probably going to need some work before you can get it up and running. I gave up on the upkeep; it just didn't seem feasible."

"Mind if I take it out?"

"Of course not. It's your car, after all."

Billy grinned. His crazy great-aunt Betsy had given it to him when he was twelve, in order to help with his paper route. As Billy was neither old enough to drive nor employed by a newspaper, he'd taken to tinkering with it instead; it had been one of his favorite things to modify. After all, cars had plenty of moving parts and all sorts of interesting components. He was sure he could get it working again, as long as most of the more expensive parts were still in good shape. And if they weren't, he probably had some spares in the garage.

"Feel free to spend as much time in there as you want while I'm gone," Mr. Cranston continued. "Just try not to blow anything up. Again."

Billy nodded. "I'll try. I haven't seen real fire since 1997, however, so no promises."

His father laughed. "Well, have at it. Your old belongings are in your room, too, but I'd imagine they're all musty and dusty by now. I do try to clean, but I never seem to get very far. Oh, and before I forget…" Mr. Cranston reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope, handing it to Billy. "I figure it's about time I gave this to you."

Billy opened it, and was startled to realize that he barely recognized the object inside as a credit card. He'd forgotten so much about Earth. "What's this?"

"Your ATM card."

"My… what?"

"I went to the bank this morning and had your college fund transferred to a regular checking account. It's a joint account; both of our names will be on it, so I'll still have access—"

"My college fund?" He knew his parents had one for him, but he hadn't really thought much about it once he got to high school. His guidance counselor had informed him that he could probably get scholarships to just about anywhere, and he was more concerned with the Rangers back then.

"Your mother started saving for it the day she found out she was pregnant with you. She was so confident you'd end up at Harvard; she wanted to plan ahead." He gave a slight shrug. "I doubt that it's enough for Harvard tuition and room and board nowadays, but… ah, well. I should have known you were too smart for college."

Billy stared down at the card. _Money._ He could actually pay for his own meals, give Jason and Trini a little something for putting him up all week, stock up on overalls and toothpaste and maybe he'd even get a new video game system, he was sure he could find some way to convert Aquitian energy to get power for it… the challenge would be immense, but doable, definitely…

"Thank you," he breathed.

"It's no problem," Mr. Cranston said. "It's your money, anyway, and I'm not doing anything with it. I asked for a printout of the interest the account has accumulated, the balance, everything like that; it should all be in the envelope."

Billy pulled out a sheaf of papers, his jaw dropping when he saw the balance. It wasn't exactly enough for a mansion in Beverly Hills, but he had no bills to pay, no obligations or debts to any company on Earth, and it _was_ a good deal of money. Visiting would be so much easier now, in the future. He didn't have to worry anymore about using his friends' pockets; it was one of the main reasons he hadn't come back. And he could buy plenty of things to amuse himself on Aquitar, all the things he missed and tried not to think about anymore…

They heard a car approach, followed by the honking of a horn. "That'll be the cab," Mr. Cranston said, nodding at his luggage, already stacked by the door. "I have to go."

"I'll see you on Saturday," Billy said. "I'll be the one in the Blue Power Ranger suit."

"It's good to hear you say that, son," Mr. Cranston said, picking up his briefcase. Billy hurried forward to help with the suitcase. "There was a time when I thought I was crazy to even think that you were a Power Ranger. It's good to know I'm not delusional."

Billy laughed, thinking of all the people who'd ever accused him of being the delusional Red Ranger when his own father had a sneaking suspicion that he might be the Blue. Then he sobered, realizing he'd been so caught up in telling his story that he hadn't actually realized what this discovery meant.

"Dad… I don't think I have to ask you this, but…"

"I won't tell anyone, son, I promise."

"Thanks." Billy gave him a hug and showed him to the cab. It felt so odd, seeing his father off on a business trip—something he'd done over and over during his childhood—when he hadn't seen his father in years.

Billy watched the cab disappear, waving and smiling. Then he looked down at his new ATM card. Grinning like mad, he ran back into the house.

* * *

"His dad's already gone, right?" Conner asked for the fifth time.

"Yes, Conner. His dad is already at the airport."

"I liked his dad," Kira said.

"Yeah, well, he got _your_ color straight," Conner pointed out. "Me, Black. Ha!"

"I'll say," Tommy muttered.

"But I'm not asking because I don't like him. I'm asking because I don't think I could handle thinking about parents anymore today," Conner said.

"Speaking of, I should really call mine," Ethan said.

"Oh, god, you haven't called your parents yet?" Tommy demanded. "We've been gone for four days!"

"We all called home to let them know we were okay when we first got here," Trent said. "When you went out to get ice."

"Oh." Tommy breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't need angry parents wondering where their kids were. He still couldn't believe they'd let Conner, Kira and Ethan come along… but then, he'd made it sound good, he supposed—mostly because he didn't want people to start thinking he was creepy, rather than because he wanted them to come—and they did all seem to think it was some sort of supervised graduation trip. Besides, the three had probably gotten pretty good at manipulating their parents by the age of seven, let alone seventeen. And a free graduation trip with an adult around to keep them in line… well, plenty of parents would jump at the chance.

Currently, they were all driving to Billy's house; Billy had called at four o'clock to let them know he was ready to leave. Tommy was, once again, driving the Dino Rangers, which was starting to annoy him a bit; after his little spat with Trini, he was no longer comfortable with the fact that Kimberly was in the same car with Trini and the others while he was off with the teens. And Conner was always in the front seat. Never in the back. ALWAYS in the front.

They parked on the street in front of Billy's house; the garage door was wide open. The moment the last car door slammed, Billy practically bounced out of the garage.

Tommy stared at him. He was wearing a pair of crusty old work boots and worn, faded coveralls that might have once been baggy, but were now a good deal tighter and a bit too short, over a too-small yellow polo shirt. He was also currently covered in oil stains, from hair to toes and even glasses.

"I've almost done it, guys!" Billy yelled excitedly, speaking fast, almost wildly. "I'll need a battery, possibly an alternator and a few other things, but I'm close, guys, and I found all sorts of things in the garage while looking for replacements! I'm even thinking about giving it a new coat of paint. I found the old mechanism I used to whitewash my grandfather's fence, and I'm guessing I can pour a little blue paint in there and make a few modifications and voila! The things I'd forgotten… my tracking devices, my puzzle games, my experiments with brain wave alterations… oh, _and_ the first communicator I ever made. The prototype, you know. I even found my old coveralls! My inventions and my father and you guys and look, look, I'm _dirty!"_ He threw out his arms to show them his oil-streaked skin.

"Eh… huh," Jason said intelligently. The others just sort of stared.

Billy gave them a sheepish smile, appearing to come down a bit from whatever high he was on. "You'd be excited about dirt, too, if you lived underwater. Besides, they never let me do too much of the actual work on Aquitar anymore. They're always going on about the efficiency of micromanaging."

Trini smiled and stepped forward. "You look good in oil, Billy. You look… like you."

"Do I?" He looked down at himself, startled. Come to think of it, he'd probably looked like a completely different person lately, with the longer hair and the baggy clothes that weren't really the right colors.

"I didn't understand a word he just said and he looks the same as he did back in high school," Kimberly said. "Wow. Billy's _back."_

Billy grinned madly and motioned towards the garage. "Come on, guys! Trini, remember that enhanced vacuum I invented?"

Trini rushed over behind him to look at the old invention. "Oh, god, how could I forget? We spent two hours trying to get Zack's arm out of it."

"And I never wore any of my favorite shirts to Billy's house ever again," Zack added sulkily, staying well back from the gigantic mess of tubes hooked to the canister.

"Wow," Ethan said, staring around in awe at the miscellaneous objects littering the garage. "This is _awesome."_

"You really should have marketed a lot of this stuff," Trini said wistfully. "Think of all the good it could do people if you perfected some of these things and marketed them."

"The CIA must be watching you like a hawk," Conner said, edging nervously away from a device marked "signal scrambler," only to bump into something labeled "for emergency surveillance."

"Wait until you see the RADBUG," Billy said. "Come on!" Billy eagerly led them through the garage and into the backyard, where he flung out his arms and yelled, "Ta-DA!"

They stared blankly at the battered Volkswagen Beetle. The hood was open, as was the passenger-side door; the other door lay in the grass, its inner panel removed. The overly conspicuous attachment that allowed for flight was still in place, random cloths and rags dangling from the top of it. An assortment of junk—most of it martial arts equipment, unknown mechanical devices and thick books—lay scattered in the grass, as though it had been yanked out of the trunk and dropped for lack of a better idea. Several vital components were sitting in front of the car, while the entire backseat was propped up against the side of the garage, sporting a handful of duct-tape patches. The twin horns had been polished to a nearly painful gleam. An extremely dirty car cover was piled nearby, streaked with years worth of leaves, dirt, dust, sand and just about anything else Mother Nature had tossed at the car since Billy's move to Aquitar.

"Isn't it great?" Billy gushed. "I'm almost done. The gasoline expired, which is to be expected, but of course I'm having fun cleaning everything and we can just fuel it back up. I've already changed the oil, but the carburetor's practically ruined, so I decided there was no point in cleaning it. I'm keeping a list of what all I still need, though. But once I get it all together, it shouldn't take long for us to get on the road. Or on the sky, so to speak. Hey, let me know if you guys find the wiper relay, will you? I can't figure out what I did with it for the life of me."

"Don't move," Tommy hissed at the Dino Rangers, glaring at Conner in particular. "Who knows what you might step on?"

"What all do you still need to get it going?" Jason asked Billy.

Billy pulled the list out of his pocket and handed it over. Jason's eyes widened. Turn signal bulbs, he could handle. A battery, he could spring for that. But an alternator was going a bit far, and a carburetor was just plain out of the question. Jason was financially stable, but by no means well-off enough to completely refurbish an old car owned by a guy who didn't even live on the planet and wouldn't be using it for who knew how long. As it was, even though he hadn't really done anything extravagant for this vacation, it was still costing him a decent chunk of money; he wasn't getting paid, as he wasn't teaching his classes, and he was eating out and driving a lot, in addition to paying for Billy, which was not only about food and admission to any attractions they might go to, but was sure to cause a spike in the next energy bill (Billy took longer showers than any guy he knew). He didn't mind all that, but no matter how much he might want to, he wasn't able to drop a few hundred bucks for one drive in the old RADBUG.

"Um, Billy, man," Jason began apologetically, "I'm not too sure I can pay for all this. I mean, one or two things, sure, but even though Trini's vacation is paid, mine isn't, and—"

"You don't have to pay for anything," Billy interrupted. He pulled his ATM card out of his pocket and flourished it at them. "I've got a _bank account."_

"Does it have money in it?" Jason asked, confused.

"My college fund," Billy said proudly. "I'm set. I'll be paying you back for all the meals, by the way. Oh, and I'll give you something extra for—"

"Oh, no you won't," Trini cut in sharply. "Getting to see you is enough payment for that."

"But I have _money,_ Trini," Billy protested. "I can finally—"

"Get yourself some new glasses," Trini interrupted loudly. "You can finally get yourself some new glasses, and some new clothes, and some new shoes, and pig out on guacamole cheeseburgers, and fix the RADBUG. _That's_ what you can do."

"I'll help you pick out the new glasses," Kimberly said quickly. "We can go to the mall later. Ooh, and you'll need a brand new wardrobe. Not living on Earth is no excuse for not keeping up with the trends. And you could use a haircut. A complete makeover. Maybe even a facial."

"But—"

"No, no, I'll take care of it. I'll probably need some time to get you in at the salon, and of course you'll need an eye exam, that'll have to be scheduled, but you'd look so _cute_ in modern fashions that weren't around eight years ago. I don't think they even had some of my favorite designers back in the nineties. How much was your college fund, anyway?"

"Lie, Billy," Zack said in a stage whisper. "You've done put your foot in it now. Tell her you gambled it all away at the racetrack or you're doomed."

"Oh, he's doomed anyway," Tommy said. "She's already got that gleam in her eye."

"Don't know what you're smirking about," Kimberly told him in a tone that was both teasing and scolding. _"You're_ carrying the bags."

"Who said I was going with you?" he demanded with an attempt at defiance, though it came out rather resigned. There was no stopping Kimberly from dragging someone to the mall. "I could just… not go."

"Oh, you're going, Mister," Kimberly said lightly. "I haven't taken any of you on a shopping trip in ages. It'll be fun."

"That's _Doctor,_ thank you. And I've been on enough of your shopping trips from hell, haven't I?"

"You can never go on enough shopping trips. Besides, you're _good_ at carrying the bags."

"Aw, man," Tommy whined.

"Ha, ha," Zack teased.

"There'll be too many for one person, you know," Tommy joked threateningly.

"I've already got my excuse prepared," Zack retorted.

"Me too," Jason said. "I keep a list now. Good thing you brought friends, Tommy."

"Good point," Tommy said thoughtfully. He turned to look at the teens speculatively. "They could carry a good fifteen bags or so." Conner, Ethan and Trent looked uneasy, but Kira shrugged, used to carrying her own bags at the mall whenever she had to pick up a new outfit. She liked to think of herself as an independent woman, above such girly things as making men carry her belongings. But she didn't realize what Kimberly was like in a mall… she just didn't _know_… Besides, Kimberly never just shopped for one person. She shopped for herself at the same time, and for her friends, and she usually saw something cute that a relative would just _love,_ and the elderly neighbor down the street could _always_ use new slippers, and the crossing guard down by the elementary school might like a new whistle, and that checkout girl at Kroger's needed a better shade of lipstick…

"I'm thinking maybe even twenty-four," Kimberly said.

"I don't need fifteen shopping bags worth of clothing," Billy said, wide-eyed. "Let alone twenty-four."

"Sure you do," Kimberly said. "I'll make the calls right after we get back from the Command Center. How do you feel about pedicures?"

Billy looked down at his feet, then back up at Kimberly in horror. "Um… tell you what. If someone wants to go pick up the parts with me, we can get going. It'll probably be harder to find in the dark."

"It's, like, four-thirty in the afternoon," Kimberly pointed out. "You know, we should probably get you some contacts, as well as glasses…"

"I'll start calling auto parts stores, to compare prices and see who has the parts in stock," Trini said, taking pity on Billy and grabbing the list from Jason. "It might be hard to find some of this stuff. Does your dad have a phone book, Billy?"

"Used to keep one on top of the microwave," Billy said gratefully.

"You guys go with Trini," Tommy told the Dino Rangers. "Go watch TV or something."

"Why?" Conner asked.

"Because the last thing I need is for you to step on Billy's wiper relay."

"Hey, I happen to know a bit about cars, you know," Conner said indignantly. "Haven't you _seen_ my car? It's a classic." He paused. "What's a wiper relay?"

Tommy rolled his eyes and pointed to the house. "Go."

"I'll come too," Zack said.

"Take Kim," Jason muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

"Come on, Kim," Zack called obediently. "Let's… uh… you can call the salon for Billy."

"Whole point was to get her off Billy's back," Jason hissed.

"Uh… after Trini's done. Hey, I… think… we should… I bet there's something good on TV?" Zack said hopefully.

Kimberly, knowing fully well what they were doing, rolled her eyes but followed Zack to the house, leaving Tommy and Jason out back with Billy.


	30. Bicycle Built for the Blues

**Chapter Thirty**

_Bicycle Built for the Blues_

Trini and Billy were elected to go pick up the car parts—Billy because he was buying, and Trini because she and Jason had rarely been able to work on cars together. Both knew a good deal about cars (though Tommy was arguably a better mechanic and entirely more fanatical about vehicle maintenance), but Jason considered cars and their upkeep practically an art form, whereas Trini considered it something one did when the car went boom. Jason's near-reverence for automotive repairs clashed with Trini's methodical indifference constantly, leading to quite a few arguments and, more recently, a firm pact to always fix their own cars without each other's help. It didn't help that Tommy agreed with Jason about the subject, or that Billy, far from settling arguments, insisted that the fun part about playing mechanic was the technical aspect; he enjoyed the learning process, the improvement process, and the process wherein he got to see what happened if he did something that wasn't in the owner's manual. Sometimes, he got a flying car, and sometimes he got scorch marks, but he had fun along the way, and both Trini and Hayley shared this view, to a certain extent; they had had dozens of conversations about the fun of experimenting with automobiles, during which Jason and Tommy usually muttered defensive threats about what would happen if either girl ever did _that_ to _their_ vehicles.

Once Trini and Billy returned, however, they completely took over, to Tommy and Jason's disappointment. Billy started chattering about the modifications he'd made in the past and Trini struggled to remember what she could of them, while Tommy and Jason were elected to find the wiper relay and then make room in the garage to put all the stuff from the trunk, which led to a loud crashing sound and a three-minute panic, during which Zack and Kimberly rounded up Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent and evacuated. They were two blocks down the street by the time Jason had the wherewithal to yell, "I'm okay!"

At last, however, the car was finished, all its part back in order, two gallons of gas—brought back from the gas station in a gas can—in the tank, and the flight modification system double and triple and quadruple checked (and then checked a few more times by Trini, who was mostly over her fear of heights but still not very in love with them). Try as they might, however, they couldn't persuade Billy to wash off the oil streaks on his skin; he said he missed seeing them too much to get rid of them just yet. He did, however, change back into the jeans Jason had lent him, though the shirt was much more of a battle. The old yellow polo was a favorite of his, and despite the fact that it showed a good three inches of his stomach Billy didn't want to take it off; he said he could just pull up his pants more, but Kimberly wouldn't relent, claiming the Urkel look had never been in style. Unfortunately, while waving Jason's shirt at him Kimberly accidentally dropped it in the sink where Tommy was washing the oil from his hands, which made Billy grin for about two seconds until she ran out to Zack's SUV and rummaged around in the back for a while before coming back with a black novelty T-shirt of Zack's. Billy finally conceded to put it on over his polo. As it smelled it a little odd, even Kimberly put up with that. Still, despite all their efforts, Billy looked like one hell of a fashion disaster.

"Well, it still could use a good scrub and a coat of paint," Billy said wistfully. It was now a good three hours later and they were all standing in the backyard, looking at the RADBUG proudly.

"Maybe we could get some paint tomorrow," Jason suggested.

"Yeah. We'd have to wash it with the hose, though; it can't go through conventional carwashes," Billy said. "At least, it couldn't in 1997. Are carwashes more technologically advanced now?"

"Not so much," Kimberly said apologetically. "I think."

"Awesome," Ethan breathed, staring at the RADBUG with a smile on his face that Conner referred to as Ethan's "Geek Grin." While he didn't share Trini and Billy's inventor's enthusiasm for cars, a flying car was ice cream to a science fiction fan. "That is so _sweet!"_

"Yeah," Kira said uncertainly. "But, um, question. Do you only have the one car?"

"Yeah, why?" Billy asked. "Isn't one enough?"

"One flying Bug is enough for me, but not for ten people to go to the same place in one trip," Kira replied. "Or is there some plan I wasn't in on?"

The older Rangers looked at each other.

"Oh," Billy said sheepishly.

"Well… the trunk's cleared out," Jason said, only half jokingly.

"I could probably fit in there," Conner said speculatively. "Kira could, at least."

"I am _not_ riding in the trunk," Kira said firmly.

"I will," Ethan said quickly. Kira looked at him incredulously. "What?" Ethan demanded. "As long as I'm flying, I don't care if I ride on the roof!"

"Considering this thing can go over three thousand miles per hour, you might care if you tried it," Trini said wryly. "But, um… maybe we could take two trips or something?"

"We'd have to make three trips. One person has to drive, so they can only take four people at a time. Even if I dropped four of you off at the mountain, I'd have to come back for another four, and then the last person," Billy pointed out.

"And the more trips we make, the bigger chance there is we'll get caught," Tommy said. "As it is, we'll have to avoid the airport."

"They're probably keeping a tighter watch on the skies and everything since September 11th," Jason added. He nudged Tommy. "Remember back in 2002? When we first met Carter?"

"How could I forget?" Tommy said ruefully. The teens looked at him curiously. "Carter's the Lightspeed Rescue Red Ranger," he explained. "Lightspeed Rangers are government-funded, so we thought they might be able to help us when a bunch of Navy _creeps_ stumbled across the dormant Dragonzord—my zord back when I was the Green Ranger. They wanted to crack it open, study the technology, _dissect_ it—" Tommy realized he was getting a little overly angry at the thought of just what the Navy had been planning to do to his zord and cleared his throat. "Anyway, Jason and I managed to contact the Lightspeed crew with a little help from Andros, and they stepped in and put a stop to the excavation." He paused. "Stupid Navy," he couldn't resist adding.

"Back on subject," Trini said, suppressing a giggle at his territoriality, "it's not like there's a lot of cloaking devices on here. If I remember correctly, getting it to fly was hard enough."

"True. I'm fairly certain it could outrun any aircraft, however," Billy said. "Unless Earth's technology has drastically improved."

"Not that much," Trini replied, "but the car is about four decades years old, isn't it? And I know we've inspected everything, but it hasn't been used in, what, seven, eight years? We shouldn't try to outrun anyone if we can help it. Let's try and at least get it down to two trips."

"Kim could sit on someone's lap," Zack said. "She used to sit on Tommy's when we had to go somewhere after Tommy joined up, remember?" Tommy glared at him, then schooled his features into a neutral expression before anyone else could see. Zack shrugged at him, either not knowing why Tommy was annoyed or not caring.

"Trini could sit on my lap," Jason said.

"Kira could sit on—" Conner began.

"Don't even think about it."

"What? I was gonna say Trent's."

_"Sure_ you were, Conner," Kira said dryly.

"I was!"

"You _so_ were not," Ethan scoffed.

"I was too."

"Uh-huh, sure."

"Right, Conner. Right."

"Kira can sit on my lap, if she wants," Trent said loudly, cutting off the budding argument between the other three teens.

"That gets us up to eight, provided that actually works," Billy said.

"Ethan can sit on Conner's, maybe?" Zack said hopefully.

"Uh, _no!_ He's _way_ too heavy," Conner protested.

"Besides, that's still only nine, and I don't think it's a good idea to drive while sitting on someone's lap," Billy pointed out.

"I can totally fit in the trunk," Ethan said eagerly. "Seriously. Come on. Please?"

"Are you sure you want to try?" Billy asked.

"Better than sitting on Conner's lap. Besides, I'd be able to say I rode in the trunk of a flying car. How many people can say that?"

They all stared at him for a second.

"Dude, I'm riding with Ethan!" Conner said gleefully.

The trunk of the RADBUG wasn't exactly large, and it wasn't exactly designed for two large guys to be riding in it. It took quite a while to fold Conner and Ethan in without knocking either boy unconscious, and then they had to make sure all of their limbs were free of the edges of the hood. By the time they managed it, Ethan and Conner were both slightly bruised and completely furious with each other and half the people who'd been helping them get in.

"Shotgun," Jason called the moment Billy had fastened a bungee cord over the hood (just in case).

"Oh, thank god," Trini sighed in relief.

"Oh, man," Tommy, Zack, Trent, Kira, and Kimberly complained.

"Hurry up out there!" Ethan shouted from the trunk.

_And I thought having Conner ride in my front seat was bad,_ Tommy thought with a shudder.

"You'd better get in first, Trent," Billy said. Trent nodded and climbed in, Billy holding the front seat forward for him, then for Kira. Zack hopped in from the other side, scooting into the middle after Trent and Kira got settled. Tommy followed Zack… then realized with a sinking feeling that he'd forgotten all about Kimberly.

His eyes widened in horror; she'd have to climb over him now if she wanted to sit on Zack's lap, but she might have already assumed that she was supposed to sit on Tommy's after that comment Zack had made… and if he got out so that she could sit on Zack, it'd be so obvious, so awkward… war with Trini aside, he was getting used to the calm settling over him and Kimberly…

He looked around wildly for a way out, and his gaze landed on Trini. Slowly, her face split into a triumphant smirk.

"Evil, evil woman," Tommy muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Zack asked.

"Nothing," Tommy practically snarled. So she'd planned this. Somehow. Well, it couldn't have been that hard for her. Even if they'd only made two trips to the ruins, someone would have to be on a lap at some point, unless they'd made three trips. She'd somehow managed to ensure Kimberly would be sitting on him, or squeezing into the space closest to him at the very least; even if she did sit on Zack, she'd have to be extremely close to Tommy. It also didn't escape Tommy's attention that Zack had made the suggestion that Kimberly ride on Tommy's lap; while it had seemed like a slip of the tongue, Zack was one of Trini's little weapons, and Tommy wasn't about to forget that now. Even if Trini _hadn't _planned it all, she wasn't about to help him plan his way out of it.

_This is nothing,_ he told himself firmly. What did he care if he had to let her sit on his lap for a while? The drive wouldn't be long in a car as fast as the RADBUG. It was more of a makeshift zord than a car. Besides, he could handle it. He was an adult. So she would be sitting on his lap. Big deal. No problem.

He looked expectantly at Kimberly, forcing his expression to remain calm and collected. She seemed to be doing the same; other than a slight blush to her cheeks—and it was hard to tell if that was manufactured by makeup or not—she appeared completely at ease.

Kimberly turned around and backed into the car, which wasn't easy as she couldn't aim where her butt was going and the car was now rocking from Ethan and Conner having a hissy fit of some sort in the trunk. She ended up partially on Zack and partially on Tommy, her legs thrown on the other side of Tommy's legs. Unfortunately, her bulky purse was practically crushing his foot, and the curve of the ceiling meant she had to bend her body over, unless she wanted to mold herself up against Tommy the way Kira and Trent were doing (happily, Tommy noted grudgingly). All in all, it wasn't very comfortable, but it wasn't very snuggly, either. _Take THAT, Trini,_ Tommy thought smugly. He was fine. He wasn't too comfy, but he was fine. This was fine. _Fine._

Jason moved the seat back, practically crushing Tommy's legs and forcing Kimberly to lean back towards Tommy more. She shifted a bit, trying to resettle herself. Tommy sighed heavily, knowing this was only the beginning of a hellish experience; this thought was further compounded by Trini grinning at him over Jason's shoulder as she slid in.

"Next time you modify a car, Billy," Trent joked, "you might want to get a station wagon or a minivan or something."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Billy smiled and pulled the car around the side of the house, out of the yard and onto the street, then headed around the curve and down the road. "Why aren't we flying yet?" Tommy called. Kimberly winced; her right ear was an inch or two in front of his mouth.

"Need to get gas," Billy replied. "We've only got a couple gallons; Zack's gas can wasn't very big."

"Go to the closest place," Tommy said. He wanted to make this go as fast as possible.

"I will. I don't want to get pulled over. Especially considering the fact that the plates are expired and I don't have a driver's license anymore anyway."

"Oh, great," Tommy said with a sigh, blowing Kimberly's hair onto the other side of her neck.

"Riding like this isn't legal, anyway," Trini said. "You'll get pulled over the moment a cop sees us."

"Oh," Billy said, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

Some sort of fight had apparently started in the trunk; they could hear yelps the occasional clang. Tommy prayed Conner and Ethan were both still alive. He also prayed Kimberly stopped shifting about. It was very disconcerting.

"Dude, move your leg over," Zack complained.

"I can't move my leg over without breaking one of Kimberly's bones," Tommy replied sulkily.

"Sorry, Zack," she said, shifting again. _Damn Trini,_ Tommy thought mutinously.

"Why are we going so slow?" Zack demanded.

"I apologize, but the speed limit is only twenty-five miles per hour, I can't see out the back or the passenger window, and the car's frighteningly overloaded," Billy responded. "It's not made to carry as much weight as we're putting into it. Each of us weighs over a hundred pounds, so there's over a thousand pounds in the vehicle at present. If my calculations are correct, closer to sixteen or seventeen hundred. Despite my modifications, the car _is_ old, and the flight system isn't very light, either."

"Better fly slow and low," Trini advised.

_I hate you,_ Tommy thought, resisting the urge to growl.

"Goody," said Kimberly. "God, does one of you have a sword in your pants?"

There was a moment of extremely loud silence, during which everyone held very still. Tommy was praying there was some sort of innocent meaning in there somewhere.

"What kind of question is _that?"_ Zack asked incredulously. _"Someone's_ got her mind in the gutter." Zack nudged Tommy with his elbow and mouthed "She wants you, man" behind Kimberly's back. Tommy rolled his eyes.

"I _meant,_ something's jabbing me in the leg," Kimberly clarified. Well, that explained her shifting about. Tommy wasn't sure, but she sounded a tad embarrassed now.

"Might be my ink pen," Tommy said.

_"That's_ a new word for it," Zack quipped.

"Shut _up,_ Zack," Tommy growled darkly.

"Why do you have an ink pen in your _pocket?"_ Kimberly demanded, stressing the last word for Zack's sake.

"It's a teacher thing," Tommy said sheepishly. Well, actually, it was more of a memory thing. He'd gotten into the habit of stuffing things in his cargo pockets because he tended to forget to put everything in his briefcase or back pack before leaving the house, so any other random objects he came back for were put into his pockets to save the hassle of dealing with opening his bag.

"Can you move it?"

Tommy paused. "Eh, you're kind of in the way." In other words, he couldn't get to his pocket without a lot of awkwardness.

"Would it help if I moved?"

"…I don't think so." _Please stop moving,_ Tommy thought desperately. There was just a sort of _imagery_ in his head now regarding Kimberly wiggling on his lap. Which Trini had probably put there with some sort of evil brainwashing technique, he was sure. Though Kimberly and Zack had both made it a lot worse.

"We're almost there, Kim," Billy said reassuringly. "Maybe he can take it out at the gas station."

"Good," Kimberly said with a sigh, shifting again.

_Someone's SO getting strangled when I get out of here,_ Tommy vowed.

"AHHH!" someone—possibly Ethan—yelled from the trunk.

"Think they'll kill each other this time?" Kira asked Trent.

Trent shrugged noncommittally, looking quite happy for the moment. "Dunno. But it'd be nice to have the room to myself." Kira grinned at him, in a way that looked sort of suggestive. Tommy grimaced, trying to ignore thoughts of hotel rooms, as well as thoughts of who the parents would blame if Kira and Trent did something stupid while in Tommy's care.

Ethan and Conner became louder and louder, and Kimberly began shifting more and more, trying to avoid the ink pen. Meanwhile, Trini and Jason began murmuring to each other in a distinctly icky fashion, and Tommy busied himself with trying to figure out a way to kick their seat without spraining an ankle or knocking Kimberly unconscious against the RADBUG's ceiling, but between Kimberly, the seat, and the purse weighing down his foot, it was looking like an impossible task. Zack was cheerfully trying to glance around the car, but there wasn't much of interest that he could glance at; Trent and Kira were smiling at each other happily and Trini and Jason were a step away from making out and Tommy glared at him every time Zack looked his way.

"DIE!" came a muffled roar from the trunk.

"RAWG!"

"SHUT UP IN THERE BEFORE YOU GET MURDERED BY YOUR SCIENCE TEACHER!" Tommy bellowed.

"OW! Tommy, _warning!"_ Kimberly complained.

"For real, bro," Zack added, causing about three different painful moments just by lifting his hand up to his ear to wiggle a finger in it experimentally.

"Now I know how you guys used to feel about my Ptera-Scream," Kira moaned.

"Tommy, I nearly committed vehicular manslaughter!" Billy admonished.

"Well, at least they're quiet, now," Trent said feebly.

"They probably just wet their pants," Trini said dryly.

"They're cleaning the trunk if they did," Billy said worriedly.

"Sorry," Tommy lied. "I'll give them a talking-to at the gas station."

"Come on, Dr. O, they're trapped in a trunk with each other. Adding a lecture's just kinda cruel," Trent joked. Tommy tried to glare at him, but Zack was in the way, so he settled for glaring even harder at Zack.

"Might want to wait until we get to the Command Center, actually," Jason said. "It won't be long, and they're quiet for the moment… and it'll look really strange if you get out and start yelling at the two guys in the trunk."

_I'm never going on vacation again,_ Tommy promised himself firmly.

"There's the gas station," Billy said, coming to a halt at a red light. "Dead ahead."  
"GEEK!"

"LOSER!"

"I count thirty-three seconds of silence," Kira said.

"Thirty-one," Trent said, holding up his watch.

"I want out of here," Tommy whined. Kimberly suppressed a giggle.

_"Sure_ you do," Zack teased.

"Shut up, Zack," Kimberly said playfully.

"Yeah, shut up, Zack," Tommy said, not so playfully. He wondered how much it would hurt if he stabbed Zack with his ink pen.

At last, the RADBUG putted into the gas station. "Let me out," Tommy said quickly as they came to a stop at the pump.

"I'm working on it, jeez," Jason muttered, popping open the handle. Trini had to grab hold of the roof and pull her legs out, Jason steadying her unnecessarily. "Anyone want anything to drink or anything?" Jason asked, turning around in his seat.

"See if they have apple juice," Kira said.

"I'm fine," Trent said.

"I'll look for myself," Tommy said. _When you finally let me out,_ he added silently. He wondered if Jason was prolonging this on purpose.

"I'll come with," Zack said.

"I will too," Kimberly said. "This is the sharpest ink pen I've ever sat on."

"Oh, shoot!" Billy exclaimed. "I haven't got any cash! We'll have to go to the bank first."

"You've got your ATM card, right?" Jason asked, still not moving from the seat.

"Yeah."

"You can pay at the pump, then."

"It's an ATM card. Not a credit card. And don't I have to pay the clerk, not the actual pump?"

"Debit cards can be used just about anywhere now," Jason said. "You and Trini need to talk about technology advances and banking."

"And you need to get out of the freaking car!" Tommy fairly exploded.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah." Jason hopped out and slid the seat forward.

Unfortunately, climbing out was not an easy task; being folded in half with her legs rather crushed beside Tommy's hadn't been an easy position for Kimberly to get into, and getting out of it proved worse. Jason practically had to lift her out. Tommy leaped out as soon as she was clear, intent upon putting some distance in between himself and Kimberly; Zack followed more calmly, handing Kimberly the extremely heavy purse.

"Look, Mommy! A clown car!"

Tommy looked over at the next pump, where a mother was balancing her young son on the front bumper and staring at them curiously while trying to wipe chocolate stains off the kid's mouth. Tommy looked at the RADBUG, with its odd attachments, realizing that it probably wasn't every day one saw a funky little five-seater Bug emit six people with two left inside. Shaking his head, he smiled a little and headed for the store, simply for the sake of getting away from the insanity for a while, but Kimberly blocked his path.

"Empty out your pockets," Kimberly commanded.

Tommy reached into his cargo pocket and pulled out the first thing his hand closed on—a pair of safety scissors.

"You keep scissors in your pocket?" Zack said incredulously, coming over to them.

"Must have thrown them in there at some point," Tommy said with a shrug. He didn't want to admit it in present company, but he'd worn the pants for about six hours last week and hadn't washed them since; according to the bylaws of bachelordom, this was perfectly acceptable, but he didn't need any laundry jokes or memory cracks right now. He set the scissors down on the hood and pulled out an ink pen. And a very melted candy bar. And his address book. And a red yo-yo he'd taken away from Conner after Conner had tried to do tricks with it in the lab a little too close to the electronics.

"Oh-kay," Kimberly said, shaking her head. "Wanna do the other pocket? Just to be safe?"

The pile on the hood gained a bag of Skittles, his reading glasses, a note that said "Remember to feed dog" (despite the fact he didn't actually have a dog), a guitar pick that probably belonged to Kira, a comb, his old white communicator, and a lint-covered gumball. By this point, Jason, Zack and Kimberly were staring at him incredulously.

"You actually have crap in the other five pockets, don't you," Kimberly said with a grin.

"You're not going to be sitting on them," Tommy pointed out. Kimberly just raised an eyebrow at him. Sighing, he reached into his hip pockets.

"Elizabeth Randall—hey, Tommy, is this chick hot?" Zack asked.

Tommy looked over at him with a rather horrified expression to see Zack flipping through his address book. "Give me that!" he snapped.

"What? Got your eye on her?"

_You tactless little…_ Tommy thought in annoyance, snatching the book away. He was fairly certain that if there was a demon on one of his shoulders and an angel on the other, the angel would be glowering and the demon would be waving his pitchfork at Zack threateningly. "She's the principal at Reefside High. You know, Elsa, ex-evil minion?"

"Ooh, the dominatrix type," Zack said with a fairly interested expression. Tommy whacked Zack's shoulder with the book. _That_ was an image Tommy never wanted in his head again.

"Come on, let's go get some provisions," Jason said, smirking at Tommy.

"Wait—where am I gonna put all this stuff?" Tommy demanded.

Kimberly scooped up as much of it as she could. "We'll ask for a bag inside. Come on."

Tommy hurriedly grabbed the rest, mentally grumbling about how his pockets didn't seem _that_ deep, and followed her inside. Jason and Zack split off from them, heading for the snack aisles, while Tommy and Kimberly approached the counter. The clerk looked at the stuff in their arms oddly before handing over a plastic bag, into which they dumped everything from Tommy's pockets; now all he had left was his wallet and his phone (he refused to let the phone out of his sight, ever again).

Just as he was preparing to make an excuse to ditch Kimberly to avoid any one-on-one time, Kimberly looked at him with a nervous expression. "Tommy?"

"Huh?"

"Look, I'm uncomfortable as hell in there," Kimberly blurted out. "If we're not going to be flying fast, and the mountains look different, and so on, it could be a _really_ long trip. I don't want to bug you, but… but… can't I just sit on you like I used to? It was so much more… comfortable."

She looked like she wanted to melt into the floor. However, far from feeling worse, Tommy felt a whole lot better. She really wanted things to be okay between them, and she was being honest with him. After his fight with Trini, he was relieved to see something about Kimberly get simple, even if it was something as strange as her sitting on his lap for a long flying car ride.

"I'll understand if you say no," Kimberly said quickly. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I just don't want to be folded into a pretzel for the next six hours or whatever. But it's okay. It's totally okay. I can manage."

"No, no, it's fine," Tommy replied. "Sit however you want. We're cool."

Kimberly exhaled gratefully. "Yes. Good. Thank you."

A thought struck him and he held out his hand. "Can I see your cell phone for a second?"

Kimberly pulled it out of her purse. "Why?"

"No reason," Tommy said, snatching it and flipping it open. After playing with it for a moment, he managed to find her phone book. Praying he wasn't going to regret this, he started pushing buttons.

"As long as you're not calling China or anything," Kimberly joked, leaning against the counter but still watching him curiously. "My bill's high enough as it is. I gotta stop going over my minutes."

A few seconds later, Tommy turned the phone around so she could see that he'd added a new entry—him. "There's my cell and house numbers. If we're going to be friends, you're going to need them."

Kimberly gave him a look that could only be described as the facial expression equivalent of "Awww, how _sweet!"_ She took the phone and held out her hand. "Here, let me give you mine."

Tommy's recent protectiveness of his phone warred momentarily with the rest of him and won. "Has it changed in the past two years?"

"No."

"Then I already have it. Stole it from Jason's phone ages ago," Tommy said sheepishly. Much as he hadn't wanted to admit it, he didn't want to lie to her right now, and anyway she would have seen the entry when she'd tried to add it.

Kimberly looked surprised but pleased. "Oh. Okay, then." She smiled and swallowed. "Well, I'm going to go… see if I can find a diet root beer."

Tommy watched her walk away. Screw Trini. He could be friends with Kimberly. If he wanted to be more one day, that was up to him. What could Trini do? Lock them inside a Las Vegas wedding chapel? He didn't want to play mind games. He was sick of trying to sort things out; it was all he'd done after Kimberly had left. He really did want a clean start, and Trini could just get the hell out of his way. He knew she just wanted to help him, but he wasn't an idiot. He could fend for himself.

"Tommy!" Zack called. "Can you go grab a bag of Doritos? This was all we could carry."

Tommy was startled out of his reverie by the return of Jason and Zack, arms loaded with chips, cookies, candy and enough drinks to service the Sahara. "Where the hell are we going to put all that?" he asked as they dropped it on the counter.

"My lap," Zack said promptly. "You get Kim, Jase gets Trini, Trent gets Kira, I get food."

Tommy shook his head, but he smiled. Doritos sounded pretty good right about now.


	31. No Clowning Around

**Chapter Thirty-one**

_No Clowning Around_

Billy stared at the gas nozzle, amazed. Trini had had to show him how to swipe his card in the reader, and he'd been utterly awed at the automatic setting on the nozzle. Here he was, years ahead of Earth's technology, and yet unable to work a gas pump without help. Now that he thought about it, there must be dozens of things he hadn't heard about. The cell phone craze had come, of course, after he'd left; pagers had been all the rage back when he was in high school. He'd heard about cell phones, and the Internet had gotten exponentially better, but the credit card craze had taken him by surprise, and Trini was now cheerfully telling him about MP3 players while she rechecked the flight system. It suddenly occurred to him that one of the main things he'd enjoyed about Aquitar was the new, challenging technology, the opportunities for an inventor like him… and yet now that he'd been away from Earth so long, he'd have all the same things here.

"Excuse me."

Billy turned to see the harassed-looking mother from the next pump standing sheepishly behind him, holding onto her son with one hand and a piece of paper and pen with the other. Trini curiously came over to stand on Billy's other side. "Listen, I know this is kind of strange," she said nervously, "but… could I have your autograph?"

Billy stared at her. He'd spent a good deal of time lately talking about being a Ranger, especially today. He'd also never been asked for his autograph while out of uniform by anyone for more than one reason. These two things combined to make him say, before he could stop himself, "I'm _not_ the Red Ranger."

Trini whacked his arm even as he winced and mentally kicked himself. The woman stared at him.

"No, no," she said in confusion, "I—"

"You're a Power Ranger?" the kid asked eagerly.

"No," Billy said firmly. "I just… someone asked me that earlier… Power Ranger craze, you know… anyway, why do you want my autograph?" he asked desperately.

The woman leaned a little closer. "Well, he's just learning about the concept of people on TV shows not being real people, and I explained about actors and fans and autographs, and now he wants yours because… well… he thinks you're a clown." She gave him a helpless look.

Billy blinked. "Uh… why?"

"Welllllllll… your car _is_ a bit odd," she replied apologetically. "And, um, you're dressed a little… funny."

Billy looked down at himself through a curtain of messy hair. The oil streaks still dotted his skin like badly-applied war paint. His baggy jeans were, according to Jason, technically in style, but not when the cuffs were rolled up and they were belted about three inches above the waist. Zack's T-shirt (which said "Remember my name—you'll be screaming it later") and the ratty polo beneath it weren't helping any. He supposed he was probably dressed exactly like a man who'd been living on an alien planet would dress upon returning—or, at least, he was dressed exactly like a nerd with delusions of skater punk.

"Please," she said out of the corner of her mouth, "just give him an autograph, or he'll scream all the way home."

Billy started to say something, but just then the car rocked violently and screams of rage and possibly pain sounded from the trunk. As the woman looked at the trunk in horror, Tommy appeared and flung open the hood, revealing Conner and Ethan, who were having a fistfight as best they could in such tight quarters.

"Will you two _shut up_ in there? You're about to get to see something only twelve people have ever seen. You're in the coolest car ever made. And it really hurts to fall out of a trunk at a thousand feet up, get me? Be quiet, behave, and be nice, or I'll make sure you don't see anything more interesting than a cactus on this trip. Or a poisonous snake. I can hear you guys all the way in the back seat."

"Sorry, Dr. O," Conner and Ethan chorused meekly.

Billy looked warily at the kid's mother, who stared at Tommy for a minute before shaking her head, as if forcefully throwing out all disturbed thoughts. All she wanted was a clown's autograph, and she didn't care too much about the fact that the pseudo-clowns were storing two guys in a cramped trunk.

"Wow," said the little kid as Tommy calmly slammed the hood back down. "So _that's_ how they gets all the clowns in the car!"

"One autograph, coming right up," Billy said hastily, taking the pen and paper from her and hoping her son wasn't old enough to be able to read his shirt. He braced the paper against the back windshield and wrote, "Billy Cranston, Clown Extraordinaire" on it.

"I'm Davy. What's your name?" the little boy asked him.

"Billy."

"No, silly, what's your _clown_ name?" he asked, obviously assuming Billy wasn't very bright.

"Uh… Bobo?" Billy added "Also known as Bobo" to the paper.

"Nice to meet you, Bobo. Can you do balloon animals?"

"Um… heh." Billy looked desperately at the mother for help.

"Billy, man, you ready?" Zack asked, coming over with a multitude of plastic bags full of snacks.

"What's _your_ clown name?" Davy asked Zack.

"Tinkle," Zack replied promptly.

"Can you do balloon animals?"

"No," Zack said apologetically. "But, hey, check this out." With that, Zack launched into a five_-_minute dance routine, complete with flips and spinning on his head. Before long, a small crowd had gathered to watch, and Zack's friends were staring.

_"What_ are you guys _doing_ out there?" Ethan yelled from the trunk, effectively ending Zack's dance. Several people applauded, none so loudly as the little boy.

Kimberly, who'd been trying to stuff Tommy's formerly pocketed belongings into her purse, came over to them. "Are we ready?"

"Sorry, little man, we gotta go," Zack told the beaming, awed little boy. "Mr. Blue the Grumpy Juggler needs a nap, and Pink Ptera the Amazing Acrobat still has to pick up her costume from the drycleaners."

"Only you, Zack," said Tommy, who'd been watching Zack's display with exasperated amusement.

"What's _your_ clown name?" the boy asked Tommy.

"That's Butch, the Multicolored Strong Man," Zack explained. "And this here is Madam Kwan, the Lion Tamer. Bobo here… well, he just gets hit with the pies. And the guy over there in the red shirt pretending not to know me is Jane the Bearded Lady."

"She doesn't have a beard," Davy said suspiciously.

"She shaved it for today. That way it grows back faster and doesn't get as much food stuck in it."

"I want to be the fire-eater!" Conner shouted from the trunk.

"Okay!" Zack called back.

"Thank you," gasped out the mother, who by now was trying to control a fit of laughter and failing miserably. The gaggle of people who'd been watching them went back to their gas pumps, also laughing. She and her son bid them goodbye after getting autographs for "Tinkle," "Butch," "Pink Terra" (Kimberly changed the spelling to sound less conspicuous) and "Madam Kwan."

"What was _that_ all about?" Jason asked as the others came back to the car.

"Just doing our part to inspire the youth of America," Zack said cheerfully, popping open the passenger door. He paused. "Aw, look, they're making out. How cute." Tommy glanced through the window just in time to see Kira and Trent jerk guiltily apart.

Once Zack got settled and got all the shopping bags settled on his lap, Tommy hopped in. It occurred to him the moment he sat down that now Kimberly couldn't sit on Zack's lap if she wanted to—which could have been accidental on Jason and Zack's part, but he doubted it. Probably just another conspiracy brought to you by the Annoying Friends of Dr. Tommy Oliver Foundation. However, he determinedly ignored this insight and looked expectantly at Kimberly. She sat back easily, sitting on his right hip with her legs stretched out towards the middle of the car. He put his arm around her waist, almost automatically, and she leaned back comfortably.

Once again, as Trini started to sit down, she gave him a smug sort of look, but he simply smiled back, not caring. She raised an eyebrow, slightly confused, and his grin deepened. She could play games all she wanted; he was perfectly capable of straightening things out with Kimberly. There was nothing Trini could force him to do. Moreover, most of what she'd said hadn't been lost on him. He did need to fix things with Kimberly. He did need to repair the team, so that they were six again, not two groups of five. He just wasn't going to do it Trini's way; he wasn't sure Trini's goals were his anymore.

"Hey, Kira," Tommy called calmly, extending an arm over Zack's head. "Is this yours?"

"My favorite guitar pick! Where'd you find it?"

"No idea. You must have left it in the lab or something," Tommy replied as Kira slipped it into her pocket.

"You still have to sing me some of those songs you wrote," Kimberly said.

"Yeah! And I want to hear yours. Did you find apple juice, Zack?"

"Uh… it's in here somewhere."

Billy drove back towards his house, where the traffic was very thin and there was less chance of getting spotted, before going airborne. While Conner and Ethan had started up again, they dissolved into fits of "WHEE!" once they realized they were flying. Trent and Kira both stared out the window in amazement, while the others looked down with nostalgia (save Trini, who stuck mostly to giving Billy directions around the new airport and out into the mountains as best she could without looking at the ground).

"I believe this is the correct route," Billy said at length. "Everyone keep a look out."

It was difficult to find the right mountain, especially from the air, as it looked a lot different than it once had, without the Command Center on top. But they'd gone to the Command Center many times in the RADBUG, and the double peak of the mountain stood out a bit. Only Tommy had been back since its destruction, but he'd been on the ground and utterly lost at the time, so he wasn't much help. Still, they managed to find it, after a mere half hour of searching the surrounding trees.

"Whew," Trini said as the car set down on a reasonably flat cliff. "About time." She struggled to find the door handle and hopped out. "Be careful climbing out, guys; you'll go rolling to your deaths if you trip and fall."

"Are we there yet?" Conner yelled from the trunk.

"I'll go let them out," Trini offered.

"Aw, I was getting so used to them in the trunk," Kira said, only half joking.

They climbed out of the car, and then Billy and Trini took a moment to double-check the trunk latch and make sure that the flight systems and so on were still operational. "This is it," Jason announced, spreading his arms out to encompass the wilderness. "The secret hiding place of the base of the first Power Rangers."

"I used to love hanging out around here," Trini said with a grin. "It was so… peaceful. So removed from the rest of the world."

"It was a bitch to hike around here, though," Kimberly joked. "Oh, look, guys! Down there. That's where we first got attacked by Putties. Right after we walked out on Zordon. I remember that rock formation."

Zack laughed. "The first time we were in the Command Center, we were all, 'Okay, yeah, superheroes, whatever. Later on.' Except for Jason; I practically had to drag him out. Anyway, the second time, right after our first zord fight, we were all, 'Whoo! That was awesome!'"

"Hey, Trini," Jason called. "Isn't right over there that spot where we—"

Trini clamped a hand over his mouth. "Reminisce about that later, honey." Jason cleared his throat and nodded. Kimberly giggled; Tommy avoided her gaze. He and Kimberly had also spent a lot of time alone out in the mountains. It was much more private out here than at the park.

They climbed to the summit, shortly above where they'd parked the car, pointing out certain spots to the Dino Rangers, such as "There's where we fixed the zords after the zord wreck," and "Over there, we were taking a walk and somehow Zack accidentally antagonized some vultures and we panicked. Ended up morphing and jumping right off the mountain." However, when they reached the spot where the Command Center had once stood, everyone fell silent, simply staring at the empty terrain.

"And that's where the Command Center used to be," Billy said quietly.

They stood there, all of them now choked up. "It's just… gone," Kimberly said. "I thought… I thought there'd be some sort of sign that it used to be there. Crumbled stone or something."

"I'm not sure what happened to it all," Tommy said. "I think… I think the building resettled or something, like it did after the Command Center blew up, when it became the Power Chamber. I think it just… reformed, into something hidden, more secretive, more… dormant, because there's still a good deal of stuff left, it's just all below the surface now, as if the Chamber sunk down a level and sealed itself off. I couldn't find an entrance from up here. Then I remembered the tunnels and caves."

Silence prevailed once again. They had mourned Zordon and Alpha, hung on to hope that they were still alive… but it hadn't hit home that Zordon was gone until they saw the blank spot on the mountain.

Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent hovered uncertainly at the edge of the group. While they'd been really excited about the idea of seeing the former lab, they now felt that they were intruding upon some private moment, meant only for the eyes of Tommy, Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly and Zack.

"Kira," Tommy said slowly, not looking at her, a hitch in his voice that even Conner caught. He pointed back down the mountain a ways, where two trees stood oddly close together in front of an outcropping of rock. "There's an entrance right down there; slip past those two trees and you'll be in the cave. Follow the tunnel and then head up the stairs. Why don't you take the guys and go on ahead?"

"Sure." Kira nodded at Ethan, took Trent's hand and Conner's arm, and headed over to the entrance in question, immediately realizing that Tommy had singled her out because she would be the first one to notice his distress; he knew she would usher the guys off quickly and quietly and keep them from asking awkward questions or upsetting Tommy and his friends further. But if Tommy had looked at the Dino Thunder teens, he would have known they already knew what was going on. Regardless, Kira motioned for the guys to slip through the passage. Though she knew the guys understood why Dr. O was sending them ahead, she dutifully made them go first, following them after shooting Tommy a sympathetic look. She had a sudden vision of Hayley's Cyberspace reduced to rubble, with Tommy and Hayley's lifeless bodies lying next to where the café should be. The thought made her stomach twist violently, tears pricking her eyes, and she gently pushed on Ethan's back, urging him to speed up their departure to give the older Rangers their privacy.

Tommy, Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly and Zack stared at the place where the Command Center should be. The mountain, to an outsider, looked like any of the other mountains surrounding it; one couldn't technically call it "the ruins," as few signs of the great building remained. Now, anyone who stumbled upon it would have to look hard to tell that there had ever been anything there, and they would mostly likely assume that it was a torn-down ranger station (ironically enough). There was no telling, from the outside, what it had once been… yet to the six former Power Rangers the bare stretch of stone and dirt seemed to have a gaping hole in it, a glaringly obvious scar. None of them had ever found out if Zordon was still alive, and none of them had seen Alpha in years. A transmission from another world and a robot… both had seemed so human; both had been dear friends that they'd probably never see again. And the Command Center, their second home, the only place where they could truly and always be Rangers and teenagers at the same time, the only place they truly _belonged,_ was no more.

Jason reached out for Trini, drawing her against his side. She slid her arm around his waist, Zack coming over to put his arm around her shoulders. Tommy stood alone between Kimberly and Billy, wondering why he had ever left the team, if there was anything he could have done to stop the Command Center's destruction, and he knew the others were also thinking it. They all wished they'd never left, even though they knew it had been the time to move on, even though Zordon had given them his blessing as they passed on their powers, even though those that had stayed on the team had never begrudged them the other chances life had brought their way.

Kimberly started to cry. She didn't sob, wasn't even obvious about it; she took one shuddering breath and the tears started to fall. She stood there, her arms wrapped around herself, staring numbly at the bare mountaintop. Kimberly held her grief back as much as she could, knowing that the team needed their privacy right now; she didn't want to cause a scene. They needed to grieve themselves, not comfort her. Only one of the others even realized she was crying.

Wordlessly, without thinking about it, Tommy stepped closer to her and put his arm around her back. Just like that, the last of Kimberly's composure snapped. She crumpled against his chest, and he held her tightly, letting her sob against his shirt. Unlike just about every other moment Tommy had spent with Kimberly in the past four days, he didn't think twice about it, didn't second guess his actions or hers. He didn't care about his past with her; their former relationship didn't enter his head at all. For that moment, he was just someone who understood, someone she could lean on, and all Tommy wanted was to give her that.

Billy put his hand on Tommy's shoulder, as if affirming that he, too, was strongly affected, and that he would be there if Tommy needed him. Tommy gave him a nod, though the action was unnecessary; they all knew each other's feelings. He didn't have to look to know that Jason had his own hand on Billy's shoulder, that they were united physically as well as in spirit while their minds remained in solitude. They were together, in the way they were always meant to be—as a team, as _Zordon's_ team.

Together they stared down at the memory of their home, vivid recollections of every moment they had spent in that building flooding back and bringing sorrow, but also hope. They stood on the mountain, all sense of time gone, a team for the first time in over nine years.

* * *

_Well,_ Ethan thought as they moved past the empty basement room and up into the Power Chamber, _THAT was the most depressing moment of my—whoa._

Ethan stared in shock at the crumbling remains of the Chamber. The doors, obviously automatic but no longer functioning, were stuck half-open, and Ethan wandered into the main room in a daze, sidestepping Conner and Trent on autopilot. The room was lit with a faint, ethereal glow, emanating from two pillars encircled with rings of light every foot or so. The majority of the control panels were still intact, though scorch marks still lingered and a bit of broken glass lay scattered on the floor, primarily in front of the back wall. The extensive dust and signs of decay seemed almost a mockery of the greatness that had once occurred in the room.

"Ethan," Kira whispered. "Can you… can you figure out any of this stuff?"

Ethan approached the controls hesitantly, feeling as though he was disturbing some sacred artifact, and of course that never ends well. The switches meant very little to him; he couldn't tell much about them whatsoever, especially with the extremely dim light. He picked one out at random—a large, round red button—and smacked it.

A dull throbbing noise started, growing ominously; Ethan cursed himself for doing something as dangerous as pressing a Big Red Button because of course that never went well in the movies… and then, so suddenly they all yelped, the entire room lit up as bright as day, an electronic humming noise now faintly audible. Some of the buttons and switches and so on also lit up.

"F-found the light switch," Ethan said shakily, jerking his head around to check for poison gas, flying arrows and other such booby traps.

"Dude, I almost wet myself!" Conner hissed.

"Don't _do_ that!" Kira added, clutching her heart.

"Sorry," Ethan said sheepishly. He looked around at the console in front of him, and something Tommy had once mentioned caught his eye—"Viewing Screen." Taking a deep breath, he muttered "Here goes nothing" and flipped the switch.

A circular screen on the east wall lit up, and the four teens' jaws dropped. Staring down at them from the wall was Dr. Tommy Oliver—minus a few years. His hair was almost as long as Kira's, hanging straight down his shoulders, and he was gazing solemnly out into the room. Cautiously, as though afraid this vision of Dr. O might jump out of the screen and smack them, or at least scold them profusely, Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent crept closer.

"Hello," Tommy said grimly. "If you're viewing this message, then obviously you've either stumbled into some place you shouldn't be—or you're a Power Ranger."

"Oh, good, we're the second one," Conner said. Kira shushed him.

"As you might've guessed, you are standing in the base of the original Power Rangers, who protected Angel Grove for years from numerous enemies. I oughtta know," Tommy added with a smile. "I was the sixth Power Ranger, the Green Ranger, and later the White, as well as the Red Zeo Ranger and the first Red Turbo Ranger."

"Okay, that's probably not something you want to say on a recording," Ethan said, frowning.

"Shut _up!"_ Kira hissed. "I want to hear this!"

"This base has been blown up twice by evil forces in recent years. The first time, it reconstructed itself into a new base. The second… well, I can only assume it tried to do the same, but so much of its power is diminished now. By all rights this place shouldn't work nearly as well as it does, but that's beside the point. If anything, it is a monument to the fact that Power Rangers never give up.

"If you are one of us, a Ranger, I hope you'll find what you need here. Be warned, the security levels in place are maddeningly difficult to crack. If you are not one of us, I ask that you keep this secret as we have kept it. We have saved lives; we have done the world a lot of favors. If that means anything to you, you'll turn around and walk out the door and take the memory of this place to your grave. I can only beg you not to disclose whatever evidence you might find of the truth of the Power Rangers… Well, that, _and_ I can warn you that if this Chamber senses that you don't belong here, it may activate its numerous defenses. It's a pretty scary building when it comes down to it. The Power protects _us_… not trespassers. If you try to abuse the gifts granted to us, you're going to get a rude awakening."

"Is he _insane?"_ Trent wondered aloud as Tommy's image disappeared. "If someone finds this—"

Trent didn't get to finish, as a robot with a head shaped like a flying saucer filled the Viewing Screen. A squeaky, computerized voice filled the room.

"Security system armed. You have ten seconds to deactivate primary countermeasures. Please enter one of the passwords now. Ten…"

"WHAT?" Trent roared.

"Nine…"

"Oh _god!"_ Kira yelped.

"Eight…"

_"Ethan! _ You're gonna get us _killed!"_

"Seven…"

"It wasn't me!"

"Six…"

"Was too!"

"Five…"

"SHUT IT OFF!"

"HOW?"

"Four…"

"RUN!"

"Three…"

"What I wouldn't give to be able to yell 'Dino Thunder Power Up' right about now!" Ethan wailed as they dashed for the exit.

"That is correct," said the squeaky-voiced robot.

"Huh?" They all halted, nearly colliding with each other as they turned back to the screen.

"Primary countermeasures deactivated. Welcome to the Power Chamber."

Never had the four teens breathed such strong sighs of relief. "Oh, thank god," Kira moaned. "I don't like this place anymore."

"Yeah," Conner said. "Dr. O would've killed us if we blew the place up again."

"If we weren't dead first," Kira said dryly. "Besides, I don't think it would have blown itself up. Again. That's a bit too overdramatic. Probably just would have killed us with poison gas or flying arrows or something."

"What was it that turned it off?" Trent said loudly, trying to take their minds off of the fact they were all scared to death now.

Ethan frowned thoughtfully. "Hang on… 'Dino Thunder, Power Up.' Dr. O said the first team had three dinosaur zords—the pterodactyl, the tyrannosaurus rex and the triceratops. He told me… _he_ was the one who came up with the morphing call. _He_ was the one who set the morphers to activate to 'Dino Thunder Power Up.' So… he might have gotten some of the plans for the zords and bikes and everything from here. From files kept by Zordon. So…"

"So our morphing call is one of the old passwords to this place?" Kira asked.

Ethan shrugged and nodded. "That, or there's some sort of information on the Dino Rangers in here, and Zordon or whoever set the passwords to Ranger morphing calls."

"Huh," Kira said. "And here I thought it was just some corny thing he pulled out of a hat."

"My dad did say they got a lot of ideas from stuff left over from Dr. O's Ranger days," Trent mused.

"Wow. Thank god he didn't choose 'cheese soup' for the morphing call," Conner said. He looked speculatively at the control panels. "I want to press something!"

"NO!" Kira, Ethan and Trent shouted.


	32. Two Heads Are Better Than One

**Chapter Thirty-two**

_Two Heads Are Better Than One_

Kimberly was the first to pull back, gently, without shame. Tommy didn't bother to blush as he let her go; he had done what Zordon would have wanted him to do—help another. And in an odd way, she had helped Tommy as well.

Billy's hand left Tommy's shoulder at almost the same instant. The moment was simply over, its end unannounced but somehow apparent. Jason stepped away from Trini and Billy, and Zack released Trini as well. They looked one more time at the blank stretch of dirt and rock, then turned away.

Billy broke the silence first. "Trini?"

"Yes?"

"I'd like to bend your ear about a few theories I have for improving the Aquitian teleportation system. It's good, but it's not nearly as good as it's going to need to be. I want to come back more. I _have_ to come back more."

"Yeah," Trini replied. "Yeah, you do. I think I could help."

Tommy smiled, noticing it as a nod to the moment they'd just shared. They had been apart too long, and it was time to remedy that. Together, they walked back towards the car, chattering away.

"I need a better map of Southern California," Tommy said. "Or maybe I should get OnStar."

"I could help you pick out a good GPS," Trini offered. "We'll fix your perpetually lost problem in no time."

"I could probably build you a good GPS, actually," Billy said.

"Awesome."

"I'm going to teach fewer classes at the gym," Kimberly said. "Give more to my employees. They're always begging for hours."

"Me, too," Jason said.

"I should try television," Zack said. "Hours would be more regular."

"I could probably do a lot more work at home, on my own time," Trini said thoughtfully.

"We should get together for Independence Day," Jason suggested.

"Yeah! Angel Grove has _way_ better fireworks than Reefside," Tommy agreed.

"You know, we never did take that big road trip we said we'd all take one day," Kimberly pointed out. "All the way across the country, to New England."

"We definitely have the money for it now," Zack said. "Next summer would work. Or maybe this one."

"I haven't figured out all of the summer schedule of classes yet," Jason said. "I could free up time in late July."

"I probably could too," Kimberly said.

"I'm off," Tommy said with a shrug.

"My boss needs me too much to not give me the vacation time," Trini said. "Especially since I have a lot of days rolled over from the last few years."

"I could probably keep my schedule open," Zack said.

"We could totally party out there," Kimberly said. "And think of the shopping in New York!"

"I'd rather not," Jason teased.

"You'll think of it enough for all of us," Zack added.

Laughing, joking and planning their future, the Rangers sat down in the sand, the RADBUG in between them and the ruins, under some unspoken agreement to wait until the teens came out on their own. They wouldn't be going inside the remnants of the Power Chamber. They didn't need to.

* * *

"This is creepy as hell."

Ethan had started playing with the controls, his confidence growing with every passing second that he wasn't fried to death with some secret death ray booby trap. He'd stumbled across something labeled "The Archives," which was divided into several different sections—one for each group of Power Rangers. To their utter shock, this contained not only "Mighty Morphin," "Alien," "Ninja," "Zeo," and "Turbo," but also "Space," "Lost Galaxy," "Lightspeed Rescue," "Time Force," "Wild Force," "Ninja Storm," and "Dino Thunder."

The information, as it turned out, was not in files or documents, but in video clips played on the Viewing Screen—and "Dino Thunder" contained thousands of images of the four teens and Tommy and Hayley, doing things ranging from fighting to hanging out at the café. Shocked, and not a little nervous, they'd watched scenes of Trent trying to find ways to keep safe when he knew that at any moment his father could morph into Mesogog, thus making the house unsafe; scenes of Tommy training them; scenes of Hayley, experimenting and building; scenes of everything. At the end of the montage of images were pictures of them all, along with text listing things like their names, current ages, residences, and their "status," which said "Inactive" for all of them, save Tommy, which said "Temporarily Retired/On Call."

"Where do you think this all comes from?" Trent asked. "I mean, is Dr. O doing the recording?"

"I don't think so," Ethan said. "According to that file I found earlier, these things are all being transmitted. So… someone's _receiving_ this information."

"Probably Dr. O, if he's the only one who's been here," Kira said. "He claimed he was, and I don't see much evidence to the contrary. This place looks like no one's seen it in ages."

"I'm guessing he set it up to have all the information sent to him," Ethan agreed. "He said he hasn't been here in a few years, but the Ninja Storm Rangers were in the video journal, remember? So he must be linked up to this place. It's probably some sort of… morphing grid thing. I mean, the power of this place is amazing. The fact that it can rebuild itself? Twice? Is it any wonder—albeit a creepy wonder—that it can detect Rangers and videotape them?"

"Dr. O did say Power Rangers are one parts science and two parts magic," Kira said with a shrug. "Still… it's royally creepy."

"I'll say," Conner said fervently. "I wonder if any of the other Rangers know about this."

"It's possible. Dr. O has met a lot of them, remember?" Ethan said.

"Speaking of Dr. O… where the hell is he?" Kira asked.

Trent checked his watch. "I don't know. We've been down here for over an hour."

"Here's hoping he didn't stumble across any 'primary security measures,'" Ethan said, now looking worried.

"Here's hoping he did," Kira grumbled. "I can't believe he sent us down here without a password! We could have been killed!"

Ethan hit the Big Red Button again, and the place immediately powered down, the Viewing Screen shutting off and the lights dimming once more. He sighed. "I could spend years in this place."

"Well, you know, if that stuff is transmitting to Dr. O, all the same information should be in the lab," Trent pointed out as they headed for the exit. "So once he gets it up and running again, we'll be able to go through it from his basement."

"And if it's not him, he'll want to come back here to figure out who it is," Kira added.

"Good point," Ethan said, his face lighting up. Then he frowned. "Great. I guess that means we have to help him clean the lab."

"I wouldn't go that far," Conner joked.

"Stupid Zeltrax," Trent said idly. "Even when I was evil, I couldn't stand him."

They trooped down the stairs, back down the tunnel and out into the sunshine, which was starting to wane; it was now almost eight o'clock. It took them a while to think to check back at the car for Tommy and the others (they nearly panicked when they came out of the cave entrance and didn't immediately see anyone); confused, they clustered in front of the chatting, laughing group, who were sitting with their backs against the car, shoulder-to-shoulder.

"What're you guys doing?" Ethan asked.

"Hanging out," Tommy said with a shrug, grinning slightly.

"Aren't you a little old to hang out?" Conner asked.

"I'm twenty-five, Conner," Tommy said, rolling his eyes. "Not fifty. Okay?"

Conner shrugged. "Just out of curiosity, why do all of our profile thingies say 'Inactive' and yours says 'Temporarily Retired/On Call?'"

Tommy frowned. "What?"

"Our profiles. You know, the things that say what we're doing now. Ours all say 'Inactive,' but yours—"

"What the hell does _'Temporarily'_ mean?" Tommy shouted, his voice echoing around the mountains.

"Shh! Tommy, don't worry," Jason said quickly, clasping his shoulder, as much to keep him from jumping up and stomping off to go scream incoherently at a computer monitor as to comfort him. "I mean, you still have your Zeo powers, whereas they have _no_ powers, right? So it stands to reason that yours would say something different."

"But… but… _on call?"_ Tommy whined.

"I'm sure that's just some sort of monument to the fact that sometimes you have to help out other Ranger teams, like you did with Andros," Jason said. "All of ours probably say the same thing, as Billy and Kimberly can still summon some of the old Ninja power and Trini, Zack and I have Coins. It's probably perfectly innocent."

"It had better be," Tommy muttered. "Did you guys have fun in there?" he asked the teens, trying to stay happy by changing the subject.

"It was wicked cool," Ethan said with a big grin, which slowly faded. "But…"

"Did you _forget something,_ Dr. O?" Kira asked meaningfully.

"Um…" Tommy knew he had to tread carefully when someone asked him this sort of question. Often, the answer was "Yes," but the trouble was wh… uh-oh.

"The security system!" Tommy yelped, leaping to his feet so fast he practically broke Jason's fingers. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I—OOF!"

Kira had punched him in the gut. Hard. Not with malice, but with a certain air of justified vengeance. Tommy coughed, clutching his side for a moment. Conner and Ethan cheered, and Trent put his fist against his mouth, not quite covering his smile, but trying.

"Okay, I might have deserved that," Tommy admitted, wincing slightly.

"You could have killed us! We could have been… been… I don't know what we could've been, because you didn't tell us what we could have been, but you're lucky we weren't whatever we could have been! The whole time we were down there we were spooked like nothing else, and then when we realize you hadn't come to check on us we get all worried that you're dead—well, _I_ get all worried that you're dead, because of course I'm the first one to worry when it comes to you being dead—and we have to come check on you. Newsflash—_you're_ the one who does that, not us! _You_ are responsible for _us,_ and yet you send us to our death without even a heads-up! Did you do it on purpose? Huh? Just like when we first got our powers and you were all 'I'll tell you tomorrow, go home and get some sleep' which by the way did _not_ work, we went home and called each other and freaked out all night, and you, you, _if you withhold information one more time—"_

"I'm really sorry," Tommy interrupted sincerely. "I just… it's been years since I've been here. I'd forgotten all about it. I set it up. You wouldn't have been hurt. Just… sealed inside while alarms, via communicator, alerted every ex-Ranger to ever set foot in that building."

"So we would have been locked in an underground room while screaming our heads off because we can't get out and some robotic voice is screaming 'Intruder' and we're waiting for some sort of monster or security guard or something to come and kill us because we don't know what's going on?" Trent asked mildly.

"Uh… yeah."

Trent nodded and looked at Kira. "Can I hit him next?"

"No, no, that was for all of us," Kira said apologetically.

"AW, MAN!" Conner and Ethan complained.

"No _fair!"_ Conner whined. _"I_ wanted to hit him."

"Me too," Trent said with a sigh.

"Me too," Ethan said sourly. "You have all the fun."

Tommy tried not to smile. "I'm sorry, guys. I'll make it up to you. Uh… somehow."

"How? Gonna buy us something on my dad's line of credit?" Trent asked sarcastically.

"No," Tommy said, although that had in fact been his first idea. "I'll… um… hmm."

"You'll ride in the trunk?" Conner suggested.

"Yeah, I'll… wait, what?"

"You'll ride in the trunk," Conner repeated. "It's _way_ too cramped in there."

"Yeah, it was only fun for the first few minutes," Ethan added. He paused. "No, wait, not even then."

"You guys are both smaller than I am," Tommy said. "No way will I fit with someone else."

"We could throw someone small in there with you," Ethan said. "Kira will fi—"

"No way!" Kira exclaimed.

"Um… well, someone would ride with you," Ethan said.

"Not me," Trini said quickly.

"I have to drive," Billy said.

"Trini's not sitting on anyone but me," Jason added.

"I'm not going in the trunk," Trent said firmly.

"I—" Zack began.

"I'll do it."

Tommy froze, grateful that his back was still to Kimberly so she couldn't see the look of horror on his face. What the hell was she _thinking?_ "I still think I won't fit," he said, praying that someone agreed with him and knowing no one would.

"There's no way you and Kimberly are bigger than me and Conner," Ethan said. "There's just no way. Besides, you said you wanted to make it up to us."

Tommy grimaced. If it weren't for the fact that this was Ethan—whom Tommy was pretty sure Trini wouldn't bother to recruit, as Ethan knew less about relationships than just about anyone—and for the fact that Kimberly was the one offering to do it, he might have started screaming accusations right then and there.

What could he do now? Pitch a hissy fit and refuse to get in the trunk with her? Lowering Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent's opinion of him and possibly hurting Kimberly's feelings in the process, while coming off as a whiny jackass? But he had to do _something._ No one was going to stop this nonsense for him. Why the hell had she offered to do it? Nothing was going to keep him from getting in that trunk with her. Not unless he could get Kimberly to take back her statement…

"Well, that's settled, then," Trini said lightly. "Let's get going. I don't know about you guys, but I'm starved."

As the others got up and brushed themselves off, Tommy grabbed Kimberly's arm and drew her aside. "Listen, Kim," he began, trying to choose his wording carefully without upsetting her, though he had absolutely no game plan.

"Tommy," Kimberly interrupted, "give it up. They're going to get us in that trunk somehow, and you know it."

Tommy blinked. So she _did_ know her friends were conspiring against them. Why didn't she seem very concerned? Was she conspiring against him, too? Or just comfortable in her ability to win? …Or did she _want_ to lose?

"Didn't you notice that I was the only one left? All that was left was Zack's excuse and your attempt to worm your way out of it. If we go into that trunk calmly," Kimberly continued, "they'll think their pitiful attempts to get us in bed together by the end of the week are paying off, and they'll back down, at least a little. Don't fight them, Tommy. We've got a week, and then we can do whatever the hell we want without Trini and the others breathing down our necks. All we have to do is pretend they're on the right track for a while. Trust me. I've already got Trini thinking she's got me backed into a corner."

Tommy stared at her, shocked. Of course. She had already figured out Trini's plan, and a way to beat her. Trini was better with psychology, but Kimberly was the master when it came to romance.

"Are you with me?" Kimberly whispered. A few of the others were trying to inconspicuously drift into hearing range.

Tommy thought about it. Whatever Kimberly had in mind, he was pretty sure it was closer to the pace and method he wanted; after all, she was in the same boat that he was.

"Sure," he said finally, grinning. "Let's kick their ass."

Kimberly threw back her head and laughed. "Atta boy, Tommy."

They walked over to the car together, both of them smiling. Billy was holding the trunk open for them. Feeling refreshingly cheerful, Tommy turned calmly to Kimberly. "Top or bottom?" he asked playfully.

Billy nearly dropped the hood on their heads. Kimberly giggled. "Top."

"All right," Tommy replied, winking at her as he lay down on his back, pulling his legs up, "but just this once."

Kimberly sat down and lay back beside him, bending her knees to take advantage of the curve in the hood. "That's what you think," she replied, just as Billy slammed the lid down.

They laughed hysterically once they were alone, picturing the looks on their friends' faces. It felt so nice, hanging with his friends, hanging with Kimberly, joking and cracking on one another. He felt much more peaceful, and a sense of closure about Zordon. Zordon was their mentor, their creator in a way, and he would always be with them.

For now, though, he had his team, old and new, and he and Kimberly were absolutely fine. They were teasing each other, almost flirting, and he was simply amazed at the irony. If anyone had told him two weeks ago that he'd be calmly accepting a long ride locked in the trunk of the RADBUG with Kimberly, he'd have laughed himself sick. But here he was, and everything was fine.

Then it hit him.

Fine?

Everything was _not_ FINE!

He was locked in the trunk of a car.

With _Kimberly._

By people who would probably prolong the ordeal for as long as they could.

He was trapped with his ex-girlfriend in a small, cramped area and would be flying hundreds of feet above the surface of the Earth.

So there was no escape.

Was he _insane?

* * *

_

"Did you guys _see_ that?" Zack hissed, leaning into the front seat the moment they were safely airborne. As space was already tight up front, Jason, Trini, Billy and Zack practically had their heads attached at the temple now. Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent, entranced with the view, barely noticed.

"It was kind of hard to miss," Billy said dryly. He'd nearly died when Tommy had made that "top or bottom" comment.

"It's great, isn't it?" Jason said calmly, quite content to be holding Trini and flying in the RADBUG while surrounded by his friends; he simply couldn't be bothered with the Tommy and Kimberly mess right now.

"Is that all you can say?" Zack demanded. "They're _flirting!_ And currently locked in the trunk together!"

"And probably sitting there in complete silence, awkward, upset, and praying for the moment we set down," Jason replied, rolling his eyes. "If anything, this little excursion will make things between them worse."

"Depends on what they talk about, really," Trini said conversationally. "On the one hand, it's possible that only one of them survives. On the other, they could really work a few things out."

"Kim offered to get in the trunk," Zack pointed out.

"Because you were the last person left, and you were going to try to get out of it," Trini said. "That's why she did it."

Zack looked utterly disappointed. "But… doesn't that bother you?"

"Not in the slightest, Zack," Trini said calmly. "Not in the slightest." She grinned. "Trust me, why don't you?"


	33. The Green Candle

**Chapter Thirty-three**

_The Green Candle_

The silence was oppressive. Tommy kept trying to think of things to say, because it seemed like the longer they stayed quiet, the less chance there was of starting a conversation. And he didn't want to be sitting in here, alone, in the dark, with Kimberly, for the next six hours, or however long it would take the RADBUG to run out of gas. Especially not since every time Billy went for more or less altitude, the two of them ended up crushed together to a somewhat painful point.

He knew he could ask her anything right now. They were alone, and once they got out of this trunk, his chance for a real talk was probably gone. He could ask her _why._ He could ask her any of the questions he'd wanted to ask her since winter of 1996.

But no way in hell was he _that_ brave.

Give him a shark monster any day.

Besides, now was not the time to get into a fight, and he was about eighty-five percent certain that they'd have one when and if they did talk about it. Things were going reasonably well, and somehow, out on that mountain… it had been a profound experience. He'd felt like they were all six together for the first time since the day Jason, Trini and Zack had left. Not just when they'd been staring at the blank terrain that was their childhood, when he'd held Kimberly while she cried, but when they'd been chatting while sitting against the RADBUG, eating all those snacks Zack and Jason had bought, talking about everything and nothing. They had just picked up where they'd left off back in 1994. It was probably the best day he'd had in years. He wasn't going to ruin it now.

"So… read any good books lately?" Kimberly joked. He nearly jumped; the sound seemed so… sudden. Well, at least that saved him the trouble of coming up with an ice breaker.

"Not unless you count a manual on how to repair computer terminals," Tommy said.

"Why would you read something like that?" Kimberly asked, frowning.

"Well, my lab got totaled by an evil minion a few weeks back, remember? Zeltrax. Hayley—she's my… um, sort of like an Alpha/Billy/Trini—she's handling most of the computer repair, saving all the data we can, but she's had to work a lot lately—she owns the local teen hangout, and it's summer and everything—so I've been trying to get some of it done. It's a lot of work, though. But I've got most of the rubble cleaned out."

"Where exactly is this lab?" Kimberly asked.

"Beneath my house. It belonged to Anton Mercer, the guy who gave me a job during college and helped me search for the Dino Gems. But when he disappeared, his lawyers told me that the house went to me if anything happened to him, and Anton said there was no point in taking it back when he came back to Reefside."

"He gave you a whole house?"

"Well, he's incredibly rich," Tommy said. "He's Trent's father, think I mentioned that, but other than Trent he has no family, so he only has Trent to spend it on, and from what I understand Trent grew up so poor that he doesn't feel comfortable with overindulgence. Besides, when Anton came back, he was Mesogog—the head villain. So he wouldn't talk to me much, avoiding me when he could. I tried really hard to get a foot in his door, but he was having none of it. I asked things like 'What happened to you' and 'What are all our experiments doing trashing Reefside' and he kept skirting around them, so I asked if he wanted his house back, and he said there was no point in taking it back. I guess he knew I needed it."

"Don't teachers make fairly good money?"

"Well, it's not bad, especially considering that they have to pay me more because I have more than just a bachelor's degree, but I didn't get a job teaching until this year. Besides, I spend all the money I'm saving on rent for the taxes and the experiments, the ones that I did on my own, without Anton's funding. But that's not what I meant. See, he was the one who had the lab built, and after he found out about my past as a Ranger, he modified the underground lab with a lot of extra security and the escape tunnel and so on. That's how Zeltrax knew about it—Mesogog knew about everything Mercer did. But all that security, and a few modifications from Hayley, kept them out of there up until Zeltrax found the way in on his own."

"Ah."

And the silence returned. Damn.

"So… how does it feel to be a successful gymnast?" Tommy grimaced. That question was easily led back to things like "Since you ran off to be one and dumped me a few months later, I'd kind of like to know," but he had to pray that it didn't.

"Honestly? Not as good as I thought."

"But… you've won so many competitions and…"

"Yeah, I know. It's just… well. It's my dream. I've accomplished it. Now what?" She sighed. "Besides which, somewhere along the way I realized that what I really loved was being a Ranger, and helping people. And I'm never going to get to do that again."

Tommy chuckled. "Yeah, people never wind up becoming a Ranger again after they've given up the power. Ever."

Kimberly laughed. "Okay, maybe you're the wrong person to talk to about that."

"You think? Besides, Kim, it's not like being a Ranger is the only way to help people."

"Yeah. Maybe I just loved the automatic outfit thing too much. If only all my clothes would magically appear like the suit does."

Tommy cracked up. "Well, I don't know. Seems like they're getting more and more ceremonial. More arm waving, longer transformation calls. You should have seen Conner, Kira and Ethan morphing. Seemed like it took twenty minutes. Whereas Trent just pushed a button and said four words, they practically had a dance routine."

"I used to feel kind of silly during the morphing bit," Kimberly admitted. "Standing there, shouting 'Pterodactyl…' and don't even get me started on the Ninja Ranger morph. Now _that_ was an involved morph."

Tommy nodded. "Yeah. And that suit… never liked it as much. Felt like I was wearing some sort of bed sheet. Not that the spandex stuff was utterly comfortable, but at least it wasn't billowing everywhere."

"No helmet to absorb the blows when you knocked your head, either," Kimberly said. "Mind you, I don't know why I'm complaining. It's the only power I have left, even if it's kind of weak."

"When was the last time you tried to use it?" Tommy asked.

"Right before I came here. Sometimes I can't help it. When I first left Angel Grove way back when, I used to morph into it every day, as if trying to assure myself it was still there. Now, not so much, but I do it a lot, probably more than I should."

"The Ninja abilities are based on our spirit animals, not our powers. You should have them forever."

"I suppose so. Do you ever try to use them?"

"I did, before I got my Dino Gem. Used to do it on occasion. There's something kind of sad about using the Ninja Powers, though… the fact that we don't have our coins anymore…" Kimberly nodded, and Tommy cleared his throat and continued. "I don't morph very often. Although ex-Rangers and Hayley tell me that a couple of times I've gotten smashed and gone running around the house in my Zeo suit, but personally I think they were lying. I usually only morph when I'm alone."

"Me too." She sighed. "What was it like, being a Ranger again?"

"I don't know. Sometimes it was great. And sometimes it was hell."

"Just like back in the day, huh?"

"Only worse. Because I'd thought I was _through._ I thought my time was over, and I'd moved on, and accepted it, and I'd really begun to _believe_ it. You know, when I lost my Green Ranger powers the first time, I'd felt the same way. The power was gone. And it was devastating. Then I got them back, only I had to sit around waiting for it to end. And when it did, again with the devastating. But then I accepted it, and I moved on, and I was okay, and the next thing I know Zordon's asking me to be the White Ranger. I was elated, but I was disappointed too, because I felt I was just back on the merry-go-round."

"I never thought of it that way," Kimberly said quietly.

Tommy shrugged as best he could while lying in a cramped trunk, not that Kimberly could actually see him in the dark. "It wasn't so bad, really. It's just… as the White Ranger, it took me a while to get really secure. I knew my powers weren't temporary, but that's what I'd thought about the Green. By the time I felt secure, I lost them and went on to be a Zeo Ranger. Had to struggle with them for a while before I felt confident. I never lost them, and I gave up the Turbo powers… but when I did, I thought to myself, 'That's it, no more Ranger. Ever.' And I was oddly okay with it. I felt like I was finished." He laughed shortly. "I wasn't, of course. I went out on three separate missions with my Zeo powers. I had several freak accidents where I had to fight, like on the island right before it blew up. But each time I just went home afterwards, and knew that I still wasn't a Ranger. That I was still _done._ Yeah, I'd have to get back in the costume every so often, but it was like… like I was a character on a TV show, and my character got written off, but I still came back for the occasional guest appearance. Never for a full season. Until the Black Dino Gem. Then I was confused, and worried, and… I don't know. I'm _exasperated,_ is what I am. I want the power to make up its mind about me. I don't want to keep swinging back and forth. It's like every time I get settled in my life, get okay with not being a Ranger, I end up morphing and running off into battle. And this time… this time it wasn't my friends, you know? It was my students. And I was the Zordon. It was weird, and at the same time it was great. …But mostly, it was weird."

"Must've been hard," Kimberly said softly.

Tommy shrugged again. "I don't know. I shouldn't be complaining. It's a gift."

"I think you have a right to complain. Just because it's a blessing doesn't mean it doesn't have a downside. Even though it gives you things, it's still taking other things away, and you have every right to miss those things."

"Yeah." Tommy fought off a sigh. They were getting too close to the subject of _them,_ and he didn't like it, didn't want it, not now, maybe not ever. "So you run a school in L.A.?"

"Yeah. It's doing really well. I need to stop trying to do so much on my own, though. I'm working myself to death. I've hired other instructors, but I'm still doing too much. I guess… you know, ever since I gave up my coin, I've been trying to stay as busy as possible."

"Me too. We all do, really. Every time I go visit Trini and Jason, I see her organize something during every lull in the conversation."

"Yeah. And Jason immediately goes for Mr. Introverted mode. I hate when he does that. He's far too internal when he doesn't have something to fight."

"Definitely. And Billy works himself to death. Zack can't seem to hold still, either."

"He never could. As a kid, he was so determined to keep playing. I remember being eight years old and thinking that Zack had some sort of health problem because by the time he'd finally take a break to go to the bathroom he was about to burst. He just couldn't be bothered to put life on pause, even when it was as simple as going to the bathroom." She paused thoughtfully. "You know, after all these years, I think Zack's probably the one who's changed the least."

"Yeah."

The silence returned, somehow heavier than it had been before.

"You know, I'm dying to hit the gym. I haven't worked out once since I got here. It's driving me crazy."

"Me too! What I wouldn't give for a balance beam and a treadmill."

"We should hit Ernie's again."

"Mm-hmm."

Damn. The lulls just kept coming.

"Uh… we should go on a snack run tonight. I brought some junk food, but Zack and Jason and Billy and I ate it all."

"Yeah, we should maybe hit a Wal-Mart or something. I forgot a few things, and I don't think I'll be able to get any of you to the mall until Thursday; it was the soonest I could get Billy in for his eye exam."

"Yeah, Wal-Mart would work. Billy will need some jeans and stuff until we get to the mall, too."

"He can't wear Wal-Mart jeans!"

"Kim, he's dressed like something out of a bad teen movie. A bad _90s_ teen movie."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"You can put a limit on him. Only enough Wal-Mart clothes to get through until the mall. Then he has to wear good clothes."

"…You wear Wal-Mart clothes, don't you."

"So does everyone who isn't you. Besides, I have four different color obsessions now. If I shopped exclusively at the mall, I'd be broke, and besides, I'm a teacher, so I'm broke enough as it is. But don't worry. I shop other places, too."

_"Sure_ you do."

"I do!"

"Uh-huh. I believe you. Oh, speaking of you and fashion, do you have a hairdryer I can borrow? Trini packed really light, figuring I'd have mine, and Kira didn't bring one, either."

"I don't, actually. Mine disappeared during the move to Reefside, and… well… my hair was short by then, so…"

"What _did_ happen to your hair?"

"Eh… it's not a very good story. More of a… more of a _trauma_ than a story."

"So tell me."

"Well…"

"Come on. You can tell me. Besides, if you don't, I'll get the story out of Trini anyway."

"Eh…"

"Where Kira can overhear. Maybe Conner and Ethan and Trent, too."

"All right, fine, you win." He sighed. "Well… you see… it was back in college. I was working at this family-owned Italian restaurant—you know, pizza, pasta, that sort of thing. And they had gas stoves. So I was trying to light this stove, right, and—"

"Wait. You can cook now?"

"No. Which is part of why I lost my hair."

* * *

_Flashback

* * *

_

"Damn it!" Loretta fairly screamed, thrown another burnt match down on the counter next to the gas stove.

"Shh! You know how Mr. Ditrapani feels about swearing around the customers," Tommy admonished as he walked into the kitchen. "I can hear you from the dining area."

"He's my dad. Doubt I'm getting fired," Loretta snapped.

"What's the problem?" Tommy asked, attempting to be diplomatic.

"My problem is Mario's off today and I'm trying to cook and I'm _failing!"_

"I thought you said you were a great cook."

"I _am._ On an _electric_ stove. You know, the thing that normal people use? I can't get this stupid thing to light!"

Tommy looked at the knobs thoughtfully. "Don't you just turn it to 'lite?' That's what Hayley does."

"'That's what _Hayley_ does,'" Loretta mimicked in a childish, whiny voice. "What does _Tommy_ do? Let me guess—get a job at a pizza place so he doesn't starve to death?"

"I'm just trying to h—" Tommy began hotly.

"Don't listen to her," interrupted Anthony, Mr. Ditrapani's eldest son, who was currently washing dishes. He had a knack for pinning down every single personality trait in anyone who came into contact with him. "She always gets rude when she's upset. You can tell when she's about to cry, because she tries to slug you."

"I'm gonna slug _you_ in a minute," Loretta growled, her lip quivering.

"Give me the matches," Tommy said more patiently, used to both the temperamental Loretta and the philosophical Anthony by now. "Let me see if I can do it."

Leaning close to the stove like he'd seen Hayley do, he made sure the gas was on, then struck a match and held it close to the burner. Blue flamed whooshed to life.

Orange flame whooshed to Tommy's ponytail.

"ACK!"

Tommy whipped his head back on pure instinct, grabbing at his head. A still-wet spot of alcohol from when he'd spilled a customer's drink on his shirt came into contact with the dwindling ponytail as the stench of burning hair filled the room; the next thing he knew, his entire arm was on fire.

Screaming incoherently, Tommy leaped away from the stove, just in time to miss the dishpan of water Anthony lobbed his way; most of it splashed harmlessly against Tommy's leg, which had yet to catch fire (thankfully, now it wouldn't). Loretta dove backwards out of Tommy's way as his hair was burned away, right up to the hair tie that held his previously-long hair at the back of his neck. The tie dropped off, landed on the fiery shoulder, and was set ablaze before falling down towards his dry pants leg.

In about three seconds, Tommy was going to be on fire from head to foot.

Thankfully, his fellow pizzeria employees were out to save his life.

Loretta, now backed into a corner, grabbed the closest liquid-like item she could find—cold tomato sauce that she'd been planning to prepare once she got the stove lit. She seized the whole pot of it and heaved.

Anthony, not backed into a corner, was now out of dishwater, but he didn't think he'd have time to fill a bucket. So, with a battle cry worthy of any do-gooder, he grabbed the fire extinguisher off the wall and cut loose.

The tomato sauce hit Tommy just a moment before the freezing cold chemical, thick red gunk splattering all over his back and down half of his flaming arm. No one got a chance to see if it did the trick, because Anthony began dousing Tommy in icy carbon dioxide.

Anthony ran the extinguisher until it was emptied; extinguishers, contrary to popular belief, only work once, and once they stop they're useless. So Anthony would later blame this action on extensive knowledge of how extinguishers work, while in reality he was just so shocked and terrified that he didn't have the wherewithal to stop. He continued to spray, while Tommy's scream became a high-pitched screech of shock as the cold blasted away the fire and seeped through his uniform, chilling him to the bone.

Finally, the extinguisher ran empty.

Tommy was no longer on fire.

He was, however, covered in red gunk, white gunk, and freezing his ass off.

There was utter silence in the kitchen. All three of them struggled to wrap their heads around this phenomenon and failed miserably.

At last, Tommy spoke.

"Am I bald?" he whimpered.

"N-no," Loretta stammered, dropping the saucepan with a clatter.

"I caught fire," Tommy said blankly.

"We fixed it," Anthony offered, wide-eyed and shaking.

The kitchen doors swung open, admitting a furious Mr. Ditrapani. "What the devil are you people doing? I can hear screaming all the way in the…" Mr. Ditrapani got a good look at the kitchen—the white spray clinging to everything, the sauce splattered everywhere, the dirty water all over the floor, and the three traumatized employees. "Good heavens…"

Loretta looked at him.

Anthony looked at him.

"Hi," Tommy said through now-chattering teeth.

"Tommy caught fire," Loretta explained.

"We put him out," Anthony added.

Tommy bent down and picked up his hair tie, which was damp with tomato sauce and dishwater; it had landed in the puddle Anthony created with his first attempt to extinguish Tommy.

"I have to go," Tommy said dazedly. Dripping with cold, congealing liquid, Tommy staggered out of the restaurant.

* * *

_End Flashback

* * *

_

"You can stop laughing now."

"Hahahahaha…"

"Really, you can."

"HA!"

"It's not that funny."

"HAHAHA!"

"…It gets worse."

Kimberly struggled to control herself. "It… ha! It does? HAHA!"

"I didn't know what to do," Tommy said with a sigh. "I was in shock. So I did what I always did in a crisis back then—I went to see Hayley."

"Oh, g—hahaha!—god, what did—ha!—she s-s-say hahaha?"

"Well, the trouble with going to Hayley for advice just then… was that she happened to be in class."

* * *

_Flashback

* * *

_

"So Beowulf defeated Grendel alone, using no weapons, as weapons were useless against the monster. What is the symbolism in the ineffectiveness of weapons?"

Hayley sighed as none of her classmates raised their hands. She'd been so busy taking all the math and science classes she could that she'd forgotten English, and so now she was stuck spending her time reading stories she'd memorized by the age of eight. Trouble was, no one else seemed to have a grasp of metaphors in literature, and the professor refused to move on to the next subject until someone took a stab at the current one. So Hayley had to come off like the geeky overachiever just to keep from sobbing with boredom. She stuck her hand up.

"Hayley?" the professor said, disappointed but unsurprised that she was the only one to respond.

"It symbolizes that you can't fight evil with evil. Only when you rely on yourself and your inner strength, and not outside influences, can you overcome all odds and—"

The classroom door opened.

Hayley broke off in horror.

Tommy came in, his shoes squelching as if full of liquid—which they very well might have been, as the rest of him was covered in globs of something red and smelly. He wore a thoroughly traumatized expression and was clutching something in one hand. He paused just inside the doorway, and haunted eyes scanned the room before resting on Hayley in the back.

The class stared at the first interesting thing ever to enter their English class, mouths agape at the poor, stunned, singed mess that was Tommy. Several people nudged their sleeping neighbors urgently.

Tommy held up the item in his hand—the hair tie—between two fingers. More sauce dripped from it onto the floor as he looked straight at her.

"Hayley," he said in a dazed, pathetic voice, "I had a _problem."_

"Tommy?" Hayley said faintly.

_"My hair,"_ Tommy whimpered. For a moment, Hayley feared he would burst into tears.

"Is this your, um…" The professor floundered for a label to describe Tommy that wasn't "Bad Horror Movie Monster." "Um… your… do you know him, Hayley?"

"He's my, uh, my roommate," Hayley said absently.

Tommy suddenly sank to his knees in between two desks (the students sitting in them scooted as far from him as they could get, their desks slamming against those in the next aisle). "My hair's _gone!"_ he wailed.

Hayley began to gather up her belongings as quickly as possible. Tommy had had several freak accidents in her presence before. However, she'd never once seen him look so pitiful.

"My HAIR!" Tommy howled, holding the ruined hair tie up to the sky like some male romantic lead whose girl has just died and now finds it necessary to shout at the gods and the sky and look all sad and pained. Then he fell forward with a wet plopping sound, flat onto his face along the aisle.

"Professor, I think I have to go," Hayley said calmly, shaking her head as she stood up and slid her arms into her book bag straps. "I'll come by during office hours for the homework."

"No, no, you just… take all the time you need," he said, edging towards the side of the class away from Tommy. "I'll… give you an extension. Yeah."

"Thank you." Hayley walked over to the area near Tommy's head, crouched down and began rolling up her sleeves. "Come on, Tommy. I need you to pull it together. I can't fix this from the classroom floor."

"Hair," Tommy croaked. "Fire. Job. Tomato. Water. Anthony. Bwoosh. Hair."

Sighing, Hayley simply went to his feet, pushed up a pants leg, and grabbed hold of his relatively clean ankle. "Come on, tough guy," she said, and dragged him out of the room.

* * *

_End Flashback

* * *

_

"Okay, _now_ you can stop laughing. Really. Come on. Come _on!_ Stop the laughing, Kim. It's really not that funny!"

"I can just see this little trail of tomato sauce!" Kimberly choked out.

"So could half the college. There was actually a bit of panic about it. People thought it was blood at first. It even made the local paper."

Kimberly dissolved into giggles. Between her shaking against his side and the rocking of the car, Tommy was starting to feel kind of queasy.

"So is that it, then?" Kimberly asked a good ten minutes later, after the silent phase of laughter, and the crying phase of laughter, and just about every other phase of laughter had finally run itself out.

"Mostly."

"Define 'mostly.'"

"Well, Hayley dragged me into the elevator, took me to the ground floor, rolled me into the grass outside, and went to one of the dorms where our friend Smitty was working the front desk. He let her borrow one of those carts people use to move their luggage in and out—you know, flat piece of wood on wheels with a big handle. Hayley got me onto it, wheeled me down the street for about two miles to our house, dumped me in the front yard and hosed me off. By then, I was a bit more coherent."

"Oh, my god…" Kimberly moaned, chuckling a few times; her system couldn't take much more laughing.

"Then I had to take off my ruined work uniform, towel off, and go take a hot shower before I got hypothermia. After that, Hayley trimmed what was left of my hair." Tommy smiled slightly, thinking of that first terrifying glimpse in the mirror. It hadn't looked bad, but he was utterly mortified just the same. He'd called work right then and there, with Hayley standing behind him holding the scissors and wearing a sympathetic (and rather amused, but still, she was trying) smile. He could still remember the conversation with his boss.

_"It's me, Tommy."_

_"Tommy! You all right?"_

_"I'm fine."_

_"Good to hear it. You gave us a scare, walking off like that."_

_"I'm fine." He paused. "I'm never ever coming back."_

_"Yeah, we figured as much."_

"I've kept my hair short ever since," Tommy said. "I liked it, once I got used to it. Besides, I don't think I could take another incident like that again."

"That was the best story ever," Kimberly said, clutching her side. "Oh, god… I needed that."

"Glad I could amuse you," Tommy said dryly.

"I'm sorry. It's just… come on. Even _you_ have to admit it was funny."

"No, I don't have to admit it." He sighed. "But it was."

Kimberly giggled. "Oh, man, I haven't laughed that hard in years." She poked him in the side. "You should grow it back out though. I liked it long."

"I'm kind of a science teacher now," Tommy said, glad she couldn't see the embarrassment on his face. "Long hair is a bit… unprofessional."

"What, and spiky hair isn't?"

"Well… still."

"Got any more stories like that?"

"No. I haven't set myself on fire since then."

"Ah." Sensing another silence coming on, Kimberly quickly added, "So… um… tell me more about this Hayley girl. She's the only friend of yours I've heard about so far."

Tommy blinked, wondering if this was some sort of attempt to see if there really was anything romantic going on between him and Hayley. "Well… I've been working so hard these past few years, I didn't have time to make any more. I met her my first day of college. She just sort of… adopted me. She was only a sophomore, but she somehow managed to know everything about the college process already. She's like that. Anyway, we became really close friends. My only other good friend in college was Smitty, and… well… that didn't go so well."

"He became an evil guy, right?"

"Yeah. He stopped talking to me in 2001, after I beat him out for the job at Mercer Industries. After the island Mercer and I were working on blew up—"

"Wait. How did that happen?"

"Oh, we were working on all these paleontology experiments, and Anton Mercer experimented on himself, and ended up becoming a split-personality evil guy, Mesogog. So he used all the experiments to try to kill me and I escaped just in time to see the island explode. Anyway, a few months after that, Smitty was injured, only to be turned into an evil cyborg by Mesogog."

"And, what, you only made two friends in all these years?"

"Well, I lost touch with most of my dorm buddies when I moved off-campus, and I lost touch with just about everyone else when I transferred to Reefside, so I could work on my doctorate and work with Anton at the same time, and I was too busy to mingle while doing all that. I just got the degree last spring. It's mostly been just me and Hayley and the Ranger crew for the past year, though now I'm spending a bit more time with Anton and Randall."

"Randall?"

"Oh, she was Mesogog's other evil minion. Elsa. She's also the principal at my school. Unfortunately."

"You don't like her?"

"Oh, it's not that, it's just… well, she's really strict, and things are kind of weird between us. She knows I'm a Ranger and I've saved her life and… it's just really odd. Doesn't help that we got into a huge fight on the school lawn the day her secret identity was revealed, and I was the one who had to explain to the school board that she was possessed by an evil villain." He paused. "Now _that_ was a weird day."

"You sound like you've been having a really strange life, Tommy."

"I have. Even before I became the Black Ranger. It's just… one thing after the other." Tommy shrugged. "How about you? The weirdness haunting you much?"

"Not really, no. Things have been pretty quiet." She sighed. "A little _too_ quiet. What I wouldn't give for some nice, exciting weirdness."

Tommy smiled vaguely. "Be careful what you wish for."


	34. Where There's Smoke, There's Fire

**Chapter Thirty-four**

_Where There's Smoke, There's Fire_

No one had expected Tommy and Kimberly to get locked in the trunk together; they all saw it as a stroke of good luck. They were all thinking of ways to prolong it, and dying of curiosity (especially after Kimberly's hysterical laughter reached their ears), but unfortunately they couldn't keep flying much longer. There was a much bigger chance that they'd get lost or caught if they kept flying around in circles, and, as Jason pointed out, both would royally suck. Most of the guys were also craving food that didn't come in a plastic wrapper, and everyone was dying to drag the story of what was happening in the trunk out of Tommy and/or Kimberly, and Trini liked flying less and less the longer they were in the air.

They were back at Billy's house by nine o'clock, though they stood in the backyard for quite some time, the older Rangers now looking at the RADBUG, house and garage with nostalgia, reluctant to leave.

"Dude, what were you two talking about in the trunk?" Conner asked Tommy. "We could hear you laughing the whole way back."

Kimberly burst into giggles again. Tommy smiled tiredly. "Oh, you know," he said, "same old, same old. The insanity that is life."

Kimberly leaned against the car until she got control of herself, clutching her side. "Oh, man… it's a wonder I didn't suffocate," she wheezed.

Tommy sighed, though he still looked a tad amused. "Anyway… we were thinking maybe we could go to the store? Kim said Billy's eye exam is on Thursday, so we could pick up some cheap clothes until then…"

"There's a Wal-Mart not far from the hotel," Jason said. "Halfway between the Inn and my house. We could swing by there."

"I could really use some snack food," Conner said. Ethan and Kira rolled their eyes.

"I need a hair dryer," Kimberly said. "I'm going insane without mine."

"I'll just grab mine from the house on the way back, don't worry," Trini said.

"I forgot my razor, though," Zack said. "And my toothpaste. I've been stealing Tommy's. And my shaving cream. And my—"

"So we need to buy a whole bathroom for Zack," Tommy interrupted dryly. "I wondered why I couldn't find my toothpaste this morning." Tommy rolled his eyes, putting his foot up on the bumper of the RADBUG and stretching out his leg to relieve his cramped muscles.

"As long as Kim promises not to go overboard," Jason said. "Otherwise, we're leaving her here."

"Hey! I don't go overboard!"

Jason, Trini, Zack, Billy and Tommy stared at her for a moment.

"Well… I'm not that bad, I mean, I… okay, fine. Tell you what. It's a nice night. Why don't we drop the cars back at the hotel and walk?"

"Why?" Conner asked. "What does walking have to do with anything?"

"Then she can't buy more than I can carry," Tommy explained with a wry grin, stretching out the other leg.

"Exactly," Kimberly said, as though it should be obvious. "Once he figured that out he wanted to walk everywhere. He used to try to convince me to walk to the mall. The _mall!_ As if _that_ was ever going to happen."

"Is it really far away or something?" Ethan asked.

"No." Kimberly gave him a slightly confused look.

"Kimberly kept the mall in business back in high school," Tommy explained. "I'm surprised it's still around. No way was she going to the mall with just me to carry her stuff home."

"Couple of stores went under back in 1996," Jason said casually.

"That was _so_ not because of me. Besides, Aisha was a great replacement in that department."

"Aisha left, like, two months after you did, didn't she?" Zack said.

Kimberly rolled her eyes. "Anyway, can we get going?"

"Can I go to the bathroom first?" Conner asked. "We've been gone a _really_ long time."

"Me, too," Zack and Ethan chorused at the same instant.

"Come on, I'll show you where the bathrooms are," Billy said.

Everyone headed into the house, save Tommy, who lingered on the back porch. "Coming, man?" Jason called.

"Nah, I wanna make a call," Tommy replied. Jason nodded and shut the door behind them. The moment Tommy was alone, he pulled out his cell phone. Telling Kimberly the hair story and the whole conversation in the trunk had given him an overwhelmingly strong desire to talk to Hayley.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"Oh, it's you."

"Gee, I miss you, too."

"That came out wrong. I was just wondering who would be calling the café after closing hours."

"I figured you'd still be locking up." He paused. "Remember that thing with the tomato sauce?"

"Tommy, I'll never forget _that._ Alzheimer's couldn't erase _that_ from my memory. Why do you ask? I thought it was in the 'never to be mentioned again' column?"

"Just… got to thinking about it today."

"Jason finally tell the story to Conner and the gang?"

"No, no, thank god."

"Then… what made you think of it?"

"Oh… you know… the old gang, cracking on my hair like usual."

"The 'old gang' already knows that story."

"Yeah. I was just thinking about it, myself, is all."

"…Did you tell Kim?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You did, didn't you."

"Yeah. She asked."

"And you just _told_ her the utterly embarrassing, humiliating, horrible story?"

"…Is there a point here?"

"You're not doing anything stupid, are you?" Hayley demanded sharply.

Tommy leaned against the RADBUG, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"You and Kim."

"We're just friends."

"Oh, so you're _friends_ now, are you?"

"Yeah, so?" he said defensively.

"You can't be friends with your ex, Tommy."

"Me and you are exes."

"Only technically. We went out because you were so screwed up in the head because of Kim. You were all worried you couldn't get a girl so you had to torture _me_—"

"Hey!"

"—torture _me_ with dating you because you wanted to prove you could make a relationship work."

"Guess I failed."

"Oh, shut up. You know we're different. _We_ were never cut out to be anything other than friends. You know I'm not like Kim. And I'm telling you, _don't do anything stupid."_

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning don't go all nostalgic boy and try to sweep her off her feet. I know you, Tommy. _I_ was the one who helped you get over your relationship phobias. _I_ was the one who listened to your drunken rants about how much you missed her every time you had more than a few beers. I was the one who helped you padlock the Kim Box, for crying out loud. I know you, Tommy, and you do stupid things when it comes to girls."

"Thanks a lot, Hayley," Tommy said dryly.

"I'm serious. Look, I'm glad you're back with the gang again, but I'm worried. This trip isn't healthy. You've spent the last six years being Stuck-in-the-Past Boy. All those experiments, being a Ranger again… you miss the old days, and I don't want you to confuse the good times in the past with Kimberly now. Let her go, before you get burned again."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "I'm not an idiot, Hayley. I'm not going all teen angst drama here. I've got my head in the game. I'm not about to get down on bended knee and beg her to take me back. She left me. I'm done."

"I'm glad. Because I'd be willing to bet anything that Kim is the reason you're calling me right now."

"No, she isn't. I just wanted to talk to you."

"You wanted to talk to me because you were having so much fun reliving the old days that you wanted to remind yourself of the new days, and you couldn't do that with Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent, especially not when they're staring all starry-eyed at the legends that are your friends." She paused. "Am I right?"

Tommy sighed heavily. "Yeah. I just… I miss them. We were never the same after Jason, Trini and Zack left. By the time they all came back to America, Billy and Kim were gone." He ran a hand over his hair absently. "It's so nice, being here. Every minute, every embarrassing story and exasperating moment and awkward phrase, it's all great, because it's _them._ It's _us."_

"I know. That's why I'm so worried about you right now. I don't want you to think you can traipse off into the sunset with Kimberly. After Power Rangers Day, Billy has to go back to Aquitar, Kim and Zack have to go back to L.A., and you have to come back here."

"I _don't_ want to traipse off—"

"Oh, for crying out loud, shut _up,_ Tommy. This is _me,_ damn it. We both know you do. You always have. But you have to think with your head here, the one _above_ your shoulders—"

"HEY!"

"—because going near Kim again can only screw you over. Stop telling her funny anecdotes. Stop trying to buddy up. Because things have changed, and your old feelings are going to confuse you, take you somewhere you don't need to be. Take you to a delusion that'll shatter eventually."

Tommy sighed again. "I know what I'm doing, Hayley. I'm not going to tell you that I'm never going to speak to her again come Sunday. I miss her, and I want her back in my life. But I'll be damned if I let her hurt me again."

"Good." He heard a creak and a sigh and figured she'd sat down on a barstool. "Look, I was thinking… I'd kind of like to see everybody. And who knows when I'll get to meet Billy if I don't do it now. So… I was thinking… maybe I could come up for Power Rangers Day."

Tommy wasn't fooled… but then, he wasn't sure Hayley was trying to fool him. He knew she wanted to keep an eye on him; after all the money she'd lost running off to help the Rangers over the past year, she wouldn't shut down the café unless she felt he needed her.

"That's a good point," he said. "It'd be nice to have you here."

"…Is Rocky going to be there, by any chance?" Hayley asked hesitantly.

Tommy frowned. Rocky had a tendency to flirt with Hayley, which Tommy wasn't too keen on. "I don't know. I haven't talked to him."

"What about Adam and Tanya?"

"Them, either. I know Tanya went to Africa to see Aisha and the tribe a couple weeks back, but I can't remember if Adam went with her or not."

"Well, it'd be worth it to see Billy and Trini and everyone, whether or not I get to see Tanya, Rocky, Adam and Aisha."

"All the hotel rooms are probably booked, so you'd have to bunk with me and Zack or else stay with Jason and Trini. I'll ask them when I get a chance. Why don't you come down on Thursday night? I'm guessing we'll all be really busy come Saturday." _Then you can take Conner and Ethan back to Reefside in YOUR car,_ he added silently, not wanting to scare her off.

"All right. Call me back once you've asked them. And ask them about Rocky and the others too."

"I will. I'll talk to you later, Hayley."

"Don't do anything stupid."

"I won't!"

"All right, then. Be careful."

"I will. Love you, bye."

"You, too. Bye."

Tommy hung up the phone and continued to lean against the RADBUG, lost in thought. It'd be nice to have Hayley around. Not only would she distract Trini, but he had to admit that he'd feel a lot more comfortable if she was there to ground him. He'd spent most of his non-Ranger days with Hayley at his side and even though they'd managed to become less dependent on each other than they'd been back in college, it was a tad harder to function without her beside him. The more he thought about it, the better he felt. She might be a little upset about Kimberly, but Tommy could handle that. Besides, if Kimberly was going to stay friends with him, she'd have to meet Hayley eventually. After all, all of his other friends adored Hayley.

Once he and Hayley had started renting a house back in college, his friends finally had the chance to visit him (only so many people could sleep on a dorm room floor) and they'd all taken well to Hayley, even more so when she'd stumbled across Tommy's past as a Ranger. The Rangers were all nervous about it at first, but once they were convinced she wasn't going to blab they were merely relieved that they wouldn't have to watch what they said around her. Even Kat, who'd met Hayley at Tommy's graduation and Jason's wedding, thought she was lovely, though Tommy had caught her sending a few suspicious glances her way.

It had been Trini who'd introduced Billy to Hayley over the Aqua-phone, and after that it was all he could do to keep Hayley from borrowing his Aqua-phone to have three-way chats with Trini and Billy that involved a lot of jargon only the three geniuses knew and a lot of rather evil laughter. Zack liked her as well, though he'd backed up with flirting with her when Tommy had made it clear that Hayley was like a sister to him (Rocky wasn't taking the hint so well), and Jason's philosophy was that anyone who "could put up with Tommy, fix a motorcycle and drink with the pros" was cool with him.

Hayley didn't know Aisha or Kat very well; Aisha rarely got to leave Africa, and Kat tended to only return for big events, given her past with Tommy and the fact that she'd recently moved to Australia after several years of life in Europe. They'd both been at Jason and Trini's wedding, and at Tommy's graduation, but other than that, their exposure to Hayley was limited. Rocky, Adam and Tanya, however, were another story.

Hayley wasn't as close to the three of them as she was to Trini, who—despite the distance between Reefside and Angel Grove—was Hayley's closest female friend, and Jason, Zack and Billy were also closer to her, but Hayley knew Rocky, Adam and Aisha well and enjoyed their company nonetheless. Tommy got the distinct impression that she found it funny when Tommy gave Rocky an older-brother glare for trying to hit on her.

Rocky was currently living in Stone Canyon, where he owned his own flourishing karate school. T.J., who—along with the other Space Rangers—was quite famous thanks to his publicized identity, had met Rocky through Tommy and Adam and had endorsed both Rocky's school and Jason's, which had accounted for a lot of their customers. They'd played it off as an old friend doing his buddies a favor, but plenty of people wanted to train with a Power Ranger's friend. Rocky and Jason had a good laugh every time someone asked them what it was like to be friends with a Power Ranger.

Adam was now a successful stunt man, and had worked on a lot of films with Zack. Adam was still involved with Tanya, who was now a very famous singer. (Tommy hadn't mentioned that fact to Kira, mostly because it had been a very weird moment for him when he'd seen her listening to some of Tanya's albums.) The two of them lived together in Los Angeles, where they hung out with Zack and Kimberly a lot. Adam was always getting in friendly academic debates with Hayley, and Tanya just seemed to recognize that even though Hayley had never been a Ranger, Hayley was definitely a fellow Yellow.

Rocky, Adam and Tanya still hung out with Tommy, Jason, Trini, and Zack whenever they could; they all knew Jason and Tommy from the Zeo team, but Zack and Trini had only met Tanya upon returning to America and they'd all become very close since, as if they were part of the same team, rather than two separate groups. While they'd all formed deep bonds with their corresponding colors, Zack and Rocky were more or less the best of friends, and Adam and Jason got along famously. The three of them also chatted to Billy a lot. Now that he thought about it, Tommy was rather surprised no one had mention calling up Rocky, Adam and Tanya. Billy had said something at the restaurant, but the Kat name-dropping had forced them to put it out of their heads as fast as possible.

Tommy grinned suddenly, thinking of what Rocky, Adam and Tanya would say when they heard he and Kimberly were hanging out together. He was pretty certain they were all on very good terms with Kimberly. From what he understood, Tanya had taken well to Kimberly; Kimberly had even sung on a couple of Tanya's albums, although Tommy hadn't gotten the full story before Tanya had realized she was mentioning Kimberly in front of him and changed the subject (hence he'd received the shock of his life when he'd turned on MTV to see one of Tanya's videos and seen Kimberly dancing around; she'd appeared in two of Tanya's other videos since, and he had all three of them on tape). Adam and Rocky had been on the team with Kimberly for almost two years, as well, so he didn't doubt that they were still hanging with her.

"Dr. O! Kira's got him in a headlock!" Trent shouted out the window.

Tommy sighed, making a mental note to talk to Jason and the others about Hayley (preferably when Kimberly wasn't around) as he headed inside to break it up.


	35. Green No More

**Chapter Thirty-five**

_Green No More_

After stopping to pick up Trini's hairdryer, and enduring a long argument about whether or not Trini would be spending the night with Jason or Kimberly (Kimberly won; Trini made a few choice comments about what would _not_ happen if Jason kept whining about her coming home, and suddenly the fight was over) they dropped the cars off at the hotel and began the trek to Wal-Mart. They'd barely gone three feet when Conner (who was taking care to walk on the other side of the group from Kira, and Trent just in case), asked why they never came into the ruins.

"Long story," Tommy said uncomfortably.

"You're not doing that 'I don't want to tell you anything' thing again, are you?" Kira demanded through narrowed eyes.

Jason laughed. Tommy cleared his throat. "No, I just…"

"Once we got there, we just sort of… didn't need to. Not today, anyway." Trini smiled and nudged Billy. "Remember all the time we spent there? Looking through the files and reworking the programs and creating new software?"

"Every minute," Billy replied with a broad smile.

"Hey, speaking of the programs in the Command Center, how is it recording all that stuff?" Ethan asked. "The stuff about all of us?"

"Oh, Billy set that up years ago," Tommy explained. "After Jason, Trini and Zack were replaced by Rocky, Adam and Aisha, he figured that we might _all_ leave the team one day and created a program to monitor for upcoming Rangers and record their histories. When I went there with Hayley, she set it up to transmit everything to my lab, so I could keep it up to date. There are only three records of that information; Andros got in touch with Billy and got the specifics, so he has a similar program."

"Mine still works?" Billy demanded. "I thought it perished along with the Power Chamber!"

"No, it still works. I told you that." Tommy paused. "Surely I told you that."

"The absentminded professor strikes again," Jason muttered.

"I had no idea it was still fully functional! I had Alpha send me a file dump before he left the planet, but my information only details the events leading up to a few weeks before Zordon left for Eltar!" Billy stared at Tommy in amazement. "You still have all those files?"

"Sure. They were transmitted to my lab. Hayley has them protected like nothing else, though. Sometimes even _I_ can't get into them."

"I got in pretty easy," Ethan pointed out.

"You got into the _summary_ pretty easy. Besides, you're Blue. And I made that video log so that, if anything happened, someone would know the basics of what was going on. Besides, I had to remove a lot of the security programs to update the information about you three." Tommy smiled. "You never would have gotten near it otherwise." He paused. "At least, I'm pretty sure…"

"Tommy, that's an experimental program with nearly unlimited potential! The schematics I gave Andros are nowhere near as good as the original work! Alpha even improved it using the same technology tied directly to Zordon's intuition and the morphing grid itself. Do you have _any _idea what I could do if I had the original program to work with?" Billy's excitement suddenly halted and turned to panic. "Oh, _GOD!_ Those files are being _transmitted?_ Do you have any idea what will happen if the transmission is intercepted? How could you send that stuff over the airwaves! We have to go _back!"_

Billy spun and started to race back to the hotel. Trini caught him by the arm, nearly swinging him around in a circle from the momentum. "Billy, it's okay! Don't worry. I thought you knew all about it. Hayley and I have been helping Tommy with it. I made certain things were going off without a hitch. There are more backups on that program than there are guards at Fort Knox. I even tried to hack into Tommy's system myself to see if I could get through, from my house, from work, _and_ from Tommy's lab; thirty-two hours later, I was _still_ stumped. I asked Justin—you know, the Blue Turbo, the kid Rocky passed his powers on to—to try the same and he called me a week later, practically in tears and surrounded by his frustrated MIT roommates. Trust me; it's secure. You can try to hack into it yourself if you want, but I'm telling you, it's safe."

Billy breathed out a shaky sigh of relief. "Thank god." It wasn't that he didn't trust Hayley and Tommy—it was just that Tommy's computer knowledge was iffy and, having never met Hayley in person, he couldn't be a hundred percent certain of her skills.

"You don't honestly think I wouldn't say anything when Tommy told me he was transmitting it, did you?" Trini continued. "I thought about having him send them to me, also, but he has a lot better equipment, given the funding Anton Mercer set him up with, so he had better resources to ensure its safety. I figured that it was better it stay in as few places as possible. And it's the only transmission leaving the Power Chamber; Andros's program is powered with his own technology, not ours. Don't worry," she added. "It's safe and secure and as soon as Tommy gets his lab up and running again, I'll swing by and help Hayley transfer it to Aquitar. I thought Tommy would have told you. I'm sorry."

"No problem," Billy said weakly. "I just… you know, none of you have ever been suspected of being a Ranger by an entire _city._ It's not fun. All the information in those files… every Ranger on the planet would be at risk. Every Ranger on _every_ planet."

"Don't worry," Trini repeated. "I've set it up to look like an elaborate hoax, should anything actually be intercepted. And if anything _were_ to go wrong, you don't live on the planet, and I'd imagine dialing up Aquitar for a phone interview would cost more than your average Beverly Hills mansion. So only the rest of us would be screwed." She looked pointedly at Tommy.

"It's as secure as superhumanly possible," Tommy assured him.

"Can we have a look at some of it when we're done?" Ethan asked eagerly.

"I suppose so," Tommy said reluctantly. He frowned. "And don't you dare go trying to hack in, Ethan. Hayley will strangle you with an Ethernet cable and I'll help, get me? I don't want any tampering. Especially not while I'm reconstructing."

"Sure thing," Ethan said, a little too quickly. His eyes were fairly gleaming. "As long as I get to _see_ the information, I'm good."

"I can't believe it's all still working," Billy said, continuing back down the sidewalk with the others. "It's amazing."

"Remember how we rewrote that one program to double as a stereo so we wouldn't go completely crazy when we were working on something important?" Trini asked him, grinning.

"Of course. You tried to teach me the Tootsee Roll when we were upgrading the alarm system." Billy shook his head ruefully.

"You tried to teach _Billy_ the Tootsee Roll?" Zack demanded incredulously.

"Hey, he wasn't half bad. He claimed he hated the song but I heard him humming it when we were replacing the circuitry."

"That's because you got it stuck in my head making me dance to it," Billy insisted, blushing.

"The Tootsee Roll?" Trent repeated. "Isn't that that really old, crappy song about—?"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Zack interrupted loudly. "That's our heritage you're bashing!"

"Yeah!" Kimberly said, punching Trent playfully in the arm. "I can still remember the dance… 'to the left…'"

She began the opening moves. Without even thinking about it, Tommy joined her, with Zack a split-second behind.

And, to the complete and utter horror of Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent, the six wise, mature, battle-hardened legendary superheroes began singing and dancing the Tootsee Roll in the middle of the sidewalk.

Cars slowed down to stare. The few pedestrians wandering by stopped several feet away to gape. If anyone who saw them was startled or amused to see six people in their mid-twenties dancing around and belting out the lyrics to "Tootsee Roll," it was nothing to the view from the Dino Rangers, who watched as if a cruel torturer had taped their eyelids open.

Jason, first leader of the world's first team of superheroes.

Trini, strong, capable, and smart; the glue that held the team together.

Billy, the most intelligent person on two planets.

Kimberly, the girl whose every mannerism screamed "cool and trendy."

Zack, the… never mind.

And Tommy.

Their _science teacher._

Tommy had once pointed out to Hayley that his students rarely referred to him as a teacher; it was almost always _"science_ teacher." Hayley laughed and told him that this was because science teachers were in a league all their own. They were almost always old, pudgy, balding or at least gray-haired, absentminded, very boring and slightly creepy. Math, English, foreign language, social studies, art—the teachers all varied. But not science. There were a lot of negative connotations associated with the title of "science teacher." It was a mark of the bond created on Power Ranger teams that Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent had grown close to him, overlooked it, and counted him a friend. Tommy might be young and good-looking with dark spiky hair, but he also had a memory like a guy who'd been smoking marijuana since the sixties, wore ties and lab coats, and occasionally sported reading glasses. He was still _a science teacher._

And science teachers were not allowed to relive their childhood in front of their students, at least not by doing the Tootsee Roll on a street corner. It was practically a sign of the apocalypse.

When the dance finally ended, the six of them broke into giggles, nudging and joking with each other. One by one, however, they noticed the looks on their successors' faces. The two groups stared at each other, the original Rangers confused, the Dino Rangers mortified.

"What?" Tommy finally asked.

All four of them jumped as if waking up to the sound of a gong and promptly squeezed their eyes shut.

"The images!" Trent wailed, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes.

"It didn't happen. Dr. O didn't just do that," Ethan whimpered.

"Never mentioning this again. It didn't exist," Kira added, breathing as if trying to enter a meditative state.

"Dr. O can _dance,"_ Conner said, sounding more dazed than pained, though the pain was still there. "At least, he could in the nineties. How creepy."

"Ha, ha," Tommy said, rolling his eyes as his friends laughed. "Come on. Let's get to Wal-Mart so I can throw you guys back in your hotel rooms for the night."

"And then go dance the Macarena with Zack and Kim," Kira muttered to the guys. They laughed, the horror of the moment broken. Mostly.

They split up once they hit Wal-Mart; Kira mumbled something about hygiene and Kimberly and Trini dragged her off. The guys headed in another direction entirely; Jason and Tommy were all the way to the grocery aisle before Tommy realized they were alone.

"Huh," Tommy said uneasily. "Where do you think they went?"

"We lost Trent near the school supplies; I remember him saying something to do with Conner, a toilet and a new sketchpad. I know we walked by the electronics and the toy section, so that would explain Billy, Ethan, Conner and Zack. Don't worry, man. We've got their cell phone numbers, right?"

"Yeah. And I think they're all wearing their communicators still," Tommy said, relaxing.

"Ah. Haven't gotten past that point, have they?" Jason said with a knowing smile.

"Nope. How long did it take you to stop wearing your communicator and morpher?"

"Day you idiots lost your powers and ours morphers went haywire. Me and Trini and Zack were in the middle of a party in Singapore. Mixing with the teens there, trying to spread our message without coming off like a bunch of geeks that did nothing but talk about the global economy and world peace. We were able to blame the lights coming from us on the disco ball and the yelling, disorientation, and sudden need to go back to our rooms on food poisoning. After that, we still wore the communicators, but we only wore the morphers when we weren't in public. You really scared the crap out of us with that, you know."

"It's not _my_ fault," Tommy said, trying to sound lighthearted. He knew Jason was his best friend and didn't really blame him for the problems the Rangers had had… but sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different if Jason hadn't left. Maybe Billy wouldn't have left, maybe Kimberly wouldn't have left, maybe Zordon and Alpha would still be all right… and maybe their former base wouldn't be a dusty forgotten room hidden beneath a mountain.

"Yeah, well," Jason said, his tone joking, "you could have called us at some point. We were freaking out. We'd all tried morphing at the Peace Conference on rare occasions, but we hadn't felt the same amount of the power. Scared us beyond belief when we got back to our rooms and morphed, realized it was back. We thought you guys were dead. By the time we finally got in touch with you guys you were Ninjas or some such nonsense."

"I love the way you make it sound like we were just clowns wandering around in a stupor."

"Hey, you heard the kid at the gas station."

Tommy laughed. "Jane, the Bearded Lady. At least Zack got one of us right," he cracked.

"Yeah. It was you. Butch, the Multicolored Strong Man."

"Whatever. At least I'm not a bearded lady."

"No, you're a sappy guy."

"Hey!"

"Come on, Tommy. We both know you've got a creepy feminine side buried in you."

"I do not! Besides, you're the one who can't live without Trini."

Jason sighed, a distant look on his face. "Everyone should have a Trini." He frowned. "Well, no, only _I_ should have a Trini."

Tommy shook his head. "Well, if you ever clone her, let me know." Jason gave him a suspicious look. "What? It was a joke."

"It better have b—RED POP!" Jason shouted, so loudly Tommy jumped. "Hell yeah! Bring the cart over here!"

"You're too much."

"It's not the color. It's not even that red," Jason said defensively as he began loading six-packs into the cart Tommy was pushing. "It just tastes really good."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"Oh, just because you can't settle down when it comes to colors—"

"Hey, you have three yourself."

"No, I have two."

"No you don't. You like red and you're still wearing a lot of black from the Gold days. And ever since you got with Trini you've gotten more into actual gold."

"She's a _Yellow,_ man. It's her fault." Jason grinned. "Oh, look, it's the drink of Tommy's future." He held up a twelve-pack of orange soda.

"Put that down," Tommy mock-growled.

"Come on. This is me here. You can say it. The Orange is already starting to seep into your life, isn't it?"

"The only orange in my life is those shirts you insist on buying me for Christmas. Love the way you decided Volunteers shirts didn't count as an Orange joke."

"Hey, you like the Vols."

"That's no excuse for you to buy me the shirts. You only do it because they're orange."

"And because I know you'll end up wearing them on laundry day when you can't find anything white to wear." The Tennessee Vols were one of Tommy's favorite college football teams… but unfortunately, they wore orange-and-white uniforms.

Tommy grimaced. "You got that from Hayley, didn't you."

Jason laughed. "No. It was just speculation. Thanks for the confirmation."

"Would you stop with the Orange jokes? I'm never going back, I tell you. NEVER."

"Ah, come on. You can't tell me you didn't love being back," Jason said as they headed down the aisle, stopping every so often to throw something edible into the cart. Almost unconsciously, they began to check for eavesdroppers, lowering their voices slightly as they turned to talk of the Rangers, automatically taking care to avoid using the word "Ranger" when possible.

Tommy sighed. "It wasn't all that bad."

Jason turned to look at him, surprised. "Funny. You practically did a happy dance when you got the Green back. And the White. Now it's just 'not all that bad.'"

Tommy snorted. "Jason, you know how I told you I detected the Black energy and then had Hayley make up a bracelet, just in case?"

"Yeah?"

"I left out the part where I was never planning to put the bracelet on. When I grabbed the Dino Gem, I intended to take it out of the fortress, get it back to my lab, break it open, find someone to give it to and then go take a nap. Take a freaking nap, I tell you! The stupid thing was calling me the whole time I was strapped to that stupid life-force extractor. _The whole time,_ I was sitting there, thinking, 'No, no, no, I'm not going back, I'm not putting on the bracelet, the world'll be just fine without me,' and it still won't stop… stop _trying_ to get me to pick it up. Hard to explain how they do that, really. So anyway, finally I'm like, 'Okay, I'll take it back to the lab and choose someone else. Not like I can let Mesogog use it.' Then I get out of the fortress, have to use the rock holding the Gem like a shield, and the next thing I know I'm invisible." He paused. "I was pissed."

Jason laughed long and hard. "Pissed, huh?"

"Yeah. I mean, I was joking and laughing and everything—cuz, you know, that's what we _do_—but I was _annoyed,_ man. Annoyed as hell. Had to keep positive for the kids' sakes, and to annoy Zeltrax and Elsa and Mesogog, but I was ticked." He shook his head. "It was one thing to help Conner, Kira and Ethan out with the occasional pack of Tyrannodrones. It was quite another to find myself looking out at the world from inside a helmet. Again. But there was nothing else I could do, once the Gem was exposed and bonded with me. It wouldn't work with anyone else after that. I was stuck with it." Tommy laughed, slightly bitterly. "That was what took me so long to reappear. Kira and Conner and Ethan were freaking out, thought I was dead. I heard Kira scream 'No, he can't be gone' and that's when I sucked it up and put on the bracelet. It's ironic, but if it hadn't been for Zeltrax, I never would have become the Black Ranger." His gaze turned distant. "Hayley and I got so trashed after I got back from clothes shopping. I hadn't drunk that much since the day I turned twenty-one."

Jason laughed, but Tommy didn't join in, wandering aimlessly forward, lost in his thoughts. Jason rolled his eyes slightly. Jason knew Tommy liked to be alone and brood when something was bothering him… but he also knew it wasn't healthy. (He knew it wasn't healthy because Jason did it too, and Trini had spent years convincing him it wasn't healthy.) Jason frowned thoughtfully, trying to get Tommy talking, trying to make him remember the good times.

"Must suck," Jason said suddenly.

"What's that?" Tommy asked absently.

"Being a Ranger like you were with them. As a mentor, not… not one of the guys. Must bug you, that they're the ones staring rather than doing the Tootsee Roll with us."

Tommy let out a snort of laughter. "It does. But…" He sighed. "We're not _that_ far apart. I care about them in a different way than you guys, yeah, but we're still a family, just like every other team I've been on." He smiled. "Took me a while to realize it, but they feel the same way."

"Yeah?" Jason said.

Tommy nodded. "Of course, they were always coming over. And it was weird for me, because they weren't just coming over to learn, or to train, or whatever. Kira spent a lot of time jamming on her guitar in my basement, and Ethan used my computers all the time, and even Conner—the outdoorsy type like nothing else—would stop in for hours at a time just to hang. Once I almost accidentally beat the crap out of Trent because I found him drawing in the lab at four in the morning and thought he was an intruder. They would ask me to come to certain events a lot, too. Kira's gigs at Hayley's. Trent had some of his drawings displayed during the school's art fair not long after the prom, asked me to come see his work. Ethan made me promise to show up for his gaming tournaments. And Conner was quick to imply that he wouldn't mind if I'd come to his games. It was weird, but sometimes I really _did_ stop being their mentor. I _was_ just one of the gang sometimes." His smile broadened. "And when I wasn't, I was often the older brother. I remember going to a DDR tournament of Ethan's at the mall, and Kira came over to me and begged me to scare off some punk who kept hitting on her. It was something you would have done for Kim, you know?"

Jason grinned. Tommy was looking cheered up already. "Was he scared?"

"Oh, yeah. The works. Babbling, whining. Might have even shed a few tears."

"Good work," Jason said, nodding and smiling with relish, thinking of all the many times he'd gotten to do the same thing. There was something gratifying about scaring a guy away from a girl. Something primal and territorial and, well, _manly._

Tommy cleared his throat, obviously thinking the same things. "Anyway, I never thought much of things like that, until right after Hayley cured my little fossilization problem."

"What changed then?" Jason asked curiously.

Tommy laughed. "Nothing _changed,_ exactly. It was just… realization dawning."

* * *

_Flashback

* * *

_

"I _said,_ 'power down,'" Tommy told the suit firmly. It didn't budge. He looked up at Hayley, Conner, Kira and Ethan resignedly from behind the helmet. They were staring at him in shock.

"I think we might have a problem," he said grimly.

He waited. This was the moment when the teens asked what they could do, and Hayley started theorizing about how to fix it and dragged Ethan back to the computer while Conner and Kira did their best to help. …Yep. Any minute now.

Then—

_"You're alive!"_ Kira wailed in a strangled voice, and she flung herself at him. The next thing he knew, Kira was wrapped around him like an angry squid, arms and legs thrown about him. Tommy staggered, unprepared for the attack/hug, but she was so light that he didn't have much of a problem regaining his balance.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but—"

"I was so _scared!"_ Kira practically sobbed. She whacked the back of his helmet, hard enough that his eyes slid out of focus momentarily. "Don't you _ever_ do that to me again!"

"Kira, it's okay," Tommy told her, bewildered. He took her by the waist and tried to gently pull her off and set her down, but before he could a red blur dove at him.

"Oh, _thank god!"_ Conner cheered. "You're alive! You're not going to spend the rest of all eternity as a big yellow-orange rock! You're _back!"_

"I missed you!" Ethan added, and now Tommy found himself in a group hug with all three teens, that even while morphed he found uncomfortably tight. The three were clinging to him for dear life.

"Promise us you'll never die on us," Kira told him, or rather the space behind him; Conner had pushed her so tightly against Tommy that she couldn't pull back enough to look at him.

"I promise. Now, let's all just calm down," Tommy said in exasperation. "I'm back. I'm not going anywhere. Trust me. People have been trying to kill me for ages, and none of them have succeeded yet. I'll be just fine. …Okay, I'm having trouble breathing…"

Suddenly Conner seemed to realize just what he was doing, and he dove backwards, knocking Ethan away from Tommy as well in his haste to regain his cool factor. Conner cleared his throat. "Right, sorry."

"Heh," Kira muttered, looking over her shoulder at Conner, Ethan and Hayley. "This is… kind of awkward." She climbed down and hastily stepped back into the line, her face bright red. Ethan whistled innocently for a moment before stopping himself.

Tommy sighed inwardly and looked at Hayley, glad they could finally get down to business. Thankfully, Hayley was rarely emotional. She wasn't going to go all mushy on him and—

_"Tommy you freaking idiot!"_ Hayley roared, throwing herself at him. Tommy caught her reflexively and fought the urge to groan. Of course. See, this was the difference between his old team and his new team. In the old days, people just asked if he was okay. Maybe the occasional hug, but mostly high fives and pats on the back, a little clasping of the shoulder and a few choruses of "Knew you'd make it, man!" Now, everyone was freaking out just because he'd spent a few days as a fossil. It wasn't even anything _major._

He hugged Hayley for a good long while, waiting as patiently as he could for her to pull back. When she finally did, she naturally began hitting him—hard.

"How _dare_ you get yourself turned to stone! Leave me to watch out for the Rangers! I've been sick to death with worry, working day and night to bust you out when I wasn't playing Behind-the-Scenes Girl! 'Oh, don't worry, Hayley, I'll be fine,' HA! You _liar!_ Don't you _ever_ get yourself fossilized again! Do you have _any_ idea how scared I was? You _jerk!_ Never again, _do you hear me,_ never again! Trent's gone evil and Conner became a geek and Kira became a priss and Ethan became a jock and I finally got them fixed with this meteor fragment thingy and then I used it to bust you out and it fried the rock so we're going to have to find some other way to fix Trent because he's still evil and would it have killed you to talk a little faster when you tried to tell me who the White Ranger was I can't believe you almost got killed again! Running off and blowing up the moon, and then blowing up the island, and then getting kidnapped, and then the Black Ranger thing and will you stop it already you suck! NEVER AGAIN, TOMMY!"

"I'm sorry!" Tommy bellowed, effectively cutting her off, but just barely. She glared at him for a moment longer, and just when he thought it was safe to mention his inability to power down she threw herself back into his arms and clutched him tightly.

"Idiot," she said sulkily, and he exhaled slowly and hugged her back resignedly.

Then three cries of "Dr. _O!"_ nearly made him go deaf and once again he found himself getting squished to death, only this time Hayley was closest, pinned to Tommy instead of Kira. At last, they all drew back and tried to look nonchalant.

"Okay," Tommy said warily, considering bolting out of the room if they tried it again. "Are we all done?" They nodded. "Great. Thanks for your concern. I really appreciate it, and I'm sorry I scared you. Now, back to the problem." He gestured at the suit and then stood there expectantly, waiting for everyone to return to normal and hop to.

"Um, Dr. O?" Kira said, frowning. "Okay, I know the suit looks good and all…"

* * *

_End Flashback_

* * *

Jason was clutching the cart for support as he tried to reign in his laughter. Tommy himself was chuckling; it was one of his favorite memories as a Dino Ranger, even though it marked the start of a long period of sitting around in his suit, rarely taking his helmet off for fear of losing it, rarely able to sleep from the power boost and dying for a hot shower.

"Oh, man," Jason wheezed. "That was great."

"Glad you liked it," Tommy said dryly. "Anyway, that was when I first realized there was more to us than four kids fighting evil and hanging out with their science teacher." His face clouded over with regret again. "I'm sorry, Jason."

"What about?" Jason asked, still trying to get control of himself. He finally straightened up, rubbing the stitch in his side.

"About losing the Dino Gems. It could have been _us_ who—"

"Oh, shut up, Tommy. It wasn't your fault. It was destiny."

"You believe in destiny?" Tommy asked, almost conversationally.

"Of course I do. Things work themselves out, Tommy. I've really learned that time and again since Zordon first teleported us out to the Command Center. If I hadn't gone to the Peace Conference, for example, you wouldn't have had anyone to dial up as the Gold Ranger, and what would you have done if I'd stayed the Red Ranger? Called in Adam and Aisha without calling in Rocky? Those three were a team; they came in as three and they're still a triangle. Me and Trini probably wouldn't have been the same, either, with her traveling the world and me in Angel Grove."

"You mean, maybe she'd have dumped you in a letter," Tommy said bitterly.

Jason raised his eyebrows, startled. He decided not to address that. "We did work out though. And the choices we made were a part of it. You, Tommy—if you hadn't joined up with Mercer, he may or may not have ended up as Mesogog. But if he had, there wouldn't have been anyone to reclaim the Dino Gems and fight him if you hadn't chosen that path."

"You think it was fate?"

"You can't do something that isn't fate, Tommy. That's the definition of fate—what's meant to be."

"How do you know anything that happened was fate, and not a series of freak accidents and a lack of anti-psychotic medication?"

Jason grinned. "Faith. There's a reason 'faith' and 'fate' sound so similar, bro."

"When did you get so philosophical?"

"Marrying Trini will do that to you." Jason shrugged.

"I wouldn't know," Tommy said dryly. Tommy thought about it for a moment. "I guess you're right. Come to think of it, it's probably a good thing neither of us took the Red Gem. We wouldn't have been able to retrieve the Shield of Triumph, and we'd have been really screwed without the Triassic Ranger."

"Why couldn't one of us have done it?"

"You had to be completely in tune with the Dino Gem energy, and I'm fairly certain you also had to be a Red; I don't know, that part's murky. But neither of us would have been in tune with the Red energy."

"Why not?" Jason asked.

"Because of our other powers. You had a better shot than me, but we're both still linked to our old powers, and we would have been even if we didn't still have them at our disposal. You can't be in tune with one power when you're using others."

"Ah. So… you gave them to… Conner?" Jason's questioning tone made his real meaning obvious.

"I told you, the Gem chooses, not the Ranger. Besides, Conner's actually done fairly well. Yeah, he's a kid, and a goof, but so were we."

"So were _you._ Not me. You."

"Fine, so was _I._ For all his idiotic tendencies, he's actually fairly open-minded and in touch with his thoughts and emotions. He's willing to listen. And he'll try anything once. Not only did he attain the level needed to become the Triassic Ranger, but he tapped into Super Dino Mode before any of the rest of us." Tommy smiled. "Took me quite a while. Getting in tune with my powers when I was irritated about having them wasn't easy, not to mention the White Ninja and Red Zeo energy was still floating around and getting me confused." Jason chuckled. "And Conner wasn't a _bad_ leader," Tommy continued. "Took a lot of the pressure off me. I got to sit in the lab more."

Jason stopped suddenly, frowning. Tommy turned to him expectantly. Jason looked up at him sharply. "That's why you offered to be Blue," Jason said accusingly.

"What?"

"The Dino Gems. Back when you had all five, I was going to be Red, you would be White, Zack would be Black, Trini would be Yellow and Hayley would take Blue. Then you lost the Black and White in the explosion and we had to decide what to do."

Tommy nodded, wondering what the point here was. They had all sat down after the explosion, all five of them, to try to decide who would use the remaining three. Hayley had immediately made it clear that she wanted three of the others take them; she insisted that she'd gotten along just fine without ever being a Ranger and would be fine if she never became one. Then Zack had said he'd decline also; he flew all over the world with his job, worked unpredictable hours, and, despite his line of work, was never as strong as Jason and Tommy when it came to fighting, and Trini was possibly slightly better than him (it had cost Zack a lot to admit that). Then it had come down to whether Jason or Tommy would be the Red, and Tommy had offered to be Blue.

"I thought you meant it when you said you wouldn't mind switching colors again," Jason said, staring at Tommy in shock. "You just didn't want to be the leader."

Tommy snorted. "Of course I didn't, Jason. I was _through._ I'd lead the team for far too long and I wasn't planning on ever being a Ranger again. I didn't want more power and leadership and responsibility; as it was I was spending all my free time researching the morphing grid and building zords with Anton and so on. I wanted to be a _paleontologist,_ for crying out loud. I wanted to settle down. I didn't want to be the one who had to lead you and Trini into battle. Much as I loved being the leader, it wasn't easy, and I was more than ready to be the follower if I had to put on the suit again. It was difficult enough working with Andros and fighting various battles around the universe." He smiled self-deprecatingly. "Besides, Blue's an easy color. Jeans go with everything."

Jason laughed, but he gave Tommy a sympathetic look. It suddenly occurred to him that even without the fact that Tommy had fought longer than any of them in uniform, he'd also spent the most time working on Ranger projects. No wonder he was ready to retire.

Jason was about to open his mouth, intent on consoling Tommy, when Zack and Conner came out of nowhere and began dropping large yellow cases into the cart. Jason looked down to see what they'd bought.

"Oh, no!" he groaned, lifting the cases out and shoving them at Zack and Conner. "We're _not_ getting Play-Doh!"

* * *

_Author's Notes:_ Play-Doh eaters of the world, unite!

That flashback, by the way, came to me when I watched the end of "Leader of the Whack," and then realized that it was completely possible that something happened between that scene and the opening scene of "Burning at Both Ends." They were two separate episodes, not a two-parter. It just sort of clicked the moment I heard Kira's line… they didn't catch on right away, which seemed kind of silly, as he'd said "Power down" twice. They all looked worried and startled at the end of "Leader of the Whack," and then cut to them being confused at the beginning of the next episode. Next thing I know, there were flying hugs.

And finally… come on. Try to picture the six of them doing the Tootsee Roll. Go on, try. Now picture the teens' reactions. Anyone else cracking up?

The "Tootsee Roll," for those of you who are unaware, is an old song that was extremely popular in 1994. It's one of those songs you're embarrassed to admit ever listening to, but will instantly start dancing to the moment you hear it. I'd forgotten about the gender gap amongst PR fans when writing this chapter; I apologize. I suppose you could liken it to songs like "MMMBop," the Macarena, or old Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and NSync stuff… sorry, that's as far back as I can remember… if that doesn't work, just try to picture them dancing wildly on a street corner to whatever utterly embarrassing song floats into your head. Same difference


	36. Alarmed and Dangerous

_Author's Notes:_ Sorry about the whole Tootsee Roll thing; we totally forgot about the gender gap between PR fans. The "Tootsee Roll" was an extremely popular song that most of us in our twenties are rather ashamed to admit we loved but will dance and sing along to the moment we hear it. For the Dino Rangers, it was akin to seeing your parents dance the Macarena. With exaggerated hip motions. Or dancing disco. Or listening to 80s hair bands. Sorry again.

**Chapter Thirty-six**

_Alarmed and Dangerous_

Going to Wal-Mart theoretically should have been easy. It should not have involved a thirty-minute fight about the merits and downsides of purchasing Play-Doh. It should not have involved a panic attack about where Trent had gone only to find him sitting up front downing an Icee from the concession stand, his new sketchpad already paid for, enjoying some peace and quiet and apologizing for his cell phone somehow getting turned off. It should not have involved a twenty-minute search of the cosmetics and hygiene aisles only to find the girls (particularly Kimberly) cooing over small fluffy creatures in the pet aisle. It should not have involved forty-five minutes of cajoling and pleading with Billy to wait until they got to the mall to buy more video games than ten ex-superheroes could feasibly carry. It should not have involved a long argument about PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube between Trini and Ethan that nearly came to blows. It should not have involved Billy doing a happy dance when he actually found a pair of overalls in his size. It should not have involved Zack and Conner getting shouted at by a manager for racing remote-control cars all over the store.

But it did.

At last, they were finally finished purchasing their belongings, which had taken an extremely long time, given the fact that they all went through separately and Trini and Ethan spent a good long while explaining the process of paying with a debit card to Billy, to the amusement and exasperation of the cashier.

"Am I glad _that's_ over," Tommy muttered, but he felt considerably cheered up. Between his talk with Jason and the antics required to get everyone to function, Tommy was back in his element. He'd even managed to convince Jason to put down the orange soda without much of a fuss.

"Hey, you!" Kimberly called playfully, nudging him. He looked down at her. Kimberly simply held up her hefty shopping bags. Shifting his own purchases to one hand, he took her stuff without comment, grinning. Strange as it was, it felt nice to be Kimberly's pack mule again. Just like old times. He was oddly flattered that she felt his status as improvisational shopping cart was still implied.

"Trini?" Jason asked, holding out his arm. She handed her stuff over. Jason moved off to the front of the group, chatting with Billy about all the other nifty things one could do with a debit card. Tommy and Zack followed, discussing the cool factor of the remote-control cars Jason hadn't let Zack buy, while Ethan tried to explain his video game argument to a confused and slightly bored Conner and an apathetic, Icee-slurping Trent. The girls brought up the rear.

Kira, clutching a couple lightweight plastic bags, shot Trini a sidelong look. "I've gotta say, I'm kind of surprised at you."

"Kira, I'm telling you, Ethan's just plain _wrong_ about the GameCube. The _only_ reason—"

"No, no," Kira interrupted hastily, not wanting Trini to go back into Yellowish-Blue mode. "I meant getting Jason to carry your stuff."

Trini snorted. "I only do it to make him feel more like a man. Guys like Jason need someone to depend on them a little. It's a compromise. He puts up with my independence, I let him move the furniture and carry the heavy objects. Keeps his ego intact."

"Not that he needs it," Kimberly joked.

Trini smiled. "The thing about guys, Kira—most guys, anyway—is that they feel useless if they don't have a purpose. I'm extremely physically fit, financially stable, emotionally strong and—as immodest as it sounds to say it—smarter than him. Makes him wonder what I need him for. I try not to let him wonder too much; he's way too good at bottling things up inside, and you leave a thought in Jason's head too long and before you know it…" She let the sentence hang. Kimberly nodded in agreement, well-acquainted with Jason's tendencies towards brooding, doubting and blaming himself.

Kira frowned slightly, thinking this over. She supposed it made sense.

Kira caught up to Conner, Ethan and Trent as the group headed out of the parking lot and down the sidewalk. "Hey," she said, smiling brightly at Trent.

"Hey," he said, holding the Icee out to her.

She smiled and took a sip, then held out her bags. "Carry my stuff?"

"Sure," Trent said, taking it from her calmly. Kira watched him for a minute, nodded to herself, and indicated with a jerk of her head that she'd like another sip of the Icee. Trent obliged.

Kimberly and Trini, watching this exchange with the sort of smiles only girls could wear, looked at each other and chuckled. Then Kimberly frowned. "Heeyyyyyy… she wasn't surprised that _I_ wanted Tommy to carry _my_ stuff! What…?"

"Oh, Kim, please," Trini chided teasingly. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out Tommy's not happy unless he's helping people. Give the girl some credit; she has been fighting with him for months."

Kimberly's expression remained suspicious. "Yeah, but still. She _expected_ it from me."

Trini smiled at her. "Kim, I gotta admit, I used to think it was cheesy, the way you and Tommy used to act. Him always anxious to carry your books, you always carrying spares of the things he forgot the most. He feels useful around you. You both took care of each other. That's not a bad thing."

Kimberly pouted. "Admit it. You think I like being a helpless girly girl."

"Well, you are Pink," Trini joked. Kimberly shot her a glare and Trini sighed. "You're _not_ helpless, Kim. I know that better than just about anyone. You like people doting on you, is all, but you like doting on others, too, and you're good at it. And I have to admit, the symbiotic thing fun. I didn't realize how fun until I got used to letting people dote on me."

"Letting _Jason_ dote on you, you mean," Kimberly ribbed. "When's the romance going to die down in your marriage, anyway? The whole 'my man's perfect' thing is getting kinda old."

"My man _is_ perfect," Trini said loftily. Kimberly rolled her eyes and Trini chuckled. Trini decided that it was time to change the subject before talk of interactions with significant others led to Kimberly trying to reiterate that she didn't want Tommy back, especially since Tommy was less than ten feet away. Trini nodded at Kira. "It's cool, isn't it? She's a great example of Ranger psychology."

"Huh?" Kimberly asked blankly.

"Well, you know—she connects to both of us, did you notice that?" Kimberly nodded. "But when we met the Space Rangers, I chatted almost exclusively to Ashley and you couldn't be torn from Cassie the whole night. The connections behind the way we bond with our own colors… it's fascinating. It's especially fascinating with people like Adam, Rocky, T.J., Carlos and Tommy… the ones who've swapped colors. But anyway, Kira's not as exclusive in making friends with other Rangers. I'm not talking about how she chats to Zack and everything; we all blend with the others pretty well. But when it comes to the deeper interactions, the bonding, Kira's interesting. She's bonded with you quite a bit."

"Well, Kira's the only girl on her team. She doesn't have her own Pink to bond with, so she likes us both."

"I wonder… hmm."

"Hmm what?"

"Well… her zord was a pterodactyl."

"It was?" Kimberly hadn't kept up with the Dino Thunder team as much, tired of keeping track of all the different teams popping up all over the universe. Trini, however, had been planning to use the Yellow Gem herself, including the Pterodactyl powers; she was very familiar with the energy that had fueled Kira.

"Yeah. I wonder if that has anything to do with it. Two Yellows, two Pterodactyls."

Kimberly mulled it over, then frowned again. "You're just trying to distract me from that whole thing about me being too girly. And hey! Tommy and I weren't cheesy!" Kimberly winced. That had come out a little too loud, and now a lull in the chatter swept over the guys walking up ahead; she thought she saw several of the guys' steps falter for a second. _Damn._

"I'm not just trying to distract you," Trini said calmly, ignoring the guys' reactions. She grinned. "Besides, it's working, isn't it?"

Kimberly had to admit she was curious now… and besides, she no longer wanted to continue the Tommy-Kim-cheesy conversation here. "It _is_ interesting." She paused. "Is there anything you don't think about, Trini?" She sounded slightly exasperated.

"Nah."

At the front of the group, Tommy, Jason, Zack and Billy were now having an enlightening, thought-provoking discussion.

"Don't laugh," Tommy muttered threateningly as he struggled to ignore what he'd overheard from Kimberly. "I'm warning you, if you laugh, I'll beat you with whatever Kim's got in these damned bags, and they're heavy as hell."

"Sure thing, Cinnamon B—OW!" Zack complained.

"Kira," Conner whispered, having overheard this exchange, "did you ever find out about why they call him that?"

Kira shook her head. Last night's conversation had been monopolized by Trini trying to get Kimberly to tell her what Kimberly and Tommy had been talking about, and getting Kimberly to open up about how she'd felt during the sparring match. By the time Trini had finally gone to take a shower, the day had taken its toll on Kira and she'd passed out without asking Kimberly and Trini a thing about the funny stuff brought up back in the basement. Kira had a feeling that the same thing would probably happen again tonight, what with the visit to the ruins and Kimberly and Tommy being locked in the trunk together and so on.

Kira tossed her head determinedly. Well, there was no time like the present. If it didn't work, there was still probably a lot to be learned from Tommy's reaction.

"Hey, Dr. O?" Kira called loudly. "Can I ask you something?"

"What?" Tommy asked cautiously.

"What's with the 'Cinnamon Buns' thing?"

"On second thought, no. You can't ask me something."

"But—"

"No."

"Fine then." Kira narrowed her eyes. "Hey, Kim!"

Kimberly hadn't been paying attention to the conversation between the others, too intent on discussing the odd bonds between Ranger teams with Trini. "What's up?" she asked.

Kira glared triumphantly at Tommy and cleared her throat. "Can I ask you something?"

"That's cheating!" Tommy growled.

"Sure," Kimberly replied, giving Kira her full attention.

"Could you tell us that story about Dr. O being called Cinnamon Buns?"

"NO," Tommy said loudly, shooting Kimberly a warning glance. There was a chorus of not-quite-suppressed laughter from the older Rangers.

"Oh, come on, it wasn't _that_ bad," Billy said.

"Easy for _you_ to say. _You_ didn't have to spend two weeks being called Cinnamon Buns. In _public."_ Tommy gave Kimberly a distinctly wounded look. She grinned.

"Sorry, Kira," Kimberly said apologetically, mouthing "Later" when Tommy's back was turned.

"How about that thing about the pink bows? Does it have anything to do with you saying he only lets trained professionals touch his head?" Kira asked hopefully.

"You're not hearing about that, either!" Tommy said firmly.

"Why not?" Conner asked, pouting a little.

"Because," Tommy ground out.

"Because it's not as good as the Cinnamon Buns thing," Kimberly said, sticking her tongue out at Tommy.

"That was _not_ funny!" Tommy insisted loudly. They had now stopped on the sidewalk, the Dino Rangers unconsciously moving to the sidelines so that the older Rangers were facing each other in a loose circle, with the teens filling in the gaps.

"Come on, Tommy," Kimberly said, smiling as cutely as possible. "Someone's going to tell them eventually."

"And it's not going to be any of us," Tommy growled threateningly.

"Come on, Dr. O," Conner whined. "Please?"

"No."

"Ple—"

"No! Not 'no' as in I'll tell you if you ask me enough, not 'no' as in I don't mind if you beg my friends to tell you, not 'no' as in I'll take you to Angel Grove if you sit on my feet like toddlers for an hour and a half, NO. _Not gonna happen."_

There was a moment of silence. At last, Trent cleared his throat. "So—"

"I said _NO!"_

"I wasn't going to ask that!" Trent insisted hastily. "I was going to ask what we're doing tomorrow."

"…Oh," Tommy said, slightly sheepishly. They continued down the sidewalk.

"Should be a nice day," Trini said. "I'd like to go do that thing I was telling you guys about."

"What thing?" asked Conner.

"The surprise thing. It should be lots of fun."

Kimberly stopped and stared at her for a moment. "I don't like the way you said that."

"It was too nonchalant," Tommy agreed quickly.

"Is evil a'brewin'?" Zack asked eagerly.

"Guys, it's a surprise. Not a booby trap!" Trini said in exasperation.

Tommy was about to counter this, but a cell phone went off and all of them, save Billy, automatically reached for their phones. "It's me," Conner said. His eyes widened in panic. "It's my mom!"

"Everybody be silent," Tommy ordered automatically. When non-Rangers called during a get-together of Rangers, it was habit that the others all go quiet until the call was over, just in case. None of them argued, though Tommy immediately felt like a bit of an idiot about it; it was just Conner's mother, but considering the fact that it was now after midnight it was probably a good idea to avoid sounding as if Conner was calling from a party.

"Hello, Mom?" Conner paused, and then his face lit up. "Eric! Hey, man! What's going on? You are? Dude, why didn't you tell me? Dude, I wouldn't have gone if I'd known you were coming back! Dude, no I wouldn't've! Did you get kicked out again? Dude! Is Tally there? Awesome. Tell her I said 'Helllllooo,' kay? Thanks, dude. Mom tell you where I am? Yep, Power Rangers Day. Of course I'm not an original Ranger, you idiot, we were like six years old when they were around! Oh, dude, but guess what! Know how I told you that Dr. Oliver—"

_"Conner!"_ Tommy snapped, looking around for eavesdroppers in a panic.

"Sorry! Dude, I'll have to tell you later. Yeah, dude, I'll definitely see you there. I've got some people I want you to meet. Dude, you are gonna freak when I tell you—"

"If he says 'dude' one more time, I might have to hit him," Kira muttered. Trent stifled a laugh.

"Yeah, I can't talk about it now though. But I'll see you on Saturday, right, dude? OW! Kira, what was that for? Jeez. Women, man, they're so violent. OW! See? Dude—OW!—I better get off here. I'm standing in the middle of a sidewalk and for some reason Kira keeps hitting me so I might need to find a place to hide soon. Dude—OW! Kira, quit it!—are Shane and Dustin and the others coming with you? You don't? Well, try to find out. I'll talk to you later, dude—OW! Bye!"

Conner hung up the phone and thrust his fist in the air. "ERIC'S COMING TO POWER RANGERS DAY!" he yelled.

"SHH!" Tommy hissed, checking the street frantically for onlookers.

"Eric who?" Trent asked blankly.

"Eric my brother," Conner said happily.

"Oh, yeah," Trent said. He, unlike Kira and Ethan, hadn't grown up going to school in Reefside and therefore had never met Eric; Eric hadn't been to visit Reefside since the days when Trent was evil, and therefore wasn't hanging out with the others.

"I haven't gotten to see him in a few months," Conner continued excitedly. "Now that he's back living in Blue Bay Harbor."

"You have a brother?" Billy asked. Conner had only mentioned Eric around Billy twice, once when Billy was distracted by Ethan's gift of overalls and again at the restaurant, when Conner and Trent were talking about the fact that Trent's dad knew he was a Ranger, so the fact that Conner had a brother hadn't really stuck in Billy's memory.

"Yep. He's my twin, actually."

There was a horrified pause from the older Rangers. "There's… two of you?" Jason said faintly.

"Yup. We're identical, _completely identical,_ but Mom made us wear our hair different after that thing with Millie Jenson."

"The hot blond girl, freshman class president?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah. Sophomore year, Mom caught me making out with her, and Millie ran out of the house and I ran downstairs to try to stop her, and Eric was in the living room, and we managed to confuse Mom. She couldn't tell us apart, so she couldn't punish me, but she made us get haircuts and start dressing differently." Conner sighed. "Wonder whatever happened to Millie."

"She got pregnant junior year," Kira said. "Cassidy told me; she was Millie's Lamaze coach."

"Wasn't Conner's baby, was it?" Trent asked with a slightly panicky tone.

"Not that I know of."

"I'd hate to see him reproduce," Ethan said with a shudder. Kira and Trent nodded fervently and Conner rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, my brother's going to this secret ninja school," Conner said. "It's run by the former Ninja Storm Rangers; I think Dr. O knows all about it, he had a lot of info on the Ninja Storm Rangers. Eric said he's not sure if they're coming; the school's on break right now, but they only get three weeks for summer break, something about summer being a good time to bond with their elements. He didn't get a chance to talk to Dustin and Shane and the others before leaving—something about a robotic hologram, a fruitcake and a wallaby—but his friends Tally—she's really hot—and Kyle are coming." Conner paused for a moment, grinning reminiscently. "He used to brag to me that he might get picked to be a Power Ranger one day; it was pretty funny. Right up until I told him I was a Rang—"

"WHAT?" Tommy roared.

"Oops." Conner cringed. "Dr. O… I… well…"

"You have ten seconds to explain before _something bad happens to you!"_

"Well… remember when Shane, Dustin, Tori, Hunter, Cam and Blake came to Reefside? Of course you do. Well, since Eric had gotten kicked out of the Academy, and I figured the Ninja gang kinda owed us one, I asked them to let my brother back in and they said okay. But then they told Eric that he was on probation and they were only letting him back in because I asked them to and Eric—well, actually, Eric's bud Kyle who's really smart—he asked them why me asking them to do it should affect anything and Dustin said 'Well, it was kind of a Ranger-to-Ranger favor, especially since we tried to kill him, or rather Shane tried to kill him' and Eric said 'What? Dude, Shane tried to kill my brother?' and they said, 'Yeah, you know, didn't you hear? Lothor turned us evil and he teamed up with Mesogog back in Reefside to kill the Dino Thunder Rangers' and Eric said 'That's nice, so why'd Shane try to kill my brother?' cuz Eric's not all that bright and then Kyle said 'Wait, his brother's a Power Ranger?' and Eric said 'Of course not' and Dustin said 'Yeah he is, we got to see him morph, he's the leader too' and Eric said 'What? No way! Dude, I gotta call him' and he did and of course by that point I couldn't really lie my way out of it so technically _I_ didn't tell him, _Dustin_ told him, and _Kyle_ explained it to him, so it's not my fault at all!"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Tommy demanded.

"…Slipped my mind?" Conner lied hopefully.

"Conner, if word gets out about us because your brother—"

"He won't talk, Dr. O. He's really great at keeping secrets," Conner said quickly. "And the boy can _lie._ I mean, he's not as smart as me, but he's a _way_ better liar. He goes to a secret ninja school, for crying out loud. He hasn't talked. He _won't_ talk. He's covered for me more times than I can count. And the Wind Ninja Academy really preaches the secrecy thing. You get automatically dismissed if you tell anyone about it, and Eric's never even come close to breaking that rule. The only reason _I_ know is because Sensei Kanoi came to my house to talk to my parents because Eric was still sixteen and had to have his parents' permission to join the school. Boy, _that _was a weird day, we totally—um, never mind, point is, otherwise Eric wouldn't have even told _us._ And I'm only telling you because you're Rangers and have probably heard of it. But anyway, it's been months since he found out. If he was going to do it, he'd have done it by now."

"Gee, that's a _huge_ comfort, Conner. A _really_ big—"

"There's nothing you can do, Tommy," Jason said, cutting Tommy off. "If the kid squeals, the kid squeals. But Conner's got a point. If he hasn't yet, he probably won't."

"The initial contact is the one you have to worry about," Trini agreed. "When they're all hyper that they know a Ranger."

"We've slipped up before," Kimberly added; they were all instinctively in Tommy-calming mode. "Ernie, for example. And during time-traveling, that worked out okay…"

"My dad," Billy added.

"Carson Brady," Trent added. "I mean, yeah, Elsa's fault, but he might not have made the connection if it wasn't for me…"

"And Hayley," Zack pointed out. "Not to mention Curtis."

"You're right," Tommy said, exhaling slowly. "We've all messed up. Hayley's a perfect example of—wait. _Curtis?"_

Zack laughed nervously. "Oops?"

"You told _Curtis?"_ Jason demanded. "Curtis is a whack job!"

"He is not!" Zack said indignantly. "That's my favorite cousin you're knocking!"

"Case in point!" Jason was good friends with Curtis, but it had never crossed Jason's mind to share their secret with him. "He'd have to be a whack job to earn the mantel of favorite cousin; your whole family's weird!"

_"Hey!_ And anyway it was _Adam's_ fault Curtis found out, not mine. It's not easy to explain why your butt's on fire, especially when you're too busy calling all your friends to try and figure out what's going on to bother with coming up with an excuse for spontaneous butt combustion!"

"Some guy named Adam set your butt on fire?" Conner asked curiously.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Adam, as in, the guy who became the Black Ranger when you left?" Ethan prodded.

"Yeah, him. See, he still had his morpher, only it was really damaged so all the power was in my Coin. But I was on this double date with Curtis and these two totally hot girls at this French restaurant—never ends well when I double-date at a French restaurant, just ask Tommy and Kim—and Adam tried to morph into the Black Ranger, despite the fact that he had a perfectly good Zeonizer that could turn him into Zeo Ranger Three. So anyway the power tried to transfer back to him and the next thing I know the morpher in my back pocket went all light show on me. Black and orange light and I'm screaming and it HURT and everyone thinks my ass is on fire. Had to drive home with my butt soaking wet from the waiter trying to put me out while Curtis laughed his ass off." Zack grimaced. "I need to kick Adam's ass for that. I really do."

"So you told him you were a Ranger?" Tommy demanded.

"What was I supposed to say? The magic artifact in my back pocket malfunctioned, man, there are only so many ways to explain that! You want to yell at someone, yell at Adam for experimenting with a broken morpher in the middle of my date!"

"I think you've both suffered enough for that," Kimberly deadpanned, struggling not to giggle.

Tommy shook his head. "Anyone else tell anyone? Huh? Ethan, did you tell your computer buddies? How about Derrick or Angela? Kira, you telling everyone you meet? Huh? How about your biker pals, Jase?"

"Calm down, Tommy," Trini said reasonably. "We've made it this far. And we've got friends in high places."

"We do?" Zack asked.

"Yes. T.J. and the other Space Rangers, they can discount any rumors about us. The Lightspeed guys, they're on our side. Look what they did for the Dragonzord."

"And Carrie Jeffries would probably help us out if I asked her to," Jason added thoughtfully.

Trini's face clouded momentarily. "Well, I don't know how much good one reporter would do, but that's an option. So there's no point in worrying. What's going to happen is going to happen, guys; when something goes wrong, all we can do is fix it, and that's something we're good at."

"Come on," Kimberly said. "Let's get back to the hotel. I could use a shower and a nap."

"Should have a big day tomorrow." Trini grinned, looking straight at Tommy with a decidedly mischievous gleam in her eye. Tommy blanched, now horrified. Trini wandered past him with Kimberly, the Dino Rangers behind them as they once more continued towards the hotel, and he couldn't help but wonder if Trini had freaked him out to distract him from the secret identity thing, or if she was really planning some big, evil, probably embarrassing trap tomorrow. Tommy followed, watching them mistrustfully and trying to reassure himself that Kimberly was on his side… though come to think of it, he wasn't sure what that side _was._

"You staying with us, or going back to your place tonight?" Zack asked Billy and Jason as they followed Tommy.

"Billy was saying we shouldn't party tonight," Jason said reluctantly. "Said we should get to work on those speeches for Power Rangers Day."

"We could work on those together," Zack pointed out.

"Zack, I told myself that I'd think of what to say to my father while hanging out with you guys last night, and come morning I still had no idea of what I was going to say," Billy replied dryly.

Tommy tuned out of their conversation, trying to catch snippets of Trini and Kimberly's conversation and picking up the Dino Rangers instead.

"Did you ever meet Eric?" Ethan was asking Kira.

"Think I had a class or two with him back in junior year, but I didn't know him or Conner very well and I tended to get them confused. Did you know him?"

"Yeah. Tutored him in math all through sophomore year." Ethan paused. "Conner's definitely the smarter twin."

"Hard to believe," Kira joked.

"Conner's smarter than you give him credit for, Kira," Tommy said absently, still straining his ears to eavesdrop on Trini and Kimberly as discreetly as he could. "I graded his work, after all. If he put more effort into school, he could have been an A student, easy."

"You think?" Conner said, looking startled.

"We've always known Conner wasn't a complete idiot," Ethan said with a shrug.

"Thanks," Conner said, pleased. "Wait. …I think."

"Compliments definitely aren't our strong suit," Kira commented.

"Just because Conner doesn't study much doesn't make him dumb," Tommy added. As an easily distracted person, he knew there was a fine line between "dumb" and "not doing the work." "After all, he made a good leader."

"True," Ethan said, shrugging again. Kira and Trent nodded, while Conner looked amazed.

"Zack was the same way," Tommy added. "He came off as goofy and shallow, but he did a lot of deep thinking. He came up with a lot of strategy during our days as Rangers, especially during the times when the rest of us were snapping, letting anger or fear or panic cloud our judgment. Like this one time, I was walking Kimberly home and this monster called the Samurai Fan Man attacked us, trapping Kimberly in a jar and knocking me out. Jason, Trini, Zack and Billy went after him, and Trini was all gung ho about just smashing the jar, but Zack was the one that pointed out Kim could be hurt if she did. Zack might be a lunatic, but he's not stupid. You give Zack a goal, and he'll accomplish it, just like Conner."

The four teens lapsed into silence, reflecting on this, and Tommy eagerly quickened his steps, still trying to hear the girls… but now all he was getting was Billy, Zack and Jason.

"So Dad said he'd come to Power Rangers Day," Billy was saying.

"Awesome! I think my parents might go, but I'm not sure," Jason said.

"Curtis said he couldn't make it," Zack said with a sigh. "I haven't talked to most of my other family members about it yet, need to make some calls…"

"Oh!" Tommy said, smacking his forehead. He'd forgotten about Hayley already. "Hayley was thinking of coming. She'd need a place to stay, though, and I doubt the hotels are open…"

"She can take the couch," Jason offered immediately.

"Or room with us," Zack said eagerly. Tommy shot him an older-brother glare over his shoulder before returning to watching Trini and Kimberly. "Or maybe she could stay with the girls," Zack amended hastily.

"Hayley's never met Kim. Might get weird," Jason pointed out. "She can stay at our place. Might be a good way to get Trini to come home…"

"Oh, by the way," Tommy said, struggling to bring everything up before it slipped his mind again. "Hayley wanted to know if Rocky, Adam and Tanya were coming."

"Are they?" Billy asked Jason eagerly.

"No idea," Jason said, checking his watch. "We'd better wait until tomorrow to call them though. It's coming up on one a.m."

"Remind me to call Hayley tomorrow," Tommy said faintly, still trying to hear without much success. Conner was now telling the others exactly what had happened involving Cyber Cam, a fruitcake and a wallaby to get Eric kicked out of the Wind Ninja Academy, and the laughter was making Tommy's mission even harder. If they didn't quiet down soon, he'd just have to jog past them and hope the girls didn't notice.

Kimberly and Trini were now rather far ahead, joking about the debacle that was Ashley's first wedding—at least, the wedding she'd tried to have, where she'd been engaged to some guy and Andros, who'd been off on mission after mission over the years with Zhane and hadn't been able to keep in touch with Ashley, crashed the wedding and ran off with Ashley. Trini was explaining that Tommy had been there as well, and Kimberly must not have seen him in all the blaster smoke and general chaos. They were so intent on their discussion that they didn't notice the guy creeping up on them until Kimberly felt a sharp yank on her big pink handbag.

Kimberly seized the strap instinctively, letting out an indignant, surprised shout as the kid tried to make off with her purse. Kimberly's eyes narrowed and she prepared to make sure that he not only didn't get the purse but wouldn't be able to reproduce, but Tommy got there first—or, more accurately, Tommy's fist did.

Kimberly watched in amazement as Tommy's knuckles flew out of nowhere and collided with the thief's temple, her ears barely registering the sound of Tommy's ragged, growling battle cry. The would-be purse snatcher collapsed like a broken folding chair, unconscious before he hit the sidewalk.

Tommy turned to look at Kimberly, and she caught a glimpse of the look on his face, fury and protectiveness and determination—the glare of a fighter. She hadn't known she'd been holding her breath until she noticed that it was harder to inhale now.

The look faded quickly, replaced by a sheepish, somewhat embarrassed half-smile, like a little kid who'd been trying to help but had made quite a large mess in the process and wasn't sure if the good would outweigh the bad. Kimberly felt decidedly self-conscious, abruptly aware of the others watching them. She hoisted the rescued purse a little higher on her shoulder and tentatively returned his smile. "Thanks," she said quietly.

The grin on Tommy's face slowly expanded. She realized, from the hunching of his shoulders and the slight blush on his cheeks, that he was fighting the urge to straighten up and throw out his chest and strut, maybe even swagger. Kimberly knew he had to feel very Tarzan-y right now; he had saved the damsel in distress, and to Tommy there wasn't very much that brought bigger glory.

"Welcome," he muttered in a helpless sort of way, feeling rather like a dork who'd just been complimented by the most popular girl in school.

Kimberly stared at him, a rush of delight filling every bone in her body. She suddenly knew without question that Tommy, _her_ Tommy, was still there, hiding somewhere inside this rather sarcastic, short-haired twenty-five-year-old man, fighting to get back out. That cheesy smile was suddenly the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

"TOMMY!" Jason yelled, breaking the mood as abruptly and completely as a crazy uncle puking in the middle of a wedding. On the cake. "You IDIOT!"

Tommy turned to look at him, startled and puzzled. "What?"

"Did it not occur to you that now is _not_ the time to beat up a mugger?" Jason demanded angrily.

Tommy blinked. "What do you mean? I couldn't just let him run off with Kim's purse!"

"Tommy, you're in town for _Power Rangers Day!"_ Jason hissed.

"So?" Tommy said blankly.

"Tommy," said Trini, stepping forward, wearing her patented "Time to Explain Things to My Dear, Sweet, Not-So-Smart Friends" expression, "it might look a little odd to the cops, and the reporters, and everyone in general, that you lived in Angel Grove during the days of the original Power Rangers and you now live in Reefside, where the most recent team was, and you've come back for Power Rangers Day, and you just beat up a criminal."

Tommy's eyes widened and he looked down at the mugger worriedly. Kimberly winced, the sweet moment shattered and replaced by a fear she knew all-to-well—the fear of compromising her identity, much stronger now than it had been when discussing Eric and their other confidants. This was not the same as telling a few trustworthy souls; this was an accident that could lead to the world finding out.

"We could just leave him," Ethan suggested, though without any real enthusiasm.

"We can't just _leave_ him!" Kimberly exclaimed. "He could hurt someone!"

"Well, we can't exactly call the cops and explain that we're not former Power Rangers, just ten people who know martial arts honest, when six of us are from Angel Grove and five of us live in Reefside," Jason pointed out, though he didn't look very pleased with the idea of leaving the mugger either. None of them did; it seemed counterproductive to devote a good chunk of their lives to fighting evil only to set criminals free. He looked down at his red shirt. "We really should stop color-coordinating our wardrobes so much."

"Well, what do you suggest?" Tommy asked. "That we tie him to a phone pole and write 'mugger' on his forehead?"

"Great idea, Dr. O!" Conner said. Everyone turned to look at him. "Oh. Sarcasm. Right. I gotcha."

"Conner's the _smart_ one?" Trent asked Kira and Ethan incredulously. They sighed in unison.

"We're gonna have to leave him," Jason said heavily, his regret obvious.

"Wait," Zack said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at him. "The mugger didn't see Tommy, did he?"

"I don't think there was time," Kimberly said. "Tommy came out of nowhere. He just saw me. And maybe Tommy's fist."

"Then… then I'm having a plan," Zack said, biting his lip and looking slightly surprised at himself. Then he grinned. "Go me!"

"Are you going to tell us or not?" Jason asked. "He's not gonna stay unconscious forever."

Zack grinned and reached for his back pocket. "Don't worry, Jase. It's brilliant."

* * *

_EndNotes:_ I've written an S.P.D. one-shot that's begging me to turn it into a full story; it's called "The Full Impact" and I'd appreciate feedback on it.

Extremely minor edits have been made to chapters three and twenty-five.

Can't remember if I mentioned this before or not, but all hints WILL be used eventually. They might undergo a few minor changes, but they'll show up at some point, I promise.

_Coming soon, on "Of Love and Bunnies…"_

1) "Maybe we should run away now," Billy said thoughtfully.

2) "HE IS SO DEAD!" Kimberly roared, marching from the room.

3) "I'm just peachy, Kira," Tommy growled. "I'm happy as can be. Ask me that one more time, and I'm going to ask _you_ why Kimberly asked _me_ about some ritual bath you took involving Conner."

4) "Kim, please," Kira yelled desperately as she chased Kimberly through the lobby. "Please don't go!"

5) "We could always kill them afterwards," Conner said thoughtfully.

6) "Jason burst into song, Tommy burst into tears, and Zack burst out the front door in his underwear and a cowboy hat with his socks on his hands," Trini replied with a heavy sigh.


	37. Invasion of the Ranger Snatchers

**Chapter Thirty-seven**

_Invasion of the Ranger Snatchers_

Officer Don Brewster was hunched over the steering wheel of the cop car, his eyes peeled for any sign of them. Corner of Main and Fifth. The original Black Power Ranger had come out of retirement to stop a mugging.

Don had only been twelve when the original Rangers were around, and as a child of comic book collecting and pretending to be the Super Friends with his buddies every weekend, Don had thought the Power Rangers were the coolest thing on Earth. He'd gotten to see them at Power Rangers Day, and during the Ranger Parade, and though he would never admit it, he would give his first born to see a Power Ranger again, to get an autograph, maybe have them sign his old action figure set…

And here was his chance.

Well, not for the autograph… although he might be able to get the Black Ranger to sign something, if this wasn't a hoax. And he didn't exactly keep an action figure in his gun holster (though he kept his lucky fully-poseable Red Ranger with karate chop action in his locker at work). Still, becoming a cop was suddenly much more worth it than he could have dreamed. _He was about to see the Black Ranger!_

"Probably a hoax, you know," his partner Abe said idly. Like Don, Abe was starting to feel the effects of all the double-shifts they'd been pulling this week, thanks to all the tourists pouring into the city, but unlike Don, Abe was now completely _over_ the Power Rangers and the insanity Power Rangers Day was causing; he would be glad when things finally calmed down again. Abe, who was pushing fifty and more concerned about getting arthritis than meeting superheroes, treated Don's barely-masked enthusiasm like an exasperated father would treat a son who just won't stop begging to go on the roller coaster.

"Could be," Don said noncommittally. "Coming up on Main and Fifth… there!"

* * *

Jason shoved Ernie's barbell upwards with a vengeance, knowing he should be pacing himself but not caring. They hadn't had much time for exercise this week, yesterday not withstanding, and as a guy who spent hours a day practicing or teaching martial arts and working out in other ways—not to mention a guy who was currently trying not to panic about whether the plan would go okay—he had a desperate need to let off some steam. (It also didn't help that Tommy was on the rowing machine next to him, and working out with Tommy always seemed to lead to a one-upmanship sort of battle. Not that either of them would admit it.) Jason was nervous… screw nervous, his life was resting in the hands of _Zack._

It wasn't that he didn't trust Zack. Zack had saved his life before. Zack had come through on many occasions. Yet Zack was a natural-born schemer, and natural-born schemers had terrible success rates when it came to girls and cops.

Still, Jason hadn't been able to come up with a better plan than Zack's, and all he could do was hope that they'd fledged the plan out enough that Zack's sporadic luck would hold. Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent had been rushed back to the hotel, where they couldn't cause any trouble or raise any creepy suspicions about why they were traveling with their science teacher to Angel Grove from Reefside, home of the Dino Rangers. Then he and Tommy had rushed to the Youth Center; Billy had had the idea to see if Ernie could provide an alibi for some of them, and he'd agreed.

Meanwhile, Zack, Kimberly, Trini and the original Black Ranger were standing on the street corner.

Billy was selected to wear the Black Ranger suit. As Zack was the actual Black Ranger, they'd all felt it was important that he be shown standing next to the Black Ranger. Besides which, no one expected Billy to be in Angel Grove; he'd only been seen so far by a few random store and restaurant employees, the people at the gas station and Ernie and his father, so they were banking on no one recognizing him other than Ernie and Mr. Cranston. With Billy in the suit, they could establish that Zack was not a Ranger, and that Tommy and Jason had been elsewhere.

Jason grimaced. As Tommy had been the one to knock the guy out, Trini had insisted he not be around when they called the cops, and she'd also forced Jason to leave as well. Tommy and Jason were both obviously supremely athletic; she didn't want the cops wondering why a mugger had decided to target them when the two of them were probably enough to scare criminals away. The others had agreed, and also pointed out that the cops shouldn't see two huge guys—one in red and black, one in green, white and black—flanking a Power Ranger; Zack was very muscular as well, but not nearly as obviously as Jason and Tommy. Forcing the two of them to go had also assured no one would notice that they were in a group of six, and keeping the "victims" down to Trini, Kimberly and Zack ensured that they wouldn't have to rely on their truthful defense of "the mugger was just retarded," so the cops wouldn't wonder at the probability of a mugger targeting such a large group.

Jason growled to himself, feeling a rush of fury with the _idiot_ who'd tried to steal Kimberly's purse. True, the girls had been walking far enough ahead that they probably hadn't seemed like part of the group at all, but you'd have to be a total moron to attack two women who were being followed—distance or not—by a pack of seven guys. Maybe the kid had just assumed he could run fast enough to get away or something. Humph. He was lucky Tommy had knocked him out in one hit; the rest of them didn't have a chance to get angry before he was unconscious.

_Tommy got there fir-irst,_ a singsong voice whispered inside his head.

_I am not jealous,_ Jason told himself, glancing at the settings on Tommy's rowing machine.

_Everything will be fine,_ he thought, slamming the barbell up violently. They'd thought of everything. They'd even made sure that Trini, Zack and Kimberly weren't wearing their signature colors (the safety scissors Tommy had been keeping in his pocket had come in handy for hastily cutting the tags off of the Wal-Mart clothes; Trini and Kimberly were now wearing oversized blue T-shirts over their own clothing and Zack was in an orange shirt that Jason had not-so-apologetically admitted purchasing to annoy Tommy with). The three of them were also the best liars in the group; Zack acted dopey enough that people didn't often think he could come up with a plan; Trini's psychology skills gave her an overwhelming understanding of when people were lying, which she turned to her advantage when necessary; and Kimberly… well… Kimberly was a good actress. Jason had no doubt that the cops were going to find a sobbing, distraught mess wringing her hands and clutching her purse while her two friends tried to comfort her and the Black Ranger assured her that she'd be fine. Billy would run off at the earliest possible opportunity; Jason had given him his house key, and Billy was supposed to wait at the house until Jason got back.

It should work. Yes. It _should._

"Thanks again for helping us out, Ernie," Jason called. Ernie was behind the counter, doing inventory.

"It's no problem," Ernie said for the twelfth time. He'd been staying late to catch up on a few things, anyway—which was actually kind of the Rangers' fault, as their visiting had put him a tad behind this week; closing late twice in three days had meant some of the work had backed up, but he wouldn't ever tell them that, and it wasn't like he cared; besides, he opened later on weekdays, so he could sleep in tomorrow. He was a little tired, but he had to admit he was excited as hell. Now that he had finally admitted knowing who the teens were, he wanted to share that part of them as much as possible. He never realized how _weird_ their lives were. "Just, um, make sure you set those weights back to something the average teenager could lift when you're done, okay? I don't want anyone getting hurt."

"Okay," Jason said, then nearly dropped the barbell on his chest as his ringing cell phone startled him; Tommy dove off the rowing machine to help him. Setting it carefully back in place, Jason sat up and opened his phone. "Trini?"

"Went off without a hitch. Witness reports, Billy made a dramatic exit, we're pretty sure they didn't suspect anything. En route to the Youth Center. Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent back at the hotel?"

"Yeah. We saw them to the door."

"Good. Tell Ernie we said thank you."

"I did."

"Tell him again."

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

Jason hung up. "Thanks for helping us, Ernie; we really appreciate it."

"No problem," Ernie repeated patiently, amused. That was why they'd been his favorite customers—they were the sweetest kids he'd ever met, and he was glad they hadn't lost that over the years.

"Trini, Zack and Kim are on their way," Jason reported to Tommy. "They think it went fine."

"Whew." Tommy sank down onto a chair, glad this hadn't exploded in their faces. He hadn't been able to help it; he'd just _reacted._ It was instinct. Hell, he'd first met Kimberly while being protective of her; was it any wonder that he'd attacked a wannabe purse snatcher without thinking?

"All we have to do is wait," Jason said, reaching for the barbell with much more cheerfulness. "Everything is fine."

* * *

"Adam! Adam, man, wake up!"

Adam opened one bleary eye to stare up at his best bud in annoyance. "What? I just got to sleep like twenty minutes ago. It better not be something stupid. Again." Adam was used to sleeping in strange places; he traveled almost constantly. However, Rocky's couch was one of the lumpiest on the planet, and Adam was not a morning person. It didn't help that every time he stayed over at Rocky's house he had a couch-related near-death experience. He still wasn't certain how those ceiling tiles had managed to fall down on him…

Adam had been staying at Rocky's house for the past few days, as Adam was between films and Rocky had given his karate students their customary summer break, which was always the first few weeks after school let out. With Tanya off in Africa, Adam had been partying hard with his childhood pal, and he wasn't about to thank Rocky for waking up from a much-needed rest.

"It's your morpher, man," Rocky replied worriedly.

Adam jerked upright, suddenly wide-awake. "What? What's wrong with it? What is it _this_ time?"

Rocky shook his head and nodded towards the coffee table. Adam, like all of the originals, kept his damaged morpher in his pocket almost constantly, but he'd taken everything out of his pockets in order to get more comfortable on the couch, including his wallet, phone, and Zeonizer. The charred morpher was now glowing with sparks of black, orange and blue energy, and though it didn't emit any sound it gave off the impression that it was humming. _Angrily._

"What _the hell?"_ Adam breathed, reaching out his hand. He stopped just outside of the miniature light show, not wanting to get hurt.

"I noticed it on my way to the bathroom," Rocky said. "It's been doing that for a while. Do you think something happened to Zack?"

Adam shook his head firmly. "No. It's got to be the morpher itself." Ever since their powers had been transferred back to Jason, Trini and Zack, the morphers in Rocky, Adam and Aisha's possession grew warm whenever one of their predecessors morphed. The morphers were all connected, and, just like Zack had felt it when Adam had morphed, Adam felt it when Zack morphed—though it wasn't anything painful like it had been when Adam had been helping Carlos. However, the morpher had never… _sparked_ like this, never done something this strange, especially not for something as simple as Zack going nostalgic and trying on his old suit.

"Is yours…?" Adam began.

Rocky held up his own damaged morpher. "Mine's fine," he said shakily. "No pyrotechnics."

"All right. So it's just Zack, whatever 'it' is." Adam sighed and reached for his cell phone. "Here's hoping he's alive."

Unfortunately, it rang straight to voice mail. Sighing, Adam began his message. "Zack, man, it's Adam. Give me a call as soon as you get this, day or night. Something weird's going on, something _colorful._ Wanted to make sure you're okay."

Adam hung up, exchanging grim looks with Rocky, who was toying absently with his own morpher. "There's no point in both of us staying up all night waiting for him to call," Adam said. "He's terrible about checking his messages. Go back to sleep; I'll try to stay up, but if I nod off the phone usually wakes me up."

"And if it doesn't?" Rocky asked.

"He can tell me he's okay on the message," Adam replied. "I'm sure he's fine." Adam leaned away from the morpher… and suddenly the lights died off.

"Whoa," Rocky muttered. "Think it's over?"

"Must be," Adam said. He tentatively reached out and poked at remnants of the Power Coin. "It's warm—hot, even. But it's cooling off."

Rocky exhaled slowly. "You know… you remember when the Command Center got destroyed? Kimberly called, said she had this weird sense of foreboding, like something awful had happened, and then suddenly she felt okay? And Jason, Trini, Aisha and Zack said the same thing?"

Adam nodded. "They were able to sense the Command Center collapsing. Then they sensed it reforming. Zordon said major things like that, permanent things, they'd seep through for us. The power connected us." He smiled. "So Zack's not dead, he's just doing something freaky with his morpher. Good to know." Adam tossed his morpher into the air and caught it, holding it tightly. "The little booger's alive and well and probably completely oblivious to the fact that he just scared the crap out of us."

Rocky grinned. "Sounds like Zack." He yawned. "Well, wake me up if he calls, okay? It's going to take us a while to find the place tomorrow, and we're gonna need some sleep."

Adam nodded, glad Rocky was cheered, but suddenly unable to shake the feeling that something _odd_ was up with Zack. It abruptly struck him as strange that there'd been blue light mixed in with the black and orange, which had flared the last time he'd tried to morph. Blue. Why Blue? Billy was the only Blue Ranger to use a Power Coin, and Billy was on Aquitar… and Rocky certainly hadn't done anything. Justin and the other Blue Rangers wouldn't have gotten a hold of Zack's morpher…

Adam sighed. Deep in his gut, he felt that things were okay. He always trusted his instincts, his intuition, and right now all they said was "Weird, but not dangerous." So Zack was most likely safe.

But he was totally going to give Zack hell about this come morning.

* * *

Officer Don Brewster stared absently in the direction the three almost-victims had headed in, his instincts screaming that something was off. Their story had seemed plausible enough—especially that badly shaken girl who wouldn't stop clutching her purse—though it had its odd moments. For one, they were going to the Youth Center, which closed about three hours ago… but they'd said the owner was an old friend and wanted them to drop by. Don, like most people who'd grown up in Angel Grove during the 1990s, remembered Ernie… and Ernie didn't strike him as the type to have people dropping by at one in the morning. He also wondered a bit about the fact that the other two members of their group had gone to drop off some of their sleepy younger traveling companions just before the botched purse snatching… Don couldn't recall one instance as a teenager when he hadn't stayed up past one a.m. during the summer. But something else was nagging at him, dancing at the edge of his consciousness… What was it? What was wrong?

"We'd better get to the hospital before he wakes up," Abe said. "Although I'd imagined getting hit by a Power Ranger will take a while to recover from."

"His voice," Don said suddenly.

"What's that?" Abe asked absently, lost in his own thoughts, also thinking that something wasn't right.

"The Black Ranger's voice. It's different. The Black Ranger didn't talk like that; I heard him several times when I was a kid. He used more slang, and the voice itself was wrong."

Abe looked at him sharply. "So that wasn't a Power Ranger?"

"Oh, that was a Power Ranger. I remember every detail. The uniform, the Blade Blaster, the helmet—you couldn't make a costume like that if you tried. And no zippers. Can't see the zippers. That was definitely a Ranger. I'm just not sure it was the Black one." Don frowned, struggling to remember the two best days of his life—the first Power Rangers Day and the day of the Ranger Parade. "His voice was familiar, though. Maybe it was one of the other Rangers, pretending to be Black."

"Why?" Abe demanded.

"I don't know," Don said. He bit his lip. "But I think we should check out these people at the Youth Center."

* * *

Jason shut the door of the Youth Center behind the two cops, breathing a sigh of relief and shooting Tommy a worried look. The cops hadn't seemed overly accusing… but the fact that they'd come to talk to him and Tommy at all, even just to inform them that their friends were unharmed… it was unsettling.

"I don't get it," Ernie said, scratching his head. Though he'd been polite as could be to the two officers, he couldn't figure out why they were bothering to touch base. "If Tommy knocked that mugger out, he must be headed to the hospital. So why aren't the cops going there? Shouldn't they, I don't know, follow up or whatever with the mugger? Take him to jail and everything?"

"Yes," Jason muttered. "I don't like it."

"Checking to make sure we were really here," Tommy agreed. "As if they didn't believe us."

"Asking questions like that… they were prodding. Trying to figure something out. Which makes no sense whatsoever. A Power Ranger told them that he'd seen a purse snatching and intervened; what cop wouldn't believe that?"

"They suspect us. They have to. They know something's up."

"They can't prove anything," Jason pointed out. "We've been here with Ernie, and we made sure the receptionist saw us drop off the Dino Rangers at the hotel."

"Guys," Ernie said gently, "don't you think you're blowing this a little out of proportion? Plenty of people interfere in muggings. In fact, I did it myself back in college once. I'm sure it'll all work out."

Jason shook his head. "You don't understand, Ernie. We've left too many tracks. Tommy, for one."

"I had a hell of a time keeping the suspicion off as the Black Ranger," Tommy added. "Like this one time I went with Ethan and Trent to see my friend Ellie Sanchez to see if she could help us keep Hayley's Cyberspace from closing, and a monster showed up… so I had Trent take her to safety. I stayed behind, ended up morphing and fighting the monster… and the fact that Ethan and I didn't run to safety with them was too suspicious. Unavoidable, but still fishy. And the time the school principal revealed she was an evil minion, and we went all-out-war on the school lawn… people wondered _why._ Especially the school board when I had to explain things to them."

"So the last thing we need is an Angel Grove cop talking to a few choice people in Reefside," Jason said. "Not to mention that despite the fact that he's a friend of Trent's dad, it's just creepy under normal circumstances to travel with your science teacher."

"Don't need anyone asking questions about that, either," Tommy said. "They were always coming over, I was always seen publicly supporting them... it could get ugly."

"Then there's Billy," Jason continued. "He dropped off the map back in the 90s. He comes back, people are gonna be confused. It took his father all of three seconds to get suspicious. Plus there's the Space and Lightspeed Rangers; we're all friends with both of them. T.J.'s endorsed my dojo, for crying out loud! Anyone ever pauses to think about that, there will be trouble. People will wonder how I buddied up to not one but two Ranger teams. By itself, none of it is majorly damaging, but put it all together in the hands of a relatively smart person…"

"And this town always goes a little nuts about possible Power Rangers," Tommy added with a smirk at Jason. "Combine every other oops moment with us stopping a purse snatching, and it just doesn't look good."

"It'll work out," Ernie assured them. "I thought for sure they had you with the Billy thing way back when, and look what happened."

Jason winced. "Oh, god. _Please_ let this work out."

* * *

"Did you _see_ those two guys?" Don hissed as he and Abe walked into the emergency room. "If they're not Power Rangers, I'm the Green Goblin!"

"I don't know, kid," Abe said. "Yeah, it's odd, but you gotta admit, there are plenty of people with muscles like that." He looked pointedly at Don, who spent a lot of time in the precinct's gym.

"Yeah, but still! Look, add it up—Black Ranger. Two guys in the Youth Center. One more guy, and the two women. That's six… four guys, two girls."

Abe blinked, then shook his head. "Yes, but that's hardly proof. You're overanalyzing this, Don."

"Let me ask you something else," Don continued insistently. "The Black Ranger… just _dropped_ this guy."

"Yeah, so? He's a _Ranger._ I'd imagine he could 'drop' the entire city."

"Does that sound like a Ranger move to you? Ever watch a monster attack on the news back in the day? They did a lot of posing, posturing, threatening—they _announced_ themselves first. They didn't often just start shooting or kicking. So… you're a Power Ranger. You see a crime. And you just knock the guy unconscious? Any criminal in Angel Grove who found themselves face-to-face with a Ranger would immediately surrender. Any human on the planet would have to be a total retard to try to take one on. And the Rangers know that. I guarantee you that a Ranger interfering with a crime would probably just have to yell 'Stop,' and the guy would stop. So why didn't he try that?"

Abe stopped in his tracks, staring at Don in surprise. "That's a damned good point. You might make detective one day, after all."

Don beamed at the praise but continued to press his point before he lost Abe to doubt again. "And this name—Kimberly Hart. You ever heard of her?"

"Should I?"

"She's a pro gymnast. I was a freshman when she was a junior, and there was a lot of talk around school about her getting discovered by some big-shot gymnastics coach. Never actually spoke to her back in school, but my friends pointed her out one day at the Youth Center while she was sparring with _Billy Cranston._ And _winning."_

"Billy Cranston… I know that name from somewhere…"

"One of the most prominent candidates for being the Red Ranger. Article after article about him just after the Ranger Parade. Martial artist, gymnast, smarter than half the planet and undergoing therapy."

"Whatever happened to him?"

"No idea. Heard he graduated early and went to work for the government. I say we look him up as soon as we're done talking to this purse snatcher."

Abe nodded slowly. "Yeah." He frowned, then sighed. "This case is going to be hell, you realize that, right? The mayor's gone nuts about this Power Rangers Day thing. Trying to keep every last minor crime silent… and then here comes a Power Ranger. We're going to be going through some serious crap while he figures out if he wants to play it as 'Rangers still protecting the city' or 'Angel Grove crime-free, that didn't happen, honest.' This could get ugly."

Don shrugged. "Who cares? We have a shot at figuring out, once and for all, who the original Power Rangers were. That's worth some extra paperwork for me."

Abe didn't look so sure, but Don could tell the idea was starting to appeal to him. Abe was about to reply when a male medical assistant approached.

"You guys here about the purse snatcher?" They nodded. "He's awake. They sent me to come get you. Room 141."

Abe and Don hurried off. After shooing away the hospital staff milling about the room, they turned to regard the kid on the cot, trying to intimidate him as much as possible.

The guy was scrawny, maybe twenty-four or so, scraggly hair and Coke-bottle glasses and a huge bruise on the side of his head. His eyes were wide in fear.

"Am I going to jail?" he asked.

"That's up to the judge," Don replied.

He sighed. "Have you contacted my parole officer yet? Cuz I don't—"

"What's your name, son?" Abe interrupted.

"Walter. Walter Johnson." He swallowed, biting his lip. "Is _he_ here?"

"Who?" Abe asked.

"Him. Tommy. The guy who knocked me out!" Walter shuddered. "You guys won't let him hit me again, right? Right? I mean, yeah, I stole her purse. Tried to, anyway. But that doesn't mean I deserve to get murdered by that maniac!"

Don and Abe looked at each other sharply. "As far as we're aware, he's not here," Abe said carefully.

"But he could get here," Don said, struck by sudden inspiration. "He could get here _very quickly._ Just as we've both stepped out for coffee."

"What?" Walter whimpered. "No! Don't let him kill me!"

"Why don't you tell us what happened tonight?" Don continued. "Then we'll see what we can do."

Walter swallowed, the threat finally sinking in. He nodded. "I was walking home. Passed this big group of guys. I wasn't really paying attention to them. I guess Tommy was one of them… that would make sense… should have figured… I passed them, and I saw these two girls, and I realized one of them was Kim Hart. Had a huge purse. We went to school together, same grade, so I knew who she was, knew she probably had cash. Her family always had the best of everything. I never liked her." Walter made a face. "So I grabbed her purse and tried to run." He sighed. "Should have known better."

"Yeah, purse snatching isn't the smartest career move in the world," Don muttered.

Walter shrugged. He'd stolen a lot of things with a good success rate; it was only when he'd decided to move up to armed robbery, knocking over a jewelry store with his buddy Chris, that he'd gotten thrown in jail, but he'd been paroled soon enough, no big. He wasn't going back to scores like that, was going to stick to small-time things, work alone… the pay was less, but he wouldn't have to split it and he wouldn't have to worry about colleagues making stupid moves. "I meant I shouldn't have gone near Kim. Everyone knew that anyone who messed with her messed with her friends. Bulk and Skull were always getting smacked down for bothering her. Biggest bullies in the school, and they were terrified of her friends. And her stupid boyfriend Tommy was even worse."

"This Tommy guy got a last name?" Abe asked as nonchalantly as he could.

"Oliver. Tommy Oliver. Moved here during freshman year. At first, we were buds. Me, him, Chris, Matt, Claire. He sat down at our table in the lunch room before we got there, and when we showed up we took pity on the new kid and decided to let him stay. Big mistake." His face clouded with anger. "He was pretty cool at first, you know? Then about a week after he moved here, he went psycho. Big time. He was supposed to hang out with us after school one day and he never showed and when we asked him about it he went crazy and beat the crap out of Chris. I tried to stop him and I went down too, and Matt's all cowering behind Claire, and she's crying… and she kicks him in the shin, and he swung at her, and she ducked, and he glared… it was awful. Finally he left, didn't talk to him again. Ever. Except for when he tried to apologize and we told him to stuff it."

"Any reason for this sudden change in attitude?" Abe asked.

"We figured it was Kim. Chris had just made some slightly rude comment about her when Tommy kicked his ass. See, he got this huge crush on her, asked us to help him get with her, and we tried, and then he fell in with her friend, Jason Scott, and the next thing we know he's Mr. Lunatic. Doesn't want anything to do with us lowly freaks." Walter scowled. "Anyway, point is, he's always been Kim's shadow, taking over for Jason as the Guy Who'll Kick Your Ass if You Mess with Kim. I thought she and Tommy broke up somewhere along the line, but I guess I was wrong."

"And Tommy Oliver… knocked you out tonight."

Walter nodded. "I didn't see him for very long, but I know it was him. I _saw_ him. He looked the same way he did the _first_ time he punched me in the face, back in high school. All rage and deadly fighter guy." Walter laughed bitterly. "And of course, he's going to get to take a free swing, isn't he? Got away with it back in high school, too. Beating up a thief to stop him from stealing your girlfriend's purse isn't a crime, is it." He shuddered. "He's going to get me for this. I probably got off easy. He's going to kick my ass. You have any idea how good that guy is at martial arts? He's _scary."_

Don raised his eyebrows at this information and looked down at him thoughtfully. "When did Tommy Oliver move to Angel Grove?"

"Um… first semester of freshman year… so… fall of 93."

"I see." Don jerked his head at Abe. "Can I see you in hall for a moment?"

"We'll be back," Abe said sternly.

"Don't let him get me!" Walter pleaded as they left. "Guard the door! And the window! And the ceiling! He'll get into the walls, I just know it!"

"What a fruitcake," Don muttered as he shut the door. "Guess the Black Ranger hit him really hard."

Abe rolled his eyes and looked expectantly at Don. "What is it?"

"Fall of 1993… don't you get it?"

"…No…"

"That's when the Green Ranger showed up! Don't you see? This Tommy Oliver guy moved to town, was turned into the evil Green Ranger, reformed somehow, and became the good Green Ranger. Kim Hart must be one of them, too. And the Jason guy, and the two witnesses, Trini Scott and Zack Taylor. And! _Kimberly was friends with Billy Cranston!"_

"So… you think this guy, Oliver, moved to Angel Grove, dumped his friend Walter once he became an evil Ranger, then joined the regular team? You think _Oliver_ was the one in the Black Ranger suit?"

"Yes! Think about it. I told you, it didn't sound like the real Black Ranger. But it could have been the Green Ranger masquerading as the Black Ranger!"

Abe stared at him and shook his head. "Son, go home, get some sleep, and stop thinking about this so much. And you wonder why the guys make fun of that action figure in your locker."

"No, seriously! Hear me out! He probably figured Walter didn't get a good look at him and didn't want us to show up, see that muscle-bound guy, and get suspicious. So he borrowed his buddy's powers and decided to play it off as a Ranger knocked him out, not Tommy! If he never hung out with that Walter kid after kicking his ass, he probably didn't remember him at all. He must have gone straight to the Youth Center after he left the scene; he's a Ranger, so he could totally beat us there. Then his buddy Jason claims he was dropping people off at the hotel, and his buddy Ernie claims he went straight from the hotel to get a smoothie, and in actuality he's saving his girlfriend from a mugger."

"It gets better," said a voice behind them.

Both of them jumped and turned. A woman stood behind them, short, glasses, somewhat pretty, early thirties. Don glared at her. "Can I help you, miss?"

"Couldn't help overhearing," she said with a shrug.

"Anyone ever tell you it's a bad idea to eavesdrop on police officers?" Don growled. Abe put his hand on Don's shoulder warningly, trying to calm him.

"My apologies," she said, completely unworried. "But as I was saying, it gets even better. Dr. Tommy Oliver lives in Reefside now."

Don stared at her. "You know Tommy Oliver?"

She shook her head. "Not personally, no. But I've done some… research… on him."

"All of it legal?" Don asked threateningly.

"Of course it is," she said with a sniff. "Or I wouldn't be telling _you_ about it, now, would I?"

"What's your name, miss?" Abe asked her, eyes narrowed.

"Carrie Jeffries. I'm a reporter with—"

"With the _Sentinel,"_ Don finished, looking at her in a new light. "You were once suspected of being the Yellow Ranger after the Red Ranger gave you a private interview, despite the fact that you worked for the sports department at the time."

Carrie nodded. "Apparently the _Clarion_ figured that since all of the other Rangers showed up in the sports department save Yellow, and Red was dating Yellow and acting friendly towards me, I might _be_ the Yellow." She chuckled. "No such luck. You sure are up on your Ranger history, Officer…" She glanced at his uniform for his name. "…Brewster. Big fan?"

Don frowned. "Ma'am…"

"I am too. And I can tell you that I've done extensive research on the subject."

"What do you want?" Don demanded.

"I want you to let me talk to Walter."

"You know about Walter, do you?"

"Of course."

"How?"

"Reporters always have their sources," Carrie replied loftily, deciding not to mention the fact that Ex No. 2 had gone on to become a medical assistant after the paper had fired him for stealing toner from the features department.

"Well, I'm sorry, but you're not going to—"

"You want proof as to whether or not Tommy Oliver is a Power Ranger?"

Don stopped. "You have proof?"

"I can lead you to it, yes."

"How so?"

"Ever hear of the Dino Rangers?"

"Yeah, of course, they were based out of Reef… Reefside…" Don's eyes widened. "You say Tommy Oliver lives in Reefside?"

"Yes. He has a PhD in paleontology from U.C. Reefside. Teaches science there. And I can tell you who to talk to give you proof."

Abe and Don looked at each other. Abe nodded.

"Fine," Don said. "You give us a name, and you can talk to Walter all you'd like."

"Thank you," Carrie said. She pulled a notebook out of her jacket pocket and flipped through the pages. "Would you like phone numbers as well?"

* * *

_End Notes:_ This chapter has not been betaed. Sorry. I'll do it later if there's a lot of mistakes, but I was anxious to update. Here you go.

_And when you least expect it…_

Hint 1) "I'm going to get you back for this. Just so we're clear."

Hint 2) "Once again, details are still sketchy, but we are ready to reveal that the Black Ranger is none other than Dr. Thomas Oliver, whose identity was uncovered when he rescued his girlfriend from a purse snatcher—"

Hint 3) "YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER, TOMMY!" Trini shouted after him, shaking her bloodstained fist at his retreating back.

Hint 4) There was the sound of someone tapping on glass. "Kim? They locked the balcony door." Pause. "I'm willing to negotiate."

Hint 5) "Not all Rangers end up having lives as weird as yours, right?" Trent asked desperately, well aware of the fact that people kept comparing him to Tommy.

Hint 6) "Yeah, what was I _supposed_ to do? Deny her its use and direct her to the courtyard fountain?"


	38. Rangers In Reverse

**Chapter Thirty-eight**

_Rangers in Reverse_

"Kira, stop pacing. They'll be fine," Trent said soothingly.

"Trent, you don't get it. If they figure out that Dr. O is the White Ranger, they'll figure out who we are, too. It doesn't take a genius. I can't believe they made us stay here!"

"I can believe they made Conner stay here," Ethan cracked.

"Why don't I order room service?" Conner suggested, ignoring Ethan. "They might still be open. Always makes me feel better."

"I don't want room service," Kira growled. "I also don't want chips, or cookies, or snack cakes, or pop, or candy, or Play-Doh, or pretzels, or pork rinds, or beef jerky, or juice boxes, or anything else you bought at Wal-Mart. I _want_—"

Whatever Kira wanted was drowned out by a knocking on the door. She raced to open it, relieved to see Tommy, Jason, Zack, Trini and Kimberly in the corridor.

"Oh, thank god," Kira moaned. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. They didn't suspect anything. Billy makes a freakishly convincing Black," Zack said, his hand in his now-empty back pocket. He wouldn't be getting the morpher back until the morning, and being without it was driving him crazy.

"What a night," Kimberly said. "You know what sounds good right about now?" she added suddenly. "A beer."

"I'm with Kim," Conner said quickly.

"Nice try, Conner," Tommy said, rolling his eyes.

"Seriously. I want a beer. A large one," Kimberly said, a look on her face as if struck by an epiphany and trying to work out the finer details. "Who's up for getting drunk?"

Conner, Ethan, and even Kira and Trent raised their hands.

"None of you are drinking. Ever," Tommy said firmly. The four gave a collective sigh.

"I don't get drunk with the guys anymore," Trini said. "Not since that little fiasco back in 2001."

"Fiasco?" Kimberly prompted.

"It was terrible. Zack, Jason, Tommy and I all got drunk. Or, rather, I found out I can drink them all under the table."

"What's so terrible about that?" Kimberly asked. She prided herself on her ability to hold her alcohol… well, at least, she was pretty good with beer and wine coolers. Liquor tended to mess her up pretty fast.

"Jason burst into song, Tommy burst into tears, and Zack burst out the front door in his underwear and a cowboy hat with his socks on his hands," Trini replied with a heavy sigh. "I, however, was sober enough that I had to take care of them. I was so busy trying to get Jason to stop dancing on the table and comforting Tommy that I completely missed Zack running off."

"I did not cry," Tommy insisted.

"I was not dancing on the table," Jason added.

"I found my way back eventually," Zack said.

"Zack, you passed out on a lawn six blocks away and didn't wake up until their sprinklers came on at ten in the morning," Trini said.

"That's not true! It was a housewife with a garden hose around nine that woke me up. Took me until ten to figure out where I was and how to get to Tommy's."

"Well, there'd be me around to chase Zack down," Kimberly insisted. "Come on. Let's go get Billy and get smashed."

Trini shook her head. "Not tonight. I've had enough weirdness for tonight. Why don't we get Kira, see what's on HBO, tell her a bunch of funny stories that Tommy will scream at us for divulging—"

"Hey!"

"—make each other over, take a few more magazine quizzes and party for the rest of the night?"

"Good enough," Kimberly said cheerfully. "I especially want to hear more about this little drinking party." She nodded at Kira. "Ready?"

"I'm _so_ in," Kira said, disentangling her hand from Trent's. "Bye, guys!"

"I'm gonna head back home," Jason said. "I _am_ kind of beat. Plus the dog's still annoyed that Trini won't come home." He gave Trini a meaningful look, meant to inspire guilt.

"The dog will get over it," Trini told him, giving him a quick kiss. Trini pulled off the blue T-shirt Billy had bought at Wal-Mart and handed it to Jason. "Love you bye," she added, then rushed off down the hall with Kimberly and Kira, Kimberly practically tossing her own Wal-Mart shirt at Jason as the girls made their exit.

"Hey! What time are we meeting up tomorrow?" Jason called after Trini, looking affronted.

"Eleven sounds good," she yelled over her shoulder, disappearing into Kimberly's room. Jason muttered something about life not being fair.

"See you in the morning," Tommy told Jason, and he and Zack headed back to their room.

Once back in the room, Tommy kicked off his shoes, pulled off his socks, emptied his pockets onto the bedside table and was about to undress when someone rapped on the door; Zack answered it.

"I think we got one of your bags by mistake, Zack," Conner said, walking in without invitation and setting a Wal-Mart bag on Zack's bed. He was already in his pajamas and he yawned as he flopped down on a chair. "Dr. O, Trent and Ethan said they wanted to talk to you about something. Alone."

Tommy sighed as he headed back towards Trent and Ethan's room, wondering what they could want—probably had some complaint about Conner or something. A disgruntled Ethan answered the door when Tommy knocked. "What?" Ethan demanded.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Tommy replied patiently, ignoring Ethan's tone; they'd all had a rough day, and he did still feel bad about sending them into the Power Chamber without warning about the security measures.

"No," Ethan said.

"But Conner said… hmm. What did Conner tell _you?"_

"That he had something to take care of; I wasn't really paying attention. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to fall asleep before Conner comes back and starts snoring. He sounds like he's got a lawnmower in his nasal cavity."

Tommy frowned as Ethan shut the door. What was _that_ all about?

He turned around and headed back to his room, only to find the door shut and therefore locked. His hand was halfway to his pocket before he remembered that he'd already removed all the crap from his pockets—including his room key.

"Zack? Let me in," he called, tapping on the door.

"He's back! I _told_ Ethan to stall him! That _traitor!"_

Tommy's frown deepened. So Conner was still in his room… and they'd locked the door. Hmm.

"What are you guys doing in there?" He waited, but got no response. "Guys, I know you're in there."

"Hurry up," Zack hissed at Conner.

"You can't hurry with this stuff! It has to be _savored!_ And there's twenty cans of it! We still have seven left!"

"Are you guys drinking in there or something?" Tommy demanded.

"Uh-oh."

"Of course we're not drinking, Tommy," Zack finally replied. "I wouldn't contribute to the delinquency of a minor like that."

"Right," Tommy replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Then what _are_ you doing?"

"Nothing," Zack called, but he sounded a tad muffled, as if he was eating something. What would Conner and Zack be eating together that they didn't want Tommy to… wait.

"Are you guys eating _Play-Doh?"_ Tommy demanded incredulously.

"Of course not! We're too old to eat Play-Doh," Zack said, sounding distinctly panicked. "No one eats Play-Doh past the age of, like, twelve."

Tommy shook his head. Of course. Both of them were very dead set on maintaining their image, and it didn't help that Zack's consumption of Jason's Play-Doh had been something of a childhood trauma for Jason for reasons unknown; Jason had once told Tommy that he hadn't spoken to Zack for weeks afterwards.

"Guys, I don't care if you're eating Play-Doh. Open the door. I don't have my key."

"…You don't?"

_Damn,_ Tommy groaned to himself. That had definitely been the wrong thing to say. "Guys, let me in."

"No. You'll tell Jason," Zack replied, sounding much calmer now.

"I'm not going to tell… what is wrong with you? You're twenty-five. You can eat Play-Doh if you want to eat Play-Doh. Open the damn door."

Conner gasped. "Did you just _swear?"_

"Yeah, so?"

"You're not supposed to _swear!_ You're _Dr. O!"_

"Conner, if you don't open this door, me swearing is going to be the _least_ upsetting thing that happens to you today."

"It's not upsetting," Conner replied. "Wait until I tell the guys! Ethan'll never believe me."

"CONNER! Open the door!"

"Don't, Conner," Zack said. "Tommy won't kill us. I promise. Besides, I haven't gotten to eat this stuff in years and we only got two cases."

"Yeah, but at least it's something."

"All we could risk without Jason finding out," Zack agreed. "I swear, you accidentally eat his ten-pack of Play-Doh _once_ and he never lets you forget it."

"If you don't open this door, I'm calling Jason," Tommy called desperately.

There was a pause as they considered this. Then Zack said, "Yeah? Is this your phone, in here on the dresser with your room key?"

"There's a pay phone in the lobby!" Tommy threatened.

"It's broken. Which is _totally_ not my fault," Conner replied. "Hey, Zack, pass me the other can of white. This yellow's saltier than I remembered."

"You got it, bro. What should we do with the green?"

"Ugh! Toss it! No, wait, Jason might see it… we'll chuck it off the balcony later."

"Good idea. Man, I can't believe they have black now! I don't think they had black when I was a kid. Or purple."

"Why do you think they have two shades of pink? Isn't one enough?"

"I don't know, but the darker one's pretty tasty."

Tommy let his head thunk against the door. He'd been locked out of his room by two guys who decided to relive their childhoods by eating Play-Doh with the same relish heroin addicts had when getting high. Great. Now what?

"Guys, there's no reason I can't be in there while you're eating Play-Doh."

"What Play-Doh? I don't know nothing about no Play-Doh."

"Zack…"

"Did you hear something, Conner?"

"Nope. Not a thing."

Tommy glared at the still-locked door and turned on his heel, heading for Kimberly's room. With any luck, they wouldn't have thought to lock the balcony door. Trying to calm down so he wouldn't look like a stampeding bull, he rapped his knuckles against the door.

"Who is it?" Kimberly called.

"Room service," Tommy replied dryly.

She pulled open the door. "Oh, it's you. Hey, you're wearing a shirt today. That's a change."

"Heh." Tommy forced himself not to blush through sheer willpower, and resolved to never be without a shirt again, especially around Kimberly. The jokes were getting out of control, and they'd found some real equilibrium today; he didn't want it shattered by letting this joke or that remark go too far.

"Room service, eh? What are you… servicing?" Kimberly asked, unable to resist furthering his humiliation. He was so _cute_ when mortified.

"UGH!" Kira yelped. Trini burst out laughing as Tommy's face went bright red in spite of himself.

"Um… balcony," Tommy muttered.

"You're servicing the balcony? That's disappointing. Sure you don't mean _on_ the balcony?" Kimberly struggled not to laugh.

"Kim, please, _please_ stop!" Kira wailed.

"Sorry, Kira," Kimberly said, still grinning her head off at the pathetic vision of Tommy.

"Oh, you'll apologize to _her,_ eh?" Tommy mock-growled, silently thanking Kira for what would probably be the end of Kimberly's playful little comments.

"Of course I will." Kimberly paused. _"She's_ not enjoying it."

"Can I use your balcony or not?" Tommy demanded with a sigh. "Conner and Zack have locked themselves into my room and I think Play-Doh's involved."

"Sounds kinky," Kimberly couldn't resist saying.

Kira covered her ears and began to hum as best she could while gagging.

"You never know with those two," Trini joked.

"Dr. O's not bad enough. Now _Conner_ has to be involved," Kira grumbled sourly.

"Please just let me on the balcony," Tommy whined. "I wanna go to bed."

"Do you, now?" Kimberly said with a wicked grin.

"And kill Zack and Conner," Tommy continued stubbornly. He was not going to get sucked into sexual banter with Kimberly in front of Trini and Kira. Or ever. _Ev-er._ "Come on. Just let me use your balcony for like three seconds."

Kimberly raised her eyebrows. "That's how long it takes, eh? I could have sworn it took longer."

Oh, god. He was _so_ doomed. "Just let me use the balcony! _Please!"_

"What for?" Kimberly replied, unable to let up.

"So I can jump across to my room!"

"What would you give me?" she asked in a horribly suggestive tone.

Tommy just stared at her for a moment, then finally sighed and gave in. "What do you _want?"_ he retorted, trying to play her game but knowing he was too annoyed and embarrassed to do it properly.

Kimberly thought about it for a moment. "Your shirt."

Tommy glared at her. "I thought you said it was an improvement."

"No, I said it was a _change._ Not necessarily a _good_ change."

"I'm not giving you my shirt!" What was _with_ her lately? Why wasn't she ever as awkward as he was? She'd always been rather spunky, but this was getting ridiculous.

"Well, you gotta give me _something."_

Tommy barely fought down the urge to say "I'm about to give you a black eye." She'd know he was bluffing, anyway. "Do you _have_ to do this in front of Kira?" he asked wretchedly, playing his trump card.

"Don't worry. She'll repress."

"Here's hoping," Kira threw in, eyes still firmly shut and hands still clamped over her ears, but it wasn't helping much, and the implications were still _there,_ despite her best attempts to black them out.

Trini took pity on the girl and held out a bar of chocolate. "Chocolate? It makes everything better." Kira nodded but made no move to grab the bar, simply adjusting her hands in the hopes of blocking more sound. Understanding, Trini peeled back the wrapper and held it out for Kira to bite.

"Thanks," Kira lisped through the chocolate, relaxing slightly.

Tommy sighed. "All right. Seriously. What's it gonna take to get you to let me on the balcony?"

"Your shirt," Kimberly repeated.

"I like this shirt."

"I might give it back one day."

"Ha, ha. You can't have the shirt."

"Well, it's either that or the pants."

_"Kim!"_

"What?"

"…How about the socks?"

"Nope. They're used. Probably smell funny."

"Do not!"

"Shirt or pants. Your choice."

_How did it come to this?_ Tommy wondered, grimacing. Maybe he should claim he was giving her the pants, and then strangle her with the belt once he got it off. He paused, mulling this over. "How about the belt?"

"Nope. Shirt or pants."

"Aw, go easy on the poor guy, Kim," Trini joked. It was obvious she didn't mean a word of it.

"How? You want me to ask for only half the shirt?"

"Good point."

Kimberly turned back to Tommy. "So what's it gonna be, Dr. Room Service?"

"Is this _really_ necessary?"

"Shouldn't have brought up the balcony. I think I still owe you for that."

"Trini got me back for that."

_"Trini_ did, not me. _I_ have to humiliate you too."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Fine. Fine! Here. Take it!" Without bothering to unbutton it, he yanked his dark green shirt off over his head and held it out to her. She'd give it back eventually, he was sure of it.

Kimberly grinned and took it. "Okay. Now let go."

"I'll let go when I'm on the balcony," Tommy shot back, glaring at her.

"Fine," she said cheerfully, and edged around to the side, keeping a close watch on him. "But I'm warning you, I've got my nails dug in. Try to yank it back and it's gonna rip, and then you'll never get it back."

_Damn,_ Tommy thought, having been planning to do just such a thing. Thoroughly ignoring the disgusted Kira and amused Trini, he glared at Kimberly as they carefully side-stepped their way out onto the balcony.

"Give it up, Tommy. You're beat," Kimberly told him, nodding at his hands, which were still possessively clutching his shirt.

"I'm going to get you back for this. Just so we're clear."

"I'm shaking in your shirt," Kimberly deadpanned.

Tommy released his shirt and gave her a playful glare. "I mean it. When you least expect it, I'm going to do something really cool and tricky and totally blow you out of the water."

Kimberly laughed. "Meanwhile, thanks for the shirt."

Tommy couldn't help it; he laughed with her, suddenly feeling much less annoyed. It felt so nice to be doing something normal with Kimberly—well, "normal" was a relative term, especially around him. Things had been strange between them today, and yet they'd been _good._

Kimberly's face suddenly grew serious; Tommy checked the distance to the next balcony out of the corner of his eye, just in case he needed to make a hasty exit. "Thanks," she said quietly.

"For what?" Tommy asked. "The shirt? I'm telling you, I'm going to get it back one day."

Kimberly giggled and grinned at him. "For… you know… saving my life," she amended jokingly.

"No problem," Tommy replied. _"Someone_ had to save that guy from getting his butt kicked by you."

She beamed at him. "And the hair story. Everyone should get to hear a story that good."

"Yeah, well, if you write a book or anything, I'm gonna have to sue," Tommy replied dryly, but he was smiling.

Her grin slowly faded and she looked at him intently. "And… and thanks for that… at the Command Center. That… that meant a lot to me."

Tommy nodded, shifting uncomfortably. "Me, too." He swallowed and finally released the shirt. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

She nodded, understanding that he wanted to bail. "Yeah."

Tommy left, making his way across the balconies. Just as he landed on his own and reach for the handle, Kimberly called, "Hey, Tommy!"

He couldn't read her expression, given how far away she was now, and there wasn't much to be gleaned from her tone given that she'd only said two words, but his instincts immediately alerted him to the fact that she was about to knock him out.

"Yeah?" he shouted back, hoping they didn't wake the neighboring hotel residents.

Sure enough, Kimberly dropped the biggest bombshell she'd thrown at him all week.

"You know, for future reference, when you lock yourself out of your room, the lobby usually gives out spare keys!" Kimberly yelled, the urge to cackle now evident in her tone.

Tommy stared at her blankly. Then—

"THAT'S IT!"

Tommy jumped back onto the next balcony in the long line that led towards Kimberly; before he could make it to the second one, she shrieked and dove back into her room. Trini stuck her head out of the door in Kimberly's place. "Write it down!" Trini shouted. "You don't want to _forget!"_

Laughing uproariously, Trini shut the door; Tommy forced himself to turn around and head back to his own balcony, not wanting to get caught; the yelling might have tipped someone off. He gave the handle a good sharp yank… and discovered it was locked.

Tommy stared at it in disbelief, amazed that Zack would think to lock both doors… and then he realized that the curtain was swaying slightly. Zack and Conner had probably heard him shouting to Kimberly and locked the door just in time.

Tommy suddenly burst out laughing. Here he was, stranded, shirtless, no wallet, no keys, no phone, no shoes, and nowhere to go until the two crack heads finished eating their Play-Doh. If he wanted back in the hotel, he'd have to go back… through Kimberly's room.

"I hate my life," Tommy choked out, laughing hysterically as he sank down onto the balcony to plot his next move.

* * *

"First thing in the morning," Don said to Abe as they headed through the hotel lobby. "As soon as our shift's over. Walter has no idea the Black Ranger showed up. So we can stall for time until we get to Reefside and start checking out this Carrie woman's story."

Abe frowned. He was tired; he'd been working since four p.m., and he was twice Don's age. "How far away is Reefside?"

"Three hours or so, I think."

Abe frowned. That meant a six-hour round trip and he wasn't exactly young anymore. "I'll call in a few favors. Should only be half that if we go in a squad car with the sirens on."

"Good plan," Don said, then froze, staring in shock at the TV. A cluster of late-night hospital staff, anxiously waiting patients and visitors were gazing at it in shock and wonder. The words "Black Ranger Revealed" were written along the bottom of the screen.

"Once again, details are still sketchy, but we are ready to reveal that the Black Ranger is none other than Dr. Thomas Oliver, whose identity was uncovered when he rescued his girlfriend from a purse snatcher—"

_"Damn!"_ Don growled. "That Carrie woman! Wait. _Black_ Ranger? What the hell? She heard us say—"

"Not her. The hotel staff," Abe muttered. "The paramedics. If it was her, she wouldn't be saying he was the Black Ranger. She knows we suspect he's the Green. She works for the _Sentinel,_ anyway, not television."

"But who else knows? There was no one else in the hallway…"

"The paramedics. They saw the Black Ranger, heard it was _him_ who stopped Walter, told their buddies here at the hospital… but when the Walter kid woke up he probably started ranting about Tommy Oliver to a room full of nurses, doctors, medical assistants, God only knows who else. It wasn't the Carrie woman; she'd be reporting him as the Green Ranger."

Don nodded. That made sense… they should have foreseen… oh, crap.

"The mayor's going to pitch a fit, isn't he?" Don asked wretchedly.

Abe's eyes widened in horror. "Let's go. Damage control. Now."

* * *

_End Notes:_ The title refers to Zack and Conner reliving their childhood, Kimberly flirting with Tommy, and the damage being done to their identities.

No hints this time, but I wanted to make a few things clear—flashbacks of the "Cinnamon Buns thing," the "pink bows thing," the "goat man thing," Ashley's almost-wedding, that little drinking thing Trini mentioned… just about every goofy moment we mention but don't explain fully will show up as a flashback later. And if by some miracle we can't fit one of them in somewhere, it'll end up in the sequel. With the possible exception of Zack antagonizing a pack of vultures; funny as the thought was, there aren't many ways to expound the point. Anyway, point is, _most_ of the weird little allusions we make to past non-cannon freak accidents are our way of saying "We have a flashback of this stored up for a rainy day, and when its time comes, beware!" Since I didn't get a chance to look up hints, I'll tell you that the next chapter will be called "Forever Red."


	39. Forever Red

**Chapter Thirty-nine**

_Forever Red_

Kira smiled happily to herself as Kimberly brushed out her hair, Trini lying in front of them and reading a book she'd bought at Wal-Mart. The weirdness with Dr. O was over, and she had chocolate, and she was hanging out with just The Girls, which was something she hadn't gotten to do very often since the day she became a Ranger; she hadn't had many girl friends to begin with, but once she added Conner, Ethan and Trent to the equation she hardly ever got to interact with females, so she was grateful for the break, especially with two people as cool as Kimberly and Trini. Not only that, but Kimberly and Trini had decided to forego rehashing how funny their torturing Dr. O had been for Kira's sake, so she was free to ask them some of the things she'd been dying to know. However, before she could, Kimberly said, "Hey, Trini?"

Trini looked up and shut the book. "Hmm?"

"That bit you were saying about coming to Ashley's wedding late… because of you having to ream Jason out for that whole mission to the moon thing…"

"Yeah?"

Kimberly shifted. "You mentioned that mission in Jason's basement, too."

"Yeah…?"

"Well… how come no one ever told _me_ about this mission to the moon?"

Trini blinked. "I… well. I guess, by the time things calmed down… Kim, that was a really bad time back then. Things just kept _happening,_ one right after the other, as if that mission threw the entire morphing grid out of whack and flung weirdness in all of our faces."

"I see. So in other words, you didn't tell me because it involved Tommy somehow?"

"Well… that was part of it," Trini said sheepishly. "But the other part of it was that it was followed by Ashley's… um… almost-wedding, and within a few days of it we got the call that Tommy's island had blown up and no one knew if he was alive. We spent the next few days on boats and in submarines with Lightspeed Rescue, trying to figure out what was going on. Besides, every person who'd ever been a Red Ranger by that point, save Rocky, was on the mission as well, so we didn't _have_ to tell anyone. All the other teams knew already…"

"And no one told _me_ because they'd have to mention Tommy," Kimberly persisted.

"Kim, that entire week was stressful as hell. My wedding was a month later, my grandmother was sick… it was hectic even without all of that nonsense with the Red brigade. I didn't even know about the mission until it started, and like I said, Ashley's wedding, then searching for Tommy's drowned corpse…"

Kimberly grimaced, feeling a horrible twinge of guilt. She hadn't even known Tommy was in trouble, and her friends were all worried sick and searching the ocean… god, _why_ hadn't she stayed in touch?

"How did Dr. O survive that, anyway?" Kira asked. "Did you guys find him eventually?"

"No. Some crazy woman ran into him in her decrepit rowboat and took him to shore. We didn't run into her during our search, and we weren't paying much attention to other boats anyway. She took Tommy to a marina and they hitchhiked back to Reefside. _With_ the rowboat, believe it or not. Then Tommy calls Hayley to say what's up, didn't find Anton, by the way the island went boom, what do you mean just about every Ranger on the planet is searching for my dead body? Man, we wanted to _kill_ him… anyway, point is, Kim, we didn't have much time to tell you a funny story, and it was a couple weeks before I wanted to talk about it, anyway. I was hurt, and I was mad, and to be honest we don't talk about it much. We make jokes about it sometimes, but it was upsetting that the rest of us didn't get to go. Rocky in particular was devastated."

"Why didn't you get to go?" Kimberly asked. "You still have your powers, same as Jason."

"Yes, but they wanted only Reds. NASADA was leery of letting so many people without clearance into their base, and T.J. pointed out that they were taking a huge risk by calling in so many Rangers whose identities weren't public. Reds are usually the leaders, usually have the most power, usually are the best fighters. So Tommy asked Jason to go, and Jason didn't tell me because he knew I'd insist upon coming even if it meant I'd have to murder a couple higher-up NASADA officials." She sighed. "He was right, of course. I'd either be worried sick the whole time, or I'd have forced Tommy to let me go. So he lied. Told me later that he was terrified to do it… especially since it wasn't long after we'd gotten engaged and I still had time to back out on the wedding. Plus we were living together at the time, so he had trouble sneaking off. Actually left while I was sleeping, just left a note that said he was going fishing with Tommy."

"How long was this before Ashley's wedding?" Kimberly asked, frowning.

"It was the day of. Know how she had a night service?" Kimberly nodded. "Well, if she hadn't, Andros wouldn't've had time to crash it. They didn't get back until sunset. So I was twice as pissed about it; all day I was wondering where they were. Tommy was in town on vacation at the time, partially because of Ashley's wedding, and all of us were planning to go. By the time I showed up at NASADA to bitch Jason out, we only had an hour to get there—that's why we were so late. We had to go home, change, pick up Hayley…"

"So… how'd you figure out that they were on some secret mission?" Kira asked, recalling what Jason and Tommy had said during their sparring match.

"Hayley was there when Tommy got the phone call about it. A couple of hours before we were supposed to meet up, I asked her where Tommy was, and she said he'd gotten a phone call and wouldn't tell her a thing about it and taken off. I was suspicious at that point, but then I saw the news report on the freak explosions on the moon… so I left Hayley at my place and went off to kick my fiancé's ass."

* * *

_Flashback

* * *

_

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Jason joked amidst the chorus of similar "Shut up, T.J." remarks. Anyone who knew T.J. had heard just about every story he had—and most of the Red Rangers had hung with him at one time or another, as T.J., Carlos, Cassie, Zhane and Ashley were some of the only Rangers on Earth whose identities were publicly revealed, if not _the_ only. Jason had heard the pizza story no less than six times.

_"Jason!"_

Jason jumped. He had assumed Tommy had left… but Tommy was now heading towards him at a dead run, looking panicked.

"Bro! What—?"

_"She knows!"_ was all Tommy said before he leaped right over T.J.'s car and crouched behind it, obviously hiding.

"Uh-oh," Jason muttered, eyes wide.

"What is it?" Andros asked, taking up a defensive stance, as did T.J., Wes, Eric, Cole, Carter, and Leo.

Jason cast a glance at Tommy's hiding spot as though thinking about joining him as they heard the sound of screeching brakes on the other side of the building. A moment later, a car door slammed and a woman's voice roared, _"Jason Scott!"_

"It's my fiancée," Jason whimpered.

"Your… what?" Cole said, confused. This made no sense to Cole. Why was Jason looking so scared if it was just his fiancée? What was so frightening about that?

_"It's my fiancée,"_ Jason repeated. With a significant glance at Andros, he added, "A former Yellow."

"Oh," Andros said calmly, and then flew over T.J.'s car to hide behind Tommy, confusing Cole even more. Eric yanked open the door of the SUV and jumped into the backseat, slamming the door shut behind him; before Wes could follow suit, Eric locked the doors. Jason, however, held his ground, knowing it would be worse if she had to hunt for him any longer. T.J., Carter, Leo and Wes gave him sympathetic looks, nervously scanning the area for potential hiding spots, just in case they needed them.

A woman in yellow stormed around the corner, looking livid. The remaining Red Rangers backed up a bit as she approached, instinctively worried.

"How _dare_ you!" Trini Kwan yelled angrily. "Going _fishing,_ were you? FISHING with TOMMY?"

"I'm _sorry!"_ Jason whined, inching behind the others.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't find out? Huh? Let me tell you something, buddy, there's no discrete way to blow up half the moon! It's all over the news!"

"We didn't blow up half the moon!" Jason insisted. "Just… Serpentera. And actually, he—" he jerked his thumb at Cole as if trying to reassign the blame— "was the one to do it!"

Trini didn't even spare Cole a glance, for which Cole found himself extremely grateful. "You not only went on a mission without a zord, you went without _me!"_

"I didn't want you to g—"

"If you say 'get hurt,' _I'm going to become angry."_

"I'd hate to see her angry," T.J. whispered, edging backwards slightly so that Leo was in between T.J. and Trini.

"Well, I _didn't!_ I'm sorry, Trini, okay? Tommy found out that the Machine Empire's generals had dug up Lord Zedd's zord and he said he was going to gather up all the Red Rangers—"

"Humph!" Trini snorted. "That's just like a Red Ranger—" there was a chorus of indignant protests from the others— "always trying to do everything himself, showing off like an _idiot_ when there's several dozen other people who could come and help! How do you think this made me and Zack feel, huh?"

"I wanted to tell you," Jason insisted, "but it was top secret—"

"You don't get to keep secrets from me!" Trini raged.

"It was all _Tommy's_ idea!" Jason wailed, his eyes darting sourly to the back of T.J.'s car… and unwittingly giving away Tommy's position.

Before Tommy was aware of Trini's presence, she'd grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him against the side of Wes and Eric's SUV; Eric let out a startled yelp from inside the car. "How DARE you ask Jason to go on some secret mission!" Trini shouted in his face. "You didn't even invite _me!_ Hello, teammate of yours for a year and a half? It's not like I can't take care of myself! As I recall I can kick both your butts at arm-wrestling!" Still gripping his shirt firmly, she pulled him away from the vehicle and shoved him against it again for good measure.

"It wasn't about that!" Tommy insisted. "We couldn't bring everyone! NASADA was kind of nervous about getting all the Reds to come back! They were freaking out about letting all these people without proper clearance—me included—using NASADA as base! I would have brought you, really I would have, but then I wouldn't have been able to bring Billy and Kim, and—"

"Billy's on Aquitar and you haven't spoken to Kim in years!" Trini roared. "Besides, they don't have powers! Only me and Zack and Jason still have Power Coins! So do half a dozen teams, all ready and willing, and you drag _Jason_ off to go blow up the moon and probably get killed without even giving me a heads-up?"

"I didn't say Jason couldn't tell you!" Tommy whined, obviously trying to divert Trini's attention.

"Oh, _sure_ you didn't! You just dragged him off to fight without me! Next mission, you're taking me along, and you better pray I don't shoot your ass with my Blade Blaster when you do!"

"I didn't mean to upset you," Tommy said pleadingly. "It's just that… well, we needed the most firepower we could get with the smallest number of Rangers and the Reds are usually the strong—"

"I'll show you _strong!"_ Trini bellowed, and drew back her fist. Without even thinking about it, Tommy dropped to his knees and rolled under the SUV. Trini's fist collided with the SUV's window, which promptly shattered, raining glass down upon a now-screaming Eric.

Trini withdrew her fist, which was now bleeding slightly. Then she vaulted onto the roof of the car; it swayed and rocked a bit as she landed on it in a crouch. By the time the SUV had settled back on its tires, Tommy was almost to the gate, his morpher in his hands, just in case.

"YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER, TOMMY!" Trini shouted after him, shaking her bloodstained fist at his retreating back.

Tommy put on a burst of speed. "I can try," he muttered to himself, his grip tightening on his Zeonizer.

Trini hopped back down and paused, startled; only Jason was still in plain sight. The other Red Rangers had disappeared… no, wait, on closer inspection she could see the tops of some of their heads lining the far side of T.J.'s car.

"Oh, shut up in there!" Trini snapped at Eric, jerking her foot up behind her to kick the door, putting a dent and a nice long scratch in the side of the SUV. Eric promptly stopped yelling.

Trini decided that the other Reds needed to be taught a lesson, on behalf of all female Rangers who'd ever had to put up with stupid macho antics. She ducked down and rolled to the other side of T.J.'s car, popping up on the right side of Wes, who let out a small, rather girly scream of surprise and terror and fell over, toppling into T.J. and starting a domino effect—T.J. knocked over Cole, who knocked over Carter, who knocked over Leo, who knocked over Andros.

"I hope we've all learned something from this," Trini growled.

"Yes, ma'am," Wes said meekly, trying to back up but unable to do so with a pile of Rangers behind him.

"Is everything all right?" asked Aurico. He'd been resting in the shade, and was still in morph, trying to conserve his energy so he could make it back to Aquitar, as he wasn't sure he'd have a chance to rehydrate before he did.

Trini stood up and marched towards Jason; as she passed Aurico, she smacked him hard in the chest and said, "Treat women right!"

"As you wish," Aurico replied, confused.

Trini snatched Jason's arm and hauled him towards her car. "Come on. We're gonna have a _talk."_

"But… babe… what about my motorcycle?" Jason asked desperately, dragging his feet.

Trini didn't answer, practically throwing Jason at the passenger's side of her car. He waved sheepishly to the other Reds and climbed in; the moment the doors closed, they could hear a muffled explosion as she started screaming. Trini was still glowering blackly as she drove away.

"Man," T.J. breathed. "My whole life just flashed before my eyes." He got shakily to his feet. "She was always so nice every other time I met her."

Aurico looked at him, his head cocked to the side, apparently puzzled. Then realization dawned on him; figuring it must be some sort of Earth custom, he slugged T.J. in the chest and yelled, "Treat women right!"

* * *

_End Flashback

* * *

_

"And the best part is," Trini laughed, "I got to meet Taylor not long after that. Yellow Wild Force Ranger. She told me she was dating Eric, and said he mentioned meeting me during that mission, and I thought about it for a minute and then realized he must have been the one hiding in the SUV. Apparently he and Wes had told her that the damage to the car had happened during some sort of battle!"

Kira and Kimberly laughed uproariously. "That's priceless," Kimberly choked out. "Oh, man. It's always so funny when one of us snaps; the others instantly cower."

"Conner does it all the time," Kira said. "I mean, he could probably kick any of our asses, except maybe Trent's, and yet when one of us glares at him he all stammers and apologizes."

"It's a Red thing," Trini said, shrugging. "They throw themselves at any and all problems with a vengeance. Give them a monster, they'll kill it. When their friend is pissed at them, they won't stop groveling until they've been forgiven." She winked at Kimberly. "Put a meal in front of them, they'll finish it or puke trying. In retrospect, I'm kind of glad I didn't get to go. It would have sucked to be the only girl in a group of ten Red Rangers. They'd have ended up going Tarzan."

"Huh?" Kira said.

"We call it the damsel-in-distress complex," Kimberly clarified. "Boys—particularly the Red ones—have some sort of deeply-engrained desire to… how should I put this…"

"Shield women with clouds of testosterone," Trini finished dryly. "They'd probably have been so busy trying to needlessly save me that I would've had to do everything myself." She grinned. "Jason's especially terrible about it. Not as bad as Tommy, though."

"He's not _that_ bad," Kimberly insisted.

"Kim, he just beat up a purse snatcher almost before you knew someone was trying to snatch it."

Kimberly shrugged, slightly embarrassed. Tommy had saved her often enough… but sometimes she'd given him extra opportunities. Not in battles, per se; she was usually too busy and too smart to distract Tommy unnecessarily. But in everyday life… God, she missed Tommy. He really was fun to steamroll sometimes… and he was so… so…

There was the sound of someone tapping on glass. "Kim? They locked the balcony door." Pause. "I'm willing to negotiate."

…_pathetic._ Only in a _good_ way.

Kira went very still. "You're going to take his pants, aren't you."

Kimberly let out a snort of laughter. "Probably."

"Right." Kira got up, went into the bathroom, and shut and locked the door. "Call me when it's over!"

"Okay!" Kimberly replied cheerfully, and went to torture Tommy some more.

* * *

Don walked dejectedly back through the precinct lobby, his gym bag in one hand (he'd had a sudden urge to take the Red Ranger action figure back home with him tonight, but he didn't want the guys to see it). The mayor had screamed, the police chief had screamed, and Captain Stone had assured them that as someone who used to deal frequently with the Power Rangers, he'd be taking the case from Abe and Don. Worst of all, Abe had rolled on him, insisting that the Walter kid had ranted about Tommy Oliver but had been very out of it, and the Black Ranger had been polite and kosher. He didn't want to get dragged into some mess about Power Rangers, which would mean sleepless nights and tons of extra work. Now, the mayor had decided that they'd ignore this bit about Tommy Oliver completely and play the whole mess off as "The Rangers will always defend Angel Grove, and this is proof." It was smart, politically; now the tourists and citizens would be excited about hearing that the Rangers were, indeed, still hanging around the city, and the mayor would be able to announce that not only was he keeping the city safe with cops but with Power Rangers, who were a hell of a lot cooler than cops. 

Don couldn't believe it. They'd been so close, so close to discovering their true identities… now he was ordered to stay the hell away from anything connected to it. There would be no follow-up with Walter, no drive to Reefside with Abe… and Captain Stone had even gently suggested that Don take a few days off. Don had to agree that it was a good idea; after all, if he took a vacation, there was no more chance that he'd get in deeper trouble with people who could fire him with a snap of their fingers.

As he pushed through the doors and paused to take a deep, calming breath of the night air, two men marching towards the entrance drew his attention. One was rather fat, the other rather skinny, yet the thin one was having trouble keeping pace with his larger friend.

"Bulky, are you sure about this? Lieutenant Stone doesn't like when we visit him at work."

_Lieutenant Stone?_ Don wondered. _Could they mean Captain Stone?_

"Someone has to tell these lamebrains the truth, Skull! Tommy a Power Ranger, ha!"

Don's face lit up and he blocked their way as they came up the path. "Out of the way," the one called Bulk commanded. "We've got important business to discuss with Lieutenant Stone."

"About Tommy Oliver and the Power Rangers?" Don asked.

"As a matter of fact, yeah. How could anyone think _that_ loser was a Ranger? It's an outrage."

"Yeah, an outrage!" Skull echoed. "I mean, if anyone would know who's a Ranger and who isn't, it'd be us."

Don blinked. "Really."

"Yeah. We've been looking for the Power Rangers' identities our whole lives."

"Well, at least, since high school," Skull amended.

"Which Tommy Oliver also went to," Bulk continued. "We knew the guy for like five years. We even gave him and his friends a tour the other day. If he was a Ranger, we would have noticed!"

"Yeah," Skull added solemnly. "No one knows Tommy like we do! And he's not a Ranger."

Don stared at them thoughtfully for a second. He knew Bulk and Skull only vaguely. By the time he'd hit high school, their days as bullies had been mostly over. He knew they had a lot of freak accidents, and that Kimberly Hart had, for some reason, befriended Skull shortly before leaving California (the whole school had been so startled by this that they'd talked about it for ages). But Don was of a younger generation, one that didn't know the full extent of Bulk and Skull's persona. He did, however, know that back when Captain Stone had been a lieutenant, he had vouched strongly for Bulk and Skull, taking them under his wing and even sacrificing his job for them.

"Besides, we saw the Black Ranger last weekend. _And_ the Red and Yellow. We drove them to the mayor's office," Bulk added. "We know Tommy's voice, and the Black Ranger wasn't using it."

Don's face lit up. He had heard that report, had forgotten all about the fact that Bulk and Skull had been a part of that scene… the part where all the reporters had thought the Rangers were attacking them had overshadowed all of that; it had been downright hysterical. When he'd heard Bulk and Skull on the news, he'd just snorted and moved on.

But Kimberly Hart was friends with Bulk and Skull.

Everyone in Angel Grove remembered that Bulk and Skull had led the citizens to battle side-by-side with the Rangers.

Don was fairly certain Tommy had something to do with the Rangers, but he wasn't sure _what…_ and he had his doubts. He needed more proof, but no one in the department was going to help him, not even his own partner.

"You don't want to talk to Stone right now," Don said slowly.

"Uh, yeah we do," Skull said in confusion.

"No, you don't. You want to talk to me."

"Why would we want to talk to _you?"_

"Because no one in the precinct is interested in discovering who the Power Rangers are," Don said grimly. _"I am._ I have an amazing lead… and if you want to figure out who they are, I suggest we work together. With your history and my information, it just might be possible."

Bulk and Skull stared at him for a moment, then looked at each other, then back at him.

"We're in," Bulk said firmly. "Show us what you got."

* * *

_End Notes:_ We're trying to break 1,000 reviews with this chapter. Come on, please? We're not holding the next chapter for ransom or anything, honest, we just… don't know when we'll post next, because… we need motivation… _Please?_


	40. White Light

**Chapter Forty**

_White Light_

Trini grinned as she listened carefully to the conversation now taking place on the balcony. God, this week was perfect. Billy was back, not just physically, but really _back._ And now, so was Kimberly. They just had to wait for Tommy to return… but from the sounds of things, it wouldn't be long.

"Any way I can keep my pants?" he asked resignedly.

"Nope," Kimberly replied simply. Trini could hear her smiling smugly.

"Kim… come on. I'm going to have to go down to the lobby to get a key. I don't want to go without pants. The shirt is bad enough."

"You're not getting into that room with your pants."

"I can totally kick your ass if I have to, you realize that, right? Sparring is one thing, but if I have to lay into you, you're—"

"You could probably kick my ass, yes. If I didn't shove you off the balcony first. But Trini's on the other side of the door, and Kira's on _our_ side now. One Pink and two Yellows? Not even the legendary Tommy would try. Especially not when standing two feet from death by asphalt."

"…What about Kira? Huh? You're totally traumatizing her. I thought you were her _friend."_

"Lucky for me, she's already locked herself in the bathroom. Give it up, Tommy."

"I like these pants!"

"And if you're a very good boy, I just might give them back one day."

"Kim…"

"Hey, you don't want to give them up, I can understand. That's fine. Go back and wait for Zack to open the balcony door. I'm sure he'll open that door eventually. Provided that Zack doesn't somehow get it into his head that it would be funny if you had to sleep on the balcony. And provided he doesn't doze off and forget you're out there. And provided none of the people staying in the rooms between mine and yours wake up and see you, at which point have fun explaining that to the cops. And—"

"Fine! _Fine._ I get the point."

Trini heard the jingling of a belt buckle, then a rustling noise, accompanied by a few noises that might have been stifled laughs. Then Tommy stalked through the room, face red by fixed in a permanent glare. "Not a word," he growled at Trini without bothering to look at her; taking pity on him, Trini held her laughter in until he'd slammed the door behind him.

Kimberly came into the room and shut the door, Tommy's pants held in one hand. "I can't help it," she muttered sheepishly. "It's just too _easy."_

They burst out laughing.

* * *

Jenny stared avidly at the small portable TV sitting on the hotel's front desk, down out of sight of the customers. She gaped in shock at the bulletin. Dr. Tommy Oliver… where had she heard that name before? One of the Power Rangers, uncovered at last! 

"Excuse me."

She looked up, raised her eyebrows appreciatively, then forced herself to frown as she struggled to regain her professionalism while coolly regarding the man standing on the other side of the counter, who was wearing only boxers. "Sir, I understand that this is a hotel, and therefore akin to your own residence, but we ask that guests be properly clothed when outside their rooms. At _all_ times." _Even the hot ones like you,_ she added silently.

The man glared at her. "I apologize," he said stiffly. "But my 'friends' thought it would be _funny_ to lock me out of my room. Rest assured, provided I managed to steal my clothes back, I'll take that rule to heart."

_Oh. He's one of **those,**_ she thought, trying desperately not to giggle. "I understand, sir. It happens quite a bit. You'd like a spare key, I take it?"

"Would be nice," he replied through clenched teeth.

"Name?"

"Tommy Oliver."

She stared at him for a moment. "Excuse me?"

"Tommy Oliver. Dr. Tommy Oliver. What's wrong? I'm in 618. Zack Taylor, room's in his name, he was supposed to call about my switching rooms, half the bill for his room is supposed to be put on my account now, but maybe he forgot… are you okay?"

"Fine!" Jenny practically yelled. She continued to stare at him in pure unbridled shock, letting her hands automatically perform the task of recalibrating a room key to work for him. She handed it over with shaking fingers. "Please return it by morning. While clothed."

"Thanks," he replied dryly, and stalked off.

Jenny stared after him numbly. So that was the Black Ranger? Wow. Hot. A little standoffish, but definitely hot. And he was staying in her hotel!

She reached for the phone. She often tipped her friends off whenever a celebrity came to stay at the Angel Grove Inn—like Tanya Sloan, who had stayed at the Inn several times—but first on Jenny's list was always her best friend of over eleven years, whom she'd met way back in 1992 when they'd first started working in the sports department of the _Sentinel_ together. She could only pray that Carrie wouldn't be too busy covering the story to answer the phone when Jenny called with the tip of a lifetime.

* * *

_Conner and Zack will **die**… Conner and Zack will **die**…_ Tommy thought in pure fury as he jammed the keycard into the lock and shoved the door open. Conner and Zack, sitting side-by-side on Zack's bed—Conner in pajamas and Zack still in clothes, _unlike Tommy_—both of them with plastic spoons stuck in yellow canisters of Play-Doh, numerous empty cans littering the bed and floor around them. They both jumped and looked up in him in horror. Tommy waited expectantly for the fruitless screaming and running to start, so that Tommy could begin the stomping and crushing. 

"Dr. O?" Conner said tentatively.

"Dude, didn't you have clothes on when you left?" Zack asked, frowning. "What happened to you?"

_"You,"_ Tommy said, his voice surprisingly even. _"You_ happened to me, Zack. You and _Conner_ happened to me."

"Dude, we did _not_ take your clothes," Conner said, looking at Tommy as if Tommy was being stupid. Conner took another bite of Play-Doh.

"Tommy?" Zack said uncertainly. "You're not mad or anything, are you? I mean, it was just a harmless little joke, ha, ha…" He gulped.

"What do we do?" Conner whispered out of the corner of his mouth; he was also obviously sensing that Tommy was Not Happy.

"What do you _think?"_ Zack replied. "RUN!"

They were smart. Oh, yes. They dove in opposite directions, Conner aiming straight for the door but Zack detouring over Tommy's bed, trying to sneak past him and hoping that he'd be able to get through the door while Tommy was strangling Conner. Tommy, unfortunately, was momentarily thwarted by wondering which of them to kill first. On the one hand, Conner had been annoying Tommy all year. On the other hand, Zack had been annoying him for a decade and was probably more to blame.

His moment of indecision cost him. He grabbed for Conner, missed, lunged at Zack, seized the back of Zack's shirt… but all he succeeded in doing was holding Zack back for a split second, just long enough that he and Conner didn't get stuck in the door while trying to go through at the same time. Conner made it through the door first, and then the cheap orange Wal-Mart clearance T-shirt Zack was still wearing ripped and Tommy was left holding an extremely long strip of fabric.

"What now?" Conner wailed as the two Play-Doh addicts bolted towards the elevator. "We can't run forever!"

"We don't have to!" Zack replied, panicking and deeply regretting that he no longer had the high school track team to keep him in practice for mad dashes to safety. "Just until he forgets why he's mad at us!"

_"I heard that!"_ Tommy roared from behind them.

"OW!"

At first, Zack thought he'd been punched… but as he spun to defend himself, he glimpsed a yellow canister with a green lid tumble away across the hallway carpet. Looking up, he saw Tommy, face red and expression black, another canister of Zack's Play-Doh in his hand, about to be hurled with deadly accuracy. He was holding the entire case they'd yet to eat (save for the red, black and white)!

"Play-Doh as a projectile weapon!" Conner yelled in outrage, shaking his fist at Tommy, almost prepared to duke it out now. Almost. "That's _low!"_

The elevator doors opened. Without a word, Zack and Conner dove into it, just in time to avoid a rain of Play-Doh canisters. Exhausted, they sank to the elevator floor, Conner stabbing the button for the lobby.

"Dude, my whole life flashed before my eyes," Conner moaned.

"Hey, it didn't go _that_ badly," Zack pointed out. "After all, I've got my car keys, so we can just go out for ice cream or something and when he's finally calmed down and gone to bed we can come back and pick up all the Play-Doh."

"Good point," Conner said, cheering up considerably.

"Stick with me, kid," Zack joked, "and you'll never be bored again."

* * *

"Dr. O?" 

Tommy sighed and opened the door. "What, Trent?"

"Have you seen Conner?" Trent asked. "I think he took my toothpaste. Again. I tried following the trail of Play-Doh in the hall, but it dead-ended at the elevator."

Tommy shrugged. "Conner's with Zack."

Trent frowned. "Where'd they go?"

"Probably out to cause more chaos. Tormenting me wasn't enough. By the way, you might want to be extra nice to Kira tomorrow. She's had a rough night."

"Again?" Trent looked worried. "What happened to her _this_ time?"

Tommy regarded him thoughtfully for a second, wondering if he could bring himself to explain… but of course, he couldn't. Trent was watching him carefully… almost suspiciously. _Great. Just great. Thanks Kim,_ Tommy thought irritably.

"Why did I think I could actually have a normal vacation?" Tommy moaned. "I knew it wouldn't end well. My vacations never do."

"Come on, Dr. O, it's not that bad," Trent said consolingly.

"No, it really is. And it's gonna get worse," Tommy replied wretchedly. "You know what the last vacation I took was? Back in 2002. I was on spring break from school. I was working with Anton on that island. And Hayley called to say she had some time off from her job in Washington and would I like to go on a vacation with her. I said sure, and she handled all the reservations… which was how I ended up staying at Club Bulkmeier's. Hayley didn't know that 'Bulkmeier' was Bulk's real name." Tommy shuddered. "But I made the best of it. Tried not to stay in the club when I could. But then one day, Hayley and I were lounging by the pool. Just finished helping each other with the lotion. I'd finally gotten Bulk and Skull to stop pestering me by threatening to kick the crap out of him if they disturbed me again. I was just sitting there, reading the paper, minding my own business and of course Bulk comes over and tells me I have a phone call. Next thing I know, I'm rushing off to gather up every Red Ranger I can find and take them all to the moon." Tommy sighed heavily. "Then, of course, Trini comes out of nowhere, tries to kick my butt—the Red Rangers never looked at me and Jason the same way after _she_ showed up—and then as I'm running away from the base to get some distance between me and Trini, Wes and Eric's battered SUV shows up and says they've got a new mission. To stop Ashley's wedding."

Tommy shook his head and moved to sit down on the corner of his bed. Trent shifted uncomfortably, feeling obligated to lend his ex-teacher a friendly ear, but, like Ethan, he wanted to get to sleep before Conner and his snoring returned.

"We do, of course. Nearly blow everything. Cops came, our identities weren't looking so secure, nearly had a heart attack when I saw Kim and had to keep hiding behind things… but I get done with that, and I return to Club Bulkmeier's, spend one more day with Hayley, and then I get a call that your stupid father's gone missing. So I have to return to the island. I get all paranoid, start ferrying all our research back to the house in Reefside. The next thing I know, I'm being chased all over the island by Tyrannodrones. Could have just left. Did I? No. Of course not. Had to get the other staff members to safety. There they are, telling me to get in the helicopter, but I can't. Nope. Not me. I have to save the Dino Gems. Got three of them in my pocket and then Tyrannodrones busted in and kicked me halfway across the room and then the alarms are blaring that the place is about to self-destruct—a nifty little security feature Anton didn't bother telling me about, by the way—and I have to leave the other two Gems and run like a bitch. That was the last day of what was technically my vacation. My last vacation ended with me being chased by lizard monsters and taking a lovely swim in the ocean to avoid being blown to smithereens. And as I'm swimming to shore, knowing I'll never actually make it to shore, I stop to rest, and what do I hear?"

Trent shifted again. "Well, if you haven't seen Conner, I'll just go get some sleep…"

There was a distant look in Tommy's eye, the sort of expression a veteran might wear when recounting his days in the war. "I hear _singing._ Not good singing. Not even a real song. It was to the tune of 'When the Saints Go Marching In.' I still remember every word. 'Oh when the monkeys, come to kill us all, oh when the monkeys come to kill us all, oh yeah you bet I'll run really really fast (like a bitch) oh when the monkeys come to kill us all! Kill you all! Oh yeah you better run I'm gonna kill you all!'"

Trent stared at him. "Um… Dr. O… maybe you need to be alone…"

"I remember pausing, and blinking, and staring straight ahead as I thought, 'My god, this is it. I've finally cracked. I'm really and truly crazy now. I'm hearing voices. _Singing_ voices. I've lost my freaking mind.' And then a rowboat ran right over my head. _Right over my head, _Trent. I had to swim after the boat and grab it, scared the woman half to death. There she was, all frizzy hair and bare feet and tie-dyed T-shirt, strumming an acoustic guitar, straight from Woodstock complete with the acid trip and I thought, 'Yep, this is proof, I've lost it.' But for some reason I still had a will to live, and I asked her to help, and she hauled my ass into the boat. Told me I was welcome to come with her to Norway. I told her she was pointed at Hawaii, and she sighed and said she must have gotten lost again and asked if I wanted a ride to somewhere in the direction of Norway."

"Not all Rangers end up having lives as weird as yours, right?" Trent asked desperately, well aware of the fact that people kept comparing him to Tommy.

Tommy didn't hear him. "All she had in the rowboat was toilet paper, sun block, a large supply of clean women's underwear, a bunch of raw spaghetti noodles and a lot of Diet Cherry Coke. All I had for company for the next few days was a slightly schizophrenic woman and a soggy copy of the Cleveland Yellow Pages. I was too exhausted to row at first, between the fighting and the running and the swimming. Once I got my strength back, I started rowing like hell. Finally made it to a marina not far from Reefside, convinced the schizophrenic chick to come with me—she was starting to grow on me, you know? She saved my life. And she was amusing, in a 'what the hell is wrong with you' sort of way. Anyway, we hitchhiked back to Reefside with one of the families in the marina, and I collapsed in my apartment, thinking the whole thing was finally over. But was it? No. No, I rested, and I gave my new friend the guest room, and I did all those things you do when you haven't been home in ages. Shower. Drink coffee. Play with the refrigerator magnets. Read the paper. Then dumb-ass me has to call Hayley to ask how her flight back to Washington was and the next thing I know she's storming into my house. Turns out she came back from Washington because she thought my corpse is floating around in the ocean and Lightspeed Rescue is helping my friends search for me, and since my friends shouldn't know Lightspeed Rescue they're all risking our identities so oops. Then she informs me that she'd been worried sick and thought I was dead and how dare I do that and blah, blah, blah, and she about beat me up before I finally got her calmed down."

"Well, she _is_ kinda tough," Trent said. "Almost killed me with a microphone stand once."

For reasons unknown, this penetrated the fog of memory surrounding Tommy. "Why'd she do that?"

Trent shrugged. "Long story. Anyway… wait. _Hayley_ beat _you_ up?"

"Well, no. I just wasn't fighting back. Then it became apparent that I needed to get her off me or die. And right around then, the schizophrenic woman came to my rescue."

"Did she have a name?" Trent asked.

"She had about six. Usually, I called her Diane. It was the shortest name she had. Anyway, she came skidding into the room with a spaghetti noodle in her teeth and the Cleveland Yellow Pages in her hands and screamed 'Behold your doom in the Phone Book of Righteousness' and right about then Hayley realized that she was definitely missing the whole story and just sort of patiently waited for me to explain myself." He shook his head ruefully. "And that's how I ended up teaching in Reefside. Hayley lost her job because she'd taken off without permission, not two days after her vacation. Since I had Anton's house to live in, she bunked with Diane in my guest bedroom until Hayley got the idea for the cyber café. Diane was actually the first employee Hayley ever had. Did a real good job, except for her problem with always having to sing 'Oh When the Monkeys Come to Kill Us All' every two hours on the hour. Anyway, Hayley immediately started making connections and networking and discovering things about the town that even the town historian didn't know, and then she hooked me up with Councilwoman Sanchez's daughter, who was good friends with the superintendent of schools and heard about the job and told them I'd be perfect. So at least I got a job out of it before yet another girlfriend dumped me to move far, far away and follow her dream. This one went to Cambodia. Peace Corps or something like that. Whoo. Happy Tommy."

Trent, who found this all mildly disturbing, found himself also fighting the urge to laugh. "Whatever happened to Diane?" he asked.

"Disappeared one day, left a note saying she was going to head to New York and try again for Norway, now that she had directions printed off the Internet from the café. Took all of my boxed pasta and my phone book with her." Tommy looked sad for a moment, as though remembering the day his puppy had run away from home. "She sends me postcards from Finland sometimes. What is it with every woman I know leaving California? Hayley left, Trini left, Aisha left, Kim left, Kat left… it's just not fair. I mean, yeah, Diane was a little too psychotic to date, but still. She was my _friend. _Tanya's my only friend who hasn't left California since I met her, and she's always traveling anyway. Aisha, Trini, even Hayley…"

Trent swallowed, thinking of Kira, who had been talking about moving to New York now that school was over. He cleared his throat. "What about Lightspeed? How'd you explain that all your friends were searching for you with random Power Rangers?"

Tommy snorted. "T.J. was with them. He told reporters that he knew Lightspeed and asked them to help, that I was an old buddy he'd met back in Angel Grove when I'd been racing stock cars and as soon as he heard I was missing he asked Lightspeed to help. It was a good enough excuse for most." He shook his head. "Anyway, that's what vacations lead to. And I should have _known._ I really, really should have known!"

"Yeah," Trent said with a shrug. "You should have. You should have missed seeing all your old friends, some of which you haven't seen in years, and stayed at home where Conner and Ethan and Kira and I, no longer forced to attend class, could torture you all day, every day, all summer, with nothing else to occupy our time and even hanging out with Hayley meant you'd have to see us because she owns our hangout, where I also happen to work. And when you couldn't take us anymore, you could go hang out with my dad. He and Principal Randall are in that phase where they hug me randomly. For no reason at all. And they smile a lot. And they _giggle."_ Trent shuddered.

Tommy stared at him. "You've really put things into perspective for me, Trent."

Trent grinned at him. "You know, Ethan occasionally rants about the similarities between people of the same color uniform. Blues are the smart ones. Pinks are the girly ones. Reds are the… they're _them._ And I asked him, 'So what are the White ones?' And he didn't have an answer. But I think I get it now. We're the _coping_ ones. The world goes mad around us, Dr. O, and we cope."

Tommy blinked, realization dawning. "I was White the longest, you know."

"Get some sleep, Dr. O. It won't seem as terrible in the morning. Tomorrow something worse'll happen."

"Thanks," Tommy said, and he truly meant it.

Then Tommy's pants floated into view next to Trent, kept aloft by a slim thumb and forefinger, pinching the very edge of the hem of one of the legs, as though the bearer of his pants was determined not to touch them. The pants were flung into Tommy's chest, revealing Kira behind them.

"They were _staring at me,"_ she whimpered.

"Sorry," Tommy replied calmly.

Kira turned to Trent, regarded him thoughtfully for a second, then threw her arms around him and squeezed as hard as she could. Startled, Trent hugged her back, undaunted by this strange appearance.

Then Kira kissed him once, short but sweet, and wandered away. Trent smiled after her for a second, then turned back to Tommy.

"Well… goodnight, Trent," Tommy said serenely.

Trent raised an eyebrow. "I don't think so, pal. What's my girlfriend doing with your pants?"

* * *

Carrie gaped at the TV, seething in anger. She'd returned home after her discussion with Walter, hoping to get a few hours sleep before she had to follow up the story in the morning… and then _this._ Damn! 

How had this happened? Had the cops squealed? No, they wouldn't have. She'd pointed them towards proof; why leak half-truths until they knew they could get the truth? Besides, they knew Tommy Oliver wasn't the Black Ranger. They were on the right track; that was why she'd intervened.

Carrie pulled out her cell phone. Over the years, Ex No. 2 had become… well, he'd become her bitch. She had initially been annoyed by his persistence in asking her out, until she'd realized the merits of having a lapdog. As long as she stayed single, Ex No. 2 was willing to feed her information on his patients—nothing breaching patient confidentiality, but he certainly wasn't above telling her that the guy she was looking to interview was in room 328 with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He'd been willing to give her quotes when the hospital had that horrible scandal back in 2000. And he'd been willing to treat minor injuries and illnesses so that she wouldn't have to pay for doctor's visits. He'd even been supplying her with free Q-tips and Band-aids. Now, he'd better to be willing to explain why every TV station in Angel Grove had _her_ story.

"Hello?"

"I can't believe you leaked this to everyone else!" Carrie roared. "How _could_ you? I _told _you not to tell anyone—"

"I didn't! Carrie, everyone here knows something's up! The ambulance guys were going on and on about getting to see the Black Ranger and the Johnson guy was ranting about Tommy Oliver, everyone's talking, Carrie! Reporters are everywhere, showed up right after you left, I think—"

"I don't care what _you_ think. Shut up and let _me_ think." Carrie took a deep breath, swallowing hard. She wasn't going to let this story go to hell. Not on her watch.

"Okay. Try to sidle up to a reporter next chance you get. Someone big-time. Tell them that this is all ridiculous. Mistake. Tell them that Walter didn't say Tommy Oliver was a _Ranger,_ just that Tommy hit him back in high school for being rude to Tommy's girlfriend, whose purse he tried to steal tonight. Tell them all he said was that he should have known better than to target Tommy's girlfriend, because that always led to him getting hit, just like when Tommy beat him up back in high school, and the rumor mill around the hospital twisted everything around. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, sure. I promise, Carrie. I'll make sure it works out."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks. Afterwards, guard Walter's door and don't let anyone in. I don't care if the president shows up and asks you to move, _no one gets through that door."_

"Right. But…"

"What?"

"Carrie, what's going on? Is this Oliver guy a Ranger or not?"

"Of course not. Come morning, I'm going to have a great story while everyone else is retracting their nonsensical babble about the Black Ranger. Just do it, okay?"

"Right. Oh, hey, what are you doing Saturday?"

"I'm covering Power Rangers Day," Carrie replied through gritted teeth. Nothing if not tenacious, Ex No. 2. "Go. Lie, and guard. _Comprende?"_

"Gotcha. Bye."

Carrie hung up. Before she could stuff the phone back in her purse, it began buzzing and ringing. She hit the send button without bothering to see who it was, assuming it was him again. "What?" she demanded.

"Carrie! Girl, you aren't going to believe this! The Black Ranger is staying _here,_ at the hotel!"

_"What?"_ Carrie shrieked.

"That Tommy Oliver guy they're talking about on TV, he's staying here, room 618. He got locked out a couple minutes ago and came to get a spare key. Girl, he is _fine._ Little rude, but definitely fine. He was wearing—"

"I don't care what he was wearing! Have you told anyone else this?"

"Of course not. You know I always call you first. Who got you that exclusive with Tanya Sloan, eh?"

"Thank god. Okay. I need you to delete his name from any records you have."

"What? Why? I can't just _erase_ him; he's got a bill to pay, you know!"

_"Find a way."_

Carrie could practically hear her best friend frowning, in addition to the noise of Jenny's fingers flying over the keyboard. "Let's see… ooh! His bill is charged to a credit card in the name of Anton Mercer, whoever that is. Mercer corroborated Oliver's story, charges going through fine… I could remove Oliver's name and replace it with Mercer's. Say it must've been a computer error if he asks."

"Wonderful! Do it."

"Why?"

"Because every _other_ reporter in Angel Grove is going to start calling every hotel in the area looking for him, and I need to make sure that _no one_ finds out he's at the Angel Grove Inn."

"…Are you trying to hide him or something?"

"I'm _trying_ to make sure I get a scoop."

"Oh. You didn't have me do this for Tanya Sloan."

"That was different. Look, please, would I steer you wrong?"

"No. All right. I'll do it."

"Thanks. How late are you working?"

"Until noon. I'm getting some killer overtime this week; we're booked solid."

"Good. Let me know if he leaves. I'll be there in the morning. Anyone calls to ask about him, pretend to look him up and then inform them that you don't have anyone named Oliver staying at the Inn. Is Kimberly Hart staying there too?"

"Hart… Hart…" The sound of typing filtered through the phone once more. "Yeah. Room 640."

"Don't delete her name, but if people call asking for her, lie about her, too, okay? Come morning, I'll talk to Oliver and have this all sorted out by the afternoon edition."

"Fine. But if you get his number, let me know, will you? He was _hot._ And a Power Ranger. Talk about—"

"He's not a Power Ranger, Jenny."

Jenny was silent for a moment. "You sure?"

"Yes. I'm very sure."

"You have a real soft spot for Power Rangers. Especially the old ones. Ever since that day the Red came to talk to you… can't _believe_ I called in sick…"

"You had food poisoning. Get over it, would you? Listen, I know what I'm doing. I'm going to have a killer story out of all of this. But I need your help. Okay? Call me if he leaves the hotel. Watch the door like a hawk."

"Okay. I gotta go, though, these two creepy guys are sitting in the lobby eating Play-Doh and it's freaking me out. I'm going to have to make them leave."

"All right. Call me if something happens, okay?"

"I will, girl. Good luck on the story."

"Bye."

Carrie breathed a sigh of relief as she hung up her phone, glancing up at the wall, where her very first article was hanging in a red picture frame.

"Hmm," she said thoughtfully. In a few short hours, at a decent hour of the day, she would go see Dr. Oliver… and answer the question she'd been asking since the day that sad man in a red superhero costume had sat on her desk.

Angel Grove wanted to know who the Power Rangers were… but she was one step ahead. Every reporter wanted to be the best, the first to get the greatest stories… and she was about to be.

* * *

_End Notes:_ WHOO! We hit one thousand reviews! Thanks to everyone who reviewed throughout this story. Can't tell you how much we're grinning. Congrats to Oriana47, our one thousandth reviewer! 

And, to make good on our ransom notein the last chapter, this is your update. We'll probably have the next up soon.

See? Reviewing is a good idea. Look what it leads too! Ta-da!


	41. In Your Dreams

**Chapter Forty-one**

_In Your Dreams_

Kira sat in the lobby of the hotel, a lemon-yellow beach towel slung over her shoulders, her hair still damp from the morning swim she had taken. Adjusting her towel, then her bikini top, she reached for her apple juice and took a delicate sip. Sighing contentedly, she gazed out at the citrine-stained morning sky.

"Kira! KIR-_RAH!"_

Jumping up at the sound of his voice, Kira looked towards the elevator and broke into a brilliant, sunny smile, running towards him. "Conner!"

Conner caught Kira in his arms and twirled her around. Kira shrieked, then giggled. "Kira! I missed you!" he gushed.

"I missed you, too," Kira sighed as Conner set her down, but didn't release her. "These nights apart are driving me insane!"

"I know, but what can we do? With Dr. O around, and you in another room…"

"I don't know how long I can stand it." Kira burrowed closer to Conner's bare chest. "It's awful… Trent keeps… making advances…"

"It's okay, baby," Conner cooed soothingly, rubbing the small of her back. "They'll all realize who you're meant for soon enough."

Kira smiled up at him, feeling better. "What would I do without you?" Leaning up, Kira parted her lips slightly. Conner half-smiled, dipped his head and—

Kira's eyes, bloodshot from a poor night's sleep, snapped open in horror. What _the hell?_

"Where did _that_ come from?" she whimpered, utterly mortified at the demented dream her subconscious had somehow managed to torture her with. There were no _words,_ no words to express… Conner! _UGH!_

* * *

She was backed against the wall, no way out. To her left was a gargantuan vaulting horse, to her right was the gigantic hand of her Pink Power Suit, which filled almost the entire room. And… there was _him._ Ah, yes, him. With those gleaming chocolate nut-brown eyes, that gorgeous sleek chocolate brown hair that she itched to run her hands through, those brilliant mother-of-pearl teeth, that perfect alabaster-white skin and that feline grace that graced his graceful body gracefully. To her, he walked, intent, prowling, devilish, glowing slightly red, intense, like a falcon stalking its prey, clad in only a pair of orange swimming trunks and a green tweed teacher's jacket. She shivered in anticipation and… something else… as he came to a stop before her, looking intense. Or perhaps just tense.

"Why? Why did you leave me, Kimberly Ann Hart? The lo—like I bare you, Kimberly Ann Hart, is a distance, a big one. Was the Atlantic Ocean so shiny? Was it the palm trees with their coconuts and green husks, Kimberly Ann Hart? Or did you secretly run off secretly with a guy named Guido and drink margaritas secretly all day long on some secret island in the South Pacific secretly?"

A giant pan-crust pepperoni-and-sausage pizza with extra cheese rumbled past, crushing the Pink Power Ranger suit like an egg. As egg yolk and white oozed out, dozens of hot fudges sundaes with nuts and whipped cream leapt out wearing red shoes and began Irish line dancing. "Do you need to know the real reason, Thomas James Oliver, PhD?" Kimberly jumbled out. "Fine!" Kimberly spun-leapt into the air, launching a series of super-fast kicks and a girlish to the two-story white door that materialized behind her previous position. The hot fudge sundaes screamed in terror as the door and walls dissolved with an animalistic rumble, letting loose a cascade of pink clothes, tie-dyed shoes, gold and diamond jewelry, and a really huge mauve chair. "Clothes!" Kimberly spread her arms over her domain, pink crane wings sprouting from her back. "Shopping!" With that, Kimberly cut loose with a loud peal of terrifying, maniacal laughter, sounding suspiciously like Tommy's evil Green laugh.

All feelings of triumph evaporated, however, when she realized Tommy was not resurfacing; it hadn't even occurred to her that he wouldn't. Fear gripping her so strongly that she became nauseated, Kimberly piloted herself down towards the mountain of sundry, but never seemed to get any closer. "Tommy? Tommy! TOMMY! You can't die; you're the falcon! Who else is going to rescue me when I corner myself fighting and monster and scream instead of fighting my way out?" Kimberly paused and shook her head. "Tommy! You can't die like this!"

Suddenly, a muffled voice answered her, a definite undertone of annoyance lacing the reply. "Die? Ha! A nuclear bomb going off in my living room would somehow just give me a headache." Kimberly giggled despite herself as Tommy continued. "You should use more fabric softener; it's really uncomfortable under here."

* * *

Kimberly cracked open an eye and found herself looking at the back of Trini's head. Groaning, she rolled over and sat up, pulling the covers off her sweaty legs. Her head felt like lead from too little sleep, and she glared balefully at the pile of food remains and cutlery left over from the previous night. "Okay," Kimberly muttered to herself, getting up and heading for the bathroom, kicking aside an empty pizza box. "No more of that stuff before bed. Ever."

Sighing, Kimberly headed into the bathroom and began to brush her teeth… only to let out a yelp of surprise as Kira charged in, shoved her out, and slammed and locked the door. Seconds later, the shower could be heard, turned on full-blast.

Confused, Kimberly pulled her toothbrush from her mouth and knocked on the door. "Kira? Kira, you okay?" No answer. "Is something wrong?"

"Must cleanse," Kira wailed. "Must cleanse the filth that is Conner and the disease he transmits to those in his company! MUST CLEANSE! Tell Trini I'm using her body wash! Oh, GOD!"

"Oh-kay," Kimberly muttered. Great. She really needed a shower. She wanted to look good today. If Trini was plotting some Yellow-tinged evil scheme, she needed to look her best. Besides, Kimberly had already planned her outfit, and it wouldn't be nearly as cool if she smelled bad or had flat hair.

Kimberly went over the dresser, picking out today's makeup, hoping Kira would be done by the time Kimberly got everything assembled. Eye shadow, that was a must. Lip gloss, shiny and pale… where had her favorite blush gone? Trini had said to wear walking shoes, too, which narrowed Kimberly's choices down to three, none of which she'd originally planned for today…

It took a long time to gather her arsenal… but when she finished, Kira still wasn't coming out of the shower. Kimberly made sure the makeup she'd be wearing today was in a separate pile and went to organize her purse. Suntan oil, she'd need that… and her portable fan, because if they were walking and not going to the mall they'd probably be outdoors… sunglasses… she'd better get a spare pack of gum out of the suitcase, too…

Twenty minutes later, Kimberly was done, and yet the shower blasted on. Kimberly sighed, now bored. She was not going to get dressed without a shower. She was icky. She hadn't even washed off yesterday's hair and cosmetic products from when they'd been making each other over after that whole debacle with Tommy.

"Tommy," Kimberly muttered. Knowing him, he'd be spending at least part of the day without a shirt. Again. (Granted, yesterday had been her fault, but still. She could almost swear he was doing it on purpose.) Yes, he would wander around doing that "I didn't notice I was hot" thing while she looked like a troll from lack of hygiene. Perfect. "God, I need a shower," she moaned. "And I really should shave my legs…"

Kimberly looked over at her travel bag. In an effort to keep the three of them from running out of counter and shelf space in the bathroom, Kimberly had returned most of her shower necessities to her bag; they were sealed in plastic to keep them from ruining the travel bag, and she had the most stuff, so it made sense.

"If I only had a shower," Kimberly groaned, glaring at the bathroom door. Surely Kira would come out… eventually… though that wild look in her eyes… what was wrong with her, anyway? Tommy would know…

_Tommy has a shower._

Kimberly's eyes widened at this unbidden thought. She snorted. _Yeah, right, like he'd let me use his shower… but Zack might. I mean, maybe I could slip in and out without waking Tommy up… Zack would let me. __**He**__ would._

Kimberly picked up her outfit, deciding she might as well shoot for it before she lost her nerve. She needed a shower. Bad. Besides, even if Tommy answered the door and said no, it wasn't the end of the world. She'd be embarrassed, yeah, but embarrassment didn't kill. Tommy was a monument to that.

Kimberly paused, frowned, and dropped her travel bag, reaching for her makeup. No way could she go ask to borrow Tommy's shower while looking like this.

* * *

Trent awoke with his usual suddenness and sat up. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes just as a voice greeted him. "Trent," it announced sullenly, followed closely by one of Conner's wall-rattling snores. "Have a nice sleep?"

Sighing, Trent looked over at Ethan, who was curled up into a ball on his cot, sulking. "Have you been up all night again?"

"How the _hell _can you sleep through that noise?" Ethan demanded angrily, as if it was also Trent's fault that Ethan was losing sleep.

Shrugging, Trent pulled the covers off himself. "I guess I'm just able to deal with things better."

"I guess having a temporarily-evil father does that to people," Ethan replied darkly, still glaring at Conner.

"…Yeah," Trent said, somewhat annoyed. He stood and made for the bathroom.

"Do you think anyone would care if I made him stop breathing permanently?"

"I think the real question is, is it worth it?"

Ethan frowned at this. As the bathroom door clicked shut, Ethan threw his last sock at Conner's head.

* * *

Kimberly walked down the hall, nervous as hell. She'd had to forgo eye shadow and blush, as she didn't want anyone to notice that she was wearing makeup, but she had kept the foundation, mascara and lip gloss. Today's selected makeup was now tucked into her bag with her toiletries, and her outfit for the day was in one hand while she tried to finish brushing her teeth with the other. Unfortunately, the hairdryer was in the bathroom, so she'd have to wrap a towel around her head and fix her hair once she got back to the room, but that wouldn't be too bad. She hoped.

Kimberly looked down at herself and sighed. Her pajamas were cute, at least. Pink silk shorts and spaghetti-strapped top. Not a lot of cleavage, but enough. Frowning, she rolled the waistband of her shorts up for a third time, grimacing as she reluctantly swallowed another mouthful of toothpaste. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her hand to knock… then dropped it to fish in her bag for her blue hand mirror (ironically, one Tommy had won for her at a carnival roughly ten years ago) and double-checking her reflection. Satisfied, she took another steadying breath, forced a smile and tapped a cheery tune on Tommy and Zack's door.

* * *

A loud knock at the door that sounded suspiciously like the old Goldfish crackers jingle dragged Tommy out of a deep, peaceful, dreamless sleep. Letting out a groan, he let himself fall out of bed, pulling himself back up via the nightstand. He spared a glare for Zack, who was now back in the room and dead asleep despite the knocking. This reminded him of his vow to wear a shirt at all times from now on; plucking a random shirt from the floor and pulling it on inside-out, he finally staggered to the door and opened it. "Wha…?"

His word simply died in his throat and his sleep-fogged brain snapped instantly to alertness and moved on to pure shock. Of all people, Kimberly stood before him, clad in her pink silk tank top and pajama shorts (he was pretty sure the shorts had been longer last night), toothbrush in her mouth and a spare change of clothes in her hands, an overnight bag over her shoulder. Some dim part of him tried to reason out this phenomenon, but Tommy was long gone by this point, not even realizing he was looking her up and down. Slowly.

Kimberly blushed faintly and shifted uncomfortably, feeling far too underdressed and really wishing Tommy wouldn't look at her like that. Well, kind of. Damn it, why did Zack have to be such a heavy sleeper? Clearing her throat, Kimberly pulled her toothbrush from her mouth and spoke. "Uh… hey, Tommy."

This seemed to snap Tommy back to some form of reality and he suddenly averted his eyes from Kimberly's long, bare, slender, athletic legs to the wall far, far behind her. "Kimberly. Uh… good morning."

Kimberly paused and looked behind herself to see what had Tommy's interest all of a sudden. Turning back, she now found him studying the doorframe. Stifling a giggle, she took a deep breath and asked, "Can I use your shower?"

"……Er…" Tommy felt another fog creeping into his head. "Something wrong with the shower in your room?"

"No, no, it's working fine."

"You sure? I can call room service." Tommy cringed and shook his head. "I mean, maintenance."

Kimberly grinned. "No… it's fine, it's just… Kira's been in there for a really long time and refuses to come out. When I asked her if anything was wrong, she just yelled something about washing off the filth that is the disease of Conner." Kimberly paused, grin dropping off her face. "Um… you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"I'm not privileged with the knowledge of Kira's shower rituals involving Conner." Tommy grimaced. His mind was in far too bad a place right now; it was downright cruel of her to throw _that _question in at the moment, even if she was just obviously curious. "Nor do I want to be."

Clearing her throat yet again, Kimberly continued. "So… can I? Use your shower, I mean."

There was an extremely long pause. Kimberly began to wonder if he'd fallen asleep standing up. When his eyes narrowed, she had to stifle a sigh of relief… and then she had to stifle a glare as she wondered what he'd been thinking about during the four-minute silence.

Tommy looked at the pile of clothes in her hand. "Is that my shirt?" he demanded.

"No," she said plainly, "it's _my _shirt." Kimberly knew she should feel a pang of guilt, but the long silence he'd indulged in made her instinctively feel they were even.

Tommy glowered at her briefly before realizing it was turning into another stare. He jerked his gaze back to the doorframe, wondering why it was that even though he'd spent the past few days completely ignoring all of his major problems with Kimberly, she kept creating new ones for him. Granted, these problems were sometimes more enjoyable, but still.

Kimberly decided it was time to play the girl card. She tilted her head to the side and injected a pleading note of cuteness into her voice. "So… can I use your shower?" she repeated. "Please?" she added plaintively.

Tommy fought off a shiver and sighed heavily in defeat. He opened the door wider. "Fine. Go. Before I change my mind."

Kimberly started into the room, then paused. "If I'm already in the shower, and you change your mind _then,_ what exactly is your plan for—?"

Tommy looked at her wretchedly. "Just… just _go."_

"Never mind," Kimberly said with false brightness, struggling not to laugh as she brushed past him.

Tommy remained in the doorway, still staring blankly out into the hall, his grip on the doorknob tightening painfully. It was going to be a long, _long_ day.

* * *

Conner awoke, feeling refreshed. He brushed aside the random objects littering the bed and stood up, stretching.

"Look Trent, the Human Saw awakens," Ethan snipped.

Shaking his head, Trent began lacing one of his shoes. "Ethan, man, you should invest in earplugs."

"You couldn't… you… he…" Ethan squelched. "Damn it, why does everything happen to _me?"_

"Tutenhawken's curse, I guess," Trent replied dryly, raising an eyebrow at Ethan as Conner crossed to the window and threw open the curtains.

"It's a beautiful day!" Conner breathed deeply as Ethan edged away from the light threatening his person. "I don't care what either of you say—"

"Do you ever, you, you… human catastrophe!" Ethan snapped.

Trent looked at Ethan. "Get over it already, man."

"Shut up, Trent!"

"Hey, don't get mad at me just because you have no coping skills. Quit victimizing yourself, you drama queen."

Ethan glared. "I do NOT victimize myself, you psychotic reformed villain! I hear pills can be used to suppress your sort of mania, by the way!"

"But then I'd lose my artistic edge," Trent replied sarcastically, pretending to be wounded.

"Today's gonna be a _good_ day!" Conner announced loudly, oblivious to the argument. He strode towards the bathroom, grinning happily. "I can _feel_ it!"

Just as Conner finished his statement, Kira burst in through the door that Trent had habitually propped open some time ago. She jerked her head from side to side, looking around wildly for something… or someone. Her frantic gaze turned black and poisonous as she spotted Conner. With a leap that would have made the best of dancers envious, Kira lifted the partially-full forty-fluid-ounce bottle of conditioner and brought it down on Conner's head with the strength of, say, a Yellow Ranger. Conner went down without so much as a surprised gasp. Dropping her weapon with a loud thud, Kira surveyed the room again, this time her gaze falling on Trent.

Trent, not sure if Kira was in a "me-hate-Conner mood" or a "me-hate-everyone mood," backed reflexively into the headboard as Kira stalked towards him. Ethan made to dive under Trent's bed and succeeded only in colliding with the box spring; he cursed loudly before continuing his scramble for cover.

Looming over an understandably worried Trent, Kira stared at him for a long moment, as if trying to decide something. Then, without further warning, she seized his face in her hands and kissed him, hard. To say Trent was surprised would have been a vast understatement. Ethan, who had a near-perfect view of the action from the mirror, sighed and closed his eyes.

Trent managed to come down out of his shock enough to pull Kira closer. It wasn't as if they had never kissed—extremely the contrary—usually, however, they weren't in plain sight of anyone who happened to walk by, and Ethan wasn't under the bed… well, as far as he could remember, which he couldn't do all too well right now. So, something was going on, and he didn't understand what, but he could deal with that. He could _cope._ Whoo! _Boy,_ could he cope…

Finally, Kira drew back, dropping her hands from Trent's face to his shoulders. A somewhat-dazed Trent stared up at her as she appeared to be puzzling something out. "I tasted chocolate. What did you have that was chocolate?" Kira demanded.

"Um…" Trent paused. "Conner hid my toothpaste. Think he's stolen Ethan's, too."

"Damn it," Ethan muttered from under the bed.

Kira shook Trent by the shoulders, just enough to startle him mostly back to reality. "Focus! _What did you have that was chocolate?"_

"It was the toothpaste, I swear!" Trent spluttered wildly. "I had to use Conner's." Kira stared at him for a moment. Then, without warning, she walked over to Conner, kicked him violently, and blew out of the room, leaving behind a very confused Trent, an unconscious and bruised Conner, and a cowering, annoyed Ethan.

"What in the world was _that _about?" Ethan's voice came, slightly muffled from the carpet.

"I don't know. I wouldn't mind if it happened more often, though. That was _fun."_

"Shut _up,_ Trent."

* * *

Trini lounged back in her golden thrown, sinking deep into the plush yellow cushions. Taking up a strawberry from a nearby plate, she took a bite and smiled wickedly to herself. Her people—peasants, courtiers, gentlemen and nobleman—moved in tandem before, placing gifts, prayers and kisses at her feet, praising her benevolent and awesome rule as their Queen of Power.

Out of nowhere, a handmaiden that looked suspiciously like Zack appeared and approached the throne. She whispered to Her Majesty that it was three in the afternoon. Rising from her throne, Trini bid farewell to her subjects for the day, then suddenly found herself in another chamber. It was hung with every conceivable shade of red, and there were no visible doors. There was a small window above where a man lay, however. The man lounged comfortably on a bed of carmine-colored velvet, satin, silk and dyed fur. Under his back was a red satin pillow with yellow tassels, and a scarlet coverlet was the only thing that protected his modesty. Trini crossed the room, kneeling onto the vermillion bed beside her love slave.

"Time again, finally?" Jason kissed Trini on the neck. "It's an eternity every time I have to wait for you." He smiled. "I had this made for us." Reaching inside the pillow, he pulled out a hot fudge sundae, heavy on the whipped cream and drew a finger across the rim of the glass enticingly. Trini leaned forward, dipping her fingers into the ice cream and drew them across Jason's muscular chest—

Trini suddenly found herself shaken, rather violently, awake. Her eyes flew open as she yelled indignantly, swatting at the hand on her shoulder. Realizing abruptly just who was shaking her, Trini ripped a pillow from the bed and smacked Tommy across the face with it. "Tommy! _Get the hell out!"_

"Trini!" Tommy attempted to guard against the madly-swinging pillow. "You gotta—"

"Help? No, Tommy!" She swung the pillow at him, herding him back towards the door and out of the room. "I was just woken up, by _you,_ from a really, really, _really_ good dream! Have a problem? Work it out yourself for once!" She paused upon seeing the closed door, which Tommy had backed into. "How did you get in?" she asked darkly, daring him to answer.

"The bal—"

"Get out! GET OUT! Get out before I get ANGRY!"

With a pathetic yelp, Tommy bolted from the room, Trini chasing him out the door so she could slam it behind him. Growling in annoyance, she also went to the balcony door and locked it as well. Clutching her pillow to her chest, she felt like sobbing in frustration. She might not be whining like Jason, but the time apart was driving her mad, too. Then an idea clicked on in her head. There was no reason she couldn't, say, reenact her (sadly interrupted) dream… Calmer and much happier now, Trini left the pillow behind and sauntered to the bathroom for a cold shower. Really, it was good to be queen…

Trini pulled open the bathroom door and found herself overwhelmed by thick steam billowing out into the bedroom. "Ugh!" she groaned, coughing. "Who turned the bathroom into a sauna?"

* * *

_End Notes:_ Yes, we know the dreams sound like really bad romance novels on crack. They're _supposed_ to.

Bad news—Freyja's computer ate a lot of the things she wrote. So… our update time will be slowing down. Not much, but a significant amount. We have to re-write most of that stuff.

We're trying to figure out where to put Ashley's wedding into the fic. It's Freyja's baby. (To give you an indication of what this means, she wrote the dreams and Jason's freak-out, up to the sports department part.) So it should be awesome. Trouble is, all she had just got erased, and things are picking up quickly. But we will put it in eventually. Yes, sir.

Just a reminder—if you have a question or something that you want us to respond to, feel free to email or PM me, or leave a review. If you leave a signed review, I'll reply through this site's review system. If you leave an unsigned/anonymous review, PLEASE leave me an email so I can reply. From what I understand, we're not supposed to reply within the chapters.

Stay tuned—we've got chainsaws, flashbacks, Bulk and Skull, confusion, romance, and a hell of a lot of freak accidents.


	42. Water You Thinking?

**Chapter Forty-two**

_Water You Thinking?_

Tommy reentered Zack's hotel room, much more disturbed than before; despite his miniature war with Trini, he'd been seriously banking on her help. A sweet voice rang from the bathroom, singing a dimly-recognizable Ace of Base song. _Singing? Why is she SINGING? Why do people sing in the shower? Do they think no one can hear them?_ Figuring he might be able to deal with things a little better if he was fully dressed, he crossed quickly to the dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans just as Kimberly belted out some choice lyrics that included the phrase "wet and wild." Tommy practically jumped into his jeans. He pulled off his shirt, turned it right-side-out and pulled it back on. The words "DANCE MANIA!" in bold white letters were a definite clue about the actual owner of the shirt. Opening the drawer that contained his socks, he began searching carefully for the perfect shade of red or green. Only able to spend so long staring at his socks without going cross-eyed, he finally decided on a green pair. As Kimberly moved on to singing "Waiting for Magic," Tommy began to pick up the random pieces of clothing littering the floor.

_See? See? I can deal with this,_ he thought proudly as he dropped the clothes in a pile between the beds so he could sort them properly later and went back for more of the junk scattered across the floor.

Around that time, Zack let out a groan and sat up, slowly, pressing his face into his hands. "Man… what time is it?"

"About ten," was Tommy's reply, as he continued to move everything on the floor into one large pile. Thankfully, Kimberly's singing had trailed off.

"A.M. or P.M.?"

"…A.M."

"It's too _early!" _Zack wailed, flopping back down and pulling the covers back over his head. "How do you manage to get up so early to teach all the time?"

"Not without a huge amount of effort and about five gallons of coffee." Tommy shoved most of Zack's CD collection under the ever-growing pile.

"Must be great running through the day jazzed on java."

"Wished it worked better. I still have to set my alarm for three hours before I have to be at school."

"That sounds about right." Zack giggled. "I can just see it…" His giggle expanded into full-blown laughter.

Tommy glared at him. He was exhausted, Kimberly was in his shower—alone, Trini had refused to help him, Ethan had been curled up in a ball and muttering incoherently when Tommy had stopped by the teens' room to see if they were okay, Conner had still been (unfortunately) breathing, Trent was babbling about making out with Kira (which Tommy, being a responsible adult, didn't want to hear so that he could maintain plausible deniability if and when Anton interrogated him), Kira was missing, Kimberly was in his shower—alone, the room was a wreck, he was wearing a shirt that said "DANCE MANIA!" and he wasn't sure why, Kimberly had stolen his favorite green button-down, he couldn't fix his hair while Kimberly was in the bathroom—alone, and Zack was _amused._ At Tommy.

Tommy dropped the load he was carrying, stalked over to Zack's bed, took hold of the mattress, and shoved it upward at roughly a forty-five degree angle, effectively tossing a now-screaming Zack to the floor. "I should have mentioned—I haven't had my coffee yet," he growled, then returned to his "cleaning."

As he attempted to disentangle his legs from the sheets, Zack paused, confused. "Is that the shower I'm hearing?"

"Yeah."

Zack thought about this for a moment. "Laundry day already?"

Tommy stared at Zack in amazement. "Do you actually _have_ clean clothes in L.A.?"

"There _is_ a laundromat near where I live, but I was banned. So I either use the shower or go to Kim's or Adam's to use their washers. Usually Adam's. His maid his hot." He paused, then grinned. "Not everyone has a Hayley, you know."

As Tommy threw a glare at Zack, a sudden loud thud from the bathroom followed by a shout and a colorful curse made both men jump badly. "Dude … that sounded just like Kim."

"That's because—" Tommy grit his teeth as Kimberly decided to sing again, this time her song of choice was "Ice, Ice Baby." "—Kimberly's in there," he finished, glaring at the ice bucket beside the mini-fridge.

"Kimberly? But why would she… ooooohhhhhhhhhhhh!" Understanding and pure evil lit Zack's face as he pulled himself over the edge of the bed. "Did someone sneak her whilst I was sleeping for a little hanky-pa—"

"No! She just needed to use the shower because Kira locked herself in Kimberly's bathroom!"

"She could have gone a day without a shower—"

"Just because _you_ do—"

"I think you're just making up excu—"

"I am not! You can even ask Kim herself when she gets out!" _Oh, god,_ he thought in horror, _please don't let Zack ask her himself when she gets out!_

"Well, if you _did_ do anything, would she admit it like you are?"

"Damn it, Zack, we didn't _do _anything!"

"Methinks thou doth protest—"

"No, Zack, there is not 'methinks.' There is no 'you thinks.' Because you never think. Now _shut up before I strangle you with the telephone cord!"_

"All right, fine! Jeez! Don't get your panties in a twist!"

"Panties in a twist?" Tommy gaped at Zack. "Are you _really_ an adult?"

Zack ignored him, yanking his legs free of the sheets and standing. "So… what? You just let her come in and use the shower?"

"Yeah, what was I _supposed_ to do? Deny her its use and direct her to the courtyard fountain?" Tommy glared at him, violently tossing an empty Play-Doh can towards the trashcan.

Zack shook his head. "You really expect me to believe that Kim just knocked on the door and fed you a pickup line as cheesy as 'can I use your shower?'"

"It wasn't a pickup line."

"Oh, sure. That's what she _wants_ you to think."

"If Kimberly had been trying to pick me up, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you."

Zack stared dumbly at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. Tommy groaned and looked around for a sharp object. When he failed to locate one, he reached for a full can of Play-Doh, but his fingers closed over the area-wide directory instead. Zack was laughing too hard to see the monstrous phone book flying at him but he did see the short burst of stars as the book crashed into his skull, making him stagger.

"What the hell was _that _for?" Zack collided with the bed and flopped onto it, finding this easier than regaining his balance. Sitting up, he checked his head for blood.

"I knew what was going on in that gender-obsessed mind of yours! Cut it out!"

"You didn't know!"

"Did too! I could see that sick glazed expression!"

"Could not!"

"Could too!"

"Could not!"

"Could too!"

"Could not!"

"Could too!"

"Could not!"

"Could too! Get your mind out of the gutter for once, Dance Team Boy!"

"Then get _yours_ out of _Kim_ for once, Mister Über-Responsible Teacher Man!"

"That's _Doctor_ Über-Responsible Teacher Man to _you!"_

A sudden knock at the door startled them out of their argument. Giving Zack a look that could have obliterated an entire mountain chain of solid granite, Tommy marched to the door and opened it. "Trini! What—?"  
"Morning, Tommy!" Trini interrupted, in much better spirits since he'd awoken her, not to mention freshly showered, laundered and dressed. She smiled brightly and waved over Tommy's shoulder. "Morning, Zack!"

"Morning, Trini!"

Tommy moved in front of Trini, blocking Zack from view. "Feeling better?" he asked dryly.

"Yeah, sorry about this morning. I was just really disappointed to be awake." Trini paused, a distant, happy look in her eyes and a wicked grin spreading slowly over her face.

"I know the feeling," Tommy said with a sigh, his expression the exact opposite of Trini's.

Trini blinked, coming back to reality. "Anyways, I was looking for my roommates. They were both gone when I woke up. Have you seen—?"

"They're not here okay?" Tommy exploded. "Why would either of them be here? They wouldn't! Don't ask me where they are! Me and Zack are alone! Completely alone! Can't you tell we're alone? No one here! No one!"

Trini merely folded her arms and lifted her eyebrows at him as Zack burst into loud, hysterical laughter. "Really? You mean Kira wouldn't have a reason to talk to her teacher, mentor and chaperone?"

Glaring, Tommy replied firmly, "No."

"Yeah, Kira's not here!" Zack admitted evilly. "But Kim is!"

"What? Why? Where?" Trini shoved past Tommy, knocking him into the doorframe. "Kim? Ki-im!" She began searching under Tommy's bed, looking almost disappointed when she didn't find so much as a pink bead. Undaunted, however, she simply moved to look under Zack's bed.

"Well, look at that," Zack remarked. "Trini's had a shower. You can see where her hair is damp. Guess Kira wasn't locked in Kim's bathroom after all."

"She's not there, Trini!" Tommy yelled angrily, wishing he had another phone book. He wondered if he should stuff them both in the closet and make a break for it. Mexico wasn't that far away. Neither was the Pacific Ocean. Leave the top down on the Jeep and just keep going… "She never was! And she never will be! Besides, even if we were having sex like rabbits all night she'd have been long gone before Zack ever woke up!" Snapping his mouth shut, Tommy felt the deep desire to ram his head against something.

Trini was silent as Zack, completely undaunted by this rant, spoke. "Kim's in the shower. Personally, I think they _did_ have sex like rabbits all night long while I was slumbering away peacefully with perfectly innocent dreams, but Tommy won't admit it." He paused. "HEY! So _that's_ why you came back to the room last night without clothes!"

"That was completely unrelated to Kim," Tommy half-whispered pathetically.

Trini regarded him suspiciously. "No it wasn't."

"Close enough," Tommy insisted.

Trini tilted her head to the side and stared at him thoughtfully. Tommy hated it when she did that. He always got the impression that she was looking right through him, deep down into his soul, where his darkest secrets were surrounded by a barrier of magic guardian… something-or-others that constantly shouted "LA, LA, LA CAN'T HEAR YOU!" so the secrets couldn't be overheard by the prying, unholy, vile, scheming, far-too-intelligent Yello—

"She's in the shower, okay? She's washing, there's singing, and nudity, and soap, and lathering, and shampoo! And TOWELS! She's in the shower for some reason involving Conner and Kira! That's it!" And with that, Tommy stormed out of the room.

Trini snapped her fingers. "So that must be why the bathroom was like a rainforest."

"You don't think Conner and…"

"No. No, I don't. From what I know about Kira, she would have disemboweled Conner. She _is _a Yellow, after all." Trini sighed. "Well, I guess nothing _did_ happen."

"How can you say that?" Zack demanded. "He's obviously embarrassed and in denial because he and Kim—"

"Honey, if he and Kim did anything, Tommy would be bouncy. You'd have to drop a piano on his head to mildly annoy him if he and Kim had done anything."

Zack sighed, looking dispirited. "But… but… it's just not fair, Trini. It can't be over. It just can't. It means so much to all of us. What about all those times by the lake, and in the park—"

"Zack…"

"and on the beach—"

"Zack."

"and in the Youth Center—"

"Zack!"

"and in Billy's garage—"

"ZACK!"

"and that time when Mrs. Appleby gave them detention for something to do with her desk—"

_"ZACK!"_

"What about the _magic,_ Trini? What about the _romance?_ What about the _fire?_ You can't let it _end_ like this!"

Trini walked to him, taking him by the shoulders and shaking him violently. When she finally let him return to a resting position, he appeared much more focused. "Zack, listen to me very carefully. You are making this sound like a bad breakup. If Jason walked in right now, he would beat you, strangle you, rip your body to shreds, build a fire with your bones, cook and consume your flesh, and display your eyes as a trophy. Do you understand me?"

"It _is_ a bad breakup! They broke up, and it was bad! I want them to be having sex in the shower! Is that so _wrong?_ Is it?"

Trini gave him another shake. When he opened his mouth to continue the rant, she smacked his cheek, not hard but hard enough to prove she meant business, and followed it up with a slap to the other cheek, just to make sure. "You good now?"

Zack gave a feeble nod.

"Good. Now, nothing happened between Kim and Tommy. Nothing _will."_ Just as Zack was about to respond again, Trini added, "Yet."

As Zack brightened considerably, the bathroom door opened and Kimberly stepped out, her various beauty products back in the travel bag, pajamas under one arm and towel wrapped around her hair, already in full makeup. She regarded them with suspicious confusion as they leapt apart guiltily. "Hi, guys," she said slowly. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," they both said in the firm, panicky tone of co-conspirators.

"I see." Her eyes widened, a horrified thought occurring to her. "What did you guys do to Tommy?"

"Nothing. He went to go get breakfast," Trini lied.

"Uh-huh. And you two are just sitting here, hanging out, having a blast, hugging?"

"We weren't hugging. She was shaking me."

"Oh, well, _that_ makes so much more sense." Kimberly rolled her eyes, then paused. "In fact, with you, it actually does."

Zack was about to give her a wounded reply when he paused, looking her up and down. She was wearing pink shorts and a grossly oversized green button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up practically to the shoulders, the tails tied a few inches above her waist. He stared at the shirt, then frowned, then gasped in shock. "Is that _Tommy's shirt?_ See, Trini, I _told_ you so!" he continued without waiting for an answer.

"This is _my_ shirt," Kimberly replied stubbornly, glad her freshly applied makeup would hide her blush.

Trini sighed. "That's a little cruel, you know. He's already having a bad day, too."

"Why's that?" Kimberly demanded quickly, all too aware that they'd probably scared Tommy off somehow.

"Oh, I beat him up with a pillow earlier," Trini said with a shrug.

Zack caught on amazingly fast. "And I made fun of his coffee addiction." He rubbed his side ruefully. "That jerk dumped me out of the bed. As if throwing Play-Doh missiles at me last night wasn't bad enough."

"Oh-kay, right then," Kimberly said, shaking her head. She no longer wanted to know. "And what exactly are you doing hanging around here in Tommy's room, Trini?"

"I could ask _you_ the same thing," she replied, stalling for time.

"I needed to use the shower. Kira locked herself in our bathroom."

"Why?"

"Something about Conner freaking her out and having disease… I don't know. She said to tell you she'd used your body wash."

"Oh. I thought someone had knocked it over at some point and spilled half the bottle." Trini sighed. "Well, that explains the Kira/Conner bath problem. Thank god; that was _really_ bothering me."

"What?"

"Long story. Never mind. Why don't we go meet up with Tommy for breakfast?"

"I'll be right down," Zack said. "I need to pee and get dressed."

"I have to do my hair," Kimberly said, trying to keep the note of panic out of her voice.

"You can do that after breakfast."

"I can't! I can't go to breakfast with wet messy un-brushed hair! And I wanted to redo my legs, and I forgot to bring my lotion…" She looked around wildly for a moment and then propped her leg up on the dresser. "Trini! Did I miss a spot?"

Trini sighed but obediently gave Kimberly's legs a once over. "You're fine. Come on."

"How about my toenails? Do I need to redo them?"

"Your toenails are fine."

"Girls are weird," Zack announced, and wandered into the bathroom. "UGH! Kim! This place smells like Bath & Body Works on crack!"

"Are you sure my toenails are fine?" Kimberly asked Trini, inspecting the length and polish carefully.

"Could you get your creepy toenails off my dresser?" Zack demanded through the coughing fit Kimberly's beauty products had induced.

"My toenails are not creepy! Trini I need a pedicure!"

"Just… wear sneakers."

"I can't! And what if one of them fell off and my sock got a hole I'd be so embarrassed and shoeless too!"

Trini sighed and grabbed Kimberly's arm, hauling her out the door. "Your toenails are not creepy," she said, shooting Zack a death glare. "Come on. Let's play with Trini's nifty hairdryer. Remember all those modifications I showed you?"

"Ooh, I love that one setting where it makes toast!"

"It makes _toast?"_ Zack asked incredulously.

Trini shrugged. "I got bored."

"So she fused it with a toaster," Kimberly added. "Very Billy thing to do. No, actually, it's a very Zack thing to do if Zack was as smart as Billy…"

"A hairdryer that makes toast. That's, like, wave of the future right there. One day, new generations of Rangers are going to have appliances that hook up to their computers where they can download a toast-making program that comes right out of the hairdryer," Zack said dreamily. "I can see it now… 'The Toasty Computerized Hairdryer. Want some? It's _buttery.'"_

"Good thing you never went into advertising," Trini joked dryly.

He ignored that comment. "I want some toast!" Zack said eagerly.

"We didn't buy any bread," Kimberly pointed out. "Besides, there's a continental breakfast downstairs."

"Provided we don't miss it while you do your hair," Zack complained.

"Shut up, Zack, or I'll kick you with my 'creepy' toenails," Kimberly retorted. "I'll try to hurry."

Trini sighed. "See you in about an hour," she said to Zack as she followed Kimberly out.

* * *

"Yeah, I'd wake up and scrub my skin raw too if I had a nightmare like that," Trent said, taking another bite of pancake, privately wondering if he could get away with faking a nightmare like that just so that he could have a repeat performance of this morning. He and Kira had descended upon the hotel's restaurant, Trent having left the room shortly after Kira, muttering something to a nonplussed Ethan about food. Now, both he and Kira were sitting at a table built for two—or, rather, five—almost elbow-to-elbow. He was hopefully indulging in many a chocolate-chip pancake, while Kira was indulging in many a chocolate-chip pancake stack, drowning it all in syrup. Kira didn't normally eat this much; she was already on her third stack and counting. But, then again, she also didn't normally have romantic dreams about Conner.

"I swear, the Speedos he was wearing looked like they were made out of a pizza box. And I actually said 'Trent keeps making all these advances' as if it annoyed me. What is _that?_ And why would I sound annoyed by that? Hello! Completely off on that one." Fork jabbed through pancake and against plate with a violent clang. Trent smiled at her antics and her phrasing as she continued to rant. "Oh, god, we were hugging! And it wasn't the I'm-glad-you're-still-alive hug, or the I-haven't-seen-you-in-awhile hug, or the he's-doing-this-to-annoy-me hug, or the thank-god-we-just-kicked-the-monster's-butt-again hug, it was… it was… I don't want to _think_ about it. I'm _done_ thinking about it. Conner… ugh! I may never hug anyone ever again!"

Sympathizing with her, Trent merely listened, said the appropriate things (with a fifty-two percent success rate so far), and ordered more pancakes and drink refills for himself and the damsel in distress. Trent wondered if he could just stick this whole morning on Dr. O's hotel bill. He also wondered if Kira had been planning on that all along.

Kira shuddered and consumed more pancake. "I'm glad you're not mad."

Trent shrugged. Something like his girlfriend having a romantic dream involving Conner was just too ludicrous to be upset about. "What's to be mad at? It was a _dream,_ not a fantasy." Kira shuddered violently as Trent continued. "Even though, according to some book that I read once, it means you subconsciously have feelings for—"

"Finish that sentence and you'll never get to first base with me ever again," Kira said darkly into her pancakes.

"Anyways, it's sort of like that dream where you find yourself sitting in your underwear in the middle of class."

"I never had that dream." Kira glared furiously at her pancakes and stabbed at them. "No, _I_ get to have dreams about Conner and pizza-box Speedos." Trent nearly choked on his orange juice when he found himself laughing. He set the glass down and covered his mouth to hold in both laughter and juice, which caused Kira to turn her glare on him. "It's not funny."

"Yes it is," Trent said simply. This was all he could get out before a loud peal of laughter erupted, causing many patrons to shoot him curious looks.

"I could've sworn you finished laughing when I first told you about it," Kira said, annoyed that she was finding it harder and harder not to start laughing herself. "That dream was disturbing on so many levels."

"Was that why you attacked Conner this morning with the shampoo?" Trent asked, giggling all the while.

"It was a bottle of conditioner. And yes, that was part of the reason." Kira frowned as Trent's control dissolved yet again and she returned to her pancakes.

Presently, Trent pulled close and slid his arms around her. "I could try to give you better dreams."

"And your father would hunt me down," Kira finished, turning so she could see him.

"Hey, he's not nearly as scary now that he's human again."

Kira laughed. "But still." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Meanwhile, I'll just have to keep trying to rid myself of Conner."

* * *

Reawakening with his head throbbing, Conner pushed himself up off the floor and looked around. "Hey… where is everybody?"

A lump on the bed nearest the door shifted and Ethan's head appeared above the covers, glaring daggers at Conner. "You're _wrong,_ Conner! Today _won't_ be a good day! It never would, never will be! It's only just started, and it _will never be a good day!_ Nothing good could _ever_ come of this day! We're jinxed! _Jinxed, jinxed, jinxed!_ That's our curse until judgment day!" Letting out something like a sob, Ethan pulled the covers back over his head and fell silent.

Conner stared at the lump of covers that hid Ethan, idly rubbing the sore spot on the back of his skull. "Okay, dude, whatever. Do you have any idea what hit me?"

"Kira," Ethan replied miserably.

Digesting this bit of information, Conner shrugged and resumed his interrupted trip to the bathroom, humming "When the Saints Go Marching In."

* * *

Tommy reentered the hotel through the revolving door, supervised by the exasperated desk receptionist (most disconcertingly, the same one from last night's spare key fiasco). After having stormed from the hotel room, he had spent a long stalking about and raving to himself around the outdoor perimeter of the hotel. When he grew tired of this, he went back in, only to stop as far as the inside of the revolving door and began demanding payment from others who tried to go through. It wasn't until the front desk receptionist had come over and threatened to call security that he stopped. So he headed for the hotel's restaurant, using the scenic route, wondering if _he_ ever actually grew up.

At first, he had decided to be annoyed and angry and bitter about everything, like usual, but then he realized that ignoring everything would take less energy. Apathy was so much better than yet another migraine. Opening the glass door smudged with handprints and the required mystery substance, Tommy strode into the restaurant and sat himself down. Trent and Kira stared at him from across the table as he proceeded to rearrange his silverware and smile vacantly at them.

"Um..." Kira and Trent released each other. "Dr. O?"

"Kira. Trent." Tommy nodded at them. "Nice day out. Sunny. Few clouds. Not too warm."

"Eh… been out walking?" Trent asked faintly.

"Oh, I've been here and there," he replied. His face darkened. "Yep. Here and there and everywhere _but _the shower." Regaining his equilibrium, he added, "Are those chocolate chip pancakes?"

Kira nodded the affirmative, and, as Tommy waved randomly for a waitress, gave Trent a look that said "We have to get rid of him." Trent returned this with a look that simply asked, "How?"

"Uh… Dr. O… aren't you going to… maybe… do something with your friends?" Kira inquired, only to receive Tommy's blank smile in return. Kira swallowed, slightly nervous. Kira was not overly concerned with her image, as a general rule, but very few people _wouldn't_ be embarrassed to be seen with Tommy at this point, especially if Tommy was their science teacher, given his attire and slothful appearance. Not only was his appearance off-putting, but his aura had a distinctly unsettling tinge to it today.

"Don't worry, Kira! I have all day to plot Zack's accidental fall to his death from the balcony!" Tommy replied cheerfully. "I'd rather have breakfast with my _favorite_ students!"

Both Kira and Trent edged their cheers away from their teacher, finding this all more than a little creepy. The waitress appeared and she glanced at the teens. "These your kids?"

"Mine?" Tommy let out a very loud, slightly maniacal laugh. "Not only your life..." He leaned closer so that he could read the waitress's nametag. "…Carmen! The boy is the son of a dear friend of mine who thought my taking him and his friends on vacation was a _good _idea!" Tommy smiled brightly at the waitress, while Trent looked wounded and Kira resuming her pancake therapy.

"I've never been so stressed out in my life," Tommy continued. He paused. "Well, no, I take that back. The mid-1990s were pretty stressful at the time."

The waitress, growing impatient, frowned hard. "Sir…"

"Then when I was studying for my degree…"

"Sir?"

"And that lab explosion I somehow survived…"

"Sir!"

"Then there was that time I couldn't be see—"

Shoving a menu under his nose, the waitress asked, in the sweetest tone possible, "Can I get you something to drink, sir?"

"Ah! I'd like a jug of coffee—going to need lots of cream and some more sugar packets—and whatever type of pancakes those two are having."

"Chocolate chip?"

"That's the one!"

Relinquishing the menu, the waitress gratefully left. Tommy smiled after her, then turned to regard his students with another creepy grin.

* * *

Billy was exhausted.

Somehow, when he and Jason had returned to the house, they hadn't mentioned thinking up things to say in their speeches at all. They'd joked and laughed and sorted out his Wal-Mart things and played a few rounds of _Super Street Fighter II_ on the battered SNES, but they hadn't given any thought to their speeches. They'd gone to high school together, after all, so they were masters of procrastinating together.

Eventually they'd gone to bed, and once again Billy's eyes had snapped open freakishly early. It was now nine o'clock; Jason was still asleep, and the others were probably doing likewise at the hotel. Hell, even Jason's dog was curled up on the couch in the family room, dreaming doggy dreams of poodles and open fields without leashes and endless T-bone steaks, and Billy was sitting on the couch in the living room, staring blankly at the dormant television, images of the previous day flitting through his head (interspersed with images of Ryu, Ken, M. Bison and Chun Li, but that was beside the point). Meeting up with his father for the first time… how old he looked, how proud he'd been, how understanding he was. Tinkering with the RADBUG and all the old mechanisms in the garage. The gas station. The Command Center… oh, god, how _strange,_ how sad, how wonderful to be back with his friends. Wal-Mart, the way the team immediately lost themselves in their insanity, returning to the age of seventeen (eleven, in Zack's case).

And the purse snatching. The old fear of being discovered. Plotting together, just like the old days, falling back into The Mode. Listening to each other, Jason making the calls, even the ones he didn't want to make. And then…

Morphing.

It was so incredible. God, he'd missed it. Yet it had felt so _wrong,_ being Black. He told himself that it didn't matter, wasn't a problem… yet every last particle in his body had screamed that he was Blue, not Black, not Black, it was _wrong…_

Yet the power was still there. So much so that he'd kept glancing down at the suit and checking to make sure it wasn't about to magically change into the Triceratops uniform. He'd actually yelled "Triceratops!" the first time, then felt like an idiot and switched to "Mastodon!"

It was a monument to how much things had changed… and also a monument to how easy it would be to leave his new life, his new home, his new friends, Cestria… and reclaim what was his.

And Billy was sick to death of thinking about it.

He grabbed the remote, scanning the buttons for a moment. He had yet to operate the TV without Jason; he'd tried to figure out the remote and Jason had just given him a sympathetic look at taken the remote and done it himself. But not for nothing was Billy hailed as one of the smartest Rangers ever; he puzzled it out quickly enough and switched the TV on. The cable company was different than the one he remembered, so he knew he'd have to hunt for the proper channels, as the ones whose numbers he could remember had all been renumbered… but as the TV sprang to life, all thoughts of channel surfing disappeared.

He didn't know what channel it was on; the call letters at the bottom of the screen were unfamiliar. He didn't think it mattered; he'd probably see something similar on every local channel.

Back in the days of the Power Rangers, it wasn't uncommon to turn on the TV and find the regularly scheduled program interrupted by some news bulletin or another. It was annoying, but practically expected. Warnings of monster attacks, or happy reports that the battle was over, as if the fact that the city wasn't standing wasn't enough of a clue that they were safe for the moment. The city had settled frighteningly easily into routines for dealing with attacks—evacuation, panic, evacuation, what do if you're placed under an evil spell, evacuation, what to do if you encounter a monster, evacuation, always watch the news just in case, and evacuation. He recognized the bulletin on the screen at once—he'd seen them a million times.

Only this one wasn't about a monster attack.

"We repeat, the name of the Black Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger has been revealed. Dr. Tommy Oliver, who, in rescuing his girlfriend from a purse snatcher, failed to notice that the purse snatcher was in fact a high school classmate, Walter Johnson. Walter Johnson has positively identified the Black Ranger as Dr. Oliver, and, while Dr. Oliver was not available for comment—"

_"JASON!"_ Billy bellowed. The dog jolted awake with a bark of protest.

Within two seconds Jason fell/leaped out of his bedroom, half asleep but battle-ready. "What?"

"They did it _again!"_ Billy wailed, chucking the remote across the room.

* * *

_End Notes:_ Sorry, we couldn't resist the nod to Bridge with Trini's hairdryer. I always loved the fact that Trini was almost as smart as Billy… besides, the SPD Rangers probably aren't going to get to make an appearance in this story (there aren't many plausible ways to put them in here), although I can tell you that Freyja and I are trying to throw them into the sequel. (We're planning at least two sequels to this story as of right now; not sure if I mentioned that or not.) 


	43. A Ranger Exclusive

**Chapter Forty-three**

_A Ranger Exclusive_

"I don't get it," Jason said through gritted teeth, pacing back and forth behind the couch as Billy continued to stare at the TV screen. "How did this _happen?_ We covered all the angles. We were _careful."_

"Apparently the purse snatcher was some guy named Walter Johnson who went to school with us, and he got a good look at Tommy," Billy said with a sigh. "Most of the quotes are from hospital staff—doctors, nurses…"

"What about confidentiality clauses?" Jason demanded. "What happened to a patient's right to privacy or… whatever?"

"They're not disclosing his condition, they're disclosing what he said about Tommy," Billy pointed out, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Besides, that only works if the patient doesn't want his information to be disclosed. Wouldn't matter here, because it's not a medical problem that they're blabbing…"

"Tommy's going to be ripped to shreds," Jason moaned. "Again. I mean, this would be bad enough on a normal day, but tonight? Three days before Power Rangers Day?"

Billy twisted his hands together. "They're not going to catch me this time. They're not. I don't live on the planet. I don't _exist."_

"Billy, don't talk like that. We can fix this. We can. Besides, it's still on a local level. Probably won't break nationally just yet, not without confirmation from a more reputable source than a battered wannabe thief. This is irresponsible journalism right here."

"Irresponsible, maybe, but with all the hype all over the city …"

"Okay. Okay. We'll call out the troops. All six of us, brainstorming, right now. We'll have to gather up a list of the times when some of us were somewhere and the others were engaged in a very public battle, instances we can use to prove we weren't around when the Rangers were. Maybe Hayley can put one together using Tommy's footage and email it to us."

"First of all, the six of us shouldn't be seen together anytime soon. Second of all, a list like that might make things more obvious, as it would show which of us were absent when certain Rangers were absent. And finally—email? Too easily breached. It'd have to be hand-delivered, and isn't Tommy's lab kind of totaled at the moment?"

"Argh," Jason growled. "This is ridiculous. We should not be panicking. Tommy can lie his way out of this."

They paused.

"Get your shoes," Jason said with a groan, diving back into his bedroom to get dressed.

* * *

Carrie strode across the parking lot towards the entrance to the Angel Grove Inn. She'd been in contact with Jenny all morning, who had been having a few issues with Tommy Oliver. He'd stalked through the lobby like a thundercloud that morning, antagonized people who were trying to use the revolving door, and went stomping around the parking lot and muttering to himself before going into the restaurant. Jenny had been keeping Carrie up to date on all of this, and at last word, he was sitting in the restaurant, annoying a couple of teens that Jenny thought might be his younger cousins. Apparently Dr. Oliver had called the front desk on his first night at the hotel to order an adult film, three burgers and some hot fudge sundaes; Jenny had taken the call, and remembered it well because she'd been awfully suspicious about whether the caller was really Dr. Oliver. Carrie was, too; for one thing, Dr. Oliver had been born in 1979, not 1976 like the caller had told Carrie. For another, Carrie had done extensive research in the process of uncovering his true identity; she knew he was adopted, and had no cousins.

So they were probably the Dino Rangers.

It was the demolition of Tommy's island that had led her to realize who he was. She'd seen his picture on the news, when every coastal city had run a story on the destruction and put out pictures of him and Anton Mercer. She'd thought long and hard about where she'd seen him before, and realized it had been at the first Power Rangers Day. She'd seen him in the other dimension the town's citizens had been trapped in, playing with an old watch that didn't appear to tell time and muttering about helping. It had stuck in her head, because she'd thought it was an odd time to try to set his watch, and the watch was weird and clunky, and if he wanted to help so bad why was he toying with it, anyway? Then she'd seen him again, when the Power Rangers had walked by and shaken hands with him and he'd smiled reassuringly at them. He was the only person to actually touch or speak to the Rangers, and she'd never been able to get that image out of her head… and then there he was on the news. With two teams of known Power Rangers and dozens of other people looking for him.

Then it had clicked that he wore green to Power Rangers Day.

It was after the Green Ranger's first disappearance, she remembered that much. Power Rangers were never far from her mind, not after that wonderfully strange day with the Red Ranger himself. She had brushed up on Ranger history after that day, wondered who they were… but she didn't have much to go on.

She knew they were teenagers, of course. Everything about the Red Ranger had screamed "teenaged boy." A unique one, to be sure, but still a teen. The way he'd discussed sports with her, the way he'd drank Red Pop, the way he'd talked to the White Ranger, his defiance and speech pattern and puns and even the way he'd sat on her desk, cross-legged and slouching slightly. But there were a hell of a lot of teenagers in Angel Grove, and far too many who took martial arts, especially after the Rangers showed up.

Tommy Oliver had been her first big break. She'd dug up everything she could on him… which had been a lot. A love of fast cars. A talent for martial arts; he'd even appeared in a commercial for a karate school, and he had tons of awards. And a love of science, which he indulged in on an island with tons of security, plenty of fellow scientists, and one of the most eccentric rich smart people ever to hit the planet.

Well… duh.

She'd tried to discover who all had been searching for him, but by the time she got into gear it was too late; most everyone was headed home, vaguely explaining that "Tommy's not dead, oops." The fact that they didn't continue the search for Anton when Tommy was found was another tell; even though Anton had been missing longer and was thought to have gone to the mainland, and even though Anton was rich and slightly creepy and heading for agoraphobia one day, it seemed odd that the search-and-rescue teams simply packed up and left.

She'd tried to get a name for everyone who'd been involved in the search, but that wasn't easy. There were far too many… and even if she were to get all their names, she'd never be able to figure out which one was the Red Ranger, which—at the end of the day—was all she cared about.

She had been able to discover, through a lucky break with archived local news footage, that Tommy was friends with Billy Cranston, however. Carrie had always thought it was odd that the Red Ranger targeted Billy to disprove the rumors first; she agreed with the editorial saying that Billy was probably not the Red Ranger, but knew a Ranger and was possibly a different Ranger. Once this had occurred to her, it wasn't long before she remembered a choice phrase from the Red and White Rangers' fight—

_"You're doing crazy things with B—Blue, for crying out loud! BLUE! The sanest one of us all and **you're** convincing him to—"_

_"Hey, **he** was the one who wanted to do it! **He** was the lunatic who caused the whole mess!"_

—and suddenly it had clicked that Billy Cranston wore a lot of blue.

Every picture of him involved blue. This wasn't overly noticeable at first, because few teens _didn't _wear jeans on a regular basis… but no matter what he was wearing or doing, there was always blue on him. And the Blue Ranger had gotten the Red Ranger to do something… probably to disprove the suspicions about Billy being a Ranger. What else? During the Ranger Parade, after all, it had been the Blue Ranger who'd let slip the suggestion to search for medical records, so she figured the Blue would have been the most desperate to repair the damage; not to mention the fact that Billy Cranston didn't take the publicity well.

Unfortunately, this didn't help her sort out who the others were. She'd been able to find a fellow reporter who still had a few notes on Billy lying around, but everything dead-ended sooner or later. Three of Billy's best friends left Angel Grove to become teenage ambassadors, well before the Power Rangers disappeared… the White Ranger showed up, yet Billy was hanging with the same group of people…

It didn't matter. She'd figure it out, somehow, through this conversation with Dr. Oliver. If worse came to worse, she could always blackmail him; she had done the same research she'd sent the cops on. In addition to being the Green Ranger, she strongly suspected he was the Black Dino Ranger. A former Power Ranger, living in a city with active Rangers… it was too much of a coincidence. Especially when one considered that Anton Mercer, Tommy's former business partner and fellow scientist, had resurfaced in Reefside, living a low-profile life as much as a presumed-dead rich guy could.

Elsa Randall had been a lucky break in confirming her thoughts. After the woman had reformed, she'd started talking to the press, usually from her boyfriend, Anton Mercer's, spacious mansion while he gripped her hand comfortingly. Carrie had interviewed Randall, who had a most peculiar story—mind control, a teacher walked in on her, she attacked him, but he was a fairly good fighter, though she'd beaten him eventually and returned to her base. She claimed to have known who the Rangers were all along while a minion for Mesogog, and said that they weren't human at all, rather aliens who lived in a secret base in the mountains. Carrie had been almost convinced.

So she'd gotten an old pal to do some illegal hacking into the school files and discovered that Dr. Oliver was absent from school for the same period of time that the Black Ranger was absent from battle, and a good deal longer afterwards. She'd learned a lot of things about him through this research… Frequently late, often absent, good teacher, knew his subject, bit strange, students liked him.

Carrie was fairly certain Dr. Oliver knew nothing of this interview with Randall; she'd been deliberately vague about who she was, and Randall had been talking to reporter after reporter at the time. Carrie had used her vacation time to stake out Dr. Oliver's home and hangouts… and four kids kept coming to his house, sitting with him at his friend's café, chatting to him before and after school. She only knew one of their names—Trent Fernandez, whose academic performance had suffered greatly when the White Dino Ranger had been evil. She'd first seen him at Anton Mercer's mansion, when he'd walked in and started to introduce himself before bolting once he found out she was a reporter. Carrie had kept her distance while researching them even more after that, but she'd still found out a good deal.

It all added up, but it wasn't what she was looking for. She wanted to know who that guy on her desk was. She'd been deeply affected by that; it had taught her to stop whining about her own life and seize the day, in addition to giving her a new career and a new life. All she wanted was to understand that poor guy drinking Red Pop and chattering about sports to her. Despite evidence to the contrary, Carrie didn't think he was crazy, after all. He was _weird,_ to be sure, but very logical, very careful, and very stressed out. She had the impression that he was just cracking under pressure at the time, not going insane. That was why she'd fought so hard to turn down the heat from the media.

Unfortunately, doing that had made it very difficult for her to get any clue about who the Rangers were.

Still, if Tommy Oliver was in town, she could safely bet the others were too. Walter had ranted about Kimberly Hart a lot, and the cops had told her about Trini Scott and Zack Taylor. Her old notes revealed that Zack Taylor and Trini Kwan were two of the friends of Billy who'd gone to the Peace Conference, along with Jason Scott. With any luck, she'd have her answers in a few moments' time.

She entered the hotel. Jenny nodded at her and flicked her eyes towards the entrance to the restaurant. Carrie smiled and nonchalantly made her way over to the double doors.

There he was, sitting with Trent Fernandez and girl that she recognized from shadowing Tommy back in Reefside a month ago. She'd never been able to find out the names of the girl and the other two boys without drawing suspicion to herself, but she was fairly certain that the girl was the Yellow Dino Ranger, and other boys were Red and Blue. She didn't dwell too much the two students, however; she had eyes only for the man who was almost certainly the Green Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger.

He looked like hell. When researching him, it hadn't escaped her notice that he was good-looking, if a tad young for her. However, Carrie took one look at him today and prayed she didn't get close enough to smell him. He was wearing sagging jeans, a too-small "DANCE MANIA!" T-shirt, green socks that had definitely seen better days, and no shoes. His hair was unwashed, uncombed and un-styled, which—from what she knew—was unusual, and not exactly favorable on him. He hadn't shaved, and his eyes had a slightly bleary look to them, as if he'd gotten very little sleep. He certainly didn't look much like a respectable science teacher at the moment—at least, not like any of Carrie's.

_Probably been up all night worried sick about his identity, the poor guy,_ Carrie thought sympathetically as she approached the table, straining her ears to overhear them.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay, Dr. O?" the girl said as Carrie approached. That confirmed the girl wasn't a cousin; who called their cousin "doctor" anything?

"I'm just peachy, Kira," Tommy growled. "I'm happy as can be. Ask me that one more time, and I'm going to ask _you_ why Kimberly asked _me_ about some ritual bath you took involving Conner."

_"What?"_ Trent spluttered, staring at the girl in horror.

"I'm kind of going through the various stages of grief today, Trent," Kira told him, glaring at Tommy. "Take shower. Brush teeth. Knock Conner unconscious. Make out with boyfriend. Eat chocolate." She paused. "I think I'm forgetting something."

Carrie made a mental note of those odd statements and cleared her throat. The three looked up at her.

"Oh, good," Tommy said. "I'm almost out of pancakes."

"Actually, I, um, don't work here," Carrie said apologetically, eyes darting to his plate, which still sported three large pancakes. "Are you Dr. Tommy Oliver?"

Tommy stabbed his fork into his pancakes so viciously that bits of pancake flew all over the table. "Yes, I am. Of _course_ I am. Who are you?" he demanded.

Carrie blinked. Jenny had warned her that Tommy was a little "standoffish," and Carrie knew the coming conversation would probably upset him, but she hadn't expected him to be rude before she'd even introduced herself.

Seeing her expression, Tommy sighed. "Sorry. It's just… No offense, but every time someone asks me if I'm Dr. Oliver, it ends badly."

Carrie smiled as brightly as she could. "I was just hoping I could ask you a few questions. I—"

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm a reporter with the _Angel Grove Sentinel."_

"I see. …I'm sorry; I wasn't aware I'd done anything to warrant being interviewed."

Carrie's eyes widened. Well, at least she could soften the blow if she told him before he saw it on the news. "May I sit down?"

Tommy looked torn for a long moment, but he finally nodded. "Yeah."

Carrie took the chair he offered her, spun it around and straddled it, an old habit from the days of trying to blend in with the sports department. "I take it you haven't seen the news lately?" she asked delicately.

"No. I've only been awake an hour. Why?"

"Well… it would appear the city of Angel Grove has taken an interest in you, Dr. Oliver."

She watched him carefully; sure enough, a look of panic flashed across his face before he forced it down. "Why's that, Miss—?"

"Jeffries. Carrie Jeffries."

Tommy's jaw dropped. _"The_ Carrie Jeffries?"

"Well, it's not an uncommon name, but I'd assume I'm the Carrie Jeffries you mean, yes."

"Carrie Jeffries… I know that name…" Trent said, frowning.

"You wrote that article on the Red Ranger!" Kira blurted out, shocked.

Carrie nodded at her. "Yes. I did."

"And you interviewed Elsa," Trent added, realization dawning. "And now you want to interview Dr. O? _Why?"_ His panic was much more visible in his expression than it was in Tommy's.

"Because," Carrie said gently, "most of the city is under the impression that Dr. Oliver is the Black Ranger."

Tommy stared at her, then snorted. "Are you another one of those whack jobs who thinks that just because I know enough martial arts to keep myself from getting killed when my school principal reveals herself to be an evil minion—"

"You misunderstand me, Dr. Oliver. No one's accusing you of being the Black Dino Ranger, or a Dino Ranger at all."

He blinked. "Is that so?"

"It's so. You're actually presumed to be the Black Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger."

Tommy stared at her. Trent stared at her. Kira stared at her.

Then they all burst out laughing.

* * *

Jason and Billy emerged from the elevator on the sixth floor and headed down the hall to 603, the door to which was wide open. Conner was humming to himself as he checked his reflection in the mirror over the dresser.

"Hey, Conner," Jason called.

Conner's face lit up. "Hey, Jase. Billy. What's up? Like my shirt?"

"Is that new?" Jason asked suspiciously.

"Yeah. Just got it yesterday, when we went to Wal-Mart."

"Funny. I have one just like it," Jason said dryly, shaking his head. "Wore it Monday, I believe."

"Now I _know_ it's cool," Conner said, looking slightly embarrassed as he turned back to the mirror. "So… what's going on, guys?"

"Nothing. Just came to round up the gang. All I could get out of Trini about this big surprise thing she's planning was that it's in Stone Canyon."

"Which is a good place for us to be right now," Billy said worriedly.

"How far away is that?" Conner asked.

"Not far," Jason said. "We'd better, ah, hurry. Where are Trent and Ethan?"

"Ethan said something about Trent going to get breakfast, but Kira knocked me unconscious earlier and I didn't wake up until after he'd left."

"Kira knocked you unconscious?" Billy repeated in confusion.

"Yeah," Conner said, as though this happened frequently (which, Billy and Jason reminded themselves, it probably did). "Anyway, Ethan's curled up on the bed and refuses to come out from under the blanket."

"Why?" Jason demanded. Conner shrugged. Jason sighed; they didn't have time to waste. He wanted to get them out of Angel Grove, where they could talk about this mess, as fast as possible. He and Billy had already agreed not to bring it up until they were out of the city limits. "Ethan, man, wake up!"

"I _am_ awake. I'm _trying_ to sleep. And you're wasting your breath. This is going to be a _bad day,_ Jason. Bad with a capital… um, bad. I'm not leaving. Nope."

Jason arched an eyebrow. "Is your team psychic or something? I remember Tommy saying something about extra powers…"

"No, I'm not psychic," Ethan replied from beneath the covers, his voice muffled. "I'm just really good at reading omens. I slept really well until Conner came back and woke me up with his snoring, you know. Couldn't get back to sleep. Hit my head trying to hide from Conner. Got in an argument with Trent. Had to watch Trent make out with Kira. _Not doing it,_ guys. Not getting out of bed. _Today is not going to be a good day!"_

"Ethan, we kind of don't have time for this. We need to get going as fast as possible—"

Conner held up his hand to cut Jason off. "Don't worry, dude. _I'll_ handle this." Conner walked over to the bed, yanked the blankets back before Ethan could react, and, without giving Ethan a chance to reclaim his shield against the world, Conner said, quite simply, "Ethan—Kira knocked me unconscious."

Ethan thought about this for a second.

"I'll be ready in twenty minutes," he said, flinging back the sheets and climbing out of the bed.

Jason and Billy shrugged and went to get Zack and Tommy, but only Zack was in the room, trying to decide on a shirt.

"Black and purple or black and green?" he asked them.

"That one," Jason and Billy said in unison, pointing at opposite shirts. Zack sighed heavily.

"I really do need to reexamine the theory that Rangers tend to lean not only towards the color of their uniform but also to secondary colors containing their color. Or, in the case of Rangers whose uniforms consisted of secondary colors, the primary colors that comprise their color. Not to mention the interesting relation between varying shades, tints, tertiary colors and the Ranger uniform color most similar to their personality when—"

"Billy, it's early, Trini is not here, and I'm preoccupied enough."

Billy frowned thoughtfully, trying to think of a way to reword his question. "My point was, I think Rangers tend to lean towards not just their basic color, but colors that are a mix of their shades and—never mind. Not important. Wear the purple, Zack. It's red _and_ blue."

"Whatever. Where's Tommy?" Jason asked Zack.

"Chased him off an hour ago. Dude, you guys won't _believe_ what happened last night—"

"Later, okay? We want to get going, A.S.A.P. We're going to get Trini and then go grab some muffins or something from the restaurant downstairs; I'm guessing that's where Tommy will be. You know how he gets about coffee."

"Yeah," Zack said with a sigh. "I do."

Trini and Kimberly were next. Kira was absent, but neither of them seemed very concerned.

"She had a bit of a rough night last night," Kimberly said, lifting her leg and shoving her foot in Jason's face. "How do my toes look? Tell the truth."

"Like… toes?" Jason said, confused. Kimberly took extremely good care of her feet, much like the rest of her appearance, but no matter how pretty the foot, it's always prettier when not two inches from your nose.

"The _polish,_ Jason! Not the toes, the polish!"

"Oh. Um. Fi—gorgeous," he amended hastily. He knew Kimberly far too well. "I like the, um, shade."

"Thanks, Jason," Kimberly said happily, removing the foot from his vision. "Hair?"

"Great. I like it."

"I told you so," Trini said absently. She was applying a little makeup of her own; she'd figured she might as well, since Kimberly was taking forever to get ready.

"Is my shirt showing too much cleavage?" Kimberly persisted.

Jason sighed. "This is one of those conversations where I have to compliment every inch of you before you let up, isn't it?"

"Of course."

"No, you're not showing too much."

"Sure I shouldn't button it some more?"

"Kim, I'm not going to have a debate about your boobs, especially when you're probably going to open another button at some point anyway," Jason said in exasperation. "If you want to talk about Trini's cleavage, let me know."

Kimberly huffed and turned to Billy. "Billy—"

"Your attire accentuates your natural curves in a desirable manner."

Kimberly thought about this for a second, struggling to process the big words; she was more used to it than Jason and Zack, as she'd hung around Billy for over a year after Trini had left Angel Grove. "Thanks, Billy! You're a great friend. Much better than _some_ people." She shot a pointed look at Jason, who rolled his eyes and went to sit next to Trini at the table. Kimberly frowned at herself in the mirror and opened another button on the shirt, then turned back to Billy. "Okay. Sexy or slutty?"

Billy shot Jason an annoyed glare for pushing Kimberly off on him. "You look fine, Kim."

"Fine as in 'easier than the woman in the faux fur coat on the street corner,' or fine as in 'I'd like to stare, but I'm too much of a gentleman?'"

Billy thought this over. "Is there a difference?"

"Hey, Jase," Trini said, ignoring Billy and Kimberly as she kissed her husband hello. "I'm glad you're here. Want to go down to breakfast together, or did you already eat? I'm kind of craving whipped cream." She smiled, a distant look in her eye.

"Actually, I want to get going. Let's just grab some chow on the way, okay?"

Trini raised her eyebrows. "Something up?"

Jason nodded. "Could get ugly, but I think it's handle-able. Don't really want to talk about it until we're in Stone Canyon, though; I think we should get out of the city today."

She frowned. "Purse snatcher?"

"Yep."

Trini sighed and began reapplying the lipstick Jason's kiss had smeared. "All right. I'll try and kick Kimberly into gear. By the way, have you been feeding the dog?"

"Yeah. Billy laughed his ass off at the Can Opener Song, by the way."

"I _told_ you, letting the dog get all excited every time the can opener went off was cruel. Better he recognizes meal times another way."

"Fine, but did that other way have to involve me singing a dumb poem to him?"

Trini chuckled, but before she could reply, Billy's plaintive wail cut her off.

"I don't _know,_ Kimberly! I don't go to strip clubs! Aquitar doesn't have them!"

"Okay, okay, fine. Do I look good as in—?"

"Kim, leave him alone," Trini interrupted. "You look hot. Not slutty. Now hurry it up; the guys want to get going."

"But I can't decide on this last _button!"_

Trini rolled her eyes. "You guys go grab Tommy, and see if you can find Kira. I'll handle Kimberly."

"Now I know why I married you," Jason joked, and he and Billy escaped.

* * *

Carrie was still waiting for the laughter to die down. They couldn't seem to stop. Every time they got close, they'd look at each other and a fresh wave of giggles would overcome them. She supposed it _was_ pretty ironic. The Black Dino Ranger, accused of being the Black Mighty Morphin' Ranger, when he was in fact the Green Mighty Morphin' Ranger.

"I'm sorry," Tommy wheezed, clutching his side. "It's just… I needed that. Aw, man…"

"I don't find it plausible myself," Carrie replied smoothly.

Tommy raised his eyebrows. "You don't?"

"Of course not." She gave him a meaningful look and his expression hardened; he was no longer laughing.

"How, exactly, did that rumor start?"

"Were you aware that you knew the purse snatcher who attacked Kimberly Hart?"

"How _could_ I be aware? I never met him. I was in the Youth Center when the Black Ranger intervened."

"His name is Walter Johnson. He claims _you_ were the one to knock him unconscious, not the Black Ranger."

Tommy paled. "Walter Johnson?"

"Who's he, Dr. O?" Trent asked.

"Guy I knew in high school," Tommy replied reluctantly. "He… we were friends for a while. Then I went off on his friend because… um… for saying something rude about Kimberly. Walter tried to jump in and I…" He sighed. "I beat up both Walter and Chris. I regretted it like nothing else. I tried to apologize, but they wouldn't listen to me."

"You beat someone up just for saying something rude about your girlfriend?" Trent asked, shocked. If Tommy had let Trent beat up Conner every time Conner had said something rude about Kira, Conner's funeral would have been about six months ago.

"It was a mistake. It was _right after I moved to Angel Grove,"_ he added, willing them to understand.

"Oh," Trent said, frowning in thought. "Oh. Oh! Oh, yeah!"

"Wha—oh. I get it," Kira muttered.

"Get what?" Carrie asked lightly, certain that they were both making the connection between the evil Green Ranger's actions and Tommy's.

"Nothing… um… Dr. O told us he gets a little stressed out when he's just moved somewhere," Kira lied, wincing at how pathetic this sounded.

Carrie smiled at her, pulling out her notepad. "May I ask your names? Just in case I quote you?"

Kira and Trent looked at Tommy for direction; he frowned, wishing they hadn't, but he nodded at them all the same. He figured that if there was any reporter in Angel Grove who wouldn't try to completely screw him, it would be Carrie—who had done so much for them in the past that Jason had several of her articles framed on his bedroom wall, much to Trini's displeasure.

"Kira Ford."

"Trent Fernandez."

"You're friends of Dr. Oliver?"

"Uh… yeah?" Kira winced again, not meaning to sound so unnatural.

"He's kind of our… mentor," Trent added lamely. "Like… like…"

"Like an older brother," Kira finished.

"I see."

"Anyway," Tommy interrupted loudly, "what's this about me being a Power Ranger? I mean, there are more martial arts practitioners to come out of Angel Grove than just about any city in America, but other than that—point is, I'm not the Black Ranger." He paused and shook his head. "I'm not the _original _Black Ranger. That's ridiculous."

"Give me some credit, Dr. Oliver," Carrie said with a snort of derisive laughter. "I'm not dense enough to think you're the Black Ranger. For one thing, I have a friend at the hospital who insists that the whole story is nothing more than the result of a gossip mill running amuck." She stared at him intently, willing him to understand her. "According to him, Walter was simply ranting that you beat him up _in high school _for something to do with Kimberly, and he should have known better than to try to steal Kimberly's purse."

Tommy's expression darkened, almost frighteningly so. "He targeted Kim on purpose?"

"Focus," she said quietly.

Tommy blinked, startled, then smiled slightly. "I guess he was right about you."

Carrie felt a rush of warmth and pride at this statement; praying it meant what she thought it did, she continued. "My friend has also assured me that no reporters have gotten to speak with this Walter fellow. But if Walter's story… stays the same as last night…"

Tommy's eyes widened, catching her meaning. "I'm certain he was probably just disoriented from being clobbered by a Ranger. After all, I was in the Youth Center. It wasn't _me_ who hit him."

"Can I quote you on that?"

"Of course." Tommy smiled. Figuring that she was on firmer ground, she continued their game of say-more-than-you-mean.

"Now, I already have statements from the arresting officers, and Walter himself, in addition to the hospital staff. It won't be difficult at all to discount this ridiculous tale, but of course I wanted a quote from _you_ first."

Tommy regarded her thoughtfully, almost coolly. "All right. Now tell me what you really want."

Carrie grinned. "The Red Ranger."

Tommy laughed. "Sorry. No can do."

"You have to understand—"

"I _do_ understand. At least, I'm pretty sure I do. And I appreciate what you're doing for us. And I'm sorry. But I can't help you."

Carrie's face fell. "You don't know the half of what I'm giving you," she replied pleasantly. Allowing a frosty edge to creep into her voice, she added, quite simply, "Green."

Tommy stared her down, as if trying to tell if she really had a royal flush or was about to bluff him into folding the best hand he'd ever had. Carrie had an incredibly good poker face, but now… now that he had admitted just who he was, just _what_ he was, her resolve was ebbing away. There was something awe-inspiring about this disheveled science teacher now; he was a Power Ranger, after all…

"Hey, Tommy!"

Carrie jumped and spun around to see who was interrupting, glad for the reprieve from his maddening stare. Her jaw dropped as she recognized Billy Cranston—he was older, his hair longer, but there was no mistaking the face, the glasses, and the overalls, especially considering that Carrie had numerous pictures of him left over from way back when. According to rumor, he'd gotten a job with the government just after graduating high school and had completely disappeared. Carrie had never found another address, phone number, or financial record of him. Ever.

She tore her gaze away from Billy, but the shocked look remained. Next to Billy was a muscular guy with brown hair, Jason Scott if she remembered her Ranger conspiracy theory research correctly… wearing a red shirt and drinking a twenty-ounce bottle of Red Pop.

They were only ten feet away when Carrie jumped up without realizing she was moving. It was _him._ _The Red Ranger!_ Carrie couldn't think, couldn't begin to try; all that filled her head was the fact that now she finally _knew._

Billy and Jason saw her. Jason froze, wide-eyed, Billy stopping next to him and looking in puzzlement from Carrie to Tommy to Jason and back.

"It's _her,"_ Jason said in a strangled voice.

"Her who?" Billy asked worriedly.

Jason didn't reply, looking at her hesitantly. _"Carrie?"_

She nodded feebly. Suddenly Jason leaped forward and charged right at her. Carrie yelped, terrified that she was about to be murdered by an unstable Red Ranger; there was no hope of escaping, she was only human after all… but instead of attacking, he simply flung his arms around her.

"Carrie! Oh, man, you have no idea how _grateful_ I—"

Jason broke off abruptly even as a stunned Carrie hugged him back. He'd caught Tommy's gaze, and Tommy was glaring and shaking his head warningly.

"Sorry!" Jason fairly yelped, his face bright red as he dove backwards. "I thought you were someone else."

Carrie took a deep steadying breath and smiled warmly at him. "Still drinking Red Pop, I see."

Over Jason's shoulder, Carrie could just glimpse the look of increasing panic on Billy's face as he worked out who she was. Suddenly he spun around and ran flat-out for the elevator.

Jason, too, was looking fairly panicked. "What Red Pop?" he demanded in a tone of desperate innocence, and flung the bottle over his shoulder, where it smacked—hard—against the back of a man's head. The man turned around angrily; he was a beefy middle-aged man in a motorcycle jacket with a do-rag on his head; everything about him just sort of screamed "biker."

"HEY!" the man shouted. _"Who threw that?"_

Just then, Billy ran past the man, and, figuring Billy was the guilty culprit, the biker gave chase. Carrie stared at them as Billy dove through the restaurant doors, rushed across the lobby and jabbed the button and flew into the elevator, seconds before the man behind him.

The man grabbed the doors before they could close and pushed them apart, shouting at Billy that he was going to pay. Billy shoved him back. "I didn't do it! Go away!" Billy yelled.

_"Sure_ you didn't!" the man roared, jumping in between the motion sensor again.

"I did _not!_ Please, leave me alone! I have to get out of here!" Billy pushed him as hard as he could; trouble was, the guy was on his way to three hundred pounds, and Billy still wasn't used to Earth's stronger gravity (his panic wasn't helping him, either), so he was unable to drive the biker back very far without seriously injuring him.

"You're not going anywhere, pal!" the man screamed.

"Please! _I don't want to hurt you!"_

"Go ahead and _try,_ buddy!"

"Isn't that Billy Cranston?" Carrie asked Jason faintly. The shock of discovering who the Red Ranger was hadn't worn off, and seeing a biker play a game of elevator dodge with a guy who was mistaken for the Red Pop-throwing culprit led only to becoming more startled.

"Who?" Jason asked, communicating silently with Tommy over her head.

"Billy Cranston. Your friend from high school. Who everyone used to think was y—the Red Ranger."

"Oh. _Billy._ Haven't seen him in years. Ever since my wedding."

She looked at Jason. "He's not coming into town any time soon, is he?"

Jason squirmed. If he said no, and someone who knew them spotted Billy and she found out, who knew what Carrie would do? As it was, Ernie and Mr. Cranston already knew he was back…

"He's coming in later today," Jason said finally. "In fact, I just came by to pick up Tommy and everyone so we could head on out to meet him."

"Funny," Carrie said dryly, "that looks an awful lot like him." She gave Jason a teasing smile and returned to watching Billy fight with the biker. A manager, a few janitors and two security guards were rushing towards the scene, while behind the front desk Jenny was frantically dialing the cops. Seeing the approaching people and unsure if they were backup for him or for the biker, knowing only that they would impede Billy's escape, Billy sighed and kicked the biker in the gut, just in time to send him careening into the reinforcements with the speed and precision of the freshly-buttered side of a slice of toast heading for the floor.

"I _told_ you I didn't want to hurt you!" Billy screamed wildly, wringing his hands as the elevator doors slammed shut.

* * *

Conner stepped out of the hotel room, Ethan right behind him, only to almost be knocked over by Billy. "Billy! What's wrong, dude?" Conner asked in concern.

"Come on!" Billy yelped, bolting down the hall to Zack's room and diving in through the open door, scaring the crap out of Zack. Billy immediately slammed the door, nearly removing a few of Ethan's fingers in the process; Conner pulled him clear just in time.

"Billy, man, what's up?" Zack asked nervously, clutching his heart.

"It's Tommy," Billy whimpered, breathing heavily. "And Jason. And Kira and Trent and _Carrie!"_

"Carrie who?" Zack asked blankly.

"Carrie the _reporter!_ And I just beat up a biker!"

"Way to _go!"_ Conner said, deeply impressed.

"Not the time, Conner," Ethan said dryly.

"Oh. Sorry."

"Carrie the reporter, as in the one Jason talked to while morphed?" Zack demanded.

"Yes! She happens to be physically present within this institution!"

"Billy, this is no time to talk like Billy!"

_"She's here!_ She's here, and she was talking to Tommy, and I think she _knows_ something, because she had this look on her face and Jason was drinking Red Pop and guys, the news, last night… it's all over TV that Tommy's the Black Ranger!"

"They found out our identities?" Ethan hissed.

"Not yours! _Zack's!_ Or rather, they think Tommy is Zack! The purse snatcher recognized Tommy and knows it wasn't the Black Ranger who decked him so they think it's Tommy who's the Black Ranger and I think she saw me, I think she _knows_ me!"

"Calm down! If you think she knows you, then we've got to get you out of here," Zack said firmly. "We can handle this. Let's just all make a mad dash for the front door."

"I can't! Security was coming to break up the fight I engaged in when that unsympathetic man in the leather jacket refused to acknowledge that I was not the culprit for whatever slight he perceived as being inflicted upon his—"

"BILLY!" Zack yelled.

"He said security is looking for him because a biker tried to pick a fight," Ethan said quickly.

"Oh," Zack said. "Then we'll have to smuggle you out. Give me some time to think…"

Conner's face lit up. "Don't worry, gang. I've got a _plan."_


	44. Clean Up Club

**Chapter Forty-four**

_Clean-Up Club_

Jason stared after Billy worriedly as the pile of flailing limbs and colorful curses in front of the elevator tried to untangle themselves. "Ah… well… Carrie… nice talking to you, but something's just come up, and, um… sorry about randomly hugging you and everything…"

Carrie gave him a sharp look that made him trail off. "Look, Mr. Scott, as much as I hate to do this, I've _got_ to talk to you. Alone. Now," Carrie whispered. "If you want me to keep anyone from looking too hard at Dr. Oliver's similarities to the Power Rangers, I need your help. If you let this go too far, it won't be long before someone figures it out. There's enough proof in Reefside to completely you. I should know; I've gathered it myself. Please. I promise, I'll make it worth your while."

Jason sighed, but before he could reply, the real Black Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger appeared in their midst, seemingly from out of nowhere. Carrie stared at him in shock.

"Hello!" he said loudly. "I have been made aware of the fact that, um, you think this guy—" the Black Ranger jerked his thumb at Tommy— "is me. And I'm here to prove that, well, he's not. See? Me Black Ranger. Not him."

Carrie shook her head, not quite ready for this sight on top of every other moment she'd just had in the past five minutes that had thrown her for a loop. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the hotel personnel (minus the security guards, who were now wrestling the biker) were charging for the stairs… but they all slowed down to get a good look at the Black Ranger. Without a second thought, they all turned to head towards the cluster of Rangers in the center of the restaurant.

"Thank you, real Black Ranger," Tommy said through gritted teeth. "Now, if you would be so kind as to fade back into the night before causing a public relations nightmare."

"Did it ever occur to you that I might have an ulterior motive for doing this?" the Black Ranger muttered, watching the approaching hotel staff anxiously. Other customers in the restaurant were staring or cheering, awed and overjoyed at the sight of a Ranger in their midst. He turned to shoot a look at Tommy, then paused. "Hey!" he hissed. "Is that my _shirt?_ OW!" he yelled, more out of habit than pain, as the suit dulled most of the damage Tommy had tried to do. "I mean, uh, I have one just like that." Tommy and the Black Ranger turned to give Carrie worried looks.

"Go," Tommy growled at the Ranger.

"I can't! It's a diversion!" he replied as quietly as possible.

_For what?_ Carrie wondered, turning around to look back towards the elevator. She glimpsed two young men in ill-fitting bellhop uniforms coming out of the elevator, their heads down and their caps pulled low, walking in the hurried fashion of two people who were breaking a rule as they carefully skirted around the two security guards who were failing to hold the biker down. The two bellhops were wheeling a bellman's cart, upon which was only a haphazardly-piled black blanket patterned with Ninja Turtles in various battle poses. Something about the bellhops looked familiar, and the blanket looked too small to make such a big pile… in fact, it looked like it was draped carefully over something. Carrie's eyes widened as she realized just _where_ Billy Cranston had gone.

The moment they were in the parking lot, the Black Ranger sighed in relief and said, "Well, folks, I, uh, I've got people to save!" and ran for it, heading out the back entrance, which led to the pool.

Realizing the ramifications this would have on her keeping Tommy Oliver's whereabouts a secret, Carrie whipped out her cell phone and hit the speed dial for Jenny. She answered immediately, leaning over the front desk with her own phone clamped to her ear.

"Oh my god, did you just see—?" Jenny began excitedly.

"Of course I saw. I was standing right next to him," Carrie snapped as the hotel manager and his entourage followed the Black Ranger out the back, barely sparing a glance for Jason, Tommy, Kira, Trent and Carrie. "Things just got worse. I need you to delete Kimberly Hart's name from the register. Zack Taylor's, too, just in case. Bill them all to Anton Mercer and fix the 'mistake' the day they check out."

"But…"

"I'll explain later, I promise. _I need you to do this for me._ Please, Jen, as your best friend of eleven yea—"

"Fine! I'll do it. But I want details later."

"Done."

Carrie hung up, having almost forgotten about the others until she found them all staring at her, having overheard her side of the conversation. "What?" she asked with a wry grin. "How do you think I found you? Black magic and bribery? I prefer good old-fashioned spies."

Jason grinned, then looked at Tommy. "Take Kira and Trent and go upstairs. Get dressed and get ready to run; I want us out of this hotel as fast as possible, at least for the day. From now on, we keep as low a profile as possible in this place."

"What about you?" Tommy asked.

"I'll be talking to Carrie."

"Jase, you can't—"

"Want to try and stop me, bro?" Jason asked, his tone both amused and challenging.

Tommy smiled thinly. "Then I'm coming with you."

"No."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because you're not going out in public with me while dressed like that. Besides," he added with another grin, "someone has to make sure my wife doesn't find out what I'm doing."

"Ah, and the real motive comes out." Tommy smiled, then nodded curtly at his two utterly confused students. "Kira, Trent, come on. Now." Throwing down some cash to cover the food bill, and adding a very large tip, Tommy jogged off towards the elevator.

"What _the hell_ is going _on,_ Dr. O?" Kira complained.

"Not now," Tommy said impatiently as he stepped around the brawling biker and guards and punched the button for the elevator. It opened at once… revealing two bellhops, bound, gagged and blindfolded on the elevator, one making muffled noises of protest around his gag, the other still unconscious. Both of them were in their underwear.

_"Conner!"_ Tommy groaned in exasperation, jerking his head at Kira and Trent to follow him past the elevator. "Come on. We're taking the stairs."

* * *

A bewildered Trini pulled open the door at Tommy's frantic knock, only to have Kira shoved bodily at her. "Mild situation," Tommy barked, checking the hall carefully for eavesdroppers.

"What kind?" Trini asked urgently.

He smiled without humor. "The kind that if I tell you about now, you'll panic, but if I tell you about it later, you'll laugh yourself sick. Just stay in the room and wait for me to call. Be ready to run out of here when I do."

Tommy shut the door and Kimberly and Trini looked expectantly at Kira. Kira just shook her head and sat down on the bed, trying to catch her breath from the mad dash up the stairs while thinking up a good cover story. Dr. O had specifically said not to tell Trini anything. Well, actually what he'd specifically said was, "Not a word to Trini—or Kim—or I'll do some of the things Conner makes me want to do to him when he breaks one of my possessions," so she was definitely going to comply.

"I don't know what _happened,"_ Kira said shakily. "Trent and I were eating breakfast and… Dr. O sat down with us and it all went downhill from there…"

Kimberly and Trini looked at each other. "Ah," Kimberly said wisely, "welcome to life with Tommy."

* * *

"Just so you know," Jason said as he and Carrie seated themselves in a secluded corner of the patio surrounding the pool (under the balconies, so that Trini couldn't look down and see them), "if my wife finds out about this, she's gonna kick your ass."

Carrie chuckled. "Is that a threat?"

Jason shook his head. "It's a warning," he replied, only half-joking.

"So, I take it you married the Yellow Ranger?" Carrie asked.

"Yeah." He sighed. "How long have you known?"

"About you? Just since you walked up drinking Red Pop. I've known Billy Cranston was the Blue Ranger and Tommy Oliver the Green for about two years now. Figured it out after that island explosion. What was going on there, anyway?"

"You've heard of Mesogog, the arch enemy of Reefside's Power Rangers?" She nodded. "Anton Mercer was experimenting on himself, and something went wrong. He disappeared a few days before the island blew up… and came back to Reefside as Mesogog."

"I always thought there was something else going on there than just Power Rangers searching the ocean for a comrade… makes sense, especially since Dr. Oliver is the Black Dino Ranger."

Jason looked impressed. "Figured out his color and everything, did you?"

"Reports in Reefside claimed that the Black Ranger's voice sounded older than the others, and when the Black Ranger was absent for several battles in a row, Oliver was out sick with a mysterious illness." Carrie shrugged. "Wasn't that hard. His battle with Elsa Randall on the school's front lawn didn't hurt my cause."

"The other Dino Rangers, do you know who they are?"

"Kira Ford is the Yellow, and Trent Fernandez was the White—I met him back in Reefside when interviewing Randall. Seems she's dating his father—which, come to think of it, makes even more sense now that I know Mercer was Mesogog. Anyway, I was never very clear on the other two. The tall one is probably the Red, but I never got their names—"

"Conner McKnight and Ethan James." Jason watched her carefully as she thought this over, and nodded to himself when she didn't write down either name. Jason didn't feel bad letting her know this; he figured that if she really wanted to know, she could probably find out just by asking a few choice people in Reefside—it wouldn't be all that hard, not since all she lacked about them were their names. "Conner's the tall one, the Red."

"Ah. He doesn't wear a lot of red, but Ethan wears almost nothing but blue. Can I ask why it is you do that? Isn't it overly conspicuous?"

Jason shrugged. "We can't help it. It's like a badge of honor. An association, an _addiction_ even, when it comes to our colors… It's different with those of us who have changed colors, of course. I was also the Gold Zeo Ranger, but I guess because my uniform was mostly black that became my color. Usually, we all try and wear our colors every day, simply because it drives us crazy if we don't. It's like having Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. But those of us who've switched colors, like me and Tommy… all of us sometimes just wake up sometimes and say, 'Today's a Red day,' or whatever." He leaned back. "How'd you know Tommy was the Green? And what made you realize Billy was the Blue."

She told him about the island, and Power Rangers Day, and her research. "After that," she finished, "I tried looking through old notes on Billy Cranston's friends, but there wasn't much left to go on, so I couldn't determine who was who. Now, though… since Trini Kwan is now Trini Scott, and you married the Yellow, I assume that's her. So Kimberly Hart must be the Pink Ranger. Zack Taylor left Angel Grove shortly after the White Ranger appeared, so he must have been Black. Things get really confusing right around the White Ranger's arrival, though, and there wasn't much research done on any of you after you three left Angel Grove, since the Power Rangers were still around and you weren't… so who was the White Ranger?"

"Tommy," Jason said, looking slightly surprised that she hadn't already figured it out. "Once we knew his powers were gone for good… well, Zordon, our… um… the guy who gave us our powers, he made Tommy the White Ranger. When the Mighty Morphin' Rangers lost their powers, Tommy became the Red Zeo Ranger."

"After you left, who took over?"

Jason shook his head. "I'm sorry. Me and the others… you've already figured it out, or you were about to. So I don't mind telling you about them, because you'd be able to screw us with or without this conversation. We don't matter anymore, not where you're concerned. But I can't betray them."

Carrie nodded, slightly disappointed, but not much. "It was you I cared about. Ever since that day you sat down on my desk and started slurping Red Pop through a straw, I haven't stopped wondering who you were."

"Thought I was hot, did you?" Jason joked, leaning back in his chair and giving her a cocky grin.

Carrie rolled her eyes, but she laughed. "Yes, helmets are _so_ sexy." She paused. "All right. I'll admit it. The spandex was much nicer than those ninja suits."

Jason laughed uproariously. "Thanks. I think." He shrugged. "I was never a Ninja, myself."

Carrie grinned. "All joking aside, that day meant a lot to me. I looked at you and suddenly I realized that complaining about my crappy life was pointless."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? Why's that?"

"Because your life sucked worse and yet you were out there saving my life."

He grinned. "I was an idiot like that."

"You gave me a career, too. God, I wanted out of that department. Wanted to be a _real_ reporter. Plus the pay was way better."

Jason shook his head. "You gave me a lot more. Gave _us_ a lot more. I still read everything you write."

"That means a lot to me," she said quietly.

"I always wanted to email you or something, since your email is included in your column, but I was afraid of giving myself away. I'm glad I got to tell you that that article was one of the nicest things you could have done for me."

"I got your thank-you letter," Carrie said. "It was very sweet. I kept trying to find a way to reply, but I couldn't come up with any way to do it."

Jason winced. "Don't ever publish that letter, please. My wife would kill me. And then divorce me."

"I won't. Besides, it's ten years old. It's _beyond_ old news."

Jason cleared his throat. "Now that you know who I am…"

"I won't tell anyone, if that's what you're asking."

"Actually, I was going to ask to keep in touch." He frowned. "Am I coming off as flirtatious? Because my wife—well, more than oxygen, you know?"

Carrie smiled. "Understood. And that's a mutual sentiment there. But I'd like to keep in touch. As long as I don't get killed in my sleep by a Yellow Ranger. That'd be really bad press."

"Agreed." He sighed. "I actually don't have a lot of time. Between Zack running in like an idiot—"

"I think the other two Dino Rangers smuggled Billy Cranston out of the hotel after stealing uniforms from bellhops. I'm not sure if knowing that is a help to you or not, but…"

Jason groaned. "Damn it… that's Zack for you. Smart guy, but kinda ditsy, you know? And Billy, most intelligent sentient being alive, and yet once he starts to really and truly panic it's a whole other ballgame. Conner and Ethan… well… um, anyway… we're getting off-topic."

Carrie nodded. "I'm on deadline, too. I can't stay long. My editor's already demanding to know why I haven't gotten him a piece on this yet."

"So back to the point… the receptionist is a friend of yours?"

"Yeah. That's how I found out about Dr. Oliver staying in the hotel. I had her delete Tommy's name from the register, so that even after her shift is over no one will be able to find his name, along with Kimberly Hart and Zack Taylor's. I'd stay gone most of the day, though; now that the Black Ranger has shown up, this place will be swarming with press soon. Should be safe by nightfall, but I'd take the back way in and out as often as possible."

"Don't worry, I've already thought of that. Billy will never set foot in this hotel again if I can help it, and Tommy will take every precaution. Now, then… how did you know about Walter? Did the cops—?"

"Cops haven't said a thing to anyone. My friend is a medical assistant there," Carrie replied. "The cops are pretty close, though. The older one, Abe, he thinks his partner's crazy, and I get the feeling he doesn't want to get dragged into this mess. But Don was actually getting pretty far. Figured out who Dr. Oliver was, but he has no proof, just speculation. If you get Walter to recant his story—"

"Don't worry, I'll be making a call here soon enough," Jason said dryly.

"—then Officer Brewster will be at square one. Doesn't hurt that I sent the cops on a little wild goose chase to Reefside."

"You… what?"

"I gave him a few names. Councilwoman Eleanor Sanchez, for one."

"Sanchez… Sanchez…" Jason frowned, trying to recall the name.

"Oliver dated her daughter. Eleanor Sanchez is practically in love with the guy herself, though. It was all I could do not to fall asleep when I talked to her. 'Tommy's the best thing that ever happened to my daughter, I hope they get back together one day, wonderful person… Ranger? Are you insane? No, no, he's far too real and solid and honest to be a double life.' I also sent them to Elsa Randall, whose story would have convinced _me_ if I hadn't already come so far by the time I stumbled across her, and to a woman named Hayley—"

_"Hayley?"_ Jason hissed.

"Yes, do you know her?"

"Yeah. Ugh." Jason wiped a hand over his face wearily. "Involving Hayley in this… she'll probably be pissed. But if anyone's smart enough to throw people off the scent, it's her."

"Was she a Ranger, also?"

"No. She helped Tommy mentor the team, built a lot of their technology and came up with a lot of their secret plans. Old friend of his from college."

"Ah. Well, I imagine that if those two cops make it past the mayor's wrath, they won't get anything out of those three women. They'll turn them around, just like they tried to do to me."

"You're probably right about that." Jason sighed and pushed his chair back. "I really should get going. I have a lot of work to do, and timing is crucial."

Carrie nodded and stood up. "See you at Power Rangers Day?"

He nodded. "I'll be there."

Carrie pulled her notepad from her purse, along with a Sharpie. "I know it's not Power Rangers Day yet, but… would you do the honors?"

Jason grinned, flipped to a page at the back, and began to write. She'd been expecting something short and simple, but he kept going, even flipping to another page to finish his message before signing, "The Red Ranger" with a flourish.

She held out her hand for him to shake, and he started to shake it before pulling her to him for a tight hug. She hugged him back, not as startled this time, and felt a sense of peace wash over her. She'd uncovered the Power Rangers' identities; a feat that few, if any, had managed before her. She'd finally found her friend from the bad day of all bad days, who'd completely altered her life, and realized she'd altered his as well. It felt unbelievably good to end a ten-year chapter of her life on such good terms.

He pulled away and left without a word. Carrie grinned as she watched him go, stuffing the notebook back into her purse; she'd read it later, in private… after she was done writing the biggest story of her life.

* * *

"You know, I met Rita Repulsa once," Skull said importantly as the tour bus careened down the slow lane at roughly ninety miles an hour.

"Me, too," Bulk added quickly.

"Really," Don said, rolling his eyes as a Skull jerked into the middle lane. A minivan full of kids in soccer uniforms honked and the mother behind the wheel flipped them off. Skull waved cheerfully at them and swerved back out of her way. Don groaned. "You should really think about installing seatbelts back here."

"Seatbelts are for wimps," Bulk scoffed.

"Yeah, no one uses those anymore," Skull agreed.

"I'm a cop. You probably shouldn't tell me that," Don reminded him dryly.

Skull shrugged, now looking intently at a red Buick in the fast lane. "Hey, is that your aunt Helen, Bulk?"

"I don't know. Get closer."

Skull leaned his head out the window. "HI, BULK'S AUNT HELEN!" he screamed.

"Guys, that's a fifty-year-old Italian man," Don said faintly. "I doubt it's Aunt Helen."

"No, it kind of looks like her." Bulk squinted. "Oh, wait, you're right. That's not my aunt Helen."

"Oops," Skull said sheepishly. He leaned his head back out the window. "HI, FIFTY-YEAR-OLD ITALIAN MAN!" Skull swerved into the slow lane accidentally. More horns honked; Don was starting to feel like he was in a horror movie about killer geese. Bulk took the wheel and twisted it back into the middle lane; the fifty-year-old Italian, who'd been trying to change lanes at this point, crammed his brakes. Another car smacked into him, the soccer mom Skull had upset earlier smashing into the second car.

"Jeez," Skull said sadly as he continued off down the interstate. "The way people drive these days. Poor guy."

"Yeah, poor guy," Bulk said vaguely.

"Yeah. Not only is he a bad driver, but he looks like your Aunt Helen."

Don grit his teeth, wishing he could close his eyes but too afraid they'd miss the exit and prolong his time in this hellish vehicle.

After a power nap, and then a few espressos and a couple of Red Bulls to shake off the grogginess caused by the power nap, Don had met back up with Bulk and Skull at Club Bulkmeier. They had insisted on driving, and since they'd seemed more awake than he was, he let them.

He had never made a bigger mistake before in his life.

He'd spent the first ten minutes of the drive screaming his head off and clinging to a metal pole bolted to the floor of the tour bus. Then Skull, who was driving, had turned around to give him a lengthy lecture about distractions during road trips, while Bulk held the wheel.

If Don hadn't been in the van, but rather sitting in a patrol car on the side of the highway, he would have given Skull about twelve different traffic tickets and probably taken him in for drunk driving, no matter what the breathalyzer read.

_This will all be worth it soon,_ Don reminded himself desperately as the tour bus flew towards Reefside. They'd check out the leads Carrie had given them. Maybe speak to a few of Oliver's colleagues other than Randall. And, given the fact that Oliver was on vacation… well, Don wouldn't mind having a look at his house. Not that he wanted to break in or anything; he was, after all, a cop, and he was investigating something he shouldn't while well outside his jurisdiction. But he'd like to case the place. See if he could find anything suspicious around the perimeter.

He had Walter's story, and Carrie's leads, and a couple of guys who were very tight with Captain Stone (should anything go wrong, he could probably get out of it).

Before long, the entire world would know that Tommy Oliver was the Green Ranger, and they'd have Don to thank…

"Skull, what have I told you about driving on the shoulder?"

"Sorry, Bulky."

…provided Don didn't die on the way to Reefside.

* * *

Jason hammered the "code knock" from their Ranger days on Tommy's door. Despite the fact that Tommy had a horrible memory, he recognized it instantly and pulled the door open.

"Conner called me. He, Billy, Zack and Ethan are meeting up at your place to wait for us," Tommy reported without preamble as he returned to the bathroom to finish his hair. While many people could get dressed and ready for the day in under twenty minutes, Tommy could shower, dress, groom and pack a briefcase in under five; it was one of the many skills learned by the chronically late. By the time Jason arrived, he'd already taken a shower (which had slowed him down considerably, as "shower" was now synonymous with "naked Kim"), talked to Conner on the phone, gotten dressed and completed every other hygiene ritual save the important process of spiking the hair.

"Where are they going to stash the bellhop uniforms?" Jason asked dryly.

"Hopefully nowhere near me," Tommy replied with a smirk. He knew that, as a responsible teacher, he should be upset about their impromptu crimes, but at the same time he couldn't help being amused. Not only that, but, as Jason had said, on certain days, a Ranger of multiple colors woke up and found themselves having a certain type of day.

Tommy was having a Green day.

He wasn't in all green; his jeans were black cargo-style. Black—somehow, black just made him think of facing the past. And Green…

Green was what he wore on the days that he kicked ass in the truest sense of the phrase.

They were fixing this purse snatching mess, and fixing it well… but Tommy was fairly certain that the media wasn't what had caused his change in attitude. There was a fight coming, a different fight—probably metaphorical but possibly literal. And he was ready.

He wasn't sure what had set him off. Kimberly in the shower, Trini and Zack getting on his case, Carrie showing up, the realization that the world thought he was the wrong Ranger, finding the bellhops in the elevator, last night's freak accidents and humiliation… it didn't matter. Tommy no longer cared. He was just in the zone now, prepared for what his instincts were informing him was going to be a killer battle.

_That's what happens when you get pissed enough,_ Tommy thought idly. _You're forced to cope with so much that all of a sudden you decide that you're going to take whatever they give you and fling it back in their face… Oh, well. At least **I'm** not beating up bellhops and tying them up in elevators._

"We've got to get this Walter guy to change his tune," Jason continued, noticing the solid color affiliation and the aura around Tommy but choosing not to comment. Jason himself was feeling Red today. Very Red.

Tommy winced and concentrated on making certain his hair was finally done. He picked up one of his old earrings. He hadn't worn an earring around the Dino Rangers yet, but today he couldn't bring himself to care what they'd think about such a thing.

"Look, bro… I don't want to threaten the guy. I mean, I already kicked his butt twice, and—"

"Can't be any of us," Jason interrupted. "Too risky."

"Then who—?"

Jason held up his cell phone. A number was already displayed; he just had to hit send.

Tommy smirked. "Brilliant," he agreed, and slid the earring into his ear. The readiness swirling through his system increased, but he couldn't help being a tad nervous as well. This mess was almost over—or at least, probably so. Yet he felt completely certain that another fight was on its way.

* * *

They congregated together and quietly left the hotel, Tommy putting the top up on his Jeep so that they could all squeeze into it and talk without being heard. They told Trini and Kimberly about Zack. They told them about Billy.

And when it came time to tell them about Carrie…

"She knows who I am," Jason said simply. "She knows who we all are. Even the Dino Rangers."

"And you trust her not to squeal?" Trini demanded.

"I'm gonna have to, Trini. Unless you think one of us should assassinate her, it's too late. She already knows. But yeah, I trust her. Point is, she just saved our ass. Tommy, Zack and Kimberly have been deleted from the hotel registry. She's diverted the two cops who were getting suspicious. And she's told m—_us_ everything Walter knows. It'll be fine, Trini. Or at least, it will be by the time the _Sentinel_ releases its next edition." Trini sighed, unhappy but helpless to fix it.

Look," Kimberly said tentatively, "I know this is bad, but there's nothing we can do, right? So let's just get the hell out of here. We're heading to Stone Canyon today, right, Trini? Let's just go do whatever it was Trini was planning and have some fun. I'm not going to let something we can't control ruin our only week with each other and Billy and Zack and the Dino Rangers."

"You're right," Tommy muttered. "Besides, we've already sent someone to clean up the Walter mess. Keep him from talking."

"Who?" Trini asked.

* * *

Walter was still jumpy. The pain medication had helped some, but the knowledge that he'd managed to antagonize someone as scary as Tommy Oliver once again was quite terrifying. Back in high school he'd seen them all practicing martial arts together and fending off Bulk and Skull (who'd put Walter in a trashcan or a toilet bowl more than once), Tommy and Jason and Rocky and Adam and Kimberly and Billy and Trini and Aisha and Tanya and Kat…

And now people were saying that Tommy Oliver was the Black Ranger. He'd heard it from the hospital staff and from the morning news on the TV in his hospital room.

Just his luck. He couldn't just piss off a guy who knew how to fight. Oh, no. No, he had to piss off a _superhero._

The room was silent as Walter stared glumly at the ceiling, wishing he hadn't been so stupid… and then a couple people in the hallway started arguing.

He sighed. This had happened a lot. Apparently reporters wanted to get a word with him… but other than that Carrie woman, no one had been allowed in save cops and hospital staff. Walter got the distinct feeling he was being watched by someone other than the cops; the same medical assistant had been visible outside his room all night and security guards kept walking by in the background whenever the door opened. Occasionally he'd hear someone demanding to be allowed in to question him, and another loud voice shooing them away… so it came as a complete surprise when the door swung inward. Walter yelped, turning to look, but the room was windowless and very dimly lit at the moment, so he couldn't see the man very well. Who would be barging into his room? The hospital staff and even the cops knocked before entering.

The door closed before he could get a good look at the man who entered. Walter breathed a sigh of relief; it was probably just a doctor, if they were shutting the door.

Then the lights came on, and he squinted, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. It wasn't a doctor. Oh, no. It was a tall, handsome, well-muscled black man with a shaved head and a chillingly polite smile. He was wearing street clothes, including leather gloves. Walter didn't like the looks of those gloves. They were the sort of gloves worn by people who didn't want to leave fingerprints on their murder weapons.

"Do you know who I am?" the man asked, spinning the lock until it clicked.

Walter shivered, eyes widening in horror as he realized just what was happening. Everyone in Angel Grove knew who this man was. Walter doubted there were many people in the world who didn't know this man. Walter knew he should feel honored, or at least awed… but suddenly all he felt was twice as terrified.

"Yes," Walter choked out.

Yes. He knew who this was.

T.J. Johnson.

Red Turbo Power Ranger, Blue Space Ranger, official spokesman for the Power Rangers. It was he who handled all deals with the merchandise companies, he who gave more public appearances than any of the other Space Rangers… he who was looking down at Walter in a distinctly creepy fashion, still smiling coldly.

"Good," T.J. said quietly. "That's real good."

"What do you want?" Walter whimpered.

"I _want_… to have a little _talk."_


	45. Challenges

**Chapter Forty-five**

_Challenges_

"See?" Rocky said as he and Adam sat in Adam's black Mercedes. "I _told_ you he was fine." Despite the fact that Rocky had been trying to reassure Adam all morning, he sounded as relieved as Adam felt.

"I'm sure he is," Adam murmured, still staring at the morpher in his hand as he pressed his cell phone to his ear with the other hand. They were sitting in the parking lot of a restaurant not far from Rocky's house, where they'd stopped for a bite to eat. They had planned to go find the ruins of the Power Chamber today; they'd both been feeling rather nostalgic what with all the talk of Power Rangers flooding Angel Grove and Stone Canyon, and neither of them had been there since passing on their powers. Adam's morpher had stayed room temperature all day, but just a moment ago it had been almost hot enough to burn—but without the lightshow. So Zack had morphed again… and everything had been fine. Zack wasn't hurt, or dead, or anything of the sort.

Still, Adam wished he'd pick up the freaking phone.

"Zack, it's me again. Kinda wondering what's up with this _colorful_ thing. It looks like everything's fine on my end, but I'd really like to know what the hell is going on. Couldn't get in touch with you last night. Or this morning. At all. Call me. And if you ever put your phone on silent and forget to turn the ringer back up again, I'm gonna kick your ass."

"What now?" Rocky asked. "If we head out into the mountains, we'll probably lose signal. If and when he tries to call us back." He paused. "And I'm really kind of sleepy." They hadn't slept very well last night; although they'd tried to convince themselves that Zack was fine, they'd both been rather worried.

"Maybe we should call Jase or something," Adam said thoughtfully. They'd refrained from calling the others last night, as they hadn't wanted to wake anyone, but now that it was morning they might have a better shot.

"He's probably at work," Rocky pointed out. "Trini, too."

"Tommy would be off, though," Adam said. "Although… he's probably in Reefside. So I doubt he'll know anything."

"Let's see… Justin's in Massachusetts; that rules him out. Hayley and Tommy in Reefside, Jason and Trini working, Tanya and Aisha in Africa…"

"Kat's in Australia," Adam continued. "She and Zack aren't really close, anyway. Kim's a possibility, but she's probably working, too." He sighed. "I might as well try Jase. If he _is_ teaching right now, his phone will be off, but it's worth a shot." Adam flipped his phone open and started to reach for the buttons, but it started ringing. He eagerly hit send and shoved it against his ear. "Zack?"

"Nope, guess again."

"Carlos! Hey, man, how's it going?"

"Not much, I was just wondering…" Carlos lowered his voice. "Do you know what's up with Tommy?"

Adam blinked. "Hang on. I'm putting you on speakerphone."

"No, it's… a _color_ problem. I think."

"It's just me and Rocky, and we're in my car, alone. Talk."

Carlos breathed a sigh of relief as Adam put him on speaker and set the phone in the holder mounted on the dashboard. Rocky looked over curiously.

"It's just… I called T.J. a few minutes ago, and he said Jason asked him to threaten some guy in the hospital named Walter about this whole Black Ranger mess."

"What Black Ranger mess?" Adam demanded.

"Didn't you watch the news?"

"No, why?"

"Every TV station in California is claiming Tommy is the first Black Power Ranger."

"You mean the Black Dino Ranger?" Adam asked, panicked.

"No, I mean the _first_ Black Ranger. The Mighty Morphin' Ranger."

"But that's insane. _Zack_ was the first Black Ranger. Tommy was Green and White. We ought to know; we were there," Rocky said in confusion.

"I don't know _where_ this is coming from, but apparently Tommy beat up some guy who tried to steal his girlfriend's purse, and then the Black Ranger handed the guy over to the cops and paramedics."

"Does Tommy even _have_ a girlfriend?" Rocky asked, frowning. "I mean, I thought he wasn't dating anyone since… what was her name… Maria. Maria Sanchez."

"I didn't think so, but I haven't talked to him in a while," Carlos replied.

"Me either. He's been really busy, what with all the Dino Ranger stuff," Adam said.

"What did T.J. say about all this?" Rocky asked. He and T.J. had always shared a special bond. They were, after all, the only two Rangers so far to have started out Red and ended up Blue, and Tommy, Adam, Justin, Kat and Tanya had stayed in touch with the Space Rangers after the power transfer, and Rocky had met T.J. through them.

"He said he couldn't talk. Was trying to sneak out of the hospital before he was recognized. Apparently he was convincing the purse snatcher to reword his story about Tommy, and the hospital is swarming with reporters, so T.J. didn't want to be seen."

"Oh, god," Adam breathed. "Think of all the damage that could be done if anyone figures it out. If you start with Tommy and Power Rangers, it won't be long before—"

"That's what I said," Carlos interrupted, "but T.J. told me Jason insisted they had everything worked out, that they just needed someone to 'talk' to the purse snatcher. Said everything would be fine after that; apparently they've got someone on the inside."

"Of the _media?"_ Rocky demanded incredulously. The Rangers had often watched news reports about themselves, good and bad, but reporters were risky to have a conversation with.

"Who?" Adam asked. "How can he be certain they're telling the truth? If he knows someone in the press, and that person is helping him, then that person knows way too much. What if they screw us over?"

"Adam, I did the twenty-minute panic attack with T.J. And he said he did it with Jason. Jason's absolutely _sure_ they'll be fine. One-hundred percent. But I didn't get enough details; T.J. was hiding from the press in some sort of storage closet at the time, and I don't think he knows much himself. I called Tommy, but it rang straight to voicemail; I think his phone's off. I was going to wait an hour and try again, but I thought I'd try you guys first."

"We don't know anything about it—but this explains why my morpher's been acting weird. It goes kinda warm whenever Zack morphs, and last night, it was going haywire, as if… as if someone who shouldn't be using it was masquerading as the Black Ranger," Adam said, realization dawning. "Of _course."_

"That doesn't make any sense at all. Why would Zack let Tommy use his morpher when Tommy still has his Zeonizer?" Rocky demanded. "I mean, that's kinda… dumb."

"And why Tommy?" Adam asked. "And why was he knocking out a purse snatcher as the Black Ranger, when he could do at as a civilian? This is ridiculous!"

"I'm calling Tommy," Rocky said decisively. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed, but it didn't even ring; it went straight to voicemail. "Tommy, it's Rocky. We're kind of freaking out. What's up with that news story? Call me."

"Damn… try Jason," Adam suggested.

"Jason said not to call back for a while," Carlos spoke up. "Something about needing to take care of a few things and burn a couple bellhop uniforms…"

_"What?"_ Adam demanded.

"I have _no_ idea. But T.J. told me that Jason was pretty busy at the moment."

"If Jason's busy, Trini will be, too," Adam groaned.

"And that's probably why Tommy and Zack aren't picking up," Rocky agreed.

"That means we're out of people to get answers from."

"What about the others?" Carlos asked.

"Justin's still off at MIT; said his last final is tomorrow. Tanya and Aisha are in Africa, Billy's on Aquitar, and it's not like Kat and Kim would be involved with something to do with Tommy," Adam replied.

_"Hayley!"_ Rocky exclaimed, his face lighting up. He scrolled through his cell phone address book to the listing for the café.

"Hayley's Cyberspace," she said a few moments later.

"Hayley! Rocky. Have you heard from Tommy?"

"No," she said through gritted teeth, her voice low. "And when I find him, I'm gonna kick his ass."

"What? Why?"

"I can't talk now. If you talk to him before I do, _have him call me._ I've gotta go; I'm busy."

"But—"

Rocky heard someone in the background talking, and then Hayley said, in a falsely bright voice, "Yes, that's right, we close at nine Sunday through Thursday, ten on Friday and Saturday. Thank you for calling Hayley's Cyberspace!"

The line went dead. "What the hell was _that?"_ Rocky complained, relating this conversation to Carlos and Adam.

"Maybe she's in on it," Adam said.

"She said she hadn't heard from Tommy, though," Rocky argued.

"Well, T.J. said he hadn't heard from Tommy and yet he was off pulling strings for Tommy," Carlos pointed out.

Adam nodded. "Let's give it some time. At least an hour. Then we'll try calling again."

"Fine," Rocky said. He sighed. "We can always go to the Power Chamber tomorrow."

"I've got to go swing by L.A. tomorrow, remember? We can go Friday."

"You guys are going to the Power Chamber?" Carlos asked eagerly. "Can I come?"

Rocky and Adam looked at each other and shrugged. "Sure," Adam said. "But we'd better get off here. I'm going to keep trying Zack. I swear. Is it just me, or do Tommy, Jason, Zack and Kim have much weirder lives than we do?"

* * *

As Zack had already left with Billy, Conner and Ethan, Kira, Trent, Tommy and Kimberly rode in the Jeep and Jason and Trini took Jason's truck back to the house. Things were rather uncomfortable in the Jeep; Kimberly was sitting in the front, while Kira and Trent cuddled in the backseat, holding hands and whispering to each other. Tommy kept his gaze planted firmly on the bumper of Jason's truck and Kimberly leaned as far from him as she could get without falling out of the window, wishing she hadn't picked today to wear his shirt. The more she thought about it, the more certain she was that Tommy had left the room early that morning because Trini and Zack had gotten on his case about just why Kimberly was in Tommy's shower. Zack's cry of "Is that _Tommy's shirt?_ See, Trini, I _told_ you so!" was now ringing in Kimberly's ears. Great. Now everyone probably thought she was sleeping with Tommy… or had Zack just sincerely bought Kimberly's reply of "This is _my_ shirt" and figured he was wrong about her and Tommy sleeping together? Didn't sound like Zack…

Jason's truck screeched to a halt at a stop sign a little harder and faster than was necessary; Tommy was only just able to brake before hitting him. Tommy waited for Jason to move, becoming impatient when he didn't. He looked at the clock. One minute passed… then two… then five… Tommy noticed the brake lights were off, which meant Jason had to have put the car in park and taken his foot off the pedal. Tommy sighed. Jason and Trini were looking at each other, talking about something…

Tommy honked the horn. Jason and Trini simultaneously responded with rude hand gestures.

"What the hell are they talking about in there?" Tommy demanded, just as uncomfortable with the current situation as Kimberly and anxious to end it.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kimberly asked. He looked at her questioningly, surprised. "Carrie, of course."

"I thought we covered everything earlier," Tommy said, confused.

Kimberly smiled. "Not as far as Trini and Jason are concerned. You know Trini's never exactly happy whenever Jason mentions her."

* * *

Hayley couldn't believe this was happening to her. She really couldn't. She could not fathom how it had started, or why it had escalated, or why it was still happening.

Only one thing was certain.

_This was Tommy's fault._

Hayley was a genius, to be sure, and she saw the world differently from most people. She was, however, normal. Her extraordinary qualities could not transform her from "normal" to "weird;" the things that were unusual about her weren't enough to alter her label. Normality can not be measured or weighed or reasoned. It's simply _there._ There are normal people, who lead normal lives, and then there are abnormal people, who lead psychotic lives.

Fact is, the majority of the population is made up of normal people. When they see something weird, they will simply stare, shrug, and move on. This explained why the Rangers' identities were rarely exposed—normal people saw them doing something off in the course of Ranger duty, and chocked it up to the fact that weird people live different lives.

Tommy was a weird person. Ranger or not, he had the unfortunate luck to be _important._ Important people are often the weirdest of all, simply because their lives are eventful and higher powers watch them closely. However, despite the fact that she was one of his best friends and helped him through the insanity, Hayley was not like him. She was normal.

Yet she kept getting sucked into his world.

And she was tired of it.

It had taken some getting used to back in college. Tommy had a flair for accidental catastrophe, and Hayley had a flair for laughing at accidental catastrophe. So they'd worked out together. But somewhere along the line, she'd noticed she was being _sucked in._

Like the time he set his hair on fire, and burst into her classroom covered in tomato sauce. Or the time he got his foot stuck in the kitchen sink when they were living together. Or the time they got trapped in the elevator and rather than wait for help, he'd decided to bust on out via the access panel in the ceiling.

Through it all, Hayley had done her best to stay a normal person. She knew that once she became weird, there was no going back. So she'd handled life like a normal person. She'd looked at the world like a normal person. And deep down, she knew she was truly normal.

But every so often something like this would happen, and Hayley would find herself teetering on the edge of the Cliff of Normality overlooking the Ocean of Freakishness, in between the two warning signs (the first sign said "Watch Out for Sharks and Piranhas" and the other said "No Diving; No Lifeguard On Duty") and praying something would pull her back before she fell. Meanwhile, Tommy did the backstroke around and around the sharp rocks at the base of the cliff and called out for her to join him on the dark side.

_Not going to do it,_ Hayley thought mutinously as she glowered at the three men. _Not going to let this get to me._

Bulk, Skull, and a random tagalong were standing on the other side of the window, begging to be let in.

"We know you're in there!" Bulk roared, pounding on the glass. Hayley rolled her eyes. It wasn't like she was hiding; she was in plain view through the window.

"I _told_ you," Hayley shouted, "we're closed!"

"The sign says you open ten minutes ago!" the random tagalong protested.

"Don't you remember us?" Bulk demanded.

Hayley grimaced. She remembered them, all right. That had been one of the most eventful weeks of her life, staying at their club back in '02… even before Tommy had run off to the moon, it had been one freakish thing after another.

"I said _we're closed!"_ she shouted.

"It's about Tommy!" Bulk called. "Let us in!"

"I _knew_ it," she grumbled. Raising her voice, she added, "No! Go away!"

"We need to speak to you about Dr. Oliver," the tagalong yelled.

"No! Go away!"

"Do you sell rum raisin smoothies?" Skull asked.

"No! Go away!"

The tagalong muttered something, then reached into his pocket, pulled out a police badge and pressed it against the window. "Ma'am, this is the Angel Grove Police Department. Open up."

Hayley paused. "You got a warrant?"

He rolled his eyes. "We don't need a warrant. We just have a few questions for you."

"No comment."

"That's for reporters."

"Well, what's the proper terminology for telling cops you don't want to speak to them?"

"'I plead the fifth,'" Skull explained proudly.

"The proper terminology for telling cops you don't want to speak to them is 'What do you mean, my car's been impounded?'" the cop shot back, ignoring Skull.

"I don't have a car," Hayley lied sulkily.

"Then why do you have outstanding unpaid parking tickets for a 2000 Toyota and insurance through AAA? Because your file was very clear on that. _And_ the fact that you were arrested twice in Massachusetts—once for protesting without a permit and once for hacking into police records."

"Both of those were dismissed! The charges were dropped!"

"I know. So, do you have $165 for your parking fines?"

"For someone who just wants to talk to me, you've done a lot of research."

"It pays to be thorough. Now, if you want to discuss this in front of your customers, that's fine. We can wait until you open up for one of them, or decide to leave the building. But we'd rather do it now, before the teenagers of Reefside come looking for video games. Besides, I've come all the way from Angel Grove with _these two,_ I've had _very_ little sleep, and I'd like to get this over with."

Hayley glared at him. Something was off, something major. She hadn't heard from Tommy since yesterday, and her phone call to him hadn't exactly been uplifting. She sighed. What on earth had he done that warranted Bulk, Skull and a cop dropping by to talk to her?

She stomped over to the door and unlocked it. The cop strolled in a moment later, followed by Bulk and Skull, who tried to go through at the same time and got stuck in the doorway. "Nice place you've got here," the cop said pleasantly as Bulk and Skull finally freed themselves.

"Thank you, Officer…?"

"Brewster," he said, a tad reluctantly, as though he wasn't keen on giving out his name.

She looked at Bulk and Skull. "They're not with the Angel Grove Police Department, are they?"

"They're former detectives," he replied. "They're… special consultants."

"What's their specialization?" she asked defiantly.

"The Power Rangers, of course," Bulk said, throwing out his chest. "Don here says he has a lead on the Power Rangers' identities, and no one knows more about that than us!"

"Uh-huh." Hayley rolled her eyes. _Gotta love irony,_ she thought dryly. _Here they are, looking ME in the face and telling me they're the civilians closest to the Rangers' secret identities._ "So what do you want to talk to _me_ for?" she asked.

"Haven't you watched the news?" Skull asked. "Duh!"

"The news?" Hayley repeated warily. Oh, great. Hayley didn't often watch the news, mostly because just about every time she did it was full of catastrophe.

"Every reporter in Angel Grove thinks that _Tommy's_ the Black Ranger," Bulk scoffed. "Can you believe it?"

Hayley snorted. Plenty of people had wondered if he was a Power Ranger after he'd fought Elsa on the school's front lawn. "Come on. No one took that bit about him being a Dino Ranger seriously."

"Not a Dino Ranger. The _original_ Black Ranger," Don clarified.

She stared at him, then burst out laughing. _Oh, Tommy must **love** that,_ Hayley thought gleefully. _The boy's been five or six different Rangers, and they accuse him of being one of the ones he wasn't. Would have been even better if they'd thought he was a Blue Ranger—although I love the irony that he was the last Black Ranger and people somehow start thinking he's the first…_

She started laughing so hard that she had to sit down on a barstool. "Oh, god," she wheezed. "That was… hahaha…" She dissolved into giggles again. "That was great. I mean, Tommy… hahaha… Oh, man… hahaha… bet he loved that, didn't he?"

"Haven't spoken to him since the mess started," Don replied calmly. "Besides, I think it's all nonsense. I think Tommy Oliver is the original _Green_ Ranger."

Hayley's grin slowly faded. "You're serious." _Oh, crap,_ she thought in dismay, struggling to keep her poker face up.

"Of course I am. Were you aware of the fact that Tommy Oliver moved to Angel Grove shortly before the Green Ranger's arrival? That his behavior became aggressive during the Green Ranger's days as an evildoer? That—?"

"I'm sorry," Hayley interrupted, "but there's no way in hell Tommy's a Power Ranger. The idea is ludicrous."

"Why's that?" Don asked challengingly.

"Well, for one thing, he's been sitting next to me during several monster attacks," Hayley said bluntly. "For another, the boy's a mess. He's always late, he's got a memory like a black hole and he's the unluckiest guy you've ever met. Yeah, he can do martial arts. So can a lot of people. I can name about fourteen off the top of my head. But Tommy? He can't lie to save his life, how could he be a Power Ranger?"

"That's what I told him," Bulk said, looking at Don in exasperation. "But he kept going on and on about Tommy."

"So why are you bothering to tag along on his little mission?" Hayley asked. "You guys know Tommy. You've known him for years. You know he's not a Ranger—"

"Yeah, but he knows the Power Rangers," Skull interrupted. "He _has_ to."

"Why's that?"

"Walter Johnson was knocked unconscious by Tommy Oliver while attempting to steal a purse. He remembers it clearly. Yet it was the Black Ranger who reported the incident to police. For some strange reason, Oliver didn't want to go on record as a man strong enough to beat up a purse snatcher." Don smiled coldly. "Odd, isn't it? My partner is still back in Angel Grove, trying to reach Dr. Oliver to clear a few things up."

"Walter Johnson… who's Walter Johnson?"

"Guy from high school," Skull said.

"What a geek," Bulk added.

"So… how does he know Tommy?"

Bulk and Skull shrugged. "I don't know," Bulk said. "Didn't really hang out with him or anything. Tommy had a different group of loser friends in high school."

"Walter alleges that Oliver beat him up back in high school after Walter's friend said a few harsh words about Kimberly Hart," Don said.

Hayley's eyes widened. Hayley knew all about that; Tommy had told her all about the people he'd been rude to as the Green Ranger. Most had forgiven him, once he'd tracked them all down and apologized. Only Walter, Chris, Matt and Claire hadn't; they'd all felt too betrayed, having befriended him for so long. Aware that Don was watching her closely, she said, "So… this Walter guy tried to steal someone's purse, and Tommy knocked him out?"

"According to Walter, yes."

"But the Black Ranger handed him in?"

"Yes—I spoke to the Black Ranger myself."

"And the Black Ranger didn't mention Tommy?"

"No."

"Well… then Walter must be lying."

"I'm not so sure. He seemed sincere enough."

"A petty criminal with a grudge against Tommy seemed sincere?"

Don looked a little hesitant, but he nodded. "Yes."

"More sincere than a Black Ranger?"

"Well…"

"What about the woman who owned the purse? What did _she_ have to say about this?"

"Ms. Hart was—"

"Kimberly Hart? It was _her_ purse?"

"Yes. She was a little too distraught to tell us much, but her friends insisted that the Black Ranger was her rescuer. Trini Scott and Zack Taylor, do you know them?"

"Yes, and they're not the types to lie," Hayley said firmly. "Especially not to cops."

"Not even to protect a good friend?"

"No," Hayley lied.

"They _are_ pretty goody-goody," Bulk said. "Although that Trini… she can pack a punch when she's angry." He rubbed the back of his head, as if remembering an old injury, smiling reminiscently.

"Look," Hayley said, "I'm sorry, but your theory is just one giant flaw after another. First of all, if Tommy _was_ a Power Ranger, he wouldn't be stupid enough to involve one in something he did." _How could he be that stupid, anyway?_ she thought irritably. "Second of all, there's no way Tommy would pass on responsibility for rescuing Kim! Tommy was madly in love with her back in high school. Probably still is. If he beat up a purse snatcher for her, he wouldn't pass off the credit to anyone, least of all someone with a cooler image. Third, like I said, Tommy's nowhere near superhero material. He's a whack job. Late, forgetful, disorganized, and completely incapable of being subtle. He's horribly oblivious to anything _remotely_ subtle."

"But he _has_ to at least _know_ the Power Rangers," Bulk insisted. "He shook hands with them at the last Power Rangers Day, you know."

"So did a lot of people, I'm sure."

"But if Trini, Zack and Kim know the Black Ranger—" Skull began.

"They would have told me if they knew him. Sounds to me like they just met him when he saved them."

Bulk and Skull frowned, thinking this over. Don, however, simply smiled, looking quite unconvinced. Hayley groaned inwardly, realizing that, however inept Bulk and Skull might be, this cop wasn't exactly dumb.

The café doors swung open, and Devin and Cassidy walked in. They'd been coming to the café just about every day for quite some time, drinking smoothies dispiritedly and checking the Net for summer job postings, now that they'd been fired for not coming up with the Rangers' identities. Hayley often gave them discounts, feeling sorry for them, glad that they hadn't turned Tommy and the others over to the—oh, god. Devin and Cassidy knew who Tommy was! She had to get them out of there!

"Hi, Hayley," Devin called with forced cheerfulness. "Usual?"

"Coming right up," Hayley replied. Hayley thought fast. She knew she'd never force Devin and Cassidy out, at least not easily, and if she tried the cop might get suspicious. So she turned Don, Bulk and Skull. "As much fun as this was, I've got work to do. If you'll excuse me."

"Actually," Don began, but he broke off as the phone rang. "Aren't you going to get that?" he asked Hayley in an innocent sort of tone.

"Yes," Hayley ground out, marching over to the phone and snatching it off the hook. Damn Tommy for starting this mess! She loved him, yes, and she loved helping him save the world—but did he _have_ to create so much chaos? "Hayley's Cyberspace," she said, struggling to sound cheery and bright.

"Hayley! Rocky. Have you heard from Tommy?"

Oh, great. So Tommy was confusing and annoying everyone, not just her. "No," she said through gritted teeth, her voice low. "And when I find him, I'm gonna kick his ass."

"What? Why?"

"I can't talk now. If you talk to him before I do, _have him call me._ I've gotta go; I'm busy."

"But—"

Hayley stopped listening, watching Don out of the corner of his eye. He approached Cassidy and Devin and leaned down. "Excuse me," he said pleasantly. "Do you two attend the local high school?"

Cassidy looked up. "Yeah, so?"

"Actually, we just graduated," Devin explained, far more politely.

"Really?" Don asked with interest. "Did you have Dr. Oliver for science?"

_Oh, no!_ Hayley thought in a panic. As if sensing her watching him, Don looked over at her. She kept her tone perky and spouted off something about the hours of operation before hanging up on Rocky. How the hell was she going to fix this?

* * *

Trini was silent the entire ride, staring out the window. Jason tried getting her to speak, but the best responses he could get were noncommittal noises. He even tried asking her if she thought Kerry would win the presidential election in November. (Sparking a political conversation with Trini was a good way to get her talking, as she was always very passionate about the subject—which was why he tried not to spark these conversations with her; she was nothing if not firm in her beliefs, and she got a little _too_ passionate sometimes.) Even calling Bush an evil gray-haired monkey was met with the grunting sound universally translated as "whatever." Exasperated, Jason crammed the brakes at a stop sign, jolting her in the seat and thereby getting her attention. She finally looked at him, and his suspicions were confirmed—she was pissed. At him.

"Are you going to talk to me, or not?" he demanded wearily.

"About what?" she asked sourly.

"I don't know. Why you're ignoring me?"

"I'm not ignoring you. I heard you. Yes, the weather is nice today—bright, sunny, perfect for being outdoors. Yes, gas prices are far too high—by the way, I _told_ you that you should get something with better mileage. Yes, Kim and Tommy don't look cheerful—I can see them in my rearview mirror. Not really; personally, I would have liked to see Edwards or Dean get the nomination. Happy now?"

Jason put the truck in park. "No. Tell me what's bothering you."

Trini huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Nothing's bothering me."

"Yes, something is."

"If you're so smart, why don't you tell me what it is, then?"

"Because if I make a guess, and I'm wrong, you'll go off on me for both reasons."

Trini rolled her eyes. "Can we just get going, please? Conner and Zack are alone in our house with only two Blues keeping them in line and I don't know about Ethan, but Billy's not very authoritative when it comes to saying things like 'No, don't set that on fire.'"

"No. I'm staying here until you tell me what's bothering you."

"Jason, you're being ridiculous."

_"I'm_ being ridiculous? You won't tell me what's wrong!"

"You know what's wrong!"

"Okay, fine. Carrie? Is that it?"

Trini took a deep breath that seemed to suck everything that wasn't tension from the cab of the truck. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Ah. So it _is_ Carrie. What, exactly, pisses you off about her, anyway?"

"Other than the fact you keep old clippings on display in our bedroom?"

"I keep a lot of stuff on display in our bedroom. Trophies and posters and—"

"And her articles."

"I told you, I don't want them in the main part of the house. People would wonder why I framed them."

"Then you should keep them in the Secret Chamber."

"Fine! I'll move them. Will that make you happy?"

"No."

"Then what will?"

"I'll be happy when you stop reading her articles every morning like they're your cocaine. I'll be happy when you stop quoting her writing at random moments. I'll be happy when you tell me why you were always tensed up during those weeks after the parade until the day you sat down on her desk! I'll be happy when you tell me why you sat on her desk in the first place! And I'll be happy when you tell me how it was possible for her to figure out your identity when the only people who've ever managed that saw us morphing or knew us extremely well!"

Trini looked livid. Angry enough to hit him. And while Jason knew she didn't like Carrie, he was utterly startled to see how deep it ran.

Jason regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, then began to speak, quietly and honestly. "She figured it out because of the island. After it blew up, she saw Tommy on the news and remembered seeing us shaking hands with Tommy on Power Rangers Day. Once she found out the day he'd registered at Angel Grove High was close to the day the evil Green Ranger showed up, and that he was friends with Billy Cranston, it was all over." Jason leaned his head back against the headrest, figuring he should come clean about everything now. "She didn't know about the rest of us until me and Billy came walking into the restaurant. Heard me call out to Tommy, saw me drinking Red Pop—same stuff I drank in the newsroom—and standing next to Billy. Then she figured out it was me. She knew we were married, that your name was Trini Scott now. So from there she made the leap to you being Yellow and Kim being Pink. Only thing she didn't know was that Tommy was White. She apparently did some digging in Reefside, too, knows who Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent are. But she doesn't know about anyone else. Not Rocky, Adam, Aisha, Tanya, Kat, Justin, anyone. As for the rest of your questions…"

Jason sighed and closed his eyes. "Things were really bad for me back then, Trini. Things were so confusing. Not only were you and I trying not to let the others know we were together, and not only did everyone think Billy was me… but Tommy was back. And I tried so hard to be happy for him. I really did. So I didn't demand to know why Zordon took the leadership away from me. I tried to follow Tommy. While I questioned every decision I'd ever made and wondered if I was stupider or weaker than my best friend." He smiled tiredly. "That wasn't fun."

"I'm sorry," Trini said quietly. That was the trouble with Jason—he kept to himself. He didn't like to share, and Trini couldn't help him if he didn't tell her what was bothering him. She'd always suspected he was more upset about the leadership than he let one; no natural-born leader was very happy with having their power wrested from their grasp. However, Jason had never mentioned it, other than grumbling about still having to be the leader when Tommy was late, or his communicator was broken or forgotten in a gym bag somewhere (Tommy had always had worse luck with his communicators than anyone else; Billy had once emailed her statistics on the phenomenon). And Trini had let the matter go, as Jason had never let her get very far whenever she tried to bring it up.

"Wasn't just the fact that I wasn't leader. It was the fact that he was leader. Tommy, late, forgetful, not as experienced as we were. The guy I failed."

"Jason, the Green Candle was—"

"Not my fault. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I'm just not sure if I believe it. Point is, I thought, maybe this is my punishment, you know? I failed to save Tommy's powers, so Tommy gets new powers and _my_ leadership. It's stupid, I know, but—"

"It's not stupid. Jason, as hard as it is for you to accept, _you're human._ You have thoughts and emotions and they're not always rosy."

He shrugged. "Anyway, that day, I walked into the sports department, and I started screaming. And they all just stared. Didn't get it. Probably weren't taking it in. And I started to realize that I'd just made everything worse. They were just going to write a huge story about how I'd burst into their office and continue to name candidates because after all who really believes a Power Ranger is going to follow up a threat on a civilian. And then Carrie raised her hand, and told me I was in the sports department. She was honest. And she was in sports. There were sports everywhere—on the TVs, on posters—and there were bobble heads and media guides and all sorts of things. And Red Pop. And I sat down with this one honest person, and I started chatting. And for the first time in a long time it wasn't about Rangers or… or if Trini and I were together, or anything at all in my life. Just sports. She asked the occasional question about being a Ranger, yeah, and she was getting pretty intense when Tommy showed, but mostly it was just all about sports.

"I really liked the fact that I got to see my name in the paper. Especially after I became a Ranger, you know? All the attention you get as a Ranger, you start to forget what else you've got that's special." Trini nodded emphatically. "But football and basketball season meant I'd see my name every few weeks, when I had a really good game. And in the midst of trying to explain that she was not an evil reporter worthy of destruction—" Jason smiled in an "oops" sort of way— "she told me that she was the one who wrote that sort of thing. She was the one who took the call from my coach and typed up my stats and sent them to the printers."

"And that's why you liked her so much?"

"That's part of it, yeah. But the main part of it was that for just a few moments, I could be myself, and in the snake's nest, no less. I could sit in a newsroom, meet a nice honest person who worked for the media, and chat about sports. No questions about what I'm _really_ doing with Trini, no guilt or whatever about Tommy, no team, no nothing, and she's not even treating me like a Ranger, except to ask if the straw's fitting under my helmet okay. It was a really great moment that I needed right then, and then she came up with that story that totally saved our butts. Annoyances aside, Tri, it was only a matter of time before they figured it out. They were interviewing us, looking really hard at Billy and the Rangers in general. They had a lead on who we were. And she just shut it down. I mean, yeah, our going to the Peace Conference helped, but she actually got the people of Angel Grove to stop _trying_ to figure it out. Before long, it was mostly just Bulk and Skull. Again." Jason frowned. "I really wonder how she got her editor to print that story."

Trini shrugged. "Well, other papers did lose business when they tried to keep doing stories about who we were. Took them a while to figure out that no one wanted to hear it, while the _Sentinel_ had great sales. Besides, the _Sentinel_ got to start something. Must be pretty rare, in a market where everyone's reporting the same things."

Jason nodded. "It was pretty ground-breaking. People stopped reading other papers, started sticking to just the _Sentinel."_ He shrugged and grew serious again. "Look. I know you don't like this whole Carrie thing. But it's not like it's got anything to do with me and you. She's just a person who made a bad day better. And you gotta admit, she's totally saving our asses with this 'Tommy is Zack' stuff."

Trini sighed. "If it works."

He shrugged. "Either she's a really nice person, or she's about to ruin our lives. I'm hoping it's the former."

"You talked to her alone, didn't you," Trini said suddenly.

He blinked, looking startled. "Yeah. How'd you guess?"

"You guys wouldn't have a conversation that intimate in the restaurant. Especially not while Zack was running around in morph and bellhops were getting jumped by Conner and Billy."

Jason laughed. "Think about that statement for a moment, and then ask me again why I found comfort in that newsroom. Go on. I dare you."

She favored him with a smile, but it faded quickly. "That's why Kira didn't tell us anything, why Tommy dropped her off alone. _You_ were talking to Carrie."

"Yeah. About this." He grinned. "If it makes you feel any better, she's about eight years older than me. Also, I prefer brunettes."

Trini rolled her eyes. "This is really all about news and Ranger stories?"

He shook his head. "No. It's about a nice person came into my life and I don't want to kick her out just because my wife doesn't like her. So… quit being stupid."

"Hey!" Trini exclaimed indignantly, gaping at him.

"Well, forgive me for not being Mr. Eloquent, but you're being stupid. She saved our butts. Nothing wrong with that. I'm not asking for a divorce."

"What _are_ you asking for? Huh? For Carrie to come over every Tuesday for movie night? Huh?"

"I'm asking for you to trust—"

BEEP!

They jumped at the sound of Tommy's horn and pressed their middle fingers against the rear windshield in unison.

"Where was I?"

"You want me to trust…"

"Ah. Yeah. I'm asking for you to trust me, and stop thinking I've got something going on with a middle-aged reporter I've met twice. She's just like every other person who's ever found out about us. Ernie and, and Rocky and Adam and Aisha before they became Rangers, and Mr. Cranston and… Hayley! Hayley's like Carrie. Yeah, that's pretty, um, plausible. And I'm asking for you to… are you trying not to _laugh?_ I'm having a serious conversation here!"

Trini snickered, quickly covering it with her hand. "I'm sorry. Go on."

"No! You're _snickering_ at me here! That's not… not… not nice!"

Trini straightened her features out and turned to Jason. One look at his utterly offended expression sent her into fits of laughter. "I'm sorry," she gasped, clutching her stomach as Jason stared at her in disbelief. "It's just… I couldn't help… picturing Carrie being Ernie, and you having feelings for Ernie, and then… and Tommy, I can see him in the mirror… and you looked so serious… but it was so… you tried to come up with a comparison and by the time you got to Hayley I just…" Trini dissolved into giggles.

"I'm glad you find our touching heart-to-heart moment amusing," Jason said dryly, though he couldn't help but smile. He was pretty sure that, from her perspective, Carrie was _nothing_ like Ernie. Wondering what she'd meant about Tommy, he adjusted the mirror to see what Tommy was up to. Tommy was turned around in his seat; curious now, Jason cracked the window in the hopes of hearing something good.

"Will you two _quit it_ back there?" Tommy was yelling at Kira and Trent. "For crying out loud, if you're going to make out, do it somewhere where I can't see!"

"Oh, come on, Tommy. Trent's sharing a room with Conner and just about every nifty thought Kira's had in the past few days ends up being spoiled by you walking through our room in your underwear," Kimberly teased. "Have a heart."

"You wouldn't be so keen on letting them make out if it was _your_ backseat," Tommy shot back.

"Tommy, we're in an open-topped Jeep, I'm practically a stranger and you're their science teacher. I don't think you need to worry about your upholstery."

"Hey, _you_ didn't have to sit through a horrible conversation with Trent's prim-and-proper father—who happened to be my mentor back in college—and listen to his requests to keep an eye on his son. It was full of _polite euphemisms,_ Kim. Euphemisms I didn't understand because they went out of style before I was old enough to figure them out, so I had to ask him to clarify a few things. Never want to talk to my parents again after that conversation."

"Are we close enough to walk?" Kira asked plaintively.

Jason rolled up the window and joined Trini in the art of laughing himself sick. It was quite a while before they got control of themselves; when they did, the mood was exponentially lighter.

"Okay," Trini said. "I'll try to get over the Carrie thing."

"Okay," Jason said. "I'll cancel the subscription to the _Sentinel._ No more avid reading, no more quoting. But now that she knows who I am, I'd like to let her in a little. Just like any other female friend. Emails, phone calls, occasional coffee."

"Okay. But I get to meet her."

"Agreed."

Trini opened her mouth to say something, then paused and rolled her window down a bit.

"I'm not going off on them! I'm asking them not to make out in the back of _my car_ and _why the hell hasn't Jason moved!"_

"Are you _always_ this strung out? You used to be so much more… laidback." Kimberly appeared amused, whereas Tommy had the tone of one who knows he's the only one who doesn't find something funny.

"I'm _not_ strung out, I'm… I'm… I'm having a bad day! And by the way I want my shirt back!"

"Well, you can't have it right now!"

"If _you_ hadn't taken it in the first place—"

"If _you_ hadn't snuck onto our balcony, I wouldn't have taken it!"

"I told you, we got locked out!"

"Really? Why, exactly, did you close the balcony door behind you? And oh, yeah, did you know those doors don't shut tight if the lock is pushed down? Must be some wacky safety feature they installed to keep weirdoes from getting locked on the balcony in their underwear in the middle of the night."

Trini rolled up the window. "Funny, isn't it."

"Got that right."

"No… I mean, ironic. It's ironic."

"What is?"

"Back in high school, they were the ideal couple. I mean, I got up the guts to make the plunge from friendship to relationship with you because I wanted to be like them, be as happy as them. Now…" She giggled. "Now I'm _really_ glad we're not like them."

Jason snorted. "Yeah. We're _way_ better than them." He took off his seatbelt. "Come here."

Trini unbuckled her own belt and they met halfway, ignoring the sudden burst of outraged honking from Tommy's Jeep. Jason made another rude hand gesture, this one much more triumphant than annoyed, and cracked the window again.

"What the _hell?_ That's _it!_ I'm going up there!" Tommy roared.

"Tommy, sit _down!_ She's been in my room all week; they deserve a little—"

"A _little?_ We're in the middle of a crisis and they're in the middle of the road! They're blocking traffic!"

"What traffic?" Kimberly demanded. "There's no one behind us!"

"Even so!"

Jason grinned and locked the doors, just in case.

* * *

_End Notes:_ Fair warning—update times are gonna slow down a bit until mid-June. Freyja's got a friend from out of town staying with her, and I'm having one of those weeks that consist of nothing but freak accidents. My car's control arm bushing broke right before it got a crack in the radiator and I somehow managed to break my toe in my sleep and… well, never mind. (Now you know where we get a lot of our Tommy moments.) Point is, Freyja's out of commission for the rest of the week and I'm going on a road trip next Friday, won't return until June 8th or so. So updating _will_ slow down, but I'll try to put up our next chapter before Friday.

Would anyone be interested in hearing about where we got our ideas from? I'm thinking of posting our inspirations in my livejournal, but typing it up would take a lot of work, so I'd like to know if people are remotely curious about it first.

Figured if the updating's gonna go somewhat caput for a while, least I could do was dig up some hints again:

1) Jason sighed. "We're all gonna die, aren't we."

2) "Yes. I was going to cream you with a blender. Then play it off, like you had a bug on your head."

3) "She left Tommy the Power Ranger for _Tony the_ _janitor?"_ he hissed incredulously.

4) "Let's make some magic, baby," Conner said, deepening his voice and smiling as seductively as he could. He waggled his eyebrows at Ethan.

5) "I have rope," Zack offered. "Maybe some handcuffs, too; I'd have to check." They all turned to stare at him. "What?"

6) Jason frowned, looking from the red-faced Tommy to the disgusted Ethan to the semi-smug Kimberly to the now-disappointed Conner. "Okay. What am I missing?" he asked slowly.


	46. Cars Attacks

**Chapter Forty-six**

_Cars Attacks_

By the time Tommy, Jason, Trini, Kimberly, Kira and Trent got back to Jason's house, Ethan and Conner were at each other's throats.

"We committed a _felony!"_ Ethan was wailing in the living room as the others closed the front door.

"Assault isn't a felony! And it's not like we even stole anything. We left the luggage cart in the parking lot on the sidewalk."

"We stole their clothes," Ethan shot back. "And may I add—UGH! Their _clothes!"_

"Relax, would you? We didn't do anything to them but take their clothes. Billy's the one who dropped them."

_"You_ dropped the bellhops?" Tommy asked in disbelief. Billy, like the rest of them, had his moments of insanity, but his usually came after the others were long gone, not before. He'd figured the tied-up bellhops to be all Conner's plan, because Billy wasn't psycho and Zack had been morphed and in the restaurant.

"I had to. I didn't hit them hard, either. Just enough to knock them out so we could tie them up and take their clothes," Billy said as though this was the most logical thing in the universe.

"Let me guess—that wasn't your plan?" Tommy asked hopefully.

"No. It was Conner's. Zack embellished. Ethan and I agreed."

"Which we were crazy for doing!" Ethan said vehemently. "What if we get _caught?"_

"We're not going to get caught," Zack said patiently, interrupting Conner before Conner could further their argument. "We got out of the hotel without a problem. The whole mess is straightened out. Once we ditch the uniforms, there won't even be any evidence."

"Guys, the horrors of today are over," Jason announced. "We fixed it. All we're waiting on is confirmation from T.J. Once he calls with the okay, we're gold."

"Whew," Billy breathed. "So what exactly happened?"

Jason and Tommy retold the story again, explaining about Carrie. Billy and Zack had the good sense to look abashed that they'd executed their psychotic mission (Operation Anti-Reporter, Conner called it) without checking with the others, but it was the sort of sheepishness one manufactures when trying not to giggle about how funny it all was in retrospect.

"So what now?" Trent asked.

"Now we go to Stone Canyon," Trini said. "I've been planning this little surprise for over a week now; let's get cracking."

"Fine, but can we stop and get some food first? Some of us didn't get breakfast," Conner complained.

"Yeah, only Kira and Trent got breakfast," Ethan groused.

"If you don't cheer up, she's gonna knock you unconscious, too," Conner said.

"You two are riding with Zack," Tommy announced.

"Awesome!" Conner exclaimed, performing a long secret handshake of some sort with Zack. Tommy remembered the Play-Doh, combined it with the bellhop, and fought with himself for a moment. Most unfortunately, his responsible adult side won out over his annoyed side, and he decided it was probably a good idea to minimize Conner's exposure to Zack.

"On second thought, you're riding with me," he said resignedly.

"Aw, man," Conner complained.

"Then Trent and I are riding with Zack," Kira said firmly.

"Okay, Kira, I give up. What did I do?" Conner asked, exasperated.

"You… he… Trent?" Kira looked beseechingly at her boyfriend.

"Nothing, Conner. Kira's just a little off today," Trent said, giving her a sympathetic look.

"All right, fine. Who's riding with me?" Tommy asked.

"I will," Jason said. "Someone's got to keep you from getting lost."

"I know how to find Stone Canyon."

"Yeah, that's what you said the last time we went to visit Rocky. Does the word 'Arizona' mean anything to you?"

"It's not that far away. It's only one state over."

"Stone Canyon's not in a different state. It's not even on a different interstate. It's fifteen miles away!"

"Fine. Whatever. Who else will ride with me?"

"The rest of us could fit in the Escalade," Zack pointed out.

Tommy shook his head. "Trust me. _Someone_ has to sit between Conner and Ethan."

"Way to sweeten the deal," Kira muttered.

"Not it," Billy said suddenly.

"Not it!" Trini added quickly.

"Not it!" Kimberly practically yelled. Despite the "fun" she'd had with Tommy yesterday, she felt today was getting off to a bad start when it came to the two of them. "Zack, you're riding with Tommy! Ha!"

"It's _my_ car," Zack pointed out. "I'm riding with _me._ And Kira and Trent already called my car. So _you're_ riding with Tommy."

"That's not fair!"

"You can't go against 'not it,'" Billy said, having been told this many times over during his childhood. "You were last."

"But… but… I don't _want_ to sit between Conner and Ethan!"

"I'll sit in the front," Conner offered. "That's what Kira makes me do when we ride together."

"Like hell you'll sit in the front," Tommy said determinedly.

"Come on, Trini, ride with Tommy," Kimberly pleaded. "I rode with him on the way here."

"No, thanks. Besides, someone has to keep Zack from getting lost."

"But… but… you and Jason should ride together!"

"After all, that's what you're good at," Tommy cracked.

"OOH!" Zack crowed. "Three pointer at the buzzer!"

"Don't listen to him," Jason told Trini, smacking Tommy upside the head as Trini glowered. "I think spending all that time trapped in his suit made him permanently grumpy."

They all cracked up, save the Dino Rangers; Tommy socked Jason in the arm hard enough to bruise.

"Come on, guys," Kimberly joked. "Not in front of the kids."

"He started it," Jason and Tommy insisted simultaneously.

Trini rolled her eyes. "I think that just made it official—you're riding with Tommy, Kim. End of story."

Kimberly groaned, knowing that she'd never convince Trini to switch with her. She looked at Billy, only to see him exchanging meaningful glances with Trini and giving Trini a quick nod. Great. That meant it was conspiracy time again; there was no way Kimberly was going to get out of it now. Oh, well. She might as well get something out of the deal.

"Fine, but if I'm riding with Tommy, I get to choose where we eat," Kimberly said quickly.

Tommy shrugged. "Fine. Where do you want to go?"

"McDonald's. I'm craving one of their sundaes."

Tommy stared at her. "You don't eat McDonald's. It's too fattening."

"I am not fat!" Kimberly exclaimed, beyond wounded.

"I know you're not fat!" Tommy said quickly. "It's just… that's what you always said in high school…"

"Eh, one meal won't kill me," Kimberly said, still looking mildly suspicious. "I need a sundae. I had this really weird dream this morning and I just… I'm craving a sundae."

"McDonald's it is," Jason said.

"No, it isn't," Tommy argued.

"You're not going to get one of those shakes again, are you?" Ethan asked worriedly.

"I want to see if they have any more of those Hotwheels cars," Conner said.

"Guys… I can't handle McDonald's."

"You _like_ McDonald's," Trini pointed out.

"Yeah, but…"

"And you already had pancakes," Kira added.

"I'm hungry again," Tommy argued.

"Then good thing you like McDonald's," Trini shot back.

_Stupid sensible Yellows,_ Tommy thought irritably. He was going to be overruled, of course. Nine to one, probably. He was going to have Kimberly, Conner, Jason and Ethan in his car and he was going to McDonald's before heading off to some surprise location of Trini's. This would end _well._

"Fine, but I'm not following Zack. He always pisses off the drive-thru workers. If we're going to McDonald's, I'm going first."

"You don't know where we're going after that," Trini pointed out. "Only _I_ know where you're going."

"That had better not be a metaphor," Tommy grumbled.

She grinned. "Okay, fine. I'll give Jason a copy of the directions. They don't say where we're going, just how to get there. Give me a second to fire up the copy machine."

A few moments later, they were all heading out to Tommy and Zack's cars, most of the morning's uncomfortable problems forgotten; they were too used to having to rush off to battle and then return to their normal lives within seconds to let a little thing like a terrifying brush with the media rattle them too much.

"OW!" Jason complained as he sat down. He reached under his butt and pulled out a cord. "What the hell is _this?"_

"Ah, so _that's_ where I put my car charger," Tommy said. "Good. My phone died last night; I left it on the dresser instead of on the charger."

"You've got to stop doing that," Jason said mildly.

Tommy plugged his phone in. "Yeah, well. Hayley's not here to remind me. Oh, remind me to call her about coming in for Power Rangers Day."

Jason shook his head. "That's just sad, man."

"What?" Tommy said defensively.

"Your friend Hayley's coming?" Kimberly asked nonchalantly.

"Hayley's coming?" Ethan repeated, his face lighting up.

"She was thinking of driving in tomorrow night or Friday morning, yeah," Tommy admitted. He frowned. "I think."

"Cool. I'd like to meet her," Kimberly said. Tommy winced and pulled the car out of the driveway to give him an excuse not to answer.

"You'll like Hayley," Conner said cheerfully, though Ethan looked worried. _"Everyone_ likes Hayley," Conner continued. "She's really great. Plus, hey, useful. All the stuff she built for us… and she de-fossilized Dr. O, and she fixed him when he got trapped in morph, and then she fixed him when demorphing him turned him invisible—"

"Let's not rehash right now, Conner," Tommy interrupted. He doubted Kimberly wanted to hear about how useful Tommy's female friend had been when Kimberly hadn't even known he was a Ranger.

"Why not?"

"Because Dr. O would like some quiet time," Tommy replied threateningly. "Or else he might tell Jason what you and Zack did last night."

Conner's eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I? _I lost clothing_ in the deal, Conner. Don't mess with me."

"Oh, um, that reminds me," Kimberly said, shifting uncomfortably. "About your pants, Tommy… they kind of… um… _disappeared…"_

"Kira brought them back," Tommy explained smugly.

"What a traitor!" Kimberly exclaimed in mock-outrage.

A confused Jason looked behind him at Ethan for answers, but Ethan just shrugged, having no idea what was going on either. "Okay, um, Tommy?" Jason said.

"Yeah?"

"Pick a new threat for Conner. Whatever happened between you guys last night, I don't want to know."

"Ha! You have no power over me now, Dr. O!" Conner yelled.

Tommy gritted his teeth. "You know what, Conner? I've had a rough morning and a rough night and half the world thinks I'm Zack and Kimberly is wearing my shirt. You really want to mess with me today?"

Conner thought about this for a second, but before he could reply, Ethan spoke up. "Why is Kim wearing your shirt?" he asked. "…Or do I not want to know?"

Conner's jaw dropped. "Whoa. You—"

"Don't even think about it," Kimberly growled, whacking him in the arm.

"OW!" Conner swallowed and edged away from her as best he could in the tight space, his fear of her (especially in matters regarding Tommy) resurfacing. Still, this didn't stop him from leaning forward, whispering "You the _man!"_ loud enough for all of them to hear and punching Tommy in the shoulder. Tommy sighed heavily.

"You're an idiot, Conner," Ethan said, rolling his eyes.

"Hey! You—"

_"Quiet time!"_ Tommy practically screamed.

"Okay, okay!"

Kimberly and Jason looked at each other, both of them thinking how weird it was to see Tommy not just as a leader, but as a disciplinarian. So to speak. Stifling laughter, they both turned away quickly.

They made the rest of the trip in relative silence, Jason reading over the directions, Conner making faces at the cars they passed, Kimberly reorganizing her purse, Ethan humming to himself and Tommy trying to breathe deeply to relieve some of the tension that was already threatening to overwhelm him.

McDonald's, much to his relief, went off without much of a problem. Sure, it took five minutes to gather everyone's order, and another three to relate it all correctly to the drive-thru cashier, and another two to yell at Zack for honking his horn at them, and another two for Zack to insist that it was the guy behind them who was beeping, another ten to wait for Zack (who of course had managed to antagonize the drive-thru workers somehow) to get through the line.

"Well, at least my phone's charged now," Tommy said, slipping it into his pocket as he finally pulled out on the road. "We taking the interstate?"

"Yeah. It's the exit before Rocky's. Think you can handle that?"

"Fine," Tommy said. He paused. "I turn left here, right?"

Jason sighed. "We're all gonna die, aren't we."

"Right or left, Jase?" Tommy asked wearily.

"You go straight," Kimberly called helpfully from the back. "Come on, Jason, pass out the food! I don't want my sundae to melt."

"I'm so glad they came up with these bigger Happy Meals," Conner said cheerfully, digging in his box.

"You ordered like five other things," Kimberly pointed out, popping open the lid on the sundae.

"Yeah…" Conner said, confused.

Kimberly shook her head, exasperated. _"Reds,"_ she muttered.

"Hey!" Tommy, Jason and Conner complained. Ethan laughed.

They made their way onto the interstate, munching away happily. Kimberly finished her sundae off and was just pulling her fry container towards her when Tommy hit a massive pothole. The next thing she knew, she was covered in fries.

_Great,_ Kimberly thought irritably, glaring down at the fries on her—well, Tommy's—shirt and the unseen ones that were now settling down _inside_ her shirt. _What is it with Tommy accidentally throwing edible things into my bra?_

"Jeez, watch the road!" Jason complained.

"Will you stop being a backseat driver?"

"I'm not being a backseat driver. I'm a front seat driver."

"Same thing."

"No, it isn't. When you're in the front seat, you have more time to panic because you actually get to _see_ how the _actual_ driver is screwing up."

"It was a pothole, not a pedestrian!"

"Everyone all right back there?" Jason called.

"Fine," Kimberly grumbled. She reached to pull the fries from her shirt, then remembered Conner and Ethan were sitting next to her.

She glared at Ethan.

He obediently turned to stare out the window.

She glared at Conner.

Either he didn't get the hint, or his fear of her was being overshadowed by his eagerness to see down her shirt.

Sighing, Kimberly seized the back of his head and twisted him around to look out his own window. With her other hand, she began removing the multitude of fries from her shirt. Conner sighed dispiritedly and continued to eat as best he could with his head at an unnatural angle.

Tommy happened to glance in the rearview mirror to check that Zack was still behind him. He could see Kimberly's arm raised up, while her head was gazing down. Frowning, he subtly adjusted the mirror to see what she was doing and his jaw dropped slightly at the sight of her digging in her bra. Without a second thought, he smacked the mirror down until he could get a full view of the action.

"I think we've got about ten minutes to the exit," Jason said to Tommy, burger in one hand and directions in the other. Tommy didn't respond, gazing off towards the right of the car (technically, he was gazing at the mirror, but all Jason saw was Tommy looking off to the side). The Jeep slowly began to drift to the right, getting dangerously close to the edge line.

"Tommy?" Jason said tentatively.

Kimberly couldn't believe how many fries had found their way inside her shirt. Several could be shaken out onto her lap, but just as with the ice, a good deal of them had settled into her bra, and still more were getting caught behind the knot she'd tied halfway down her stomach. Realizing she probably needed two hands, Kimberly slowly, experimentally released Conner's head, which instantly began to turn her way. She grabbed it again and firmly spun him back towards the window. Not wanting to verbally order him to look out the window (she'd die of embarrassment if Tommy or Jason got wind of what she was doing), she tried to see if he'd figured it out yet… but no, three more tries and he still was turning his head the moment she let go, rather like a boulder that refused to stay put halfway up the hill. Sighing, she set about digging with one hand and holding Conner with the other, watching Ethan carefully. _This is what I get for not eating healthy,_ she grumbled silently. She cursed her dream yet again, this time for giving her such a craving for hot fudge sundaes.

"Tommy?" Jason repeated as the car crossed the line and began to move onto the shoulder. "Bro? Are you pulling over? What are you doing? Answer me, man! TOMMY!"

Tommy jolted in surprise at the combined noises of Jason's shout and the tires hitting the grooves in the side of the road, placed on the sides of freeways to alert drivers to the fact that they were drifting out of their lane. Tommy cursed and jerked the steering wheel to the left, pulling the Jeep back into the lane.

"What the _hell?"_ Jason demanded angrily, breathing heavily. "WATCH THE ROAD!"

"I am!" Tommy protested, sneaking a glance at the rearview mirror. Conner, Kimberly and Ethan had been momentarily unsettled by the swerving, but Kimberly now had one hand back on Conner's head and the other down her shirt. Struggling to keep one eye on the road and the other on the mirror, Tommy drove on.

One by one, and sometimes fraction by fraction, Kimberly yanked the fries out of her shirt, grimacing. The greasiness of the fries was probably going to stain her bra (and possibly Tommy's shirt, though none of the grease was showing through to the outside so far), and it wasn't exactly very comfortable to have little spots of it on her skin. Maybe she could wipe herself off with a napkin before they made it to wherever the hell they were going…

Tommy jumped as his phone went off, reluctantly taking his eyes off Kimberly to answer it. Tommy fumbled with the phone, making a vague mental note of the icon in the corner saying he had voicemail as he hit send. "Yeah?"

"Tommy, man, what the hell are you _doing?" _It was Zack, and he sounded confused and worried. "You're going like forty miles an hour!"

"I am not!" Tommy insisted, cursing silently as he realized he wasn't paying much attention to the pedals.

"Yes you are! What happened to Mr. NASCAR? And why are you swerving?"

"Oh, shut up, Zack, I'm fine!" Tommy snapped, shutting the phone off and revving the engine. In seconds, they were back up to sixty-five; Tommy pushed in the buttons to activate his cruise control before glancing back at the mirror. She was still digging in her shirt. Tommy returned to watching happily, his desire for discretion slowly being outweighed by his desire to enjoy the view.

The phone went off again. Growling, Tommy flipped it back open. _"What?"_

"Tommy, from what I remember from driver's ed, you're supposed to stay in one lane. You're blocking both." Zack's tone now held a bit of a smirk.

"Shut _up,_ Zack!" Tommy said, his face reddening as he realized he was indeed in the middle of the highway. Gently, so as not to alert Jason (who was double-checking the directions and hadn't noticed yet), he steered back into the right lane and hung up on Zack. Unsurprisingly, the phone went off again three seconds later; Tommy rolled his eyes and tossed the phone unceremoniously over his shoulder.

"OW!"

"Oh! Sorry, Conner!" Tommy exclaimed, wincing. Talk about being off-form.

"What was _that_ f…?" Conner trailed off. In trying to glance at Dr. O, he'd discovered that he could see down Kimberly's shirt via the rearview mirror by looking out of the corner of his eye. Conner cheerfully lapsed into silence.

_Don't be stupid,_ Tommy told himself sternly. _She'll figure it out eventually if I keep driving like a blind man._ Tommy focused on his driving. _Besides, it's nothing I haven't seen before._ His gaze darted back to the mirror for just a second. _And she'll kill me if she finds out._ Hmm. Had he missed the exit, or was it coming up? _Not that she ever used to mind. She used to catch me all the time at the beach and just smirked at me or teased me about it._ No, surely he hadn't missed the exit. _Okay, one more little peek. That's all._ How many fries were in those containers, anyway? _Peek. Not to be confused with peak._ If he kept his head tilted just so, he could see the lines and Kimberly at the same time. _La, la, la, la…_ Stupid Zack.

"SEMI TRUCK!" Jason roared.

"AHH!"

Tommy crammed the brakes just in time; all of them were thrown bodily forward, then back. Kimberly, the only one who didn't have a shoulder harness as well as a lap belt, was practically bent in half—so when the force of the motion tossed her practically onto the console, she came face-to-face with the cockeyed mirror.

She stared at it in shock even as she leaned back against her seat once more. So _that_ was why he was distracted.

Well. Humph.

Surely he didn't think she'd let him get away with that, did he?

After all, she never had before. In the old days, there'd been many times when he'd lost concentration during sparring matches, sports games in the park, and classes. It had actually taken her a while to figure it out, as he wasn't the most focused person in the world to begin with, but once she'd realized it, she'd gotten a certain satisfaction out of watching a football hit him upside the head, a teacher scold him, or his sparring partner of the moment knock him on his back. It was flattering to know she was attractive, of course, but the fact still remained that he _knew_ better, and she wasn't above smirking when he got a karmic return for his actions. She also liked to tease him about it; he could blush and stammer better than anyone she knew, excepting perhaps Billy, but it was somehow cuter when Tommy did it. It wasn't that she really _minded_ the fact that Tommy was checking her out… it was just the principle of the thing.

She grinned. After the rough morning they'd just had, she could use a little fun, and there currently weren't any footballs or teachers to teach him a lesson for her. So she'd just have to do it herself. Besides, the fun, teasing side of their tentative friendship had faded today for the moment, and if she didn't bring it back things might go downhill fast… and after all, the teasing was _fun._ Especially since she usually won.

After a long screaming match with Jason, and a long conversation between Conner and Zack over Tommy's cell phone, Tommy passed the truck and focused entirely on the mostly-empty stretch of interstate. However, Kimberly watched him carefully through her lashes as she continued to pluck out the fries, plotting quickly. Sure enough, Tommy's head tilted slightly to the right in a matter of seconds.

Kimberly grabbed one of the last few fries in her shirt, took careful aim, and flung it at the mirror. It hit dead-center. Tommy yelped and swerved. (If he hadn't jerked the wheel, Kimberly might have wondered why Conner jumped, but she put it down to Tommy's driving and went back about her business, instead of attributing the action to the sudden attack on the mirror.)

"Will you _quit_ that?" Jason demanded. "If you swerve one more time, I'm driving!"

"That one was my fault, Jason," Kimberly said calmly, throwing the last fry into the bag and tugging her shirt up. "I spilled my fries."

Jason turned to look at her in confusion. "What does that have to do with Tommy's driving?"

"Please let her say 'absolutely nothing,'" Ethan muttered in a horrified sort of tone. Conner let out a snort of suppressed laughter.

"Couple of them flew up there, didn't you see?" Kimberly said innocently. "One of them hit the _mirror."_

"There's some grease on it now," Tommy said in a strangled, mortified voice, smacking the mirror wildly upwards.

Jason frowned, looking from the red-faced Tommy to the disgusted Ethan to the semi-smug Kimberly to the now-disappointed Conner. "Okay. What am I missing?" he asked slowly.

Normally, Kimberly would have responded with a conspicuous "Nothing" and an innocent look, but she caught herself in time and switched to a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

Jason looked at her suspiciously for a moment, then turned back around and looked at Tommy, who was ignoring him with a passion. "Tommy?"

"Could you hand me my fries?" Tommy asked, in the loud, panicky manner used by people who are struggling to change the subject.

Kimberly grinned wickedly and leaned forward, propping her elbows on the center console and putting her chin in her hands. Tommy could just see her out of the corner of his eye, but he refused to meet her gaze. "You like fries, do you?" she asked in a relatively suggestive, playful tone, meant to sound conversational enough that Jason wouldn't get too suspicious.

Tommy swallowed audibly. "On second thought," he said, as Jason held his fries out, "could I have my burger instead?"

As Jason retracted the fries and began to lift the burger from the paper bag, Kimberly decided not to bother keeping her new plan secret from Jason; it would be far easier to stop caring what the other guys in the car figured out. She dropped her voice to a lower pitch and asked, "Good at driving one-handed, are you?"

A loud plop sounded as the burger slipped from Jason's fingers and landed back in the bag. Tommy's face took on a new, more potent shade of red as Ethan gagged slightly in the back.

_Did she just **say** that?_ Jason wondered in shock, certain it must have been a hallucination brought on by extensive separation from Trini. It wasn't until Conner spoke that he was sure he hadn't been imagining things.

"I'm good at driving one-handed, too," Conner said. Then he paused and smirked. "Oh. I get it now."

"Shut _up,_ Conner," Ethan half-whimpered, looking out the window as if seriously considering leaping from the car and into traffic.

Tommy fought to come up with a response. "Matter of fact, I am," he said, struggling to play it off. He ignored Conner's barely-suppressed chuckle and Ethan's shudder. "Where's that burger, Jase?"

Jason stared at him for a moment, then shrugged to himself and began to reach back into the bag, trying not to laugh.

"So, Tommy," Kimberly said, still in that same, god-awful, nearly seductive tone, "can I have _your_ fries?"

_Never vacationing again,_ Tommy reminded himself vehemently. "Sure," he said, his joking tone lost somewhere behind his gritted teeth.

"Thanks," Kimberly said, grabbing at the fry container and holding it with one hand, still leaning forward. Tommy resolved to install some sort of shoulder harness for the middle seatbelt as soon as possible, just in case. "Yours are harder than mine," she remarked casually. "Mine were kind of squishy."

_Hate you, hate you, hate you,_ Tommy thought with a grimace. _There are kids in the car. Doesn't that mean anything to her?_

"Where's a semi truck when you need one?" Ethan muttered, his hand on the door handle.

"Mine are really salty," Conner commented, cheerfully eating his food now that he had full control of his head and thoroughly enjoying himself. After all, first he got to stare down Kimberly's shirt, and now he got to watch her torment Dr. O; in Conner's opinion, the day was going pretty well.

"Tommy's are too," Kimberly said.

"Semi truck. Dump truck. Minivan, minimum," Ethan whined.

Jason let out a strangled noise as he tried not to laugh. Tommy glared at him.

"You know," Kimberly said, biting into a fry with a relish that made Tommy wince, "you should get yourself a bigger car. This backseat's kinda small. I mean, there's not enough room to stretch your legs or lie down…"

"I know what you mean," Conner said. "My car has a much bigger backseat."

"Like you ever use it," Ethan grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Hey! I do _so_ use it!"

Kimberly giggled. "I mean, the front seat of your old truck had more room."

"I am eating my burger now," Tommy replied with a forced smile, holding out his hand for the burger Jason had yet to pass him. "Nice, juicy, burger that for some reason was packaged upside down with far too much mayonnaise and lettuce. I am eating burger. Dead cow. Yes."

"Yeah, I like red meat too."

Jason covered his eyes with his hand and leaned against the window, shaking with the effort to hold back his mirth.

"I know you do," Tommy retorted, too annoyed and distracted to reply with any flirtatious skill.

"White meat's kinda good too, though," Kimberly said thoughtfully.

Jason let out a chuckle that choked off with a noise like a broken wood chipper.

"Jason, _hand me my burger,"_ Tommy growled.

"H-h-here, bro," Jason stammered, thrusting the hamburger at Tommy without looking at him.

"Don't bite too hard," Kimberly deadpanned.

"Thanks for the advice," Tommy ground out, "but I don't think I need it."

"Yeah, I don't think you do, either."

Tommy shoved half the Big Mac into his mouth in one bite. Kimberly was evil. Kimberly was EVIL!

"Careful now," Kimberly said in a singsong voice. "You should pace yourself."

Jason leaned up, folded his arms against the dashboard, and put his head on them in the hopes of muffling the laughter. Tommy flung a stray onion at his head, feeling a small twinge of satisfaction when it stuck in Jason's hair.

"I think I can handle it, thanks," Tommy replied dryly after swallowing and nearly choking on the overlarge bite of food.

"Whatever. You know, I like Big Macs too," Kimberly teased, loving this like nothing else.

"Please, Lord, send me a cement truck," Ethan begged. "At least a garbage truck. Hell, I'll settle for a nice full-sized pickup."

"I remember," Tommy responded. He was not going to let her beat him up like this. No, sir.

"I'm sure you do."

"Mwaha—ow!" Jason said. Tommy had managed to pinch him without touching Kimberly; given her close proximity, this was quite a feat.

Kimberly ate a few more fries, slowly formulating her next attack. She decided against using another pun… instead, she licked the salt off of her fingers as loudly as possible.

_Going to bite her,_ Tommy thought. _And not in a good way. Although… no, seriously. **Not** in a good way. I am calm. I am in control. I am in a warm safe place… with happy little trees… birds are singing…_

"MOTORCYCLE!" Conner screamed.

"ARGH!" Tommy yelled, yanking the car back to the side.

Suddenly, Tommy's cell phone rang yet again. He just had time to groan before he heard Conner say, "Hello? Hi, who's this?"

"Conner! Tell Zack that…"

"It's not Zack. It's some guy named Adam."

"Adam who?"

"Adam who?" Conner asked the caller. "Adam Park. Hey, that name sounds kinda familiar. What up, yo? Oh, this is Conner. I'm a… well, I know Dr. O. What do you mean, who's Dr. O? Dr. O's _Dr. O."_

"Someone steal the phone from him," Tommy sighed.

"Busy," Ethan said vaguely, looking hopefully at an approaching semi. _Just a few more feet… ah, damn, who put that off ramp there?_ "Come back!" Ethan wailed as the truck left the interstate. "You're my only hope! Come _back!"_

"Kim, get the phone from him," Tommy said resignedly.

"I'm eating," Kimberly replied calmly, rolling a French fry onto her tongue.

"Dr. O, you know, Dr. Oliver? Yeah, Tommy Oliver, that's him," Conner was saying. "Yeah, he's here. He's driving. He kinda sucks at driving."

"He has other talents," Kimberly couldn't resist throwing in.

Jason lifted his head, face red and screwed up from laughter. "Conner, man, pass me the phone," he gasped out, taking pity on his best friend.

"Hang on, Jason wants to talk to you. You _do_ know who _Jason_ is, right? Oh, okay. Good talking to you, man."

Conner stretched out the phone towards Jason, but before Jason could take it, Kimberly suddenly snatched it out of the air. "Adam, _hi!"_ she said in a breathy giggle.

_"Kim?"_ Now that the phone was in the front seat, Tommy and Jason could hear Adam clearly. It didn't hurt that he was screaming.

"In the flesh," Kimberly said cheerfully, pressing the button on the side of Tommy's phone to up the volume.

"You're… you're… you and Tommy…"

"Me and Tommy are having _fun,"_ Kimberly said cheerfully.

"You guys are _sleeping together?"_ This came out loud enough for all of them to hear.

Tommy flinched. Jason put his head back down the dashboard. Ethan looked ready to sob. Conner nodded, an expression on his face that clearly said, "Aha! I knew it!"

"Don't be silly," Kimberly said silkily. "We're just _friends._ _Good_ friends."

"Um… since when?" Adam asked, confused beyond belief.

"Oh, a while now," Kimberly replied serenely. "What's going on?"

"Rocky and I are hanging out… we were gonna… and then Carlos… and the news said Tommy… what's going _on?"_

"Oh, nothing, just driving to… somewhere. Not sure where. Trini said she had a surprise for us," Kimberly said lightly. "I _love_ surprises. Right, Tommy?"

Tommy swallowed his pride. "Stop it," he whined pathetically.

"Kim… um… I'm sorry. Trying to back out of the Twilight Zone here… what's going on?"

"Nothing. Just driving to whatever wonderful event Trini's got planned."

"Great," Tommy muttered. "I almost forgot. I still have Trini to deal with."

"Uh-huh." Adam paused. Kimberly could tell he was trying to gather his thoughts, but it was obvious he was too flabbergasted to get very far.

"Coming to Power Rangers Day on Saturday?" she asked, just to make conversation.

"Yeah. Um, yeah. Um… listen… um… have you heard from Zack?"

"Yeah. He's in the car behind us. Why?"

"My morpher freaked out. Got a little worried about him."

"Oh, he's fine. Don't worry, Adam." Kimberly's eyebrows knitted. She was watching Tommy closely and he appeared to be slowly regaining his equilibrium. That wouldn't do at all. "God, it's hot in here. Is anyone else just _burning up?"_

"Me!" Conner spoke up.

"I swear, I'm on _fire,"_ she whined, almost but not quite moaning. She popped open another button of Tommy's shirt.

"Kim, what's going on?" Adam demanded. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just a little hot and bothered. And I'm really _hungry._ I'm in the middle of lunch."

"Ah… well… I was just… wondering if Zack was okay… haven't heard from him… left about ninety messages…"

"You know Zack, he's always forgetting to take his phone off vibrate," Kimberly replied.

"Uh-huh. Um… hang on a second."

Kimberly instinctively hit the volume increase button on Tommy's phone a few more times, turning it up as loud as it would go. Therefore, all three of them in the front seat heard Adam saying, "Rocky, man, something freaky's going on."

"What?" Rocky replied. "Something to do with Zack?"

"No, it's Kim. She answered Tommy's phone."

"What? Kim doesn't talk to Tommy. That's, like, law of the universe."

"Well, technically, this random guy answered the phone… but… Kim's acting _weird,_ man!"

"You're overreacting, Adam. Come on. Kim and Tommy?"

"You're right. Of course you're right. There's probably a logical explanation for this. There's one for everything, right?"

"…If you say so. Um, is Zack okay or not?"

Adam sighed. "You there, Kim?"

"Yep. I'm still here."

"Um… Zack's fine and everything, right?"

"Yeah."

"Cuz… my morpher freaked out last night, but then this morning, it did that warming-up thing it always does when Zack morphs, just like usual… it was fine… but I thought I better call and make sure that… and Carlos said Jason asked T.J. to threaten some guy named Walter…"

"It's a long story, Adam. Can I tell you later?" Kimberly asked in her best little sister voice. "I'm kind of… _preoccupied."_

"Yeah. Sure. Um. Yeah," Adam spluttered. "I'll… talk to you later?"

"Sure thing, Adam." Kimberly snapped Tommy's phone closed. "Adam says hi, guys."

"I'm sure he does," Tommy asked, holding out his hand for his phone. Pretending not to notice, Kimberly passed it back to Conner, just for the sake of annoying him.

Kimberly resumed eating Tommy's fries and watching him smugly. "It's just so hot in here," she complained. "I can't remember the last time I was this hot."

Tommy scowled and gripped the steering wheel harder.

"Know any good ways to cool down?" Kimberly asked sweetly.

Tommy reached for the dashboard, seized the air-conditioning knob, turned it up full blast and then returned his hand to the wheel, still clutching the air-conditioning knob. It took him a minute to notice he'd ripped the knob off; when he did, he cursed and smacked it back into place.

Kimberly smirked. "You always did have strong hands."

Tommy was all ready with a killer comeback, honest, but before he could say anything, Ethan began beating his head against his window. "Hey, hey!" Tommy yelled. "You're leaving forehead prints on the glass!"

"I want to sob," Ethan muttered. "Thank god poor Kira isn't here."

"If Kira was here, we'd probably be talking about something else," Conner pointed out, eating his fries the way moviegoers munch popcorn during horror flicks.

Kimberly ignored this exchange and leaned forward even more, moving her arms out of the way of her torso as if trying to enjoy the full extent of the air-conditioning. "Thanks," she said. "That's a great way to give a girl chills."

"Kim," Jason managed, his head down on the dashboard again, "you're going to kill him, but you're going to kill me first."

"Don't be silly," Kimberly said. "Tommy's a regular tiger. He can handle it, can't you, Tommy?"

Tommy's desire to save face warred with his desire to make her stop. The former won out in the end. "Yes," he practically snarled.

Kimberly picked at her fries again. "You know what's really great about fries?" Kimberly said. "When you put the whole thing in your mouth, right before you swallow them, and there's just this nifty taste on your tongue…"

_"That's_ _IT!"_ Tommy roared, jerking the wheel so viciously that they all nearly got whiplash. He pulled onto the shoulder, turned on the emergency flashers, and accelerated to about eighty miles an hour, ignoring all the debris he was running over; the Jeep was designed to go off-road, and this was close enough. Letting out a triumphant shout at the sight of a fast-approaching off ramp, he sped towards it.

The phone rang again in the backseat. "Hello?" Conner said.

_"What the hell are you guys **doing?"**_ Zack's voice boomed out over them all.

"Aw, man, not so loud," Conner groaned.

Kimberly grinned, sitting back. Her work here was done. …Almost.

"He can't help it; Zack's always been loud. I'm a screamer too," she said with a sigh, as though this was her biggest fault.

By the time they made it to the off-ramp, they were approaching ninety-five miles per hour and they were all becoming worried. "Tommy, man, the sign says thirty miles an hour on the ramp," Jason said, in his patented leader-talking-to-distraught-and-dangerous-person voice. Tommy ignored him and braked at the last second with all the skill of a racecar driver avoiding a fiery collision with the man waving the checkered flag. He blew down the off ramp, still going a good ten over, then shot over the six-inch-high median curb, blew across the street, and spun the wheel just as the front right tire hit another curb, sending them onto two wheels.

"LEAN TO THE RIGHT!" Jason roared.

"I don't want to die like this!" Ethan screamed.

"WHOO!" Conner yelled happily.

Kimberly shook her head, smirking. Did he really think this was an effective strategy?

_I'm getting out of this car whether it kills us all or not!_ Tommy thought wildly, hunched over the steering wheel.

Tommy sped into a gas station driveway, blew past the gas pumps and several startled patrons, and kept going straight towards the glass storefront, a maniacal gleam in his eye. The car slammed back to the pavement without warning, making them all yelp in panic, and another spin of the wheel sent them fishtailing around until they were facing the entrance. Tommy flung the Jeep into reverse and backed up in a haphazard impersonation of parking, his back tire hitting the curb with an ominous noise. He slammed on the brakes again, stopping them just in time to keep the bumper from colliding with a newsstand. Tommy threw it into park and bolted from the Jeep, leaving his door wide open. The gas station's front door was on the other side of the Jeep; Tommy vaulted over the hood and disappeared.

There was a moment's silence as the four passengers digested this turn of events. Then Jason calmly leaned over, turned the Jeep off, pulled the keys from the ignition, and tucked them as deep into his pocket as they would go. "Everyone okay?"

"Fine," Kimberly replied calmly.

"Let's go again!" Conner exclaimed.

"Wamahama," Ethan whimpered.

"Good," Jason said, satisfied.

Zack's Escalade screeched to a halt in the parking spot next to them—well, as best as it could, given the angle of Tommy's Jeep meant they were blocking several spots. Zack leaped out. "WHAT THE _HELL?"_ he roared.

Trini hopped out of the front seat. "Are you guys okay?"

Trent, Billy and Kira scrambled out of the back. "We saw the whole thing! What happened?" Trent called anxiously.

Jason, Kimberly, Conner and Ethan looked at each other.

"I need to stretch my legs," Conner said cheerfully, climbing out of the car.

"Galamam," Ethan babbled, popping open his door and nearly falling face-first to the pavement as he struggled to escape.

_"Trini!"_ Jason shouted, hopping out and running towards his scheming wife. Boy, did he have an update for her.

Kimberly leaned back and calmly popped another of Tommy's fries in her mouth.

* * *

_End Notes:_ Happy Memorial Day, everyone! Figured I'd go ahead and put this up for the long weekend (in the U.S., anyway) but fair warning, it _may_ be the last update until the tenth or so.

The fry thing was inspired by (sighs) me, dropping a fry down my shirt while driving down the interstate. I'm working on cranking out the full story, and I'll let everyone know through author's notes when it's posted on my livejournal, the link to which is in my bio.

For those of you who live in countries where they use the metric system, here's an approximate translation of the speeds we mentioned, from miles per hour to kilometers.

40 mph - 64.37 kilometers per hour

65 mph - 104.65

80 mph -123.2

95 mph - 152.95


	47. Beauty and the Beast

**Chapter Forty-seven**

_Beauty and the Beast_

"Why are you asking all these questions about Dr. Oliver?" Cassidy demanded. For the past half hour, the guy had asked them all sorts of weird things about Dr. Oliver. She was only refraining from telling him off because he was somewhat good-looking. Hayley seemed annoyed by him too, as well as the two random guys Cassidy had never seen in the café before. They were drinking smoothies like nothing else, playing video games loudly, and occasionally yelling something out to Don about going to check out the rest of their leads on the Power Rangers. Hayley looked ready to tear her hair out.

"Cass, I'm sure he's just…" Devin trailed off. "Wait. Why _are_ you asking us about Dr. O?"

"Well," Don said, leaning back, "I'm investigating a purse snatching in which Dr. Oliver intervened."

"Investigating? You're a reporter, too?" Cassidy asked in surprise.

"No, actually, I'm a police officer."

"Oh." Cassidy frowned. "Intervened, as in helped?" she asked. He nodded. "Oh. Well, that's not a crime! Why would you be investigating that?"

"Well, there's a little confusion as to whether the person who took out the purse snatcher was Dr. Oliver, or the original Black Ranger. As Dr. Oliver would be easier to put on a witness stand should the case go to trial, we'd like to talk to him. Unfortunately, it appears he's vacationing in Angel Grove for the upcoming Power Rangers Day and we're having trouble locating—"

"Oh, my god! Devin!" Cassidy interrupted, turning to Devin. Both Devin and Don leaned in, Don hoping she had a revelation about Tommy and Devin just curious. "Power Rangers Day! We _have_ to go to it. If we can get an interview with the original Power Rangers, Mr. Cormier might give us our jobs back!"

"That's a great idea, Cass!" Devin exclaimed.

"And I bet lots of other Power Ranger teams will show up," Cassidy continued happily. "We might even be able to figure out who someone is! Someone other than—" Cassidy's words ground to a halt, remembering Don just in time.

"Other than who?" he asked.

"Oh, we…" Devin began helplessly.

"They tried to uncover the identities of the Dino Rangers," Hayley said dryly. "They nearly got themselves killed." She looked down at Don. "With all due respect, I think it's time you left. This nonsense about Tommy has gone far enough."

Don stood up and shrugged. "Fine. I should talk to a few other people before I head back to Angel Grove." He headed over to Bulk and Skull.

"Okay, what was _that_ all about?" Cassidy whispered to Hayley.

"He thinks Tommy's a Power Ranger," Hayley murmured.

"We didn't tell him anything important!" Devin said quickly.

"I know. I was listening. I had this highly detailed plan to stop you if you started to say too much."

"You did?" Devin asked, impressed.

"Yes. I was going to cream you with a blender. Then play it off, like you had a bug on your head."

"Oh." Devin looked at her nervously. "Is there anything we can do?"

Hayley looked at them thoughtfully. "Think you can follow him? Covertly?"

"Of course we can. Duh, we did it to Dr. O and the Power Rangers all the time," Cassidy said.

"Good. Do it. Call me and tell me who he's talking to. Be careful. If he sees you, he'll be even more suspicious of me."

"You got it, Hayley."

Meanwhile, Don approached Bulk and Skull. "Hey, guys."

"What?" Skull demanded, engrossed in cheering Bulk on as Bulk tried to reach high score on the arcade game in the corner.

"I want you two to stay here. Keep talking to customers and that Hayley woman. Try to figure out what people know. Remember, Tommy may or may not be a Dino Ranger."

"What about you?" Bulk asked.

"I'm going to go check out those other leads. Alone."

"But—"

"Don't worry. This woman's his close friend; she's the best shot at figuring out more about the Rangers. I'll talk to the other two and meet back here."

"You're not driving the van," Bulk said sternly.

"I'll walk," Don replied quickly, never wanting to set foot in the shuttle bus again.

"Okay. We'll keep an eye on things here."

Don nodded. "Good." At least he wouldn't have to put up with them anymore.

* * *

"Oh my god, are you _serious?"_ Trini squealed, feeling as if she was about twelve years old and discussing how so-and-so dumped so-and-so on their three-week anniversary, but not really caring. Jason, Billy, Zack and Trini were now sitting inside the Escalade, windows up as Jason divulged the tale of Tommy's breakdown.

"It was great," Jason said with relish. "She was just waylaying him like nothing else. And Tommy's trying to stay calm, or flirt back, and he's just… _failing._ Miserably. It was _hysterical."_

"You know you have an onion in your hair?" Zack asked, pointing.

Jason reached up and brushed it out, letting it drop down onto the mess covering Zack's car's floor. Jason frowned. "Only thing I can't figure out is what was up with him before that. Tommy was already swerving before she started messing with him—"

"Zack, crack a window," Billy instructed. Zack obliged, and the Dino Rangers' voices floated in through the gap in the window. Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent were standing on the curb on the side of the SUV opposite the Jeep, chattering away.

"I told you today was going to be a bad day," Ethan growled.

"Whatever, Ethan. So then Dr. O swerves again, and I notice the mirror's all crooked and that I can see _right down Kim's shirt_ as she's trying to get all these fries out—"

"Awesome," Trent said enviously, grinning. Kira hit him. "I mean, that's really crude of you, Conner."

"That's why Dr. O was swerving," Ethan explained, looking thoroughly disgusted at the thought. It wasn't that they were completely opposed to the idea of Tommy having a social life. They had, after all, thought him getting shot down by Elsa was pretty funny, and Ethan was still racking his brain for ideas to get Tommy and Kimberly together. It was just the idea of Dr. O having a sex life that got extremely icky. Only Conner seemed to find the concept funny and worthy of gossiping about, like he would with a peer—though even Conner had limits. Ethan knew Trent wouldn't find the story nearly as interesting if he'd actually been in the car; Conner was telling it as though Kimberly had practically been naked, not still fully-clothed and spouting innuendo at Tommy.

"You should have been there, Trent," Conner said happily. "Too bad you were riding with Zack."

"Yeah. _Damn,"_ Trent said with a sigh. Kira hit him again. "OW!"

Zack rolled the window back up. "Well, that explains that," he said with a mischievous grin.

"Swerving and all," Trini said with a smile. "God, Tommy's an idiot. All he'd have to do is ask her out."

"Have you even mentioned that to Tommy?" Jason asked dryly.

"No. My way's more fun," Trini said wickedly.

"I don't know if she'd say yes," Billy said thoughtfully. "I think they should take it slow."

"Well, regardless, they're… damn cell phones," Jason interrupted himself as his phone went off. He changed his tune at the sight of the caller ID and answered it quickly. "T.J.! How'd it go? Yeah? Oh, thank god. I appreciate it, man. Definitely. So I'll see you at Power Rangers Day? Yeah. We probably shouldn't try to hang out too much. I imagine there will be reporters there, so we shouldn't be seen together much, since you'll be recognized. Andros and the gang coming? Really? Awesome. All six of us are going. Haven't talked to Rocky, Adam, Tanya, Kat and Aisha though. Justin too? Great! Oh, yeah, the Dino Rangers are with us, so they'll be there. Hey, can you keep an eye on the news for us? We're getting out of Angel Grove for the day, just in case. Don't want to be answering any questions. Okay. Thanks again, man. I owe you one." Jason hung up. "All clear on Walter."

"T.J. rough him up?" Trini asked.

"I don't think so, no. But, then, it's T.J. He's intimidating enough without being a Power Ranger." Jason grinned. "Almost makes me wish we'd gotten exposed, too."

"Not me," Billy said with a shudder.

"He also said the whole Space crew is going to be there on Saturday," Jason continued. "T.J., Cassie, Andros, Ashley for sure, maybe Zhane. Justin's gonna have a hard time getting here by Saturday from MIT, but he's gonna try."

"That's great! We really should call up a few other teams. See who all's coming," Trini said. "In fact…" She pulled out her own phone. "I think I'll call Rocky. Maybe he'll want to come with us today, if he's not doing anything."

_"Trini?"_ Rocky exclaimed loudly halfway through the first ring.

"Hi, Rocky. How's it go—"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" Rocky bellowed. Trini jerked the phone away from her ear. "Tommy—the news—and Jason—and T.J.—and _Kim answered Tommy's phone!"_

"Yeah, she's kind of on a torturing-Tommy kick right now," Trini said wryly.

_"Excuse_ me? What's _happening_ over there? Adam's morpher wigged out last night and Kim's acting like her and Tommy are bestest friends with benefits and some random person named Conner who called Tommy 'Dr. O' picked up Tommy's phone and—"

"ROCKY!" Trini yelled, cutting him off. "Let me get a word in edgewise, and I'll explain, okay?"

"Okay, okay. Hang on. Let me put you on speaker." Trini put her phone on speaker as well, so the others could hear.

"What the hell is going on, Trini?" Adam demanded a moment later. "Carlos said the news said Tommy—"

"Is the Black Ranger. We know. Don't worry. We've handled it."

"How did that even happen?" Rocky asked.

"Tommy beat up a purse snatcher, and we thought it might look a little suspicious this close to Power Rangers Day if the six of us turned him in, especially since Tommy and the Dino Rangers are with us—"

"They _are?"_

"Yeah."

"The guy who answered Tommy's phone was the Red Dino Ranger," Jason cut in. "Conner. Bit of a goof, but pretty sharp for a rookie."

"He was part of Tommy's new team? Why'd he keep calling Tommy 'Dr. O' then?" Adam asked.

"How much do you know about the Dino Rangers?" Jason asked.

"Just that Tommy's the Black. He's been really busy, you know?"

"Yeah," Rocky added. "What with him working days and being a Ranger, and me working afternoons, and Adam's been filming nonstop since August—"

"We haven't talked much since all this started happening," Adam continued. "I mean, Hayley called to tell us he got trapped in rock, but she said it was probably better for us to keep a low profile, didn't want Mesogog getting any ideas about capturing ex-Rangers to extract their energy when Tommy was trapped in a giant yellow rock… how did that happen, anyway?"

"Yeah, that's kind of weird," Rocky said. "Even for us."

"There are _way_ too many stories to tell on this one," Trini said wearily, rubbing a hand down the side of her face.

"Then start with the most important one," Adam said. "Why is Kim answering Tommy's phone?"

"Kim and Tommy are here," Trini replied. "Power Rangers Day is for the Red, Black, Yellow, Pink, Blue and White. So… they're both in town."

"Hey, wait a second," Adam said slowly. "I'll get back to Kim and Tommy in a second, but… you said there were _six_ of you. Who's the sixth? You, Jason, Tommy, Kim, Zack—"

"Me," said Billy. "I _am_ the original Blue Ranger, after all."

There was a long moment of silence. Then Rocky and Adam started screaming at once.

"BILLY!"

"You're BACK?"

"When did you get back?"

"How come no one told us?"

"What's going on?"

"You came all the way back for _Power Rangers Day?"_

"Billy's BACK! Yes!"

"Guys!" Trini screamed. "Calm down!"

"When did he get back?" Rocky demanded.

"Uh… Saturday," Billy replied.

"Saturday? You've been here since _Saturday?"_

"Didn't you get my email?" Jason asked. "I told you guys he was coming in."

There was a long pause. _"You_ sent us an email?" Adam asked slowly.

"So if you guys didn't know, it's Trini's fault," Jason said defensively. "She knows better than to leave something electronic up to me."

They all laughed. "We should have called," Trini said apologetically. "It's just… what with all the excitement…"

"I should have figured you'd be wanting to see Billy and wondered why you hadn't called," Jason said. "I'm sorry, guys."

"No problem," Adam said. "But we want to see Billy! What are you guys doing today?"

"We're going to Stone Canyon," Trini said. "You guys want to meet up?"

"Hell yeah!" Rocky exclaimed. "Where are you—?"

"Wait!" Adam interrupted. _"Blue!_ The Blue light! Billy, was it you who used Zack's morpher last night?"

"Yeah…"

"That explains a lot. It freaked out, sparks flying everywhere. I thought _Tommy_ was the one who was using it, after that conversation with Carlos and everything—"

"It was me. We figured, since no one expects me to be on the planet, the others would all have alibis if I used Zack's morpher."

"So we turned the purse snatcher over, but it turns out he'd seen Tommy," Zack continued. "So everyone assumed that Tommy was the Black Ranger."

"And that's why you sent T.J. to rough up Walter," Adam said, realization dawning. "Get him to change his story."

"Yeah. Everything's all good and handled. Carrie—you remember the story about Carrie?" Jason asked.

"Carrie who?"

"Carrie from the _Sentinel,"_ Trini said.

"Oh! Yeah. Oh, _she's_ the insider at the media?" Rocky asked. "Awesome. That's a relief."

"So that's all handled," Jason said. "Trini, why don't you tell them where to meet us? Someone should go check on Tommy. And I should probably move his Jeep."

"Right," Trini said, grinning. She took them off speakerphone and hopped out of the car, so the others wouldn't overhear their destination.

"Whew," Billy said. "The day might have started out negatively, but it appears to be improving."

* * *

Tommy stared wearily at the mirror as he patted his face dry. He'd heard splashing cold water on one's face when stressed was a good way to calm down, so he'd tried drowning himself in the sink.

He really wished Kimberly would stop torturing him. Under normal circumstances, he'd have found it fun, or at least taken it with a good-natured laugh. But things were different now. He didn't want to think about her in that way, not now. It was hard enough to control his thoughts when she wasn't enticing him just because she thought it was cute.

"Should've just jumped her," he muttered to himself. Wouldn't solve anything, and would probably make things worse in the long run, but at least if he jumped her he'd be getting something out of the whole mess.

_It's partly your fault, you know,_ said the inner voice that sounded a lot like Hayley. _You shouldn't have been looking down her shirt. She was just getting revenge._

_But still,_ he argued back. _And by the way, that's MY shirt._

Problem was it was all too easy. Too easy to pretend he was still that teenager who lived his life under the pretense that no matter how hard things got, he had Kimberly and his friends. They'd all fallen back into their old habits so well. Billy dumbing down his speech patterns, but trusting Trini to help him out when he couldn't reword. Zack being goofy and yet throwing in a surprisingly perceptive insight here and there. Trini playing puppet master, lending out her shoulder and her ear while she translated Billy down to three words or less. Jason being… well, Jason. And Kimberly, bouncing through life and flirting with Tommy.

Tommy knew better than to sink too far back into their old ways. The teens' presence helped, kept him grounded in the now. Unfortunately, it really wasn't as easy to stray from his former image. He hadn't changed much. He was kinda... well, kinda _bitter_ now. He was slightly more organized, because Hayley had managed to beat a few habits into his head. He was more responsible. Stronger. But at the end of the day, he was the same old Tommy. And he didn't want to be the same old Tommy around Kimberly. (After all, the "same old Tommy" was the one that wanted to jump her.) That could only lead to something he wasn't ready for. And to giving his students blackmail opportunities.

He had to get Kimberly out of his car. But how? Trini wouldn't swap with her; she'd want to keep Tommy and Kimberly together. Billy might, but not if Trini glared at him hard enough…

_Kira,_ he thought suddenly. Of course. She would help him out. She was as tough as every other woman to wear her color, but she also had a soft side that couldn't stand to see a friend suffer. And he could manipulate that, if he played his cards right. Besides, he doubted Ethan was going to want to ride with him again, and Trent would probably get suckered into swapping with him, so Kira would have added incentive.

Tommy finally exited the gas station's lone bathroom, ignoring the glowers from the long line of people waiting to use it. When he went back outside, he was relieved to see Kimberly was now out of his Jeep, which Jason was parking in a more logical fashion. Zack, Billy, Kimberly, Trini and Kira were standing on the curb, chattering away, while Conner, Ethan and Trent were standing off to the side, whispering. Making a mental note of that, Tommy approached the older Rangers and Kira.

"Hey, Tommy!" Zack said cheerfully, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened during the drive. Great; that meant Zack knew everything, which meant they _all_ knew everything. "Guess what," Zack continued. "Adam and Rocky are going to meet us in Stone Canyon."

"That's great," Tommy said distractedly.

"I called Rocky and apparently he and Adam are hanging out and they've been freaking out all night about, you know, the mess," Trini said, glancing around for eavesdroppers. "But I explained everything, and they're going to meet us in the parking lot. Provided we actually get there. We were supposed to get off the interstate about six exits ago."

"That's nice," Tommy said, struggling to find a way to separate Kira from the group. Failing to come up with anything, he simply seized her wrist and hauled her down the sidewalk, around the corner, and back behind the gas station.

* * *

"You were right, Ethan, don't you see?" Conner whispered eagerly. "Kim still does like Dr. O."

"I'm not sure I care right now," Ethan said, still trying to suppress images of his science teacher "driving one-handed."

"Come on, Ethan," Trent urged. Like Conner, Trent wasn't all that perturbed—mostly because he hadn't been there. "We owe it to Dr. O. He's devoted his whole life to the Rangers. It's about time he settled down and got himself a girlfriend."

"We just need a plan," Conner continued. "It's not like we can convince him to ask her out. He'd make us shut up. Like that time when I told him he should go after Principal Randall."

"Right before he chased you out of the kitchen with a mop," Ethan said dryly.

"So we need a plan," Trent insisted.

Ethan sighed. "I still think the Secret Chamber might work. We'd have to get them both to Jason and Trini's house and in the basement, and we'd have to get the key from Trini… it needs work, but I'm sure if we could just get the two of them stuck somewhere together for a long time they might just talk it out."

"Although it would mean we'd be running the risk of Dr. O killing us," Trent said reluctantly. "I don't think he'll be very happy about it."

"He will if he works things out with Kim in the process," Ethan argued.

"Maybe we need to get them talking first," Conner suggested. "You know—remembering the good times. It seems like they've had a lot."

Trent shifted uncomfortably, thinking of how well things were going with him and Kira, and praying he didn't lose her the way Dr. O had lost Kimberly. Sighing, he looked over at her… to discover she was gone. A jolt of irrational panic went through him.

Without a word, he marched over to Trini, Zack, Billy and Kimberly, Conner and Ethan following, confused. "Where's Kira?" he demanded.

"Tommy dragged her off behind the gas station," Zack said with a shrug, turning back to his friends. "Anyway, Rocky said that—"

Trent ran off. Conner and Ethan chased after him, now a tad worried.

* * *

"HEY!" Kira complained as Tommy halted next to a Dumpster. "Dr. O! What did I _do?"_

Tommy swung her around to face him and took hold of her shoulders, staring into her eyes intently. "Kira, I need to talk to you."

"Oh, man, is this where you beg me to trade places with Conner and ride with you?"

He blinked. "Actually, Kim. Although, come to think of it, I should probably find someone to switch with Conner, too. Do you think Trent—?"

"Look, I'm sorry, Dr. O, but I'm enjoying a nice, peaceful ride with Zack, wherein I listen to your friends make fun of the way you drive and afterwards there's a funny story to hear. And no one cares if I snuggle up to Trent."

Tommy gave her his best pleading look. "Kira, please. Do this for me. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"You're still supposed to make up for yesterday," Kira pointed out.

"I'll make up for them both. I swear. Come on. Jason will be driving; I think he stole my keys at some point."

Kira regarded him thoughtfully for a second, then frowned and asked, "Did someone give you a swirly or something?"

Tommy blinked, confused. "What?"

"You're soaked. You look like someone shoved your head in a toilet bowl."

Tommy looked down at his shirt; the shoulder area was dark with water. He shrugged. "Tried to drown myself in the sink," he said with a sigh. He waited for this to take effect. Sure enough, her face began to form a sympathetic expression. Ha! He was almost there…

"Stop trying to look like a kicked puppy," Kira demanded even as the feminine side buried deep within her said, "Aww, poor guy."

"Kira, please. I'll do anything. Anything. I can't let Kim back in that car! Please, _please—"_

"Stop begging!" she whined, knowing she was about to cave and struggling to fight him off. He really _did_ look like a kicked puppy. Or rather an annoying puppy that she wanted to kick but just couldn't because the darned thing was too cute.

"What's going on?" called a suspicious voice. Tommy rolled his eyes; Trent had arrived.

"Hey, guys," Kira called, twisting her shoulders a bit to try to get Tommy to let go, but he wouldn't. He was too desperate. Conner, Ethan and Trent stopped, looking from Kira to Tommy and trying to puzzle out the reason behind him gripping her shoulders and begging.

Tommy sighed. He knew Trent had jealous tendencies; Trent often complained about how often Kira chatted to the Ninja Storm team, particularly Blake and Dustin. Tommy was pretty sure Trent knew the very idea that Trent would need to be jealous of Tommy was ridiculous, but he understood Trent's newfound tendency to glare at him; Tommy had glared at many a guy on behalf of his girlfriends and friends alike. However, he couldn't afford any interruptions, and therefore ignored the arrival of Conner, Ethan and Trent completely.

"Kira, _please._ Ask Kim to switch places. Conner can switch with Trent. Ethan can stay in the Jeep." Trent breathed a small sigh of relief as the reasoning behind Tommy's kidnapping of Kira became clear.

"No _way_ am I getting back in there!" Ethan interrupted vehemently.

"One of you has to," Tommy said grimly. He frowned and thought hard. "Okay. I got it. Trent, you and Kira go to Kimberly. Tell her that Ethan suckered Trent into switching with him, and Kira wants to ride with Trent, so would Kim please switch with Kira. That should do the trick. Lay it on thick, but don't do overdo it. Then me, Jase, Conner, Kira and Trent will take the Jeep."

Kira sighed. "What do you think, Trent?"

"Um… give us a sec," Trent said, frowning. He pulled Conner and Ethan into a huddle. "Should we do it?" Trent whispered.

"No way," Conner said. "We want to keep them together, not split them up!"

"But Dr. O's had it with her, or he wouldn't be asking us to do this," Ethan pointed out.

"Good point," Conner agreed reluctantly.

"She _was_ coming on kinda strong," Ethan continued.

"But my idea of locking them in the trunk of the RADBUG together worked really well," Conner argued.

"Yeah, but I don't think Dr. O can take any more Kim moments today. It took him fifteen minutes to go Thelma and Louise on us. Thank god we weren't near any cliffs." Ethan shuddered.

"So you're cool with this?" Trent asked.

"Yeah. As long as I don't have to ride in the Jeep."

"All agreed?" Conner asked. They nodded. The three boys broke the huddle and turned back to Tommy and Kira, who were staring at them suspiciously. "We'll do it," Conner announced, keeping his expression as casual as possible.

Tommy warred with himself for a moment, wondering if he cared more about Kimberly not riding with him than he did about what was up with the three guys. Then he shrugged, gave them a grateful nod, and wandered off.

"What's going on?" Kira asked slowly.

"What do you mean?" Conner asked innocently.

"Nothing's up. Nothing at all," Ethan added.

"Trent?" Kira demanded, her eyes narrowed.

Trent knew Kira would never buy a "nothing, honest!" response from him and heaved a fake sigh. "We were taking bets on how long it would be before Dr. O has to be committed," he replied as apologetically as he could.

"Oh. Then I've got twenty bucks on Saturday morning," Kira told him, coming over and taking his hand. "Come on; let's go save his butt."

* * *

The rest of the ride was uneventful. Zack took the lead, ensuring that there would be no more getting lost, as Trini knew exactly where they were going. Kimberly switched seats with Kira without much of a fight, and Conner, Kira and Trent spent the remainder of the drive in Tommy's backseat, speculating about what the surprise was while Jason drove and Tommy reclined in the passenger seat, eyes closed in a near-meditative state. It was one of the calmest moments of the entire vacation for him.

That is, until Jason whispered, "That's my girl," and Tommy's eyes snapped open, then widened in disbelief.

"Oh, no," Tommy breathed, staring in horror at the enormous trap Trini had just sprung upon him.

* * *

_End Notes:_ See you guys in about a week! 


	48. Scent of a Weasel

**Chapter Forty-eight**

_Scent of a Weasel_

"NO!" Tommy shouted. "I absolutely _refuse_ to—"

"Quit freaking out, Tommy," Jason chided as he followed Zack down the aisle, looking for a good parking spot.

"Awesome," Conner said approvingly, staring up at their destination. "A fair."

"Not just _any_ fair," Jason said cheerfully, grinning at Tommy. "Stone Canyon's annual carnival, one of the best in southern Cal—"

"Why is it called 'Happy Bob's Carnival of Magic?'" Kira interrupted warily.

"Because all the people who work there are on drugs," Tommy snapped.

"You _are_ exaggerating, right?" Trent asked, looking nervously at some of the bigger rides. The lot was huge, with rides and games and food stalls galore. Trent had had a bad experience on a Gravitron as a kid—the circular ride where everyone leaned against vertical panels and then found themselves glued to the panels by centrifugal force as the ride spun. A little kid riding upside-down next to him had lifted his head up from the panel after it had slid up, and when the panel came back down it had crushed the back of the kid's head open. Trent hadn't ridden a Gravitron since and was still a little leery of carnivals, only slightly comforted by the fact that the kid had lived.

"Jason, turn the car around!" Tommy yelled, ignoring Trent.

"Come _on,_ Tommy. This'll be fun. You don't have to freak out just because—"

"It was our _first date,_ Jason! Trini's only bringing us here because she thinks me and Kim need to have that flung up in our faces. I'm _not_ dealing with this today!"

"I thought your first date was the dance," Jason said, frowning thoughtfully.

"No, _this_ was our first date. After we ditched you guys."

"Hey! I—wait. What makes you think Trini did this because of you and Kim?" Jason demanded.

"I _told_ you, this is where Kim and I went on our first date!"

"Well, if _I_ didn't know that, I'm sure _Trini_ didn't know that!" Jason insisted.

_"Sure_ she… hmm." Tommy frowned. Jason was right. There was no way Trini could have known about it… unless Kimberly had told her… but if Kimberly had told her, then Trini probably would have told the others… aha! "Why did you say 'that's my girl,' then?" he retorted.

"Because this should be _awesome._ We haven't been here since the day we got banned. And they've probably got a lot of cool new rides and games over the past ten years, and no one should recognize us. You're jumping at shadows, man."

Tommy thought this over as Jason pulled into a parking spot next to Zack. Unfortunately, he was coming up with less and less to go on to link the carnival with Trini's vendetta to get him back with Kimberly. He wondered if he really was just spooked because he knew Trini was coming for him. It seemed like something she would do—get him jumpy and unfocused and set him to thinking that she wasn't planning anything spectacular so he wouldn't see it coming when she finally put her master plan into action.

"You were banned from a carnival?" Conner asked Jason with interest.

"Yeah, well…" Jason said, embarrassed. He shrugged. "It was Zack's fault."

"You've _got_ to tell us this story," Trent begged.

"Yeah!" Kira exclaimed.

"Yeah, Dr. O never tells us things like how he was banned from a carnival," Conner added. "Just morals and do your homework and don't do stupid things."

"Dr. O _wasn't_ banned from the carnival," Tommy told him through gritted teeth. "Dr. O's _friends_ were banned from the carnival."

"At which point, Tommy and I went wandering around alone," Kimberly said cheerfully, appearing at the side of the Jeep. Tommy jumped badly. "I still have a lot of the stuff he won for me." She looked over at Jason. "You'd better get over there. Billy, Zack and Trini are having the argument of the century about this. I'm afraid Ethan might get hurt in the crossfire."

Conner, Kira, Trent and Jason scrambled out and rushed around to the other side of Zack's SUV, where Billy, Zack, and Trini were fighting and Ethan was trying to get a word in edgewise. Tommy sighed and refused to meet Kimberly's gaze. "I still think she did this on purpose," he muttered stubbornly, more to himself than to Kimberly.

"Probably," Kimberly replied with a shrug. "She knew this was our first date, after all."

Tommy whipped his head around to look at her. "She did? HA! I _knew_ it!"

Kimberly grinned. "Come on, Tommy. Like I said yesterday, just play along. She's not going to quit, so she has to be ignored and yet thwarted, before she decides to get drastic. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to freak out about this. We went on a date here. Big deal."

Tommy grimaced, wishing she hadn't just made their first date sound as eventful as stepping in a mud puddle. "I don't know, Kim."

"Look, I'm sorry about teasing you all morning," Kimberly said patiently. She paused, frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then whacked him upside the head, hard. He jumped and rubbed the sore spot, giving her a questioning look. "But that's what you _get_ for looking down my shirt and nearly killing us all in the process."

Tommy cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Suppose it _was_ kind of a fair trade."

"Yeah. Plus it was funny as hell." She giggled, and Tommy smiled wearily at her. "Anyway, the point is, I'm not going to let Trini or our past or anything else upset me today. I've got my friends, I'm gonna get to see Rocky and Adam for the first time in ages, and I plan on totally kicking Trini's butt at the balloon dart game this time. I mean, yeah, her Power Daggers gave her much better practice, but my aim's _way_ improved."

Tommy thought this over, deciding he liked her philosophy better than his previous plan of whining and sulking. "So we just pretend we don't know what Trini's up to?"

"Of course. I'm having way too good a day to let a little thing like _this_ bother me. After all, I tortured you all morning, artfully dodged all of Trini's questions on the ride in from the gas station, and I've got a brand-new shirt I didn't even have to pay for."

He mock-glared at her. "I mean it. I'm going to get you back for that."

_"Sure_ you are. Now get your ass out of the Jeep and toughen up. _Someone_ has to break up the fight the gang is having, and from the sound of things—" she paused so they could hear Trini and Zack's raised voices— "Jason's not doing so well. If _you_ say you want to waltz into the carnival, Zack'll shut up."

"Good point." Tommy sighed, hopped out and headed over to the others. Kimberly smiled and leaned against the side of the Jeep, hoping she was right about being able to ignore the fact that she and Tommy had had their first date here.

The first part of it had been a disaster… as the others had tagged along, oblivious to the fact that Tommy had finally asked Kimberly out. It had been right after their first kiss… which had turned into their second kiss after he'd asked her to the dance. And then their third. And their fourth. And it probably would have become their ninety-second if it hadn't been for an untimely interruption. Apparently the others had been hanging out in the Command Center, wondering how they could cheer up Tommy, and someone had gotten the idea to go find him and drag him to the carnival in Stone Canyon.

Kimberly grinned as she remembered the panicky way he'd jerked apart, the way he'd looked at her in askance to see if she'd mind that he wiped his mouth to take care of any incriminating lipstick, the audible gulp he'd done when Jason had given Tommy his patented Big Brother Look.

It was because of that look that they'd decided not to mention the kiss to the others, or Tommy's sudden surge of bravery in asking her out. They'd decided to split up, go get ready, teleport to the woods next to the carnival lot and meet up by the entrance. As they'd left the part together, Tommy and Kimberly had lagged behind the group, and Tommy had shyly suggested that they make the carnival a date. She'd agreed, and then she'd gone home to freak out and try to prepare for the prospect of a date with Tommy… especially a date with Tommy when Jason, her big brother, and Trini, her best friend, and Zack and Billy would be tagging along…

She'd tried on every outfit she owned that day and some she didn't—twelve shirts belonging to her mother and three that Trini had forgotten after sleepovers. Her hair had been restyled three times and her makeup took forever to get just right and she somehow managed to overturn her bookcase while looking for the perfect shoes and eventually Trini, sensing Kimberly might be late, had shown up and marveled at the chaos that was Kimberly preparing for a date and helped Kimberly through it. That was the only reason Trini had known, and Trini had promised to try to keep Jason, Zack and Billy at bay and give Kimberly some alone time with Tommy…

Kimberly was startled from her thoughts by Zack, who was screaming at Tommy. "Of course _you_ want to go in there! _You_ didn't get banned! _You_ got to make out with Kimberly in the Tunnel of Love all day!"

She winced, then realized with a start that everything Trini had planned to do to her by bringing her here was working. Here she was, hanging around thinking about the good old days when she'd had hearts in her eyes and Tommy at her side. God, no _wonder_ Tommy was so stressed.

She wasn't going to let it get to her. She and Tommy were _over._ Yes, she loved him, and yes, she missed him, and yes, he was as funny and likeable and hot as she remembered, but she wasn't about to go there and he sure as hell didn't seem like he wanted to, either.

_Keep telling yourself that,_ scoffed a rebellious voice in the back of her mind.

"Kim?"

Kimberly looked up. Kira had come over to them. "Hey, Kira. What's going on?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Kira said dryly. "Now Dr. O _wants_ to go to the carnival, and he didn't a minute ago, and Zack keeps yammering about how he got kicked out, and—"

"And I keep yammering about how it was Zack's fault we got kicked out in the first place," Trini interrupted in frustration, being fairly dragged over to Kimberly and Kira by Billy.

"Calm down," Billy urged. "As I said before, it was really kind of _my_ fault. I shouldn't have pushed him."

"You wouldn't have pushed him if he hadn't been annoying you," Trini pointed out.

"Yes, well, we could play the blame game all we want," Kimberly said. "We could argue it was Jason's fault for wanting to ride with Trini, or my fault for wanting to ride with Tommy, or the security guards' fault for actually escorting you out, but the fact is it just happened and ten years is a long time to keep harping on—"

"BILLY!"

Startled, Billy jumped and spun around, but he didn't have time to prepare before a red-and-blue blur dove at him. The next thing he knew, Rocky was swinging him around happily.

"Billy, man, it's so good to see you!" Rocky roared as he set Billy back down. "I can't believe you're back! I can't believe you didn't call us! Oh, man, it's great to see you!"

"Move over!" commanded Adam, running up behind Rocky. Rocky got out of Adam's way, and Adam hugged Billy, only with less swinging and crushing of vital organs.

"I'm so sorry we didn't call," Billy said, grinning happily at the sight of his friends and straightening his glasses, which had been knocked askew during the bear hug Rocky had given him.

"At least we get to see you now," Adam said, waving his hand dismissively. "Way Trini tells it, you guys have been kinda busy—hey, Trini," he added, moving on to hug her. "It's great to see you guys. Haven't seen you since—"

"That party Tanya invited us to in L.A.," Trini finished. "And I was a tad busy trying to get Jason to leave Dr. Dre alone."

Adam chuckled. "Yeah. It was hysterical." He stepped back and went to hug Kimberly as Trini braced herself for one of Rocky's infamous airborne hugs, which had become more elaborate since the Zeo Rangers had all moved away from each other. "And Kim, I missed you," Adam continued.

"You need to swing by my place more often," Kimberly teased as Adam released her.

"KIM!" Rocky exclaimed as Billy knowingly helped Trini regain her balance.

To Kira's complete surprise, Adam's arms came around her next. "And—" He paused in mid-extremely-tight hug. He drew back. "Random girl," he finished lamely.

"Hi," Kira said, stepping away, embarrassed.

"Random girl!" Rocky said cheerfully as he dropped Kimberly. Before Kira could protest, he was squeezing her to his chest and swinging her around. He was in the middle of the third circle before it hit him; he stopped, Kira's feet dangling quite a ways off the ground as she waited for it to sink in. "Hang on..." Rocky pulled back to look at her. "I don't know you, do I?"

"No," Kira choked out, finding it currently difficult to breathe.

"Remember what I said about accosting strangers?" Adam joked. "Put her down."

"Sorry," Rocky said, hastily setting a dazed Kira back on her feet. She waved his apology away before any sort of annoyance could take effect, and took a second to get her bearings, looking them both over. Quite athletic and healthy. Probably early to mid-twenties. Cute, especially Adam—in her opinion, anyway; when it came to guys, she preferred black hair and a lack of red clothing. They were specifically color-coordinated.

"Oh, this is Kira," Kimberly said, shooting her an apologetic look. "Kira, this is Rocky and Adam. Guys, Kira is, um…" She checked the surrounding area for eavesdroppers; the carnival parking lot was too crowded for comfort.

"She's Tommy's Yellow," Trini explained.

Rocky and Adam's eyebrows rose simultaneously. _"Tommy's_ dating a _Yellow?"_ Rocky asked incredulously.

_"Date?"_ Kira spluttered, trying to shake off the dizziness Rocky had caused before it could combine with the queasiness Rocky had caused. Adam shot Rocky a disapproving look before glancing sideways at Kimberly to gauge her reaction, but Rocky didn't notice.

"Little young for Tommy, aren't you?" Rocky asked, looking her up and down curiously and, to Kira's further discomfort, a tad appreciatively.

"She's not _dating_ Tommy," Trini said hastily, seeing the look of horror on Kira's face.

"You're damned right I'm not!" Kira said vehemently.

"Let me guess," Adam said. He leaned in close to Kira and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Yellow Dino Ranger?"

Kira nodded. "Yes. I am."

"OH!" Rocky said, blushing slightly. "That makes more sense. Sorry, it's just… we heard that Tommy's girlfriend had her purse stolen during this whole Black Ranger TV story—"

"That was my purse," Kimberly said.

"Ah. So you guys are dating?"

"No. That's just bad reporting."

"You'd think they'd watch that sort of thing," Rocky said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I mean, calling Tommy the first Black Ranger was okay, but calling Kim Tommy's girlfriend is just rude," Trini deadpanned.

Rocky laughed. "Got a point there. Is Tommy even dating anyone?" He turned to Kira. "Did your team even have a Pink? I seem to remember something about no Pink."

"I was the only girl," Kira confirmed.

"Ah. Yeah, Tommy doesn't go much for Yellows, for some reason. No offense," Rocky added hastily.

"You're not offending me," Kira told him dryly.

Rocky didn't seem to believe her. "Hey, you know, if you want to ask him out, you should go for it. He did, after all, date Hayley, and if she were a Ranger she'd _so_ be a Yellow."

"He's. My. Science. Teacher," Kira ground out.

Rocky frowned. "Okay, maybe you shouldn't ask him out after all."

"I don't _want_ to ask him out!" Kira hissed. After hearing that Dr. O was once a Red, and after meeting Jason, she had hoped that Conner was just a fluke in the long line of Reds. It would appear she was wrong.

Rocky patted her on the shoulder. "That's the spirit, kid."

Kira had to fight the urge to draw back her fist; Trini hastily reached out, grabbed the back of Rocky's shirt and hauled him back a few feet, as if trying to get as much distance as possible between Kira and Rocky. Adam smiled apologetically at her. "Don't mind him."

"He's a Red one, isn't he," Kira said flatly.

Adam threw back his head and laughed while Trini, Billy and Kimberly burst into a fit of giggles; Rocky frowned, looking a bit unsettled by that, wondering if she thought there was something insulting about being Red. "Yes, he is," Adam told her. "I'm Adam Park. Second Black, Green Zeo, first Green Turbo." He held out his hand for Kira to shake, which she took, glad there wasn't going to be any more hugging.

"Kira Ford. Just… Yellow Dino."

"Rocky DeSantos," Rocky said, shaking hands as well. "Blue Zeo." He paused. "And second Red."

"You're the guys who took over for Jason and Zack, I take it?" Kira asked, telling herself that these were legendary Rangers and there was no need to hold a grudge against Rocky for his misunderstanding; it wasn't like he'd been _trying_ to make her throw up.

"Yeah," Adam replied. "Have you—"

"Excuse me."

The six of them turned around quite quickly, nervous that someone had overheard their talk of colors and gotten suspicious, but it was only Trent, who was looking at Rocky and Adam in a no-nonsense sort of way. He had been watching the argument between Tommy, Jason and Zack from several car lengths away with Conner and Ethan, but he'd happened to glance away just in time to see Rocky and Adam hugging Kira.

"Yes?" Adam asked politely.

Trent had to force down an angry "Want to tell me why you're touching my girlfriend?" (which he forced down only because he knew Kira didn't like possessiveness) and held out his hand to Rocky. "Trent Fernandez. And you are?"

"Rocky DeSantos." Rocky shook his hand, confused. "Can I help you?"

"Trent here is Kira's boyfriend," Trini said as delicately as she could.

Rocky and Adam frowned for a minute; Rocky caught on first. "Oh!" Rocky exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Oh, don't worry. She's _way_ too young for me. And Adam's got his own Yellow."

Adam glared at him, then paused when he realized where Rocky's statement was coming from. "Oh! Sorry. See, when we saw Trini and Kim, we got a little carried away, and…"

"Rocky's… an older Conner," Kira said, giving Trent a meaningful look.

"Oh." Trent smiled, looking slightly relieved. "That explains a lot."

"Conner's the Red one, right?" Rocky asked, frowning. He was starting to get the feeling that he was being mocked.

"Yeah, he's the Red on our team," Kira said. "Trent's the White."

"You guys are Rangers too?" Trent asked, moving to stand next to Kira. She grinned slightly and put her hand in his.

"Yep," Rocky said cheerfully. "Jason and Zack's replacements. I was Jason's."

"Ah." Trent looked from one to the other suspiciously and a moment of silence came over the group.

"Where's the rest of the gang, anyway?" Adam asked, with the tone of one trying to salvage a conversation.

"Over there, duking it out about whether or not we should go to the carnival," Trini replied.

"Why shouldn't we?" Rocky asked curiously.

"Well, there's the fact that Jason, Trini, Zack and Billy got banned back in 1993," Kimberly said lightly. "Oh, and this is where Tommy and I went on our first date, so that's a little odd for us all."

"Heh," Billy said, shooting Trini a nervous look. Trini simply smiled in response.

"Well, let's go say hi!" Rocky exclaimed, bounding off with Adam, Kimberly, Trini and Billy at his heels.

"Come on!" Trini called to Kira and Trent.

Trent started to follow, but Kira squeezed his hand to hold him back and he looked at her. "What?"

"That was cute," she said simply.

"What? _Those_ guys?" Trent asked, a little more sharply than he'd intended.

"No. The look of barely-controlled rage on your face," Kira teased. "I could practically _see_ you beating them up in your head."

"I was not! I'm the mild-mannered one, remember?" She raised an eyebrow at him. He paused and smiled sheepishly. "…And also the previously evil guy." He shook his head ruefully.

Kira's smile widened. Giving his hand another squeeze, she began to follow the others. After a moment, Trent looked sideways at her. "Cute, huh?"

Kira let out a small snort of affectionate laughter. "Yeah."

Trent grinned. "I can live with that."

* * *

_End Notes:_ Sorry this took so long; not only was Document Manager screwing up, but we'd originally planned flashbacks of the first time around at the carnival. Then Freyja's computer ate the flashbacks and rewriting them got a little too involved. If those flashbacks _do_ show up, they'll come in a later chapter, a sequel, or—most likely—a post on my livejournal or a side story. We'll be working on getting the rest out.

By the way, we've been nominated for several awards in the Hope for the World Fiction awards, the link to which is in my bio; if you think we're deserving, we'd appreciate your votes. I'm also posting a Mystic Force story called "For the Love of Frogs," which isn't related to "Of Love and Bunnies," that I'd like to ask you guys to go read.


	49. For Whom the Bell Trolls

**Chapter Forty-nine**

_For Whom the Bell Trolls_

"Where'd you guys go?" demanded a bewildered Ethan as they approached. He was standing with Conner about ten feet from a miniature riot in the middle of the aisle. Currently, Zack was on the receiving end of one of Rocky's airborne hugs, Adam was exchanging an old-school secret handshake ritual with Jason, and everyone walking or driving past was staring at them.

"Trent was defending his territory," Kira deadpanned.

"What?" Conner looked at her, confused.

"Never mind," Trent said, smiling at them innocently.

"Guys!" Jason called, waving them over. Shrugging, they crept closer. "These are the Dino Rangers," he whispered to Adam and Rocky.

"We've already met Kira and Trent," Adam said. "So those two must be Red and Blue?"

"I'm Ethan," Ethan said, extending his hand. "I'm the Blue."

"Adam, second Black, Green Zeo, first Green Turbo."

"Rocky, second Red, Blue Zeo."

Ethan frowned at him. "You're a Red… _and_ a Blue?"

"There have only been two of those before, Ethan, don't worry," Kimberly said, struggling not to laugh. "And they were both Red first, not Blue."

"Me and T.J.," Rocky said, nodding.

"You're the second Red ever?" Conner asked. "Wow." Rocky grinned at him.

"So you're Black now, huh?" Adam asked Tommy. "Humph. Didn't you have enough colors?"

"I was Green long before you were, buddy," Tommy mock-growled.

"Well, if you'd stop switching around, the rest of us wouldn't have to find new colors," Adam retorted with a grin. "Makes the wardrobe selection pretty difficult."

"Hey, try having _four_ colors, pal."

Rocky and Adam both grimaced and looked down at their outfits.

"Hey, question," Kira called, raising her hand to get their attention. "Where's the second Yellow, anyway?"

"Aisha? Er… there was this time-travel incident and she became a veterinarian in Africa… long story. She doesn't often get to come back to the U.S.," Tommy explained.

"Actually," Adam said, "I called Tanya on our way over. As soon as she heard Billy was back, she swore she'd be at Power Rangers Day, and—"

"I thought she was visiting Aisha in Africa right now," Tommy interrupted, confused.

"She is. I was going to go too, but I was kind of wiped from my last film and I wasn't too keen on getting all the malaria shots. Besides, Tanya's really busy with fundraising for the poor and trying to get Aisha to record an album with her." He smiled; Tanya was always begging Aisha to collaborate on an album, but Aisha was happy in Africa and wasn't very interested in fame. "When I contacted her to tell her about Power Rangers Day and Billy, she said she and Aisha would fly back on Friday; they've got some major fundraiser tomorrow."

"They're coming all the way back from _Africa_ just for Power Rangers Day?" Kimberly asked, surprised but pleased.

Adam shrugged. "Why not? Tanya's got enough money to fly all of Zimbabwe here for Power Rangers Day. And Aisha got all excited about Billy and hoping that you might come, Kimberly."

"I haven't seen her face-to-face since I left," Kimberly said, nodding. "I'm still not clear on how she ended up in Africa, exactly. Trini keeps trying to explain…"

"Maybe Sha can do a better job when she gets here, since, you know, it happened to her," Rocky suggested. "If I hadn't been there, it would have gone right over my head, too."

"I can't wait to see her," Billy said happily. "I haven't seen either of them since Jason's wedding, and things were so hectic then."

"I probably had the only wedding in the world attended by aliens, Power Rangers and pop stars," Jason said ruefully.

"You forgot the paparazzi," Trini pointed out.

"The paparazzi came to your wedding?" Kira asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Until we found them and threatened to kick their butts," Jason growled. "At which point, they left. My wedding was utter chaos; we didn't need the media running around. With the exception of Kimberly, the Galaxy Rangers and a couple members of Time Force, every Ranger on the planet was there, up through Wild Force. And Trey, the guy I took the Gold Ranger powers from, he swung by with a bunch of important people from Triforia, his planet—"

"They look fairly human, but they dressed oddly and there were seven or eight sets of triplets with his group," Trini said. "Something about being tri-fold beings."

"So that was about thirty-five Triforians, plus the six Aquitians that came in with Billy, and Wes and Eric showed up with practically an army of Silver Guardians," Jason finished. "You'd think they, at least, would have acted normal, but they wouldn't stop saluting me and Trini and a couple of the others whenever we walked by. My mom even asked me why the Silver Guardians kept whispering that I was a hero."

"Jason's always been practically worshipped by other Rangers, especially Reds," Rocky explained, a tad enviously. "And Trini has her own fan club of Yellows. The two of them getting married? Chaos. Even the Alien Rangers were there."

"Boy, were they," Billy muttered. The wedding had been his only trip back, other than the one to collect his stuff shortly after leaving, and it had been spent primarily running around keeping the aliens from freaking out the normal humans. Even though the other Rangers had caused quite a few awkward scenes, the antics of the Aquitians had overshadowed them all.

"Only Cole came close to causing the mess they did," Trini said. "Remember how he sat down and had a conversation with my grandfather's seeing-eye dog?"

"Yeah, that was great," Jason said, grinning. Cole had become one of his favorite successors, mostly because Cole wasn't shy about admitting how awestruck he was in Jason's presence.

"So why were the paparazzi there?" Conner pressed. "I mean, Ranger identities are all secret, right?"

"Except for the Space Rangers and Lightspeed Rescue," Adam replied. "Trouble was, we were all trying to chat with other teams without letting any civilians know what we were talking about, so we definitely didn't want the media sitting next to us. They were there because, well—"

"There's quite a few famous ex-Rangers out there," Trini finished. "T.J. and the Space Rangers are famous just for being Rangers, but then there are people like Tanya."

"What's she famous for?" Conner asked.

"You've never heard of Tanya Sloan?" Tommy asked incredulously.

Conner's eyes widened. "Tanya S—?"

"Tanya _Sloan?"_ Kira interrupted with a shriek. "THE Tanya Sloan? She's a Ran—a _Ranger?_ A _Yellow _Ranger?" Kira demanded, barely remembering to keep her voice down in time.

"I take it you've heard of her," Adam said with a grin.

"Are you _kidding_ me? She's only one of the most amazing singers alive! I love her music! She's got such a beautiful voice! And she's a great person, always donating money and time to charities in Africa. I even have her biography."

"You bought her biography?" Adam asked.

"Yeah! It's amazing. It talked about her living in Angel Grove, but I didn't think she was a Yellow! It's a great book. Even came with all these color photos, most of which include her really hot boyfriend…" Kira paused, slightly embarrassed that she was ranting, and she certainly hadn't meant to mention the fact that she thought Tanya Sloan's boyfriend was hot in front of Trent, but the thought that Tanya Sloan had once worn her color was rather overwhelming. Then she glanced at the blushing Adam and a sudden thought struck her. "Her boyfriend… come to think of it… looks…" A rising feeling of dread was building in her stomach.

"Looks a whole lot like Adam," Rocky finished, struggling not to laugh. "They've been together since our Ranger days."

"Mortified" didn't begin to describe Kira. "Can I die now?" she asked in a small voice.

Tommy cleared his throat. "And ignoring _that_ completely awkward moment, we move on." Adam and Kira nodded vigorously, though Adam looked like he was torn between smirking and cringing. Trent was now staring at him with something close to dislike.

"Wait a second," Rocky said. "As long as we're in the middle of an uncomfortable moment, can I ask when you started hanging out with Kim again? We were gonna ask when Trini called, but we got kinda distracted when we heard Billy was back…"

There was a long pause as everyone looked from Tommy to Kimberly in expectant nervousness. Kimberly blushed and looked down at her shoes.

"If I can't ask, feel free to hit me," Rocky offered quickly. "I'm totally cool with that."

Tommy just shrugged, forcing himself to appear utterly calm. "We all got together on Saturday," he said nonchalantly. "Turns out they're expecting the White Ranger to show up at Power Rangers Day, too. So Kim and I both came into town, and here we are."

"Well, as long as no one's going to smack me for being the blunt one," Rocky said carefully, looking from Ranger to Ranger as if making sure no one was indeed going to hurt him, "are you two uh, you know…?"

"We're friends." Tommy smiled weakly.

"So Aisha and Tanya are coming in for Power Rangers Day?" Billy said loudly, with the desperate tone of one trying to salvage the conversation.

"Yeah. Should be here Friday evening. You know, we were actually going to swing by Jason's tonight and see which of us you wanted to wear the Blue suit," Adam said quickly.

"You know, because we figured there wouldn't be anyone to be Blue. And Adam was going to make me do it," Rocky added.

"You _are_ a Blue," Adam pointed out as if continuing a previous argument.

"Yeah, but I'm a complete different size than Billy, especially ten-years-ago Billy. No _way_ would _I_ fit." He paused and looked Billy up and down. "Hey, man, have you been bulking up?"

"A little," Billy said with a shrug. He frowned. "Hmm. I hope my improved physique will not have negative consequences regarding my attendance at Power Rangers Day."

"Same old Billy," Rocky said happily. "My brain just automatically shut off after the sixth word or so."

"I got to eight," Adam said proudly. It wasn't that their vocabularies weren't large enough to process; it was just that something about the way Billy spoke shut off their brains in preparation for a nine-syllable word involving science and/or electronics. The only reason they'd been able to survive the days post-Trini was because Billy had toned it way down, and whenever he had to tell them something scientific they'd begun to practice "Billy-editing," wherein they focused on the words they did understand and looked the rest up in a dictionary later.

"We should have Billy try on the suit when we get back, make sure it still fits," Trini said. She looked speculatively at Conner, Ethan and Trent. "I suppose there's a chance that someone else will have to wear it."

"Wear the original Blue Ranger suit?" Ethan asked eagerly.

_"Maybe,"_ Billy said, a little defensively.

"I'm sure it'll stretch. It's spandex," Tommy told him reassuringly. "Or, well, some mystical version of spandex."

"Speaking of the Ranger suits…" Adam suddenly smacked Zack upside the head.

"Hey! What was that for?" Zack demanded.

"For leaving your ringer off all night when you people were making my morpher go haywire."

"Oops," Zack said, pulling out his cell phone and flipping it open. "Thirty-three missed calls… what the…?"

"I did _not_ call thirty-three times," Adam said quickly. "More like… um… twenty or so."

"When was the last time you had an incoming call?" Jason asked Zack suspiciously.

"Um…" Zack shrugged helplessly. "I don't remember. I put it on silent when I went to the movies last Friday and Curtis called during the previews so I turned it off after I hung up and…"

"Of course." Adam sighed. "What about you, Tommy? Your phone was off earlier."

"That was Zack's fault, too. He locked me out of the room and by the time I got back in, I'd forgotten about charging the phone."

"Thanks a lot, Zack," Adam growled, playfully shoving Zack.

"Hey, at least you weren't in public with your cousin and two hot chicks at a VERY expensive restaurant when someone decided to morph with a damaged Power Coin, despite the fact that they could have _easily_ morphed into Zeo Ranger Three."

_"Four,_ Zack," Adam replied in exasperation. "I was _Four._ _Rocky_ was Three."

"Whatever. Why'd they even bother numbering you, anyway? In case one of you went colorblind?"

"I don't think you can _go_ colorblind," Conner said thoughtfully. "I think you have to be born that way."

"My point exactly," Zack said. "You didn't have to go ruining my date. _Or_ setting my butt on fire."

"Your butt was _not_ on fire! And for crying out loud, I _said_ I was sorry."

"I'm just _saying—"_

"The exact same thing you've said sixty times already," Adam interrupted.

"Yeah, well—"

_"Anyway,"_ Rocky said, "Carlos called us not too long ago, said he'd heard from T.J. and that the Walter mess was straightened out."

"Yeah, T.J. called me right before Trini called you," Jason said.

"How cool is that?" Ethan said, grinning in what Conner called his "Geek Mode" way, all his teeth showing and a squeal threatening to follow. "Our science teacher, legendary Power Ranger, sent his _friend_ to beat someone up."

"I know!" Conner exclaimed. "That's _so_ awesome. Too bad we can't tell anyone about it."

"I'll put it in my comic book," Trent said. "Carson and I are going to turn it into a whole series. It's gotten kind of popular. Come to think of it, this vacation would be some great material, and—"

_"Ahem!"_ Tommy said loudly.

"Sorry, Dr. O," the three boys chorused automatically.

Rocky shook his head. "Figures Tommy would get tagged as the first Black Ranger. Just after his gig as the—what is it? Fifth?—Black Ranger."

"I don't get it," Tommy complained. "What did I _do_ in a past life to have karma like this? I was the first Green. I was the first White. I was the third Red. I was the fifth Black—sixth, if you count Corcus. How did I end up as the first Black?"

"Don't worry, Tommy, I'm sure everyone will have forgotten about it by the time you become the first Orange," Jason deadpanned. The others laughed. Tommy punched him in the arm hard enough to make him stagger.

"As much fun as this is, can we go to the carnival now?" Conner asked.

"Oh. Right," Trini said. They'd been having so much fun chatting in the middle of the parking lot that she'd forgotten her mission of the day.

"Amen that," Rocky said fervently. "Let's go." He nodded at Conner. "Conner, right?"

"Yeah."

"Red Dino. That's _so_ cool. Did you have a Tyrannosaurus?"

"Yep."

"Awesome. I didn't get to use the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord. By the time Jason left, it was the Red Dragon. Only tyrannosaurus I got to use was saying it in the morphing call and while summoning the Red Dragon. But a Tyrannosaurus zord… man, does that sound cool."

"I got to use this Triassic Mega-Rover thing too. It had a Megazord mode, and this cool Wheel Spin Attack—"

"They're going to get along famously," Tommy said, smiling slightly as he followed the two towards the entrance.

Kira plucked up her courage and pushed her way past the others to get next to Adam. "So. You're Tanya Sloan's boyfriend."

"Yes," Adam said, somewhat resignedly. Tanya was a huge star… so he'd been forced to get used to this sort of thing.

"What's she really like?" Kira asked. "Is she as nice as everyone says she is?"

"Um… well, yeah. She's a really sweet person," Adam agreed, trying to think of a way out of discussing Tanya. It didn't escape his attention that some of the others were smirking and chuckling… or that Trent was Watching Him.

"Is it true her parents were like kidnapped for years and years?"

"You know… you're going to get to meet Tanya on Saturday," Adam said, hoping this would deter further questioning.

"Oh my _god!"_ Kira screamed. _"I'm going to get to meet Tanya Sloan!_ Trent—"

"I heard," Trent said, wincing. His ears were now ringing, in fact. He knew Kira had a tendency to get star struck, and that he should keep his distance when she was discussing one of her idols with someone who knew said idol, but his newfound leeriness of Adam had overruled his common sense. He searched around for something to distract Kira from further ranting, knowing his eardrums couldn't take it. "Hey, Dr. O! Are you paying for our tickets, or are we?"

"I will," Tommy replied, fishing in his wallet for Anton's credit card. Under his breath, he added, "If I'm going to be tortured all day, at least it'll be free."

"You don't think that same person will be working at the entrance, do you?" Jason asked suddenly, looking worried.

"What same person?" Adam asked, trying to escape now that Kira was busy squealing to Trent.

Tommy sighed. "Just some random weird woman. Told Kim that she should make me pay."

"And I said he was going to make up for it by winning me lots of stuff," Kimberly said. "Like that pretty blue mirror, and that big stuffed tiger, and that cute little—"

"Kim was right," Tommy interrupted sheepishly.

"God, I hope there's a different person working there," Jason muttered. "Zack was so broke that _I_ had to pay for his ticket bracelet, and the woman thought we were _dating."_

"Told me Jason was a keeper and not to let him go," Zack deadpanned. "I promised I wouldn't. If it weren't for that backstabbing Trini, we'd still be together, me and my big, strong hero… oh, Jason, why did you forsake me for that little _trollop_ after all the special things we shared—"

"Shut up, Zack," Jason groaned as the others laughed. "It wouldn't have been that bad, if Zack hadn't made dumb jokes for an hour afterwards."

"And if Neil from the football team hadn't been that woman's… what was it? Nephew?" Billy said.

"Oh, yeah." Jason winced. "Neil thought we were a cute couple. Wouldn't stop cooing about it. Took me ages to convince the rest of the football team that I wasn't with Zack after all."

"I remember that," Zack said with relish. "The guys threatened to beat you up if you ever hurt me."

Jason glared at him. "Yeah. I remember that, too. You tried to hold it over my head."

Kimberly giggled. "Yeah, a couple days later, Jason and Zack were hanging out at my house, and Zack tried to order Jason to bring him a Coke, and then Jason was all 'I'm not your slave' and Zack was all 'I'll tell the football team you made me cry' and Jason was all 'You think I can't take the football team?' and Zack was all, 'Fine, I'll tell them you made me cry _and _insulted my kissing skills' and eventually Jason knocked Zack unconscious with a can of Coke. It was _great."_

"Even after I finally convinced them I wasn't with Zack, it took a long time for them to believe that I wasn't even gay," Jason complained.

"Yeah, you got hit on more than I did for a while there," Kimberly said with amusement. "And by cuter guys, too."

"And they wonder why I eventually started blasting holes in the cafeteria ceiling," Jason muttered.

"Oh, please, that was like six months after the whole Neil mess," Kimberly said.

"And anyway, look on the bright side," Zack said cheerfully. "It only took them a few days after they found you making out with Trini in the boys' locker room to realize that you were actually into girls."

"That was a huge sacrifice on my part," Trini grumbled. "I actually got yelled at by a couple of people for trying to turn him straight."

"Hey, at least you didn't have to listen to the team gossip about it," Billy said dryly. "I had to hear all about how Jason was just using you to get people off his back and try to 'sneak back into the closet,' and a whole bunch of rumors about how 'Zack will never smile again' and how heartbroken he was, pining away in his room. One guy even claimed that you were using Jason to get to Zack. It was unnerving, and people kept asking me strange questions."

"I think Neil wrote a play about the whole thing, didn't he?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah. Right when the rumors were starting to die down, Neil and a few of his friends put on the play in the Youth Center. I was mortified, thought it was going to start up again…" Jason shook his head. "Thankfully, though, everyone was just all entranced with the play and thought Neil was the coolest and kept asking him where he got his ideas. He neglected to tell them that he'd just been writing down people's rumors. Trini, Zack and I were completely forgotten."

"That was actually a good play," Billy said fairly.

Trini gaped at him. _"Excuse_ me? My character was some evil, manipulative—"

"Cough choke cough," Tommy said dryly. Trini whacked him on the arm, hard.

"I liked the play, too," Kimberly said. "It made me cry. It was so _sad_ when Jason's character told you he loved you but that he couldn't forgive you for poisoning Zack and stabbed you and then held you as you died… oh, I'm getting choked up just thinking about it…"

"See, Adam?" Rocky said. "I _told_ you our lives aren't as psychotic as theirs."

"I owe you five bucks, then," Adam joked. "Well, last I heard, guys, Neil's off in Los Angeles trying to sell a script. I ran into him in a grocery store a few months back."

"I wish we'd been going to Angel Grove High when all that was going on," Rocky complained. "I'd have paid good money to see that play."

"Shut up, Rocky," Jason said, but he smiled faintly.

"Wow," Kira said. "Someone needs to write a book about you guys. I mean, even without the Ranger stuff, you guys get pretty amusing."

"You have no idea," Tommy said with a sigh. "Oh, before I forget—Conner, Kira, Ethan, Trent. A few rules for the carnival, listen up."

_"Rules?_ Come on, Dr. O, don't you think we're a little old for rules just to go to a carnival?" Ethan asked.

"I think you're all psychotic and your parents have put your lives in my hands. One of you dies, there's going to be uncomfortable questions," Tommy replied dryly. "Now—don't wander off without telling me. If you want to separate, let me know first. Don't leave the carnival grounds _at all._ Don't do stupid things like spitting off the chairlift or… I don't know, just pay attention to the signs at ride entrances. Don't antagonize people. And if you see a clown, warn us."

"You're afraid of clowns?" Conner asked incredulously.

"No, Kim's afraid of clowns, and Trini hasn't been too fond of them ever since that day one of them turned her cousin into a cardboard cutout," Zack told him.

"Wait—a clown turned her cousin…?"

"Into a cardboard cutout. While I was babysitting. Fake clown. Monster in disguise," Trini explained.

"Oh."

"That was _so_ creepy," Kimberly complained. "I used to have nightmares as a kid about clowns that turned into monsters and tried to hurt me. Next thing I know, all these clowns are turning into Putties and attacking us."

"Glad I missed it," Tommy said.

"That was the day I built those improvisational stilts," Billy added. "I still have them in the garage. They're still a prototype, but come to think of it—"

"It _would_ be an interesting project," Trini said. "I think the problem wasn't the wider base for the feet, but rather the fact that few people are used to using their hands to move their feet."

"Well, I was pondering whether it would be beneficial to create harnesses to prevent the feet from leaving their perch, but the problem tends to be the actual center of gravity, which means that—"

"Guys, they're stilts. They don't need to have remote controls," Jason said in exasperation.

There was a pause from Billy and Trini. Then an explosion of chatter, which none of them bothered trying to understand, save Ethan, who joined in with his own ideas about the practical applications of remote-control stilts.

"You just had to say it, didn't you," Tommy said to Jason.

"Wow," Rocky said, slightly awed. "I never did get to see Trini and Billy really go at it like that."

"It's really scary," Adam commented idly.

"Yup. Outside Ranger stuff, they freak me out," Zack said cheerfully. "Come on; we're wasting time."

Tommy approached the ticket booth and slapped down Anton's credit card. "Admission and—" he began, but his cell phone went off, making him jump badly.

He pulled it out and checked the caller ID—Hayley. Tommy frowned, then hastily put his phone back in his pocket. He doubted there was an emergency; if there was, she'd just beep him on the communicator eventually. He really didn't think it would be a good idea to explain to Hayley that Trini had just dragged him back to the place where he'd had his first date with Kimberly.

"Admission and all-day ticket bracelets for five adults, please," he continued, making a mental note to call Hayley later.

* * *

Melissa grumbled to herself as she hopped out of her beat-up car. She'd signed up for online bill-pay on just about every debt she had only to have her laptop's Internet blow up the day before half of her payments were due. Thank god for Hayley's Cyberspace.

Melissa reminded herself to thank the guys who'd told her about Cyberspace, a bunch of freshmen guys who lived on the fifth floor of her dorm and frequented gaming tournaments at the café. For some retarded reason, the computer lab at Reefside Tech had shut down for the week bridging spring and summer courses, so without the café she'd have been screwed. Cyberspace was mostly a high-school hangout, to be sure, but college techies weren't shy about strolling in when need be. The food and drinks were good, the owner was a sweetheart, that Trent guy who waited tables was hot, and the live bands were usually pretty awesome. All she cared about right now, however, was making sure she didn't have to shell out a ton of extra cash for late fees.

Melissa strolled through the swinging doors, already feeling better as she entered. The atmosphere here was so soothing, so mellow, so—

_"Where were you on the night of April 13?"_

"GAH!"

Melissa spun and promptly recoiled. A heavy-set man in a bandana and a skinny guy chomping on bubble gum were leaning over her, glaring down at her suspiciously. The big one wore a bright tie-dyed shirt while the skinny one seemed to have a fondness for camouflage, but both were decked out in a lot of black leather and spiky jewelry as well. Melissa hastily leaned away. "E-excuse me," she muttered, edging to the side and praying they weren't going to be staying long.

"Dodging our question, eh?" the skinny one said. "Feeling a little _guilty,_ eh?"

"No…"

"Really? So where _were_ you on the night of April 13?" the big one practically shouted.

"I don't know, I can't remember what I was doing way back in… wait! Party. I was at a party."

"A party? Likely story!" the skinny one barked.

"No, really, I was! Omar's birthday, I had a couple margaritas, didn't come home until three, honest! Wait, why am I even telling you this? Who are you people? Get out of my way!" Something about them seemed to inspire panic.

"Not until you tell us what you were _really_ doing on the night of April 13," the big one growled.

"I. Was. At. A. Party. You. Freak!" Melissa snapped, edging backwards.

"Oh,_ reeeeally_? Because we happen to know for a _fact_ that you and your good pal Tommy Oliver were fighting the forces of evil on April 13!" the skinny one proclaimed.

"Fighting the… are you _insane?"_

"Are _you_ insane, Pink Ranger?" he shot back.

"Pink Ranger?" she repeated blankly.

"Ah-_ha!_ So you're the _Yellow_ Ranger! Admit it! We've got you right where we want you!" the large one yelled.

"HEY!"

The three of them spun to see Hayley glaring at them from behind the counter, a long line of customers in front of her. "Bulk! Skull! You accost one more customer and not even the Power Rangers will save you from me, understand?"

"Bulk, what's 'accost' mean?" Skull asked.

"You hear that, Yellow Ranger? She just made a threat on our lives!" Bulk hissed, ignoring Skull. "Quick, transform and smack her down, before she can use her evil laser eye beams on us!"

"I'm going to smack _you_ down in a minute," Melissa growled, shoving past him and heading over to Hayley. As she'd suspected, the two didn't follow her; Hayley's wrath appeared to extend for a good five-foot radius around her. "What was _that?"_ she demanded of Hayley.

"My best friend's worst acquaintances," Hayley muttered. "I've been trying to get them to leave all day. If I end up beating one of them with a barstool, you didn't see anything, okay?"

"Correction—I saw him come at you with a twelve-inch hunting knife," Melissa replied. Hayley smiled wearily at her. Scowling in Bulk and Skull's general direction, Melissa went to go use the nearest terminal, determined to get out of the café as fast as she could.

Hayley, meanwhile, glanced back over at the interrogating pair and sighed as they took up their posts on either side of the door. _Tommy, you're going to **pay** for this,_ she vowed, punching the buttons on the cash register a little harder than necessary.

* * *

_End Notes:_ Again, sorry about updating. The carnival flashbacks that were supposed to go here have also been eaten, and replacing them turned out to be harder than we anticipated. However, the next chapter is flashback-free and just needs to be edited; it'll be up shortly. Very shortly. The next few bits of the saga are going to be some of the best, in my opinion.

_Wisdom for the day:_ It is very annoying whenyour mother's boyfrienddecides to uproot the lawnwith a tractor and runs over the cable line, severing all Internet and television connections for four days.

_The coming catastrophes:_

1) "Dr. O told me no one else was evil as long as I was, except maybe Ryan, but I had my Gem longer, if you catch my drift," Trent continued pointedly.

2) "I've puked on the merry-go-round twice, man," Zack said confidentially to Conner, noticing that Conner looked a little embarrassed.

3) "Heh," Conner said sheepishly. _Dr. O's going to kill me for this,_ Conner said, scanning the carnival for hiding places automatically.

4) "Kim, why would you think _Kira_ is carrying my _baby?"_

5) Tommy shuddered. "Come on, Trini. It's time for you to do that words-of-wisdom thing. Tell me it'll be okay and that I'll never be Orange and no one will ever be Orange and make me believe it."

6) "Look, if we're not going to let Trini go anytime soon, can we tie her up or something?" Adam asked, exasperated.


	50. Foul Play in the Sky

**Chapter Fifty**

_Foul Play in the Sky_

"Ooh, funnel cake!" Conner said eagerly as they wandered through the fair.

"No!" Jason, Trini, Tommy, Kimberly and Billy exclaimed.

"Is it _that_ bad here?" Ethan asked, a little confused at their emphatic demeanor.

"No, it's just… Zack started randomly dancing in the line the last time we came here," Jason said. "Before we knew it, someone had given him a hat and people were throwing change in it."

"Yeah, that's how I paid you back for that ticket bracelet," Zack said cheerfully.

"Yeah, in nickels!"

Zack ignored this. "Who's up for making some extra cash?"

"I could sing," Kira said thoughtfully.

"Zack, you are twenty-five. You have a job. You do _not_ need to dance for change." Kimberly paused. "God, that sounds tacky." She started to say something else, then caught sight of a nearby game, the sort where one had to knock down stacks of milk bottles for prizes. Above it hung several large pink teddy bears. "Oh, my god! I _have_ to have one of those!"

"Those milk bottle games suck," Conner said with a resentful sniff. "They're rigged."

"Tell me about it," Trent complained.

Kimberly bit her lip. She personally wasn't great at the whole softball-throwing thing, but…

"Tommy! You're winning me a bear!"

"I—what?"

"You're winning me a bear! Come on! I'll pay, you throw!" She seized his arm. He allowed himself to be dragged over to the game, muttering something that sounded like "Oh, no, this isn't awkward at _all."_

"Aw, young love," Adam quipped.

"Well, as long as they're off trying to win bears…" Zack said nonchalantly, easing over towards his previous stage in front of the funnel cake kiosk, but Jason grabbed his arm and glared at him. Sighing, Zack stayed put.

"So where to first?" Jason asked loudly, keeping a firm grip on Zack's arm as Zack looked nostalgically at the funnel cake kiosk.

"Ferris wheel," Rocky said promptly.

"Yeah, you gotta hit the Ferris wheel first," Conner said, with the air of one explaining that the sun rose in the east.

"Eh… heh," Trini said, looking distinctly nervous.

"Come on, Trini," Billy said, though he didn't seem all that confident himself. "What are the odds of it getting stuck again?"

"It's a different Ferris wheel," Zack added, pointing up at the giant wheel towering over the midway. "The other one had those two-person seats. This one has gondolas."

"Yeah, but… go back to the part where you got stuck on one here before?" Trent said.

"First time we came here together, the six of us, I was starting to think that there might be something going on between Tommy and Kim—you know, like he might have actually gotten up the guts to ask her out," Jason explained. "So I decided to pull her onto the Ferris wheel with me to get her to talk, tell me what was up. And Trini, who'd of course already figured out that Tommy and Kim were thinking of it as a date, was so busy hissing instructions on how to make it go smoothly to Billy that she barely noticed we were in the line for the Ferris wheel."

"I used to be afraid of heights," Trini told them. "Now, well… I'm over it, mostly, but I don't exactly _love_ heights."

Zack frowned thoughtfully. "Think I should apologize to Tommy for ditching him to go ride with that hot chick? What was her name… brunette, green eyes, long legs…"

"I don't think you should mention that to Tommy," Billy said dryly.

"Yeah, he ended up riding with that little girl," Trini added. "Did anyone else see him slip her some money when they finally fixed the wheel and we all got off the ride? Or was that part of my hysterical disembarking?"

"I remember that," Jason said. "Maybe it was hush money."

"Yeah, you know, like he threw up and didn't want her to tell anyone or something," Zack suggested.

"How can you throw up on a Ferris wheel?" Conner asked. Zack shrugged. Rocky, Conner and Zack simultaneously all tilted their heads to the side, looking upward, expressions pensive, wondering if such a thing as throwing up on a Ferris wheel were possible. (Later, Trini and Billy would spend hours discussing the psychological and sociological indicators in that action.)

"Well, as soon as Tommy and Kimberly get back, let's go on the Ferris wheel," Jason said decisively. "We can't spend the rest of our lives thinking every Ferris wheel on the planet is going to go boom on us."

"Why not?" Trini muttered.

"Why is it called 'Happy Sparks, the Lucky Ferris Wheel?'" Trent asked suspiciously.

"Dude's got a good point," Rocky said nervously.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Jason said. "I'm sure it's perfectly safe."

"And if not, we're pretty good at surviving near-fatal stuff," Zack added cheerfully.

"Who's riding with who?" Jason asked quickly, shooting Zack a glare. "I don't think we'll all fit in the same gondola."

"It says four to a gondola," Kira said, pointing at a nearby sign. "There's twelve of us, right?"

"There will be once Tommy finishes acquiring a bear for Kimberly," Billy confirmed.

"I'm with you, Kira," Trent said.

"I'll come with you guys," Ethan said.

"I'll round out the boat," Conner offered.

"Billy's coming with me," Trini said firmly. "He was the only thing that kept me from climbing down the wheel last time."

"Was that you on _Rescue 911?"_ Rocky asked curiously.

"No. I never got out of the seat. Besides, I wouldn't have fallen and ended up hanging by my knees. Jase, you coming with me and Billy?"

"Of course. Adam, why don't you ride with us? I know Zack; he likes to rock the gondolas. Last thing I need is to spend the rest of the day telling the cops that Zack just 'fell' and Trini's scream of 'die, Zack, die' was unrelated."

"Fine. Guess you and Zack are with Tommy and Kim, Rocko."

"And her bear," Conner said, pointing. They turned to see an enormous pink bear coming down the midway; all they could see of Kimberly were her feet and her arms, thrown around the bear's middle. The bear had to be at least three feet tall and was wider than Kimberly.

"Isn't he _gorgeous?"_ Kimberly gushed, her voice slightly muffled by the bear. "His name is Jake!"

"You named him already?" Trini asked in amusement.

"You named him _Jake?"_ Conner asked incredulously.

"Doesn't he look like a Jake?" Kimberly said proudly.

"No, he _looks_ like a giant pink bear," Conner said, looking a little confused.

"Shouldn't he be a _girl_ bear? He's _pink,_ after all," Ethan said.

"Come _on,_ Ethan! He's _definitely_ a guy bear," Kimberly said with an air of "duh." Her head emerged from behind Jake and she snuggled against the side of his head, squeezing Jake so hard his eyes protruded slightly. _"Oh!_ He's so _cute!_ You're the _best,_ Tommy!"

"Welcome," Tommy mumbled sheepishly.

"How much _was_ that thing?" Jason asked him.

"She paid for it," Tommy replied, a little defensively.

"Yeah, it was _much_ more fun when _you_ paid for it," Kimberly said absently. "They didn't even take credit cards; I might need to find an ATM here soon. But at least I got my Jake!" She squeezed the bear again.

"Anyone else kinda reminded of Elmyra from _Tiny Toon Adventures?"_ Zack asked. This prompted another odd moment between Zack, Conner and Rocky, as the three of them suddenly burst into song. _"We're tiny, we're toon-y—"_

Trent and Ethan joined in. _"We're all a little loony!"_

"GUYS!" Jason practically yelled.

They all looked cowed for approximately three seconds, at which point Ethan suddenly challenged, "Bet you can't name all the Immature Radioactive Samurai Slugs!"

"Oh, you are _on!"_ Conner exclaimed. Then he frowned. "Let's see… I know one of them was Picasso…"

"Picasso, Rockwell and Warhol!" Zack announced proudly.

"Dude, you forgot Grandma Moses," Rocky pointed out.

"Who the hell is Grandma Moses?" Conner demanded.

"She was considered one of the great American folk artists," Trent said, shaking his head. "She lived to be a hundred and one. Didn't start painting until her seventies. She was supposed to be really cool, too. Legend has it that when she went into the nursing home and they wouldn't let her paint, she stole a doctor's stethoscope and tried to hold it for ransom, all 'I'll give it back if you send me home.' Her stuff's good, but not my thing."

"Ah. I always just thought it was another cool thing about _Tiny Toons,"_ Zack said with a shrug. "You know, that show had _style._ They didn't just rip off Ninja Turtles, they ripped it off with a superhero slug named _Grandma Moses."_

"They were _way_ cool," Conner agreed.

"Who _are_ you people?" Jason asked in exasperation, only to find a large amount of pink hair obscuring his vision.

"Do you need a hug? Jake will give you a hug," came Kimberly's voice from somewhere behind the bright pink fur. "He _likes_ to give hugs."

"No, thanks," Jason said with a long-suffering sigh.

"Aw, you hurt his feelings," Kimberly crooned. "Didn't he, Jake?" The bear rustled as she reached up to grab hold of Jake's head and make it nod. "You apologize _right now,_ Jason!"

"Kim, I am not apologizing to a stuffed animal," Jason told her firmly.

The bear was thrust even farther towards him; suddenly it looked kinda menacing, an image reinforced by Kim growling, _"Apologize!"_

"Sorry, Jake," Jason said resignedly.

"I can't _hear_ you!"

"I apologize for not wanting a hug, Jake," Jason ground out. "Now, if we're all done acting like the insane people to which freak accidents on Ferris wheels happen, let's get in line."

"For what?" Tommy asked.

"The Ferris wheel."

"What? Oh, no!" Tommy exclaimed emphatically. "I'm not going anywhere _near_ that thing!"

"If Trini's got the guts, you can suck it up, too," Jason said sternly. "It's about time we all faced our fear of the Ferris wheel."

"Why? What's wrong with never going near it again?" Tommy demanded.

"Come on, Tommy. At least you weren't stuck on it with an extremely agile person intent on leaping from the cart," Billy cajoled.

"No, I was on it with a little girl I probably traumatized for life," Tommy retorted.

"Is that why you paid her off when you got off the ride?" Zack asked curiously.

"No. That was because I ate all her cotton candy," Tommy said sheepishly.

"Come on, Dr. O, be brave," Conner teased. "It's just a Ferris wheel."

"I'm _not_ riding with you," Tommy said vehemently.

"Gee, thanks," Conner said sarcastically.

"Sorry. It's just that if anyone in this group has a high chance of getting stuck on a Ferris wheel, it's you," Tommy explained.

"Ah." Conner frowned. "Um… why?"

"Something to do with karma and the gods of chaos recognizing one of their own," Trini told him, patting him consolingly on the shoulder. "I still blame the first time we got stuck on Tommy and Zack."

"Hey!" Tommy complained, but without any real enthusiasm. Trini was just saying what they were all thinking. Zack didn't even bother to protest.

"Anyway, you and Kim are with Rocky and Zack," Jason told him.

"What? Why? Zack's second and Rocky's third on my 'chaos will strike here' list!"

"You weren't here when we did the seating chart," Rocky told him apologetically.

"Besides, it's not like sitting with them will make a difference," Ethan pointed out. "They'll still be on the Ferris wheel."

"Okay," said Trini, "we're getting in line before I change my mind."

Some more reluctant than others, the twelve of them moved off into the line for the nearby Ferris wheel. Tommy was muttering under his breath about conspiracies and Zack ditching him for a hot girl the last time when he noticed that Zack was no longer behind them.

"Zack? ZACK!" Tommy yelled. They were at the end of the line, so Zack had either gotten to the front of the group or hadn't come with them.

"ZACK!" a few of the others shouted.

"I'm coming!" Zack called back, and within a few moments he appeared behind Tommy, with not one but three girls accompanying him.

"You're doing it again, aren't you?" Tommy said with a glare.

"Yep," Zack said. "Don't worry. Jake can be the fourth in your group." He nodded to the giant pink bear, which was obscuring the view of the rest of their friends.

"Ugh," Tommy groaned as the line moved slowly forwards, up the ramp towards the loading platform. He had a sneaking suspicion that the first time around on the wheel was going to turn out to be the better of the two, despite the fact that they'd gotten stuck and Trini had been pretty incoherent for the next hour and Kimberly had been a bit jumpy around Jason afterwards, given his third degree while she was sitting in the cart next to him. At least Tommy had been sitting with that little girl the first time; he'd poured his heart out to her about just about everything that had been bugging him, so he'd felt much better about life after finally getting back down on the ground.

"Hi," send one of the girls, giving him an appraising look as the line slowly inched forward. Tommy didn't like the looks of the three of them. Not that the girls weren't pretty, because they were all fairly decent… it was just that they had an edge to them, something about them that set off Tommy's instincts and warned him that they were also well-known by the gods of chaos. It was the same instinct that had made him try to get out of supervising Conner, Kira and Ethan's detention, and look where that had led.

"This is Tommy," Zack told them. "Tommy, this is Sandra, Rachel and Dee."

"Hi," Tommy said, forcing a smile. He was about to draw upon his stock footage of small talk, but suddenly Kimberly tried to get his attention, which involved Jake nearly knocking Tommy over the railing running along the Ferris wheel ramp. After quite a scuffle, which Tommy privately but unfairly blamed on Zack's new chaos girls, Tommy managed to regain his balance with the help of Zack and shoved Jake's head out of the way so that he could see Kimberly, the better to ask what she wanted. "You bashed?" he said dryly.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I was hoping you could hold Jake for a while."

"Kim…"

"Please? He's kinda heavy."

"Kim, he's… well, he's a giant pink bear."

"And you're secure enough in your masculinity to hold a giant pink bear in public, right?" Kimberly asked hopefully.

"I'm wearing black," Tommy pointed out, gesturing to his pants. "Black's horrible about picking up lint. I don't know how Zack does it."

"You just don't worry about the lint," Zack explained. Tommy glared at him.

"Jake doesn't shed that much," Kimberly said reproachfully, giving Tommy her best puppy-dog eyes.

Tommy sighed heavily. "Hand 'em over."

"You're the _best,_ Tommy!" Kimberly gushed, shoving the bear on him.

Tommy winced. "He's going in the car after the Ferris wheel."

"That is so _sweet,"_ whispered Sandra to Dee and Rachel, nodding at Tommy.

"Tommy's a big sap," Zack said, not bothering to whisper. "Might seem sweet _now,_ but pretty soon it gets a little creepy."

"Shut up, Zack," Tommy growled.

They giggled. "You are so _funny,"_ Dee gushed to Zack.

"He's funny _now._ Give it ten years, and then he's just annoying," Tommy said dryly.

"Sweet guys don't really exist," Rachel proclaimed. "They're like the Easter Bunny. Mythology, you know?"

"Yes, Rachel, you're very jaded," Sandra said patronizingly.

"Hey! Am not! I'm telling you, they don't exist!"

"Rae, he's holding his girlfriend's giant pink bear," Sandra pointed out.

"Which makes him easy to manipulate, not sweet," Rachel insisted before Tommy could correct Sandra about the girlfriend thing. He decided not to bother; these three seemed like Zack's kind of girls, not his, so he might as well let them think he was taken. Then Rachel's comment hit home with him.

"Hmm," Tommy said with a faint ironic smile. "You've actually got a point there."

"I'm not _manipulating_ him!" Kimberly called in indignation from the other side of Jake. "My arms are just tired!"

"There's nothing wrong with manipulation, as long as it's not malicious," Rachel assured her.

There was a pause from Kimberly's end of the giant pink bear dividing the ramp. Then— "I like you," Kimberly announced. "I'm Kim."

"Rachel," Rachel replied, despite the fact that she couldn't see Kimberly through the bear.

"I'm Trini!" Trini added eagerly. Nervous now—because he knew what girls who knew how to manipulate were capable of—he moved closer to Kimberly, who at least was the devil he knew as opposed to the one he didn't.

"How many friends are you here with?" Dee asked Zack.

"Ten or eleven," he replied with a shrug.

"Really? Any of them single?"

"Oh, yeah, a few of them. Let's see… there's Rocky, and…"

Thankfully, Tommy was spared the coming conversation by Rocky as they edged off the ramp and onto the platform. "That sign over there says you have to leave large packages here, dude," Rocky told him.

"Thank god," Tommy muttered. "Excuse me," he added to Zack and the girls, and hurried over the attendant to drop off Kimberly's bear. The guy smirked at him; whether because he knew what it was like to be suckered into carrying crap by a girl, or simply because it didn't get much less manly than a giant pink bear, Tommy couldn't tell, but the guy didn't say anything as Tommy dropped it off and went back to the platform. When he returned, Trini and Kimberly were chatting to Sandra, Rachel and Dee now that the bear wasn't blocking their view.

When the attendants started unloading the previous passengers, Trini offered to let Zack and his new posse go first, possibly because she wanted to delay the inevitable. However, Trini stepped gingerly onto the next one with Jason, Billy and Adam, and Tommy, Rocky and Kimberly moved to the front of the line.

"Only three?" the attendant asked. Tommy nodded, and the guy motioned to a girl with blond hair standing off to the side. "There's room with them. That okay?" he called to her.

The girl nodded and stepped over into their group as another attendant opened the door of the next gondola. Rocky smiled at her as charmingly as possible, despite the fact that she looked at least four or five years younger than them. She grinned back.

Kimberly got in first and slid over on the left half of the gondola. Rocky jumped in after her, then sat down on the right, next to Kimberly. Great. Now Tommy could sit next to Rocky on the right (and maybe set Kimberly to thinking that he was trying to avoid her), or he could sit next to Kimberly (and be uncomfortable as hell for the entire ride).

Before he could make his move, the random girl who'd been thrown into their group decided for him by climbing in and sitting next to Rocky. Kimberly it was. Tommy couldn't decide if he liked that idea or not.

The gondola lurched to the side, and Conner, Ethan, Kira and Trent boarded the following gondola. Then, with an unsettling jolt, the gondola began to move in a smooth circle around the giant wheel. Jason waved from above them. A sudden silence, reminiscent of his time in the trunk with Kimberly, fell over the group.

"Amazing view," Tommy commented, merely to reassure himself that he wasn't going to be sent back to Awkward Land, where there wasn't much noise to distract from the embarrassment and freak accidents were much more likely.

"Yeah," Kimberly said.

"It is pretty awesome," Rocky admitted. "You can see all the way to Angel Grove."

"Hey, look," said the girl who'd followed them onto the gondola, pointing towards a cluster of skyscrapers. "Check out some of the trees between here and Angel Grove. You can see where some of them are burned or damaged at the top from Power Ranger battles."

"Hello to the pang of guilt," Kimberly whispered to Tommy. He laughed, feeling a bit of the tension ease.

However, the girl sitting across from him gave Tommy a long, searching look, making him even more uncomfortable. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" she said, sounding genuinely confused.

Tommy regarded her thoughtfully. She _did_ look vaguely familiar. He took a closer look at her, trying to place her face. "Are you from Angel Grove?"

"I lived there a couple years, yeah. We just moved back to Stone Canyon."

"Did you ever take martial arts classes at the Youth Center in Angel Grove?" he asked, figuring she might be an old karate student or something.

"Me? No. I belong on the couch in front of the TV, if you know what I mean."

"Tommy here lives in Reefside now," Rocky said. "Ever been there?"

"Nope." She took a bite of her blue cotton candy, and something about the action triggered Tommy's memory.

"No _way,"_ he breathed. "What are the odds?" He paused. "Wait, what are _my_ odds? Pretty good. Fate just loves to laugh hysterically at me."

"Odds of what?" she asked uncertainly.

_"Anna?"_ he demanded.

She frowned. "Yes?"

"The little girl I got stuck on the Ferris wheel with about ten years ago?"

Her eyes widened. "You're _kidding!_ _You're_ Tommy? The weird high school boy who kept grumbling about his evil friends and their conspiracy?"

"What conspiracy?" Rocky asked, confused. "I didn't have a conspiracy. I don't think."

"Yeah, I am," Tommy said, feeling a twinge of embarrassment at that memory. "I'm amazed you remember."

"Are you kidding? I could never forget that day. Ever since then, every time this carnival comes to town, I come to it every day and ride the Ferris wheel over and over and chat to whatever random people I happen to sit with. It really stuck with me, the way you talked to me like I was Dr. Phil." She turned to Kimberly. "Hey! Are you Kim?"

"Um, yeah…" Kimberly said, confused.

_"The_ Kim? The girl he was madly in love with and wouldn't stop ranting about?"

Tommy stared at Anna in horror. He had never thought that getting out his frustration by talking to a random eight-year-old on a Ferris wheel would come back to haunt him… but apparently it just had. Rocky cringed, shooting Tommy a sympathetic look at Anna's unwittingly painful statement.

Even as his face flushed, he turned to Kimberly, hoping to explain himself before this evil hole got any deeper… and he received a shock to see the amused look on her face.

"I suppose so," Kimberly said, arching an eyebrow at the girl and fighting the urge not to laugh at Tommy's expression. "You were riding with Tommy the day the Ferris wheel got stuck?" Kimberly remembered just about every second of her first sort-of date with Tommy… including the odd exchange of money when he'd gotten off the Ferris wheel between him and the girl he'd been riding with. She'd asked about it, but he'd just shaken his head and muttered something about owing the girl one.

Anna nodded. "Yup. Wow. So you and he are still together?"

Tommy made a strangled noise and Kimberly's amusement finally gave out to embarrassment. "Er… no," Kimberly said. "We're… um… well, we're friends now."

"Aw, that's so sad," Anna gushed, leaning over to pat Tommy consolingly on the knee. "I guess your friends' evil plans worked, eh?"

Tommy closed his eyes, wishing Anna would fall out of the gondola. "Well… no. Actually, I'm pretty sure that now they're conspiring to get us back together."

"They must feel pretty guilty for breaking you two up," Anna said, nodding wisely. "Cotton candy?"

Tommy's eyes snapped open, remembering how much better the cotton candy had made him feel on the Ferris wheel back then. "Thank you," he said, reaching out and ripping a chunk off the stick, leaving her only a few bites left.

"Just like old times," she said, staring down at the stick sadly. "You _are_ paying me back, right?"

"Isn't that the arrangement?" Tommy said with a mouth full of candy, feeling much better.

She chuckled and turned to Rocky, looking him up and down. "So, are you one of the evil friends?"

Rocky held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Hey, lady, I have _no_ idea what's going on. I just ran into them like twenty minutes ago."

"Likely story," Anna said with glare. Tommy struggled not to laugh as Rocky scooted away from her a bit, a little nervous now.

"You know," Kimberly said slowly, "I'd sort of like to hear exactly what happened the first time you two met."

Tommy paused for a moment. He wasn't sure it was appropriate material to be told to Kimberly… but on the other hand, he kind of owed her an uncomfortable moment after that whole fry thing. Besides, he was finding it hard to care when he had cotton candy. Ever since the day with Anna on the Ferris wheel, cotton candy had always been a calming influence on him. Before he could decide whether or not to tell her, Anna made up his mind for him.

"Sure thing," Anna said with a shrug. "I remember it like it was yesterday. One of the defining moments of my childhood. Really takes me back. There I was, wandering around the carnival after finally ditching my grandma. And I thought I'd go on the Ferris wheel. And there was this group of people in the line in front of me—"

"Jason, Trini, Kim, Zack, Billy, and I," Tommy interrupted.

"I remember Jason begging me to ride the Ferris wheel with him," Kimberly said. "He was all bouncy and cheerful all of a sudden. I should have known something was up; he just wanted to go all big-brother on me and find out what was up with Tommy."

"And Trini was whispering something to Billy," Tommy added. "About us, probably. So I figured I'd ride with Zack, and at the last second he sees some hot girl standing behind us and runs off. So I got on with Anna."

"That was the old Ferris wheel," Anna said. "The Magic Circle of Love Ferris Wheel. This is the new one."

"Whose bright idea was it to name it 'Happy Sparks, the Lucky Ferris Wheel'?" Rocky asked.

Anna shrugged. "No idea. Anyway, there I was, with a big stick of cotton candy and some random high school boy sitting next to me…"

* * *

_Flashback

* * *

_

Tommy sat in the cart, getting more annoyed by the second. Stupid Jason. Just _had_ to drag Kimberly off. In a bizarrely uncharacteristic way… Well, as far as he knew… Damn it, he'd had the greatest make-out scene planned, too!

"You know, it figures. It just figures! All I really wanted was just a little alone time with Kimberly but nooo, my 'friends' have to try to cheer me up about losing my pow—losing my power, as in electricity, you know, my lights and stuff! Anyway, they should have figured it out! Somehow I doubt I've been hiding my feelings for Kim all that well!" Tommy turned to the girl sitting next to him. "Look at this from my perspective. You finally find out the girl you've been attracted to feels the same way, you get to act on it, and your friends interrupt a very important moment, wouldn't you be upset as well? It's almost like they _planned_ it!"

The eight-year-old stared at him for a long moment before popping a tuft of her blue cotton candy into her mouth. "You're _weird."_

Tommy sighed heavily, turning back to face outward. He might need someone to talk to, but a little girl with cotton candy all over her face probably wasn't the right person. Still, he needed to rant. Desperately. And it didn't look like she was going to stop him, so at least he'd have a captive audience, which was much better than talking to yourself when it came to ranting.

"I mean, come on. There I was. Finally making a move. Which they all encouraged me to do, by the way. Zack always brought it up during sparring matches just so I'd land flat on my back."

"Doesn't that hurt?" Anna interrupted curiously.

"Eh, yeah. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah." Tommy turned back towards her; she politely feigned interest. "Trini, evil little Trini, always trying to suggest little ways I can get closer to Kim. And Jason, always asking me about it. Billy… well, all he ever does is blush, but the others, they've been trying so hard to push us together, and we finally _get_ together—I mean, major sparks there!—and what do they do? Bust right on in."

"How rude," she said, in the exact tone of Stephanie on _Full House._

"It's just not fair! I bet they're planning this. They've got to be. Surely they're not stupid enough to do it on purpose."

"Do what on purpose?"

"Keep me and Kim from mak—um, making crafts! I mean, from being together! Yeah."

Anna just looked at him. "You were talking about kissing, weren't you."

"No, I wasn't!" Tommy insisted, blushing bright red.

"Yes you were."

"Was not!"

"Were too!"

"Was not!"

"Were too!"

"I'm not going to sit here and argue with a first grader!"

"I'm a third grader, you jerk!"

"Well, _excuse_ me, shrimp."

"I am rubber and you are glue. Whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you!"

"Oh, _real_ mature."

"What? Can't think of anything to say?"

"I can too!"

"Can not!"

"Can too! I just choose not to say it!"

"Yeah, right! You can't think of anything! Nyeh!"

Tommy couldn't believe it. He was arguing with an eight-year-old girl. And _losing._ Sighing, he faced forward and tried to ignore her.

Just as they started to descend on their eighth rotation, the wheel shuddered to a halt. Tommy, figuring that this meant they were starting to unload the carts, passenger by passenger, thanked whatever god was listening.

"I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot here," Tommy said firmly. "Why don't we start over?"

"Okay," she said, shrugging. "I'm Anna. What's your name?"

"Tommy."

"Would you like some cotton candy?" Anna asked politely.

Tommy reached out and grabbed a large chunk off the cotton candy stick; there were only a few bits left clinging forlornly to the stick. Anna stared at it in horror. "Thanks, Anna," he said gratefully.

Anna glared at him. He was a bigger person, so he probably needed more cotton candy, but he definitely needed some sharing lessons. "So… how are you?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Fine, you?"

"Fine. But I thought you'd say _you_ were sad because you can't get your girlfriend alone to kiss her," Anna said scathingly.

"I was not!"

"Were too," Anna said in the calm tone that brooked no argument.

"I'm not starting that again," Tommy said, sulkily ripping into his newly acquired cotton candy.

Anna sighed. He was starting to remind her of Bobby Nitzberg, the fat kid in her class that nobody liked. He was really sad all the time, and sometimes he could be mean, but if you were nice to him, he was really nice to you. Anna liked helping out poor Bobby, because it made him feel better, and the teacher always praised her for it. Plus sometimes Bobby gave her his milk money.

Anna decided to try this tactic on Tommy. Maybe she could cheer him up. If not, maybe he'd at least give her enough cash for more cotton candy. Or maybe a funnel cake.

"It's all right to admit it, you know. I won't tell anyone that you're sad because you can't kiss your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend, yet," Tommy exclaimed, exasperated. "And what would _you_ know about grown-up kissing?"

"A lot. I _do_ have an older sister, you know. Just because I'm eight doesn't mean I'm stupid."

Tommy nodded slightly, a bit embarrassed about that. Teaching kids at the Youth Center had taught him not to underestimate them. Besides, kids were good at giving blunt advice, which was exactly what he needed right now. Plus her cotton candy was _really_ good.

"What does your sister do when she wants to be alone with her boyfriend?" Tommy asked carefully.

"She locks her bedroom door."

Tommy made a mental note of that, then paused. "What if that doesn't work?"

"Well, sometimes stuffs me in one of those overhead kitchen cabinets."

"Now we're talking," Tommy muttered to himself. "My friends are kind of big though. I don't think I could fit them in very well."

"That's good point. I was really cramped and as it was she had to remove one of the shelves," Anna said, nodding wisely. "I tried to get out, but she blocked the door somehow."

Tommy frowned. "That was kind of cruel of her. How long were you in there?"

"Well, Mom found me after a while and yelled at my sister. A lot. She didn't see her boyfriend for a whole month. Except that one time when he had to come in through the window."

"Window," Tommy repeated thoughtfully. "Hmm. What else does your sister do to get some alone time?"

"She bribes me with candy a lot, especially when I threaten to tell Mom. Or she sticks me back in the cabinet. But she doesn't do that very much anymore, after that time she got yelled at. Oh, and sometimes, she sits out in the driveway in her boyfriend's car for a really long time with the defroster off so that no one can see in the windows, cuz, you know, they get all foggy."

Tommy paused. "I think I'd like to change the subject now."

"Okay." Anna thought for a moment. "So how are you going to get revenge?"

"Huh? On who?"

"Your friends, silly. You know, for making it so you can't be alone with her? My sister always gets revenge on me when I don't leave the room all by myself." She paused. "What's your girlfriend's name, anyway?"

"Kim," he replied cautiously. "Why?"

"Just making sure it wasn't my sister," Anna said. "The boys she dates are really stupid."

Tommy frowned, wondering if that was a veiled insult. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. You don't seem stupid, though," she added hastily.

"What's your sister's name?" Tommy asked.

"Emily."

"Does she go to Angel Grove High?"

"No, we live in Stone Canyon."

"Oh. Well, I don't know anyone from Stone Canyon. I've only been living in Angel Grove for a little while."

"You know," Anna said slowly, "I was wondering…"

"Yes?" Tommy prompted carefully.

"If you can't be alone with your girlfriend, why don't you just kiss her in front of your friends?"

Tommy stared at her for a moment, then took a large bite of cotton candy to stall for time. "It's not that simple," he said at length. "My buddy Jason's really protective of her. Doesn't like guys getting too close to her." Pause. "He's kind of like a big brother. Do you have one of those?"

"No. Just my sister. Although one time, one of my sister's boyfriends got beaten up by his big brother on our front porch. Something about stealing something from him."

"Ah." Tommy swallowed the last of Anna's cotton candy. "That's not quite the same thing." He sighed. "It's just… not the way it's done. We aren't _technically_ a couple yet. You kind of have to work up to public displays of affection."

"Ah. So you're shy."

"No!"

"Are too."

Tommy sighed again. "I am _not_ shy. I'd just… be really embarrassed if I kissed her in front of my friends, I guess."

"I know how that goes," she said, nodding wisely.

"You do?"

"Yeah. Everyone in my class teased me that time I kissed Mikey Torrance under the jungle gym. I only did it because Stacey Parker dared me too, but everyone said I was in love with him. It was _real_ annoying."

Tommy blinked. Oddly enough, there didn't appear to be much of a difference between third grade and high school.

"That's exactly what would happen with me and Kim."

"Oh. Well, if it helps, all I had to do was punch Jeffrey Nixon and then people didn't talk about it as much."

Tommy grinned. He was starting to like her more and more. A sudden thought occurred to him. "Hey, shouldn't we be moving?"

"I think so," Anna said, frowning. She looked down. "Hey, I think I see my grandma!"

Tommy looked down as well, but before he could spot the old lady, he saw that the station where the carts disembarked was halfway in between two of the seats. In other words, they weren't disembarking. The wheel was stuck.

"Uh-oh," Tommy muttered. His frown deepened. "I wonder where Trini is."

"Who's Trini?"

"One of my friends. She's kind of afraid of heights. I don't think she even noticed she was getting on the Ferris wheel, because right as they were sending her up so Jase and Kim could get on I heard her muttering 'Oh god, oh god, what am I doing?' and she was _really_ distracted before we got on…"

"Oh." Anna turned her gaze upwards. "I hope she's not up there," she said, pointing to the top cart.

"GET ME DOWN!" a nearly-inhuman voice suddenly screamed.

"Aw, man," Tommy said with a wince.

The cart above them, where Jason and Kimberly were sitting, rocked slightly as Jason yelled, "Don't worry, Trini! It'll be okay!"

"Billy, keep her in the seat!" Kimberly shouted.

"Don't look down!" Zack called helpfully.

"Trini, this is an inopportune moment for panicking!" Billy cried in nearly hysterical tones.

"This is not going to end well," Tommy said with a sigh.

"Look on the bright side," said Anna. "At least now, you won't have to get revenge on her. She'll have suffered enough."

Tommy smiled at her. "I like the way you think."

* * *

_End Flashback

* * *

_

"After that, he got all philosophical on me," Anna said. "I remember telling him that he should try sharing a stick of cotton candy with you to make you like him better. When we got off the wheel, he felt bad about eating all my cotton candy and paid me back for it."

Tommy gave her the ghost of a smile. He could still see in his mind's eye the sympathetic eight-year-old face of Anna as she told him, _"Well, cotton candy always cheers me up when I'm sad, and if you're this sad, and she's going through the same thing, she's got to be really sad. My daddy says girls get sad more than boys every time I cry to get him to buy me something. And I always share cotton candy with my friends. Besides, it couldn't hurt. Maybe if you give her enough cotton candy, she'll want to be your girlfriend."_

"You told me that if I gave her enough cotton candy she might want to be my girlfriend more," Tommy said without thinking.

Anna crossed her arms over her chest. "I was eight. It's not like I had any double entendres in mind."

"Okay, _now_ that phrase sounds a little better," Rocky said.

Kimberly raised her eyebrows at Tommy. "Is _that_ why you bought me all that cotton candy after Jason, Trini, Zack and Billy got kicked out? Because an _eight year old_ told you to?"

Tommy shifted uncomfortably. "Well, maybe, but the stuffed animals were my idea."

Kimberly shook her head. "You're too much."

Anna leaned forward as the gondola began to slow. "Look. I meant what I said back then. You shouldn't let anyone come between you and your girlfriend."

Tommy stared at her. She'd been much more perceptive as a third grader. "Um… that's not really relevant anymore…"

Before Anna could reply, a loud screeching noise issued from somewhere within the mess of metal and wires that was the Ferris wheel. The gondola swayed as they halted halfway up.

"NOOOOOO!" Trini howled from above them.

"You're kinda creepy with the irony thing," Anna said, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Hey, it wasn't me!" Tommy insisted.

"HELP!" Trini bellowed. "HEEEELLLLLLLLPPPPPP!"

"How long were you guys stuck the last time?" Rocky asked worriedly.

"Just a few minutes. Um, but that _was_ the other Ferris wheel," Tommy replied nervously.

The gondola above them rocked violently. "Trini! Sit _down!"_ Jason yelled.

"Screw that! I'm outta here!"

_"Trini!_ Remember what Zordon said!"

"This isn't for personal gain! This is an emergency!"

"Trini, you put that back in your pocket, now!"

"Hey, Dr. O!" called Conner from below. "I can see all the way to the hotel!"

"The hotel is to the east, moron," Ethan snapped.

"What's your problem?" Conner demanded.

"My problem is that I'm stuck on a Ferris wheel and Trent and Kira won't stop doing _that_ so I have no one but _you_ to talk to and I'm stuck on a Ferris wheel and I TOLD YOU THIS WOULD NOT BE A GOOD DAY!"

Tommy rolled his eyes and leaned over the edge to try to peer into the teens' boat, figuring that being Mentor Man would distract him from his own problems. "Kira, Trent, knock it off down there! Trent, your father will kill me!"

"You try rooming with Conner!" Trent shouted defiantly.

Tommy sighed, suddenly much more reluctant to break it up. "And it's not like his father's very good at killing you, anyway!" Kira added.

Tommy struggled with himself for a moment, then decided to just ignore the situation. Rocky grinned at him. "Let it go, man," Rocky said. "The kid needs to reclaim his territory. He's been glaring at me and Adam since we ran into you."

"Shut up, Rocky," Tommy said wearily. Kimberly giggled.

"Jason, let me _go!"_

"TRINI! SIT DOWN!"

"Trini, your actions are making our predicament exponentially much more precarious!"

"Hey, Jason, try taking her mind off of it!" Conner yelled. "It's working for Kira! OW!"

There was a long pause in the screaming from the gondola above. Then a rather grumpy, "Thanks a _lot,_ Conner," from Adam.

"They your friends?" Anna asked.

"Yep," Tommy said with a sigh. "Unfortunately."

"I'm starting to understand you better," Anna said. She grinned. "By the way, cotton candy's gotten a _lot_ more expensive since 1994."

Tommy pulled out his wallet. "You should've brought more."

"I didn't think I'd run into _you!"_ Anna complained. "I should have leaped out the moment I realized it was you, too. Now I'm stuck on the Ferris wheel. _Again._ Trini, she's the one with the fear of heights, right?"

"Yes," Tommy said over Kimberly's continuous giggling.

"Jason's the big scary one who always looks at you warningly when you try to touch Kim in public, isn't he?"

Kimberly's giggling rose into cackles as Rocky joined in.

"That was a long time ago," Tommy said through gritted teeth.

"And Zack was the one riding with the random girl, and Billy was the cute one with the glasses right?" Anna continued, ignoring Rocky and Kimberly.

"Yeah, well… yeah," Tommy said, shifting uncomfortably.

"So which one is this?" Anna asked, jerking her thumb at Rocky.

"Rocky. I didn't know him back then. That was a few months before I met him."

"I see. Did you ever decide to get revenge on them for conspiring to keep you two apart?"

Now thoroughly annoyed by Rocky's laughter, Kimberly's mad cackling, the complaints of Billy and Adam in the rocking gondola above and the arguing of Ethan and Conner below, Tommy ground out, "No. I just waited for them to get kicked out of the carnival. At which point, me and Kim made out like nothing else."

Kimberly gaped at him, her laughter slowly dying off.

"I see," Anna said. "So… why exactly aren't you two together anymore?"

Tommy shifted nervously. "We're just… not."

"Oh, well, you see," Rocky began, but thankfully he broke off with a burst of giggles.

"That's _it!_ Tommy, me and Billy are coming down!" Adam yelled.

"Oh, just shut your eyes and cope!" Tommy called back irritably. "I've got my own problems at the moment!"

"What is going _on_ down there?" called an amused Zack. "You're cramping my style."

"Zack, if we live through this, I swear I'm gonna kill—"

"Ha! Like I haven't heard that before. Anyway, what did _I_ do?"

"Just… just be _quiet!"_ Tommy yelled.

"No problem. Oh, but first, hey Rocky!"

"Yeah?"

"Lean your head out the side, man! Dee and Rachel want to see what you look like again!"

"Guess that means Zack's taking Sandra," Kimberly remarked idly.

Rocky stood up, took a moment to get his balance, firmly grabbed hold of the pole in the center of the gondola and leaned out over the edge, waving in the general direction of Zack, who was at the very top, two gondolas ahead. "Hi!"

"He _is_ cute," came Rachel's voice. Tommy rolled his eyes and pulled Rocky back down by the shirttail.

"You too, sweetie!" Rocky yelled as their gondola went into a dizzying spin, throwing Tommy into Kimberly and Anna into Rocky.

"Hey, Conner!" Zack yelled.

"ZACK!" Tommy bellowed. "What part of _I'm responsible for him_ do you not understand!"

"Well, what am I supposed to do with Dee?" Zack called practically.

"Shut up, Zack!" Tommy yelled.

"But there's three of them, Tommy! Hey, do _you_ want one?"

"SHUT UP!"

"Come on, man! She's really hot!"

The gondola stopped spinning so that Tommy was facing the passengers on the other side of the wheel, most of whom were pointing at him and laughing. He sighed.

"I'll take her!" Conner shouted.

"No you won't!" Tommy bellowed.

"Come on, Dr. O! You _said_ you didn't want one!"

Tommy leaned back and closed his eyes. "In a second, I'm going to jump."

"Don't be like that, Tommy!" Zack added, trying to help Conner out. "I don't need two. Although, come to think of it…"

"Zack, there are children present in this carnival!" Adam said pathetically, trying to look anywhere but at Trini and Jason, who unfortunately were taking up a large amount of the boat.

"Hey, you in the green!" Dee was now peering interestedly down at them. "Are you single?"

"Nah, he's dating Tanya Sloan," Zack said. "That's Adam Park."

There was eruption of squealing from Sandra, Rachel and Dee, which started a ten-minute rant between them and Zack, while Adam stubbornly ignored all the questions they threw at him. Finally, Adam looked around desperately. "I need something to throw. Please, lord, _send me something to throw."_

Billy laughed, but it died quickly when Dee called, "Hey, you in the blue! With the glasses! Want to take a ride on a roller coaster?"

There was a burst of laughter from somewhere, but no one was quite sure where it came from. Billy turned bright red and Jason and Trini paused in their actions.

"He's dating an alien," Zack explained apologetically.

The girls looked at him funny. "You mean, like, an illegal immigrant?" Rachel asked.

"Huh? Oh. Oh! Yeah."

"Wow," Tommy said wretchedly. "This is actually worse than the _first_ time I was stuck on the Ferris wheel."

Anna, who had an extremely large purse—more of a one-shouldered book bag than anything else—sighed and pulled open the flap. "All right, fine. I didn't want to admit this, but…" She reached into the bag and pulled out a large plastic bag of…

"COTTON CANDY!" Tommy roared.

"What was that?" Zack called down curiously. Tommy couldn't even be bothered with rude hand gestures as he dove at the bag. Anna handed it over resignedly.

"Aw, Tommy has a cotton candy friend," Rocky quipped. Both Tommy and Anna ignored him.

"You _so_ owe me for this," she said firmly. Tommy gave her an apologetic look and held the open side of the bag to her. She tore off a chunk of the blue for herself, slightly placated, but not nearly enough. "You _still_ owe me."

Tommy lifted the corner of the bag to see the price emblazoned on it. "I'll pay you interest. Don't worry."

"You'd better. I always stock extra cotton candy for the Ferris wheel now. You know, for _other_ people who like to pour their hearts out to random girls sitting in the gondola." She paused. "You know, every year, seven days straight, I ride the Ferris wheel over and over. I've only gotten stuck twice since that time with you. Yet here you are, eating my cotton candy as we wait for them to get us down. Does stuff like this happen to you a lot?"

Tommy stared at her blankly for a moment.

"Don't ask," he said finally, and hunkered down with his bag of comfort food.

* * *

_End Notes:_ Just wanted to say that Brynhild GoUrL, a dear friend of Freyja and I, has been sucked into the fandom and has therefore contributed to… well… a hell of a lot of the last chapter, this chapter, and the coming chapters. We've totally corrupted poor Bryn—she's finally joined the PR fandom. (It was so hysterical when she called me after watching her first episode of Power Rangers and said, "Oh my god Tommy's hot! Why didn't you people get me into this sooner?") So props to Bryn for improving the story.

Thanks to bec7012, who pointed out a mistake with the Anna flashback revolving around the Nitzberg kid's name. It's been fixed.


	51. Wheel of Misfortune

**Chapter Fifty-one**

_Wheel of Misfortune_

It took the ride attendants over half an hour to fix whatever the problem was. Tommy reflected upon disembarking that it was hard to tell if the first or second time was better. Billy, Adam, Conner and Ethan were slightly disgruntled, but Trini, far from being incoherent after the disaster, was practically bouncing with cheerfulness, and Jason just couldn't stop smirking (Trent, however, had the good grace to look embarrassed). Zack seemed to be doing much better with Sandra than he'd done with the girl he'd picked up the first time, and Rachel and Rocky were flirting happily as they made their way down the platform.

As soon as they reached the platform, Kimberly managed to sucker Tommy into lending her (emphasis on _lending,_ he assured her) his belt to rig up a harness for Jake, so that Jake could ride on Kimberly's back. He did this mostly because Jake had already shed enough on Tommy's black pants and dark green shirt, and he felt a bit better after they discovered Jake was just too big for one belt and Jason and Adam both contributed to the creation of the stuffed animal harness, which created a large crowd of hopeful onlookers. The four tagalongs they'd acquired remarked that it was both unbelievably strange and yet an awesomely hysterical idea; Kimberly kept nervously asking if it was safe, but Billy and Trini were both working on the project and assured her that Jake would be fine. Kimberly now looked like an intended victim in a bad horror movie, what with the huge bear on her back, arms outstretched as if to tackle her from behind.

The deciding vote cast was in favor of the second time on the wheel, however. More than anything else, it was nice to see Anna again, and she'd had a lot more cotton candy this time. She'd been one in a long line of random people sucked into his world for a short while before wandering off into the sunset—rather like Smitty before he'd become Zeltrax, or Diane—and Tommy had often wondered what had happened to her and thought about things like if her older sister still tried to lock her in the cabinet. (Anna laughed when he brought this up, and said that her sister had straightened out quite a bit.) Between the cotton candy and his run-in with her, Tommy figured it wasn't all that bad after all, and even overlooked the fact that his pants were slipping a bit and Conner was now holding hands with Dee.

They hopped the chairlift after the Ferris wheel, which had been Trent's idea and earned him a lot of teasing comments from Conner and Ethan about wanting more alone time with Kira. Zack's "chaos girls" accompanied them, as did Anna.

While Sandra seemed to be slowly catching on to the fact that Zack was an all-talk sort of guy, she didn't really bother to care. Rocky had found a common ground with Rachel, who, like him, couldn't cook but loved to eat. And Conner was thoroughly enjoying Dee, who seemed a little weird, but otherwise enjoyable. Best of all, she was good-looking enough for Conner's standards, although she was definitely the first girl with green hair and a Sharpie around her neck that he'd ever hit on.

"So are you from around here?" Dee asked him.

"Nah. Reefside. We're just in town for Power Rangers Day. Me, Trent, Kira, Ethan and Dr. O, anyway. The others are all Dr. O's friends."

"Dr. O?"  
"Yeah."

"Is he a real doctor?"

"Uh, yeah. He's got a degree in paleontology or something. I think."

"So he's not _your_ doctor?"

"No, of course not. He's my… um… moth—brother. My brother." Conner winced slightly. After that bit with Billy's father, Tommy had told people not to mention that Tommy was his science teacher. However, Conner hadn't bothered thinking up a good alternative. Oh, well. At least "brother" was better than "mother."

"Then why do you call him 'Dr. O?'" she asked curiously.

"Oh, ah… it's a nickname. Kim gave it to him." _Note to self,_ Conner thought, _**never** tell Dr. O I said that._

Dee giggled. "That's… descriptive."

"Heh," Conner said sheepishly. _Dr. O's going to kill me for this,_ Conner said, scanning the carnival for hiding places automatically.

"So… do you take after your brother?"

"Huh?" Conner asked, snapping back to attention.

"Do you take after your brother?" she repeated in a rather suggestive tone.

Conner warred with himself for a moment. On the one hand, he was starting to get a vague feel for why Kira, Ethan and Trent were so disgusted by the thought of Tommy having a sex life. On the other hand, he had a reputation to protect.

"The guy's hopeless compared to _me,"_ Conner told her confidentially. _Girl's bathroom behind the kamikaze ride. I could probably lose him near the pirate ship and hunker down in a stall. He'd never think to look for me in the girl's bathroom._ Even though his hiding place was confirmed, he decided it was time to maneuver their discussion into safer waters. "So, where are you from?" he asked.

"Er… around. I'm on the road a lot."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Ever hear of the Sharpie Graffiti Girls of Doom?"

"No…"

Meanwhile, Tommy was using the chairlift as an opportunity to chat some more with Anna. The moment they were off the ground he suddenly reverted to the exact same Tommy he'd been the first time he met her, and every last one of his frustrations about Kimberly came pouring out to Anna.

Anna thought for a while after hearing the full story, then said, quite plainly, "So why aren't you with her?"

"I just _told_ you, she dumped me," Tommy said, a little confused.

Anna grinned at him. "Come on. That's no excuse. Just about every boyfriend my sister ever had got dumped at some point, and none of them just let it lie. They were all back the next day, pleading, sobbing on the porch, that sort of thing."

"I'm _not_ going to sob on Kim's porch," Tommy said firmly.

"Hey, it worked for some of them. Especially the ones who would catch me on the porch."

"Catch you?" Tommy echoed.

"If I didn't make it inside fast enough, they'd try to talk to me, plead their case with my sister through me. If I thought they had a good point, I usually put in a good word with Em. Most of the time, though, I'd just give them advice and cheer them up. I became a real psychologist after that day with you." She chuckled. "I'll never forget the time my parents came home to find me, all of ten years old, sitting on the railing, jotting down notes in my social studies workbook, with some guy lying on the porch swing like it was a therapist's couch, telling me all about his inferiority complex and why he was angry at his father."

Tommy laughed. "What did your parents say?"

"That I ought to start charging." She grinned. "Anyway, what I'm saying is, do what you want."

"How so?"

"If you want to be with this Kim girl, ask her out and don't give up until she says yes."

"I don't know if I want to be with Kim," Tommy told her.

She snorted. "Yeah? Cuz to everyone else, it's pretty obvious."

"Well, to all your third-grade classmates, it was pretty obvious that you were in love with Mikey Torrance," he shot back.

She looked him square in the eye. "We broke up last summer. We were together a year and a half."

"That proves nothing," Tommy said sulkily.

"Riiiiight." Anna patted his shoulder. "Things'll work themselves out, Tommy. No one is meant to be unhappy forever."

"I didn't say I was unhappy."

She shrugged. "Don't have to be an unhappy person to be unhappy about certain things."

Tommy smiled faintly and said, in the exact manner of the first two words she'd ever spoken to him, "You're _weird."_

"Yup," Anna said, laughing.

"So whatever happened to your sister?" Tommy asked, figuring it was time to steer the conversation to safer topics.

"Eh, we moved to Angel Grove when I was eleven, and she got a bit less antiestablishment somewhere along the line. Married a guy named Rick about three years after high school."

"Ever give him psychological advice?"

_"I'm_ the whole reason they got together. Turns out he'd been really skittish about dating after some guy beat the crap out of him in his sophomore year, something about the guy was jealous of Rick, and Rick's girl ended up leaving him for the guy who beat him up."

"Relationships are freakish things," Tommy said emphatically.

Anna was quiet for a moment. Then she asked, "Speaking of, is that one guy seeing anyone? Ethan, I think you said his name was?"

Tommy stared at her for a moment. _"Ethan?"_

"Yeah. Wearing almost all-blue?"

Tommy shook his head. "I don't know. I know he took some girl to his prom a few weeks ago, but I haven't heard anything about her since."

"Prom? How old is he?"

"Um… seventeen or eighteen."

She tilted her head to the side. "Isn't that, like, six or seven years younger than you, or so?" He nodded. "How do you know him? Another Ferris wheel get stuck?"

"Um… long story," Tommy said, shifting a bit. "Oh, look, Rocky and Rachel are getting off. We're almost to the end of the line."

"You still owe me for the cotton candy."

"I know, I know. I'll pay up when we're back on the ground; don't want to drop my wallet up here."

Tommy and Anna were the last to hit the ground. Zack, Conner and Rocky were clustered together with their new friends, while Trent, Kira and Ethan stood nearby, making fun of Conner's dating tactics. Jason and Adam, meanwhile, were snickering at Kimberly, Billy and Trini as the three of them tried to refasten Kimberly's harness for Jake, as she'd had to remove it to ride the chairlift.

"Zack's doing the 'call me' thing," Kimberly reported as Tommy and Anna approached.

"Ah. That's nice," Tommy said. For Zack, "Call me" meant he wanted to see her again. "I'll call you" meant "I can't walk away fast enough."

Ethan wandered over. "Excuse me while I put a lot of distance between me and Conner in date mode," he groaned. "There are some things just _born_ to be mocked."

"Got elbowed a lot, huh?" Jason said wisely.

"Yup. You're… Anna, right?" Ethan said, looking at her curiously.

"Yeah. Ethan?" He nodded. She smiled and started to say something else, but Trini interrupted.

"Hey, Ethan—are you wearing a belt?" she asked.

"Hello, questions you aren't normally asked," Adam quipped, looking resentfully at his belt, which Trini was connecting to Jason's.

"No, I'm not," Ethan said quickly, rolling his jeans waistband down to cover his belt.

"Darn. Go get Conner for me."

Ethan reluctantly headed back over to Conner, and the rest of Conner's group, plus Kira and Trent, came back over with him. Conner's belt was added to the harness (though Trent hastily followed Ethan's example) and finally the group decided it was time to pick a new ride.

"Merry-go-round's right over there," Zack said eagerly.

"That's the weirdest merry-go-round I've ever seen," Conner breathed. "We have _got_ to ride it."

"We're all a little old for merry-go-rounds, don't you think?" Kimberly asked.

"Says the girl with a giant stuffed animal strapped to her back," Jason said, amused.

Kimberly grinned. "Got a point there. Let's go."

The twelve ex-Rangers and Anna headed for the merry-go-round, which was indeed quite weird. Rather than the standard horses, or even the quaint fantasy animals, the merry-go-round seemed to have every random animal that didn't belong anywhere near a merry-go-round. Kimberly hopped on the back of a rather sinister-looking raccoon, and Trini jumped on the snake next to her. In pairs they boarded the ludicrous animals; Anna, to Tommy's slight discomfort, sat on a bat next to Ethan's pegasus, so Tommy climbed onto a rabbit right behind them, Jason getting on the elk next to him and muttering about people monopolizing his wife's time.

"Should I be worried?" Tommy asked, nodding at Ethan as the carousel lurched to life, blaring mind-numbing music.

Jason shrugged. "You're not worried about Conner. Why worry about Ethan?"

"I'm not worried about Conner because he's got a knack for putting his foot in his mouth," Tommy said dryly. "The girl he went to prom with chucked a sandwich at his head and stomped off halfway through Kira's first set. Ethan's not exactly a girl magnet, but on the other hand that's what worries me."

"Bro, I know you're worried about what Ethan's parents think of you, but if they're cool enough to let the kid leave the city for a week with a science teacher on a trip that isn't school related, then when he goes back home to his mommy and daddy I don't think they'll be paying much attention to his new female pen pal in Stone Canyon. Let the kid have fun," Jason said with a shrug. "Someone ought to get to," he muttered darkly. He scanned what little of the group he could see. "Hey! How come everyone's got a girl but us?"

Tommy blinked. Rocky, Zack and Conner were chatting to their respective chaos girl. Ethan was talking to Anna; every so often Tommy could hear a snippet of computer slang over the loud, annoying music. Trent and Kira, he knew, were somewhere together on the other side of the wheel. Feeling slightly put-out by the revelation that he alone was extremely single, he twisted around in his seat to see Adam riding a frog and talking to Billy, who was on a buffalo.

"Billy and Adam don't," Tommy pointed out in relief, filing away jokes for future reference about "Buffalo Bill" and Adam's spirit animal.

"Only cuz Tanya's on another continent and Cestria's on another planet," Jason grumbled. "Everyone's got a girl but us."

_But **me,** you mean,_ Tommy thought suddenly. Sure, Sandra, Rachel, Dee and Anna were probably fair-weather encounters, but despite Conner, Zack and Rocky's tendencies to have relationships implode early-on, they had a knack for picking girls up. Adam and even Billy were as good as married. Trent had been with Kira for over seven months now. And Jason was so happily married he bitching because his wife was more than ten feet away.

Tommy swallowed hard, staring at Kimberly, riding her demented raccoon four seats up with her giant pink bear still strapped to her back. Then he glanced at Trini. Trini, happily married to Jason. Tommy and Kimberly, alone. It never ceased to amaze him how _wrong_ things had gone since high school.

"Do you know his name?" Tommy said suddenly.

Jason froze. _Oh, god. Please don't let him be asking what I think he's asking,_ Jason thought in horror. "Whose name?" he asked carefully.

Tommy gave him a no-nonsense look. "You do, don't you."

Jason swallowed. "The guy from the letter, huh." Tommy nodded grimly, and Jason sighed heavily. "Tony."

Tommy frowned. Kimberly had talked about a Tony in her letters, he was sure of it. But he couldn't remember just who Tony was. There had been a lot of people mentioned in her letters, though she'd never once alluded to wanting to date any of them. Besides, he hadn't read any of her letters in a very long time.

Six weeks after he'd started dating Kat, they'd been making out in his room and at some point she'd pulled back and started to reach for the hem of his shirt. Then she'd glanced over his shoulder and suddenly jumped off the bed and wanted to leave. At first, Tommy had just figured she'd gotten scared, and he hadn't wanted her to feel pressured, so he'd let her go. Once she was gone, he'd turned around, instinctively wondering if she'd seen something that had upset her, and his gaze had landed on his bulletin board full of pictures and ticket stubs and drawings and such. Near the middle was a strip of pictures from one of those two-person photo booths. The top two were of Tommy and Kimberly smiling, and the bottom two were of them kissing, and rather heatedly at that.

In a fit of rage, Tommy had thrown everything Kim-related into a cardboard box. His room was suddenly only half-decorated; three years had built up a lot of mementos. Every letter she'd sent, every note she'd passed in class, everything she'd bought him, all the souvenirs and gifts and pictures were all put into that box and it was years before he'd opened it again. He'd gone through the box periodically over the years, reminding himself of Kimberly before shoving all the memories back in the box and putting it back on its literal and metaphorical shelf. But Kat had been rather pleased to walk into his room a few days later and find it completely empty of Kimberly reminders—at least, she had been until his mom had caught them and he'd been forbidden to see her for the next month.

"Which one was Tony?" Tommy asked quietly.

"Just… some guy," Jason half-whispered.

"Male gymnast?" Tommy inquired grimly.

"No, actually, uh… janitor."

Tommy nearly fell off his rabbit, and would have if it hadn't been for the reins. "She left Tommy the Power Ranger for _Tony the_ _janitor?"_ he hissed incredulously.

"Kinda… pun-like when you think about it," Jason said sheepishly, cringing. "I don't know if he was a _janitor,_ exactly, but he cleaned up and did repair work in her dorm."

"Did you ever meet him?"

Jason shook his head. "No. Lucky for him." Tommy smiled faintly at that. "But she showed me a picture."

"Was he better-looking than me?" Tommy asked in spite of himself.

"Uh, no," Jason said, eyes darting about in search of an escape route as he wondered how he had wound up in this conversation. "He was short, she said. More… her height." Jason winced, realizing that probably didn't help. "And he had funny hair." Tommy gave him a look, as if trying to decide whether that was some sort of veiled, playful insult on Tommy himself. Jason hastily continued. "Uh… long hair. A couple tattoos. Said he used to talk to her in Spanish a lot. She never understood a word, though." Jason decided to leave out the part where Kimberly had said how romantic she'd found it. "He did a lot of things for the dorm. Carpentry, construction, cleaning…"

"Just an all-around multi-talented guy," Tommy said through gritted teeth, clenching the reins so hard that one end snapped right off the rabbit's head.

"Um, maybe we should talk about something else," Jason said worriedly.

"What happened to him?" Tommy demanded in a no-nonsense tone.

Jason sighed again. "She broke up with him before she left Florida and came back here. When she showed me the pic, she told me it was her 'ex from Miami.'"

"So she was single when Divatox kidnapped her."

"Yup."

"And I wasn't."

"Nope."

"Did she say anything to you about me when she came back?"

"Just that—" Tommy snapped the other end of the reins off. "No. Nope. Nothing."

_"Jason."_

"Just… she asked how you were doing."

"And?"

"And… I told her you were seeing Kat."

"Why _the hell_ would you do _that?"_ Tommy fairly shouted.

"You _were!"_ Jason whined, leaning so far away that he was practically riding side-saddle. "I didn't know what to say! She just _sprung_ it on me! She said, 'How's Tommy' and I said, 'Uh, fine,' and then she asked what you were up to and it just came out and she said 'Oh.' Just 'Oh.' I didn't know what to do. So I just handed her the scuba tank and off we went. It was a bad start to a bad day, if you catch my drift."

"I see," Tommy said, sighing. Figures. She'd come back to straighten things out and he was off rebounding with Kat.

_Don't blame yourself,_ he told himself sharply. _This was all Kimberly. Not you._

"Like I said, Tommy, I don't know much about the guy. I'm not even sure if he _was_ _'the_ guy.' She was just showing me a bunch of pictures—her teammates, her coach, trips to the beach—some of those female gymnasts were _fine,_ let me tell you—and stuff like that." Jason carefully scooted back into his saddle properly, watching Tommy closely.

"What were they doing in the picture?"

"Singing karaoke. Apparently he liked to sing."

Tommy's frown deepened. Tommy couldn't sing worth a damn, and Kimberly knew it.

"Did she mention any other guys?"

"No. Not romantically, anyway. She mentioned plenty, showed me a bunch of pictures, but she never talked about any of the guys like she had feelings for one of them. Just 'Oh, this is So-and-so, he's _awesome_ on the uneven parallel bars' and 'Oh, this is Mr. Drucker, the security guard, he's the sweetest old man you ever met,' and 'Look, this is Mark, he worked at The Gap. The boy _knows_ his accessories.' No one really stood out. She only mentioned the Tony guy in passing." Jason sighed. "Tommy, man… what the hell are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Tommy said, rolling his eyes. Great. He'd just been fishing for information he'd never had the guts to ask about, and somehow he'd walked into yet another "Pull your head out of your ass and ask her out even though she already ripped your heart out once" conversation. Like he hadn't had enough of _those_ lately.

"You're gonna miss your chance, man," Jason said quietly. "You've got until Sunday, if then. Then she's gone again."

"I told you, Kim and I are just friends."

"You're _not_ friends, Tommy. You're two people who want each other hanging out together because you're deluded enough to think that's all you can have."

"You don't know that."

"Like hell I don't. That's my freaking _life story,_ Tommy. Since _first grade_ I adored Trini. The moment I met her, she was the coolest thing on the planet, but I was a complete idiot. Took that fool Richie trying to move in on her to get us together."

"Nice way to repay him, beating him up like that," Tommy joked.

"Don't try to change the subject," Jason said sharply. "I _know_ what you're doing, Tommy, because I know _you,_ and I know Kim, and more importantly I've done the same thing. I've sat on my hands wishing and pissing and moaning because I didn't have her. Think of all the grief I could've been saved if I'd just said something."

"Yes, you could have been married by the age of nine. Sounds like a great life."

"Stop it, Tommy. Do you even see how different you've been since Kim left you? More sarcastic, more annoyed, less enthusiastic, less _happy."_

"Yeah, well, life isn't all love and bunnies," Tommy said wryly, suddenly realizing that he'd snapped the reins off the rabbit's head. When had he done that? Ah, well, it was just a cheap carnival ride, after all. Maybe the reins just hadn't been connected right…

"Kim made a mistake, Tommy, you know that. You know she regrets it."

"Do I? You know what she said to me, that night she locked me in Conner, Ethan and Trent's room? She said 'I miss you. Not you the boyfriend you—just _you.'_ She doesn't want me back, Jason, end of story."

Jason snorted. "Not even _you_ are _that_ dense."

_"Excuse_ me?"

"Kim wants you back. We can all see it, even you, if you'd just admit it to yourself. She's scared as hell, Tommy. She broke up with you, and it was stupid of her, but by the time she figured that out you'd forced yourself to pretend you were okay like you always do. So she came back, and she saw you, and thought you were just fine without her. So she held her tongue and now here you guys are, dancing around each other like idiots."

Tommy sighed heavily, staring glumly down at the rabbit's ears. What a ludicrous place for this conversation… and yet a frighteningly fitting one. The merry-go-round.

Kimberly liked him. She'd flirted with him several times this week. She'd said she still loved him, was still attracted to him. Yes, Tommy _did_ know that. He knew she still cared. But he didn't know if that was enough.

"I don't think I can do it again, Jase," Tommy confided with a sigh. "I don't know if I can let her back in. I don't know if I can forgive and forget and trust her again. I don't know if I could do It again, lose her again. And I don't think I want to find out."

Jason was silent for a moment, thinking. Then he burst out into fits of mocking, derisive laughter.

Tommy whipped his head around to stare at him, furious. How could Jason laugh at him? Especially about _this?_

Jason shook his head and looked at Tommy. "You know what's so sad about you and Kim? You _gave up,_ Tommy."

"I did not!" Tommy growled hotly.

"Oh yes, you did. _You gave up._ She broke up with you and you just _let_ her. You surrendered to some idiot guy in Florida, and I'm sorry, but that was weak of you. After all that sappy crap about a Ranger never giving up, _you_ gave up on Kim, and you know what? The Tommy Kim loves would have teleported his ass to Miami and done everything he could to keep her. The Tommy Kim loves would have fought for her. Like I fought for Trini."

"We're not you and Trini!" Tommy snapped.

"I'm aware of that. But I fought Trini tooth and nail when she wanted to break up after the Peace Conference. And when she came back to Angel Grove, I did everything I could to get her back. _And you should have done the same._ You should be _doing_ the same. Cut the pitiful 'it's just not meant to be' and the 'I'm kinda scared' crap and _get your girl back,_ Tommy. I fought for Trini. Andros changed his entire lifestyle to be with Ashley. Taylor nearly ripped Eric to shreds, and he _still_ went after her. Hell, Billy left _Earth_ for Cestria. And from what I understand of Kira and Trent, she never gave up on him when he was evil. So stop being a chicken shit and _start fighting,_ you idiot! We're _Rangers._ It's what we _do."_

Tommy swallowed as the merry-go-round halted. He _had_ given up. He had let her walk out without so much as a feeble protest. He had wondered many times over the past week why Kimberly hadn't done anything to get him back or patch things up if she did indeed still care… and suddenly he realized that when he hadn't fought for her, hadn't even _questioned _her, she'd probably assumed he was glad she was gone.

Jason stalked off, leaving Tommy alone. Tommy threw the rabbit's reins down and dismounted. Jason was right. A Ranger never gives up, and all that. More importantly, _Tommy_ never gives up.

What the hell had he been waiting for? Tommy could take her. It _was_ time to get his girl back. By the time he was through with her, she'd never think about male gymnasts or janitors ever again.

"You're _mine,_ Kim," he whispered, glaring in her direction. Had anyone been watching him, they would have seen his eyes flash green for a moment.


	52. Different Drum

_Author's Notes:_ That's right people, WE'RE BAAAAAAACK! My comp isn't fixed, but we finally realized Bryn knows a computer guy who was able to stick my harddrive into hers and now WE HAVE IT ALL! WE HAVE IT ALL! IT'S BACK! EVERY LINE, EVERY… sorry. The feeling of euphoria hasn't worn off. Here is the full, complete, wonderful, chapter fifty-two. I'm really sorry this all took so long. (Remember, DHL is evil, Stopzilla rocks!) If you guys haven't all died or decided you no longer like Power Rangers, we'd appreciate reviews; we've missed you guys. I'll be updating again as soon as I share the good news with Freyja. For now, I'm gonna wander off, do a happy dance, and see if I have any pics of hot PR actors still saved in here somewhere. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Fifty-two**

_Different Drum_

Jason didn't bother with the exit gate; he simply leaped right over the rail. He was so cheerful it was all he could do not to burst into song. He'd just soundly kicked Tommy's ass, and even though he would never admit it there wasn't much that brought him greater pleasure (well, Trini aside). Forcing himself not to hum, he strode over to the others, who were standing together a few feet from a trash can, minus Tommy.

"What's going on?" Jason asked the group in general. Conner was looking a little green, and the expressions on the others' faces ranged from amused, to disgusted, to… proud, maybe? It was a little hard to tell.

"Conner threw up," Dee announced. She looked downright awestruck and was currently rubbing Conner's back. "It was _awesome."_

"It _was_ pretty wicked," Sandra commented idly.

"I've puked on the merry-go-round twice, man," Zack said confidentially to Conner, noticing that Conner looked a little embarrassed.

"I _never_ throw up on rides," Rachel complained. "I have like an iron stomach…"

Rocky grinned. "Nothing wrong with that."

"I've thrown up on three different rides," Dee said proudly.

"Uh… so where to next?" Kimberly asked, wincing. She found the whole event thoroughly gross.

"Sandra, Dee and I were thinking of running to get something to eat," Rachel said. "Fast food or something; this carnival's expensive as hell. You guys game?"

"We ate not too long ago," Kimberly told her.

"I didn't," Rocky said quickly.

"You made me stop at Tim Horton's on the way!" Adam exclaimed.

"Yeah, but that was just a snack."

"That was a twelve-dollar snack!"

"Yeah. Next time, we go somewhere cheaper," Rocky said seriously. Adam rolled his eyes, but he grinned.

"What about you, Conner? Want to go grab a bite?" Dee asked hopefully.

"I… don't really feel like eating," Conner told her apologetically, cringing. Dee patted him sympathetically on the back as he turned away from the carousel, which had started back up.

"Why don't we catch up with you guys later?" Rachel suggested. "I'm starving, and I could _really_ go for some fries." Kimberly randomly giggled and Ethan winced, but the others made no comment.

"Here," Dee said, pulling the Sharpie off the cord around her neck and pushing up the sleeve on Conner's right arm. She scrawled a number on his skin. "Give me a call if we don't see you guys later, eh?"

Conner nodded, grinning. He borrowed her Sharpie and wrote his own cell number on her arm. "Why don't you just call me when you're through with lunch?"

"Sure thing," Dee said.

She and Conner smiled at each other for a long moment. Then Anna said suddenly, "Hey—where'd Tommy go?"

There was a pause as they all tried to recall the last time they'd seen him. For just a moment, Jason began to panic, wondering if his talk with Tommy had had the reverse effect of what he was hoping for… and then, with a wild yell worthy of a true Power Ranger, Tommy came flying off the merry-go-round and over the railing. He hit the ground off-balance—not surprising, as he was coming from a running start on a crowded rotating circular platform—and was forced to roll to his feet. He popped back up a few feet away, turned and gave them a nonchalant look, as though he'd done nothing strange. Jason grinned. He'd bet anything that Tommy had been planning his strategy so intently that he hadn't noticed it was time to leave the carousel until it had started back up again.

"You people are _awesome,"_ Rachel squealed.

"Oh, _yeah,"_ Sandra added.

"I can do that, too," Zack told her.

"Really?" Sandra asked with interest.

"I'll have to show you some time," Zack said with his most charming smile.

"Great," Sandra said. "We'll call you when we get back from lunch."

The three of them said their goodbyes and headed off down the midway. Conner immediately began fishing in his pockets, becoming increasingly worried when he didn't find what he was looking for. Rocky abruptly handed him a roll of breath mints. "Help yourself, dude," Rocky said generously.

"Oh, thank god," Conner muttered, popping half the roll into his hand and tossing them into his mouth.

"So where to now?" Rocky asked the group at large.

"Something that isn't circular," Conner groaned.

"Tell you what," Tommy said, sounding rather distracted, "I'll go buy you a Sprite. Maybe that'll help settle your stomach. I'm kind of thirsty, anyway."

"Get him a Coca-Cola," Billy said. "Unless the ingredients have been altered since my departure, the Coke would help ease his stomach better."

Trini nodded. "The stuff they make Coke from is a natural anti-nausea agent. If they have Pepsi products, though, go with something clear. Sierra Mist or 7-Up. Ginger ale if they've got it."

Tommy nodded and headed towards the nearest concessions stand, already planning the first step of his newfound agenda. He couldn't go for the direct approach; he had to make a declaration of war first. That was the only way to do it. At least, that was the way Rangers did it—threatening poses to show off a bit of their skill, a few insults to show they meant business. Not only was it more fun than simply attacking, but it put the monsters off-guard a bit, got the monsters a little worried about their opponents (theoretically, anyway). And that was exactly what he wanted to do to Kimberly.

He bought Conner a Coke, wondering how he'd gotten to the age of twenty-five without knowing that Coke was good for nausea (countering the side-effects of heavy partying was important for college students, after all) and got himself a water with extra ice. He wasn't really thirsty, but the woman behind the counter refused to give him a plain cup of ice and he figured the water would be less conspicuous, anyway.

The group wandered back down the midway, Tommy doing his best to keep them near the chairlift. Before long, the carnival's setup did his work for him—the midway was lined with plenty of game booths. Their competitive tendencies led to lots of smiling game attendants; Rocky won the water-gun race, Billy beat the crap out of them in the ring toss, Ethan slaughtered them at a memory game, Zack won the basketball game, and so on, until they were all beyond overloaded with cheap carnival prizes.

Then they reached the game where they had to hit a pallet with a hammer hard enough to ring the bell at the top of a column. Tommy and Jason got into World War Three over this, but, despite being incredibly strong guys who still had active Power Ranger abilities, neither of them could manage to ring the bell. Under the cover of the gang's mutinous muttering about how the game _must_ be rigged, Anna gave Tommy a lucky break.

"You just have to keep the hammer level and hit dead-center," she whispered.

"You sure?" he asked quietly.

"I've spent a lot of time at carnivals," she said dryly. "You can only ride the Ferris wheel for so many hours on end without wanting to jump, so I've made friends with plenty of game operators. Trust me."

Tommy tried this and got the bell to ring on the first try with half the effort of his previous attempts.

"Well done!" the jovial game operator yelled, hastily shoving the fifteen or so one-dollar bills Tommy had already given him deeper into his apron pocket. "Pick your prize."

Tommy looked at Kimberly. "You heard the man."

"Thank you!" she squealed, seizing a stuffed cat from the display. "This little baby's been practically _begging_ me to take it home!"

Tommy grinned, knowing it was another mark in his win column, and figured he might as well rub Jason's face in his victory, but Jason had noticed how Tommy had changed his tactics after Anna's hint and tried copying him. He, too, rang the bell, much to Tommy's disappointment.

"Yeah! Jason yelled. "I _knew_ your little carnie friend hooked you up. Trini?"

"This is so caveman," Trini announced, but she looked utterly pleased with her new prize.

"You know how to beat any other games?" Tommy asked Anna.

"Just a couple. That one in particular. Guy who worked there last year was the reason me and Mikey Torrance split up," she replied.

They continued down the midway, Tommy winning a few more toys for Kimberly, the others trying to outdo each other as much as their wallets would allow. One by one they started backing out of playing every game, realizing their cash flow wouldn't last forever and they still had a few days left of vacation time. Tommy backed out halfway down the midway, but he was careful to stay close to Kimberly. He didn't have much time left; the water in his cup was gone, and the ice was starting to melt.

Finally he saw his moment. The angle from the chairlift was perfect. No one in the gang was looking in Kimberly's direction. Garbage can not five feet away. It was now or never.

Fishing a handful of ice out of his cup, he shoved the cup into the trash can, got behind Kimberly, swept his glance over the others one last time to make sure there'd be no witnesses, and made his move. Darting his hand out over her shoulder from behind, he released his fistful of ice and skipped off to stand casually behind Rocky.

"GAH!" Kimberly shrieked.

"What? What's wrong?" the others demanded, hurrying to her. Kimberly danced a jig, reluctant to go diving for the ice in front of everyone. Tommy feigned concern along with the others.

"Someone must have thrown some ice off the chairlift," she said through gritted teeth.

"Did it hit you?" Jason asked, glaring up at the chairlift for a likely culprit.

_"Yes,"_ she ground out. "It went down my shirt."

_"My_ shirt?" Tommy gasped loudly. "Is it going to _stain?"_

"It's just ice," she replied. "I…" She trailed off. Ah, so she'd made the connection. Perfect. Tommy let just a bit of a smirk twitch on his mouth, just enough to show her that her assumptions were correct.

"At least it's not fries," Conner pointed out consolingly. "OW! _Ethan!"_

Kimberly's eyes widened in realization and she stared at Tommy, incensed. He allowed the briefest of grins to flash over his face before schooling his features back into an expression of fake concern.

"Are you _sure_ it's just ice?" Tommy asked worriedly. "I really don't want it to stain. I _love_ that shirt."

"I'm _sure,"_ she growled. _Oh, that was **low,**_ she thought. _REALLY low. And he did it on **purpose!**_

"Turn around!" Trini barked at the guys. They all hastily hopped-to, save Tommy, who stuck out his tongue at Kimberly and winked before complying. "Here, Anna and Kira and I'll block the view, Kim," Trini continued, having missed the action.

"Thanks," Kimberly said in a tone of pure Tommy-directed fury, digging out a chunk of ice and flinging it at the back of Tommy's head. It hit dead-center, but he didn't even start in surprise. Oh, he would _pay_ for that, and pay _dearly._ Hadn't they just agreed they were even back in the parking lot?

Ice was the most difficult things she had ever had to get out of her bra. (Which put it first on a list of two, but still.) It was slippery, and while it didn't tend to break in half at the last second and fall back in like the fries, ice had a tendency to wiggle out of her grasp and fall back in anyway. Not only that, but ice wasn't something one forgot anytime soon. The ice could be removed, but the cold feeling remained for quite some time. She wondered just how much Tommy had thought about putting ice down her shirt since the accident on Friday night.

Struggling to distinguish between cold water and actual cubes, Kimberly flung each one at the back of Tommy's head, which thankfully Anna, Trini and Kira didn't notice, as they were too busy watching for onlookers. Around the fourth cube, Tommy said, in utterly mocking tones, "Look on the bright side, Kim—at least the ice will wash off all the grease from those fries."

"What was that?" Rocky asked curiously.

"Never mind," Tommy replied casually as Kimberly hurled another chunk at his skull. "Say, Rocky, do you have a camera on you, by any chance? Mine's in the car."

"Nope. Hey, Adam, do you have one?"

"…What do you want to take a picture of, Tommy?" Adam asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing," he replied innocently.

It was a wonder that the back of Tommy's head wasn't bleeding by the time Kimberly got all the ice out. No one had forked over a camera for him, but he didn't push the issue. Lucky for the camera. "You can turn around now," Kimberly announced, glaring at Tommy. He simply smirked back.

"Well," Trini said, patting Kimberly sympathetically on the shoulder, "why don't we see if we can find one of those balloon dart games?"

"Yeah, she looks like she could use an activity involving projectile weapons," Tommy said nonchalantly.

"Darts are really _sharp,"_ Kimberly said meaningfully.

"Yes, yes they are," Trini said in confusion. "Want to go—?"

"Bumper cars," Kimberly said loudly. "Let's go on the bumper cars. I want to _bash_ something. _A lot."_

"That's understandable," Tommy said, nodding in mock-empathy. "Those little idiots throwing stuff off chairlifts… how _rude."_

Kimberly took a step towards him. He had the good grace to take a step back and look momentarily alarmed—an action which calmed her slightly. Thrusting her chin in the air, she stalked off for the bumper cars.

"Bumper cars, whoo?" Conner said hesitantly, sensing the sudden tension in the group but unable to figure out where it came from or what it was about.

"We just totally missed something, didn't we?" Ethan asked.

"You'll understand when you're older," Tommy replied pleasantly, and went to follow Kimberly to the bumper cars, grinning his head off.

The others looked at each other in confusion for a moment. Then Jason shrugged and followed Tommy, smirking all the while. Anna also wandered after Tommy, not as in tune to the strange happenings as the rest of them. The others looked at each other for answers, but when no one had any they gave up and joined Tommy, Kimberly, Jason and Anna.

The bumper cars vented a bit of Kimberly's annoyance, but the problem was that now she could see that something was distinctly _off_ with Tommy. He kept _grinning_ at her. In a decidedly evil sort of way. Lots of eye contact and smug expressions, even when she was ramming him into the corner of the bumper car arena.

He was _fighting_ with her, in a way she couldn't put her finger on. Not in an angry way or anything… more like the way they all acted when sparring. Friendly competition, to be sure, but there was a score being kept, and something to prove.

She wasn't quire sure what his goal was, but she was starting to get the sneaking suspicion that he'd been planning something for quite some time. Somewhere around the chairlift, maybe. Trini wasn't acting perfectly innocent, which meant that Trini currently didn't have anything to feel guilty about. So Kimberly chatted up Anna, but the girl gave nothing away.

They went on three more rides, Tommy always sitting relatively close, always smirking at her. It wouldn't have bothered her so much if she had any idea why.

Eventually, she decided she needed a breather. Tommy had squeezed in with her on the egg scrambler, put his arm around her when she was squished against him from the force of the ride, and left it there for the duration. Then he'd gallantly helped her out of the ride, held the exit gate open for her, and did it all while grinning at her challengingly. When he offered to help her put her belt harness back on, she declined and announced that it was time to take Jake to the car.

"What happened to the separation anxiety thing you had going on the first twenty-four times we asked you to take it back?" Zack asked as he handed her the keys to his Escalade.

"He's heavy and it's hot," Kimberly said. "Plus the belts are starting to leave pressure marks. I'll meet up with you guys at the Tilt-a-Whirl, kay?"

"I'll come with you," Tommy offered. "Put some of this other crap in the car." They'd found a janitor who had graciously given them trash bags to hold most of their other prizes (an elderly, unattractive janitor, whom Tommy glared at on general principles given Jason's revelation about Tony), but now they had three trash bags to carry and they kept arguing about whose turn it was to play pack mule. Trini had insisted they stop playing games for a while, at least until they found the balloon dart game, which seemed to be eluding them.

"About time," Conner complained, handing Tommy his bag.

Tommy accepted the other two bags as Kimberly tried to think of a good reason to get Tommy to stay behind. "You don't have to come, you know," she said nonchalantly. "I can put Jake back in the harness, carry the bags myself."

"If it's all the same, I'd rather carry the bags and have my belt back," Tommy said, plucking his belt from the tangle resting on top of Jake's head. Conner, Adam and Jason eagerly reclaimed their belts. "After all, you _do_ have a habit of stealing my clothing."

_Damn,_ Kimberly thought as she hefted Jake into her arms. Before she could think of a good reply, Tommy had set off down the midway. Sighing, she followed.

* * *

"And then, on May 19th, the car wouldn't start _again,_ and that's how I knew it was in fact my alternator, and not my battery, but unfortunately I was still stranded in the middle of the desert with a broken car…"

Hayley breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Bulk and Skull had latched onto a boy who could somehow remember what he'd been doing every single day for the past two months and didn't mind that they kept calling him "Blue Ranger."

The business had died down, too; it usually tapered off around mid-afternoon, only to pick up again in the early evening when the older customers finished their summer jobs for the day and the more degenerate customers finally woke up. Now that Hayley had a breather, she went to the storeroom and picked up the phone.

She tried Elsa's number first, but she got the answering machine, so she tried Anton's. He answered on the third ring. "Am I glad to hear from you," he said wearily without bothering to say hello.

"I'm sorry; I've been so swamped I haven't had a chance to warn you. Did someone come by to—?"

"Ask a lot of questions about Tommy? Yes. He's here now. Apparently he's already gone to see that Sanchez woman. What's his story, Hayley?"

"He thinks Tommy's the original Green Ranger."

"What? But Tommy _was_ the—"

"I know. Of course _I_ know. I suppose he's told you about the purse snatching, so I'll spare you that story, but I'm not sure what else he's got. Tommy's not answering my calls."

"Well, I haven't made any mistakes, to my knowledge."

"I'm sure you haven't," Hayley assured him. Anton was too methodical to screw up on something this important. The last risk he'd taken had transformed him into an evil reptile villain.

"Elsa's given him a list of staff meetings; some of them were during Ranger battles when all five Dino Rangers were present. She doesn't have an attendance list, of course, but she's made it clear that she always insisted that every teacher participate." Hayley grinned. Tommy was notorious for missing staff meetings, even though he'd only been teaching a year. "She also told him about the strange illness Tommy contracted that put him off work for several weeks when all the Rangers were seen in battle. I think he's starting to falter, but I can't be certain."

"Good. That's good. I think I dented him but good when he came by here. I've got Devin and Cassidy tailing him, but they haven't checked in since they left. Still, it probably won't be long before he gives up entirely. He's probably just some ambitious kid who realized there aren't a lot of chances to be well-known as a cop in a town famous for its superheroes. Wants to prove himself."

"Regardless of his motives, he's still a liability," Anton said tightly.

"I know. I'm trying to come up with a plan."

"Good. He's becoming quite a pain."

Hayley peeked out of the storeroom at the main café. Bulk and Skull were harassing a different customer, but this time the boy was with them and doing a lot of the questioning. "Trust me, Anton—you got off easy."

* * *

"I can put Jake in the car by myself, you know," Kimberly said as pleasantly as she could while growling. The whole point of finally separating with her pink bear was to get a few moments away from Tommy… and he'd just invited himself along.

"You never know… there might be purse snatchers in the parking lot," Tommy joked calmly, ignoring her tone.

Kimberly tried to fight down the feelings that statement invoked. The look on Tommy's face when he'd decked the purse snatcher… how sweet and protective it was… stealing his clothes later that evening… the fact that they'd grown more and more comfortable with each other… and now _this._ What _was_ this? _What's going on, and why am I not in control here?_ Kimberly asked herself. _Oh, god, I'm thinking like a Yellow. Wait… is that bad?_

"Sure you don't want me to carry him for you?" Tommy asked lightly.

"I can manage, thanks," Kimberly said firmly. "I'm a big girl."

"I know. I was just worried about all that fur getting on that shirt." He grinned playfully. "By the way, much as I hate to admit it, my shirt looks really good on you."

_Why you little…!_ she thought, irritated beyond belief. It was a suggestive comment. From _Tommy._ He was _not_ good at those. Well, at least he didn't use to be. But, then, he _had_ been seventeen the last time he'd tried. He was now twenty-five. A lot could change/improve in eight years. (Her mind wandered off at this point, and she had to take a second to pull it back into line and give it a stern lecture.) Still, he hadn't seemed very different this morning when she had been torturing him. She of all people knew Tommy could face down an evil alien monster any day of the week but put a girl in front of him and he was all blushes and stammers. Forget the eight years thing, what had changed in three hours?

"Thanks," she said in a barely-controlled tone. "I guess you won't mind if I hang on to it a little longer." _Ha! Take **that,** Oliver!_

Tommy shrugged. "When I _do_ mind, I'll just rip it off you," he said, as casually as if discussing the weather.

_No you did **not** just say that!_ she raged silently, wishing she wasn't carrying Jake so that she could throttle Tommy. "I'd like to see you _try,"_ she ground out.

Tommy grinned at her, obviously amused. _"Would_ you?" he asked, his eyes boring into hers challengingly.

Under the cover of getting a better grip on Jake, she hoisted the bear up so that their eye contact was broken; Tommy's view of Kimberly was now completely obscured by the bear he'd won her. Oh, god, _why_ had she let him win her all those prizes? Why had she _forced_ him to win her Jake? Talk about bad signals…

She stomped over to Zack's car and pulled Zack's keys from her pocket. Unable to see around Jake very well (she wouldn't have found the Escalade if she hadn't seen Tommy's Jeep out of the corner of her eye), she aimed the remote at the car and fumbled with the buttons. When she failed to find it, Tommy seized her hand.

"Let me help you with that," he said, turning her wrist slightly and holding on for quite some time under the cover of studying the buttons. She attempted to kick him in the shin, but her only result was Jake rustling about violently in her arms. (This made Tommy quite nervous; it put him in mind of the movie _Child's Play_ and he had a fleeting vision of the bear as a thirty-story monster, but he forced himself to focus on his goal.) Unfortunately, the way he held her hand kept her from continuing her search for the right button with her fingers, so she was at his mercy. Even more unfortunately, she couldn't help but think of how much she _wanted_ him to hold her hand.

Finally the trunk popped open, and she jerked away, tossing Jake in the back of the car. She turned him around so he could stare at people through the rear windshield, saying a silent apology as she slammed the lid shut on him. Then, cursing her very nature, she shoved the key into the lock (with a silent cry of "No more hand-holding _now,_ buddy!") and reopened the car to give Jake one last hug.

"Wow. I'm almost jealous," Tommy said idly as she pulled away.

Kimberly glowered at him, but he merely smirked back. Then something inside her just sort of _snapped._

"All right, that's _it!"_ she growled, shutting the trunk once more. "You and me. Right here. Let's go." She dropped into her preferred martial arts stance.

Tommy grinned. "Now, Kim, there are little kids running around. We should at least get _inside_ the car first."

With an inarticulate snarl, Kimberly launched herself at him. The next thing she knew, Tommy had spun her around and was holding her firmly, arms pinned in front of her, her back against his chest. She struggled futilely for a moment before sighing, cursing her luck. Great. Just _great._ What was _with_ him?

"Now, now, Kim, temper, temper," he murmured in her ear. "If you _really_ want to go out here in the parking lot, I'm game."

Kimberly held very still, thinking over her options. On the one hand, she was loathe to hurt his feelings. On the other, he was starting to tick her off. (And if she'd had a third hand, on it would be a feeling of something along the lines of "This is kinda nifty. And it's not like it would be _my_ backseat. It'd be Zack's." And if she'd had a fourth hand, well, she was sure she could hide his corpse _somewhere_…)

"Tommy?" she whispered, her voice breathy, intimate, heated.

"Hmm?"

"Shut. Up."

Tommy considered this for a moment, then laughed and released her. Rolling her eyes, she spun around to face him and tried to stare him down, but he wouldn't engage. He merely continued laughing.

"I think it's time to get back to the gang," Kimberly said with a baleful glare.

"After you," Tommy replied with a mock-bow, sweeping his hand out towards the entrance. She stalked off, and Tommy fell into step behind her. With the tone of one unable to resist, he called after her. "I like it back here anyway. I get to admire the view."

Without even thinking about it she kicked, straight back like a vindictive mule. Her foot never connected; Tommy saw it coming and leaned easily out of the way. Still, it was enough of a warning that he kept quiet all the way back to the Tilt-a-Whirl… but she imagined she could still hear him laughing.

* * *

_End Notes:_ Just a fun fact—Anna's game tip was _not_ pulled out of a hat. It's actually true. I used to work at an amusement park called Cedar Point, along with Bryn, and while we both worked on the admissions crew, I still remember some of the tricks my friends in the games department shared. 


	53. Crystal of Nightmares

**Chapter Fifty-three**

_Crystal of Nightmares_

Kira bent down to retie her bootlace, and found herself staring at some of the coolest boots she'd ever seen—pointy-toed black knee-high spiked-heel lace-ups. She looked up to check out the rest of the outfit—black flowing skirt, purple peasant blouse with long flowing sleeves. The person wearing the extremely cool boots turned out to be an older woman, close to forty-five, though her hair was still long, thick and black, tucked back behind her ears to keep it from getting tangled in her giant silver hoop earrings. Kira regarded her thoughtfully as she tied her shoe. The woman reminded her of a gypsy.

Kira stood up and started to go catch up with the group, but she stopped dead in her tracks as she caught sight of the sign hanging on the card table: "Elena Luna, renowned psychic, specializing in tarot cards, runes, palmistry, and dream interpretation."

_Dream interpretation._ Her dream this morning about Conner… no _way_ did it mean she had _feelings_ for Conner. Because she _didn't._ He was _Conner._ …But what _did_ it mean?

"Something wrong, Kira?" Adam asked, seeing her hesitate. He automatically turned to check on Trent's whereabouts as he did so. Thankfully, Rocky had taken it upon himself to get Trent to like him better; Trent, Conner and Ethan were chatting amiably with Rocky, laughing at his jokes as the rest of the group headed towards the Tilt-a-Whirl. Adam smiled, knowing Trent would warm up to them eventually, despite their initial encounter. (Trent wasn't the only Ranger to get jealous when other Rangers got friendly with his girlfriend. Reds were particularly bad about it—while they trusted their own teammates, it usually took a while for them to get used to a new team chatting up their girlfriends. Andros had been especially bad about it, because Ashley was very independent and Andros was not just her boyfriend but somewhat unclear about Earth customs.)

Kira didn't respond, staring down at the sign in front of the fortune teller's table. The woman sitting at the table watched her for a moment. As Kira was blocking the sign, Adam turned his gaze to rest of the rickety card table the woman was sitting at. He was a bit startled to see the array of crystals, the deck of tarot cards, and other occult paraphernalia.

"Hello," the woman said, smiling at Kira. "Would you like a reading?"

Without warning Kira dove into the chair across from Elena Luna. "Yes. Yes, I would." She pulled out her wallet. "How much?"

"What kind of reading would you like?"

"Dream interpretation."

"Ten dollars, then."

Kira slapped the money down. "I had the freakiest dream this morning," she said, leaning forward earnestly, Adam apparently forgotten. "See, there's this guy. And I _don't_ like him. At _all._ Well, I mean, he's one of my best friends, but I don't have _feelings_ for him. But this morning—_hey!"_

Kira found herself shoved out of the chair, Adam taking her place. "Hi," Adam said to the startled Elena, digging a ten-dollar bill out of his wallet. "I had this dream, about eight years ago or so, and it's been bothering me for _ages._ See, I fell asleep in the library while watching a monster movie, and I think that had a lot to do with—_hey!"_

Kira had shoved him back out of the chair. "Wait your turn!" she growled, plopping back down.

"I've been waiting eight years! It'll only take a second!" Adam insisted pleadingly. He tried to push her back off, but she grabbed the seat and hung on tightly.

"I was here _first!"_ Adam was able to get one of her hands free, and squeezed what little of himself that he could onto the chair. Kira was slowly shoved to the side.

"Well, I walked past the table before you did, and I came back to see what you were doing, so technically _I_ was here first!" Kira turned sideways and braced her feet against the ground. Adam copied her and they began to shove each other with their backs.

"But _I_ sat down first!"

"Please, Kira, it's _really_ important!"

"No!"

Suddenly Kira went flying, sprawling on the dirt next to the chair. Her sudden disappearance took Adam by surprise, and he went flying over the edge to land on top of her.

There was a mad scramble to get back to the chair, complete with pushing, shoving and elbowing. Kira managed to dive under Adam's arm as he tried to block her, and sat down. Shooting him a triumphant look, she leaned towards Elena again and said, "As I was saying—_hey!"_

Adam had gotten behind her, grabbed her by the waist, picked her up and set her down next to the chair. Then he leap-frogged over the chair and hunkered down. "It'll only take a second," he said firmly, not willing to give up his chance to get the dream off his chest when it had been bugging him ever since the Zeo days.

Kira was not willing to give up so easily, however; her horror over dreaming about almost kissing Conner was pushing her quite hard. She put her hands against Adam's arm and shoved with all her might. Eventually, he was forced off, and she dove into the chair, but Adam hadn't been expecting her to claim the seat so soon and sat back down right on her lap. "OW! Let me up!" Kira shouted.

"Not until you agree to let me go fir—ah!" Thrusting her entire body upwards, she managed to send Adam flying. Adam yelped and Elena was forced to grab the card table and whisk it to the side to keep it from getting crushed. Glaring, Adam stomped back to the chair, lifted Kira up again, set her down in front of the chair and held her there while he sat.

Refusing to admit defeat, even though Elena Luna was looking quite put out by now, Kira plopped down on Adam's lap. Then she remembered that this wasn't as damaging as when he'd done it to her, because after all she weighed a hell of a lot less than he did. She glowered, twisted around and snapped, "Okay, let's settle this, right here, right _now."_ With that, she held up her hands in the classic position to begin a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors.

Adam nodded curtly and held his up too. Not breaking eye contact, they tapped their fists against their hands and then opened their fists. Kira chose Scissors… and Adam chose Paper.

"HA!"

"NO!"

"I _win!_ I get to go first!"

_"Fine,"_ Adam ground out. The logical side of him was getting quite snippy, anyway, rudely informing his competitive side that if they stopped warring over who got to go first he might actually get to take a turn some time today.

Kira didn't bother standing up and telling him to move, as she was afraid he might refuse to honor the tradition of settling things by Rock-Paper-Scissors. Adam, likewise, didn't offer to move; that would be too much like admitting defeat. So Kira simply turned around to face Elena Luna as she straightened her card table, looking torn between amusement and annoyance.

"As I was saying," Kira began, "I had this dream that I was sitting in the lobby of the hotel we're staying at, and then this guy, Conner, who I like _only as a friend,_ comes out of the elevator and I'm all excited. He runs to me, and I run to him, and he picks me up and swings me around like something off a cheesy romance movie. And I was actually _happy_ about it." She shuddered. Adam shifted uncomfortably. "We said we missed each other, and I'm all, 'These nights apart are driving me crazy,' EW, and he's all, 'What can we do, since our chaperone's around,' EW, and I actually _snuggled_ up to him, _EW!_ and said that it was awful that Trent—my boyfriend—kept making all these advances! First of all, Trent doesn't make much in the way of advances, and if he did, it wouldn't exactly _bother_ me!"

"Anything else?" Elena prompted. Grimacing at the subject matter, Adam decided to study a pretty rock off in the distance.

"He comforted me, told me that 'they'll all realize who you're meant for soon,' and then we started to kiss, only thankfully I snapped awake before we did. _EW!_ It was _horrible."_ Kira shivered again.

"Hmm," Elena said thoughtfully. "Do you remember any specific colors in the dream?" Elena smiled over her shoulder at Adam, who was blushing furiously by this point.

"Er… it looked mostly like a hotel lobby," Kira told her. "I was wearing yellow and he was wearing red. Mostly red; his Speedo looked kinda like it was made out of a pizza box, but it was mostly red." To her credit, Elena looked only momentarily startled by this revelation.

"A… pizza box?" Adam asked in spite of himself.

"I don't like thinking about it, and I'll thank you never to mention it ever again," Kira replied. "To _anyone."_

"Red is the color of sexuality and passion—" Elena said.

"EW," Kira growled.

"—and yellow is the color of awareness, telling you to examine your true self."

"Yeah, okay, but see, I really _don't_ like Conner like that. Not even a _little._ I like _Trent._ My boyfriend. _End of story."_

She smiled. "Tell me, is your boyfriend very… forward?"

"How so?" Kira asked hesitantly, really wishing Adam was Not Here.

"Well, personally, I'd say your dream is telling you that you want more forwardness in your relationship. This boy, Conner, he swung you around and kissed you in front of the entire lobby and he admitted being frustrated by not being able to spend his nights with you. He told you that he disliked keeping things quiet as much as you did—in other words, he was telling you that he wanted to shout his love for you from the rooftops. I'd say his comment about 'realizing who you were meant for' is a subconscious reference that you want to be with Trent, but you want him to be less low-key about his feelings. You want others to know that you're With Trent, and you can't do that if Trent won't be a bit more open about your relationship." She watched Adam carefully over Kira's shoulder.

Kira breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "You think so?"

"That's my impression. Using this Conner boy was probably your subconscious's way of pointing out that your relationship seems too platonic, and that you don't want to go elsewhere to find what you're looking for in love—because this Conner boy is your friend, and you don't want to date him."

"That actually makes sense," Kira said slowly.

Elena smiled at her. "Perhaps you two should sit down for a nice long talk, after I hear his dream." She nodded at Adam.

"Thanks," Kira said warmly. "I don't know what it is about him that makes him so, you know, not advance-y. He's not _that_ shy."

"Maybe it's the age difference?" Elena suggested tentatively.

"Age difference?" Kira repeated blankly.

"Is it my turn yet?" Adam asked loudly, not sure how much more of this he could take.

"Go ahead," Kira told him absently, still puzzling out the age difference thing, and wondering why Elena was giving her a decidedly _knowing_ look.

"Aren't you going to leave?" Adam asked hopefully.

Kira shook her head. "You got to hear my utterly embarrassing dream, so I'm hearing yours. Blackmail doesn't work if we've both got information."

Adam sighed and regarded Elena. "Are you from this area?"

Elena shook her head. "North Carolina."

"Ah. Well, you see, it was during the time of the Zeo Power Rangers. I fell asleep during this old monster movie called _The Bride of Hackensack,_ and I dreamed that I woke up to see this black cat on the table in front of me just as the movie was ending. I followed it out into the hall, where I saw Rita and Zedd, the evil villains who were chased off by the Machine Empire during the Zeo—"

"I give up," someone interrupted, and they all looked up to see Trent standing next to them, looking suspicious and confused. "What are you _doing?"_

"Oh. Hi!" Kira exclaimed, a little too loudly. "We're just… I wanted to get my dream interpreted, and now it's his turn…" She trailed off, acutely aware that explaining why she was sitting on Adam's lap would take some work.

Trent, however, seemed to sense that this was one of Those Moments, wherein the normal reactions were useless, because, while it couldn't be readily explained, there was definitely a good reason behind it. There was no logical explanation for his girlfriend sitting on Adam's lap and talking to a psychic, so there had to be other factors involved. Something else, something very weird, was at work. So he pushed down his first impulse to get jealous, looked Adam square in the eye, and said, "I was evil longer than just about anyone else. Even Dr. O."

"Heh," Adam said worriedly.

"Dr. O told me that no one else was evil as long as I was, at least not while in uniform, if you catch my drift," Trent continued pointedly. He glanced at Elena, but she simply looked uncertain, squinting at him as if trying to see something a little too far away to be clear. He frowned at the sign advertising her as a psychic, then smiled at Kira and said, "We're going on the Tilt-a-Whirl; we'll meet up with you later," and headed off to rejoin the group.

"Whew," Kira breathed, glad all Trent had needed to feel better about seeing their odd moment was to threaten Adam.

Adam swallowed, now twice as uncomfortable. He turned quickly back to Elena, and finished relating his dream.

Elena told him that his dream was probably just a manifestation of the film, since it followed the plot so closely, as dreams often played off the things that had happened during the day, especially if said event was still happening while he slept. She did say, however, that there was probably something buried in there about a strong sense of loyalty, a fear of failure and of losing his friends, and that things weren't as they seemed.

"Makes sense," Adam said when she was finished. He felt quite relieved; that had been one of the most vivid dreams he'd ever had, and he'd never quite forgotten it. "Thanks. I was never able to tell any of my friends about it."

"Sometimes, when you need someone to talk to, a perfect stranger is best," Elena told him. "Since you don't treasure a stranger's opinions of you, you don't concern yourself with their perceptions."

"True," Adam said, nodding.

"Well, we better catch up to the gang," Kira said, standing up. She'd quite enjoyed Adam's tale; not only was it amusing and interesting—especially when she tried to picture Dr. O as a vampire with a bad accent—but the way Adam told it had made her struggle not to laugh. He'd kept having to amend statements to explain that he'd _dreamed_ he was a Power Ranger, rather than actually _being_ a Power Ranger.

"Let me write up your receipts," Elena said. "What's your name?"

"Kira Ford."

Elena wrote it down on her receipt pad, tore it off, handed it to Kira and flipped the carbon copy out of the way so that she could make out Adam's. "What's your last name, Trent?"

It took Adam a second to realize she was talking to him. "What?"

"Your last name?"

"Park. But my first name's _Adam,_ not Trent." Realization dawned on him quite suddenly. Kira sitting on his lap, the comment about "age difference" being a factor in his shyness… it had probably looked quite bad when he'd changed the subject after that comment, and looking uncomfortable during the retelling of Kira's dream about Conner probably hadn't helped, either.

"OH!" Elena exclaimed, smacking her forehead. "I'm sorry. I got the impression from Kira that her boyfriend was dark-haired, sweet and quiet, so I just assumed… I apologize."

"That's okay," Adam said faintly as Kira reddened. He accepted his receipt, and the two headed off towards the Tilt-a-Whirl.

"Well, _that_ was awkward," Kira muttered. "She probably thought _Trent_ was _Conner!_ …_Please_ don't _ever_ tell him I said that."

"Sure thing. I don't look _that_ much older than you, do I?" Adam asked nervously. "I mean, I'm only twenty-four."

"That's kind of seven years, right there," Kira told him consolingly. "Almost six. I'll be eighteen in a couple months."

"Ah. Well… ah." He sighed. "Okay, can we clear the air here? No more awkward?"

"Sure," Kira said quickly. "We're both Rangers, right?"

"Right. Starting over, as of now."

"Okay."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"Oh, look, it's an awkward pause," Adam said, shaking his head. They both laughed, then started walking again.

Kira fished for a subject, not wanting to endure yet another uncomfortable silence. "So why haven't you told any of your friends about that dream? It didn't seem _too_ bad. They'd probably think it was funny."

Adam rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well… I didn't want it to get back to Kat."

"Because she was an evil witch in the dream?"

"Yes and no. See, when Kat first moved to Angel Grove, Rita put an evil spell on her that gave her the power to spy on us by turning into a _white_ cat. Aisha and Kimberly adopted her and… I didn't want Kat to think I thought of her as an evil witch that turned into a cat and pretended to be our friend. I mean, I know it was a dream, but she'd probably feel lousy if she thought I felt that way even subconsciously. It was a long time after the evil spell thing and… well… I thought it might hurt Kat to hear about that part of the dream, and the team doesn't keep a lot of secrets from each other, so if I told one the others would probably hear it eventually. So I kept it to myself."

"Aw… that's sweet," Kira told him sympathetically.

He grinned. "Plus, you know, that part where Tommy tried to kiss my hand was completely _horrible."_

Kira threw back her head and laughed. "I can see how that would be creepy." She frowned and suddenly shuddered. "Ugh! You poor guy!"

Adam chuckled. "Thanks. Plus, oh, man, Billy 'creating' Tanya… he sounded not right on _so_ many levels. Every time I saw him standing next to Tanya after that all I could do was cringe."

"I always thought that whole build-my-own-bride mad scientist thing was a freaky idea," Kira agreed.

They found Conner leaning against the railing around the Tilt-a-Whirl, looking kind of green. "Hey!" Kira called cheerfully, feeling much better towards Conner now that Elena had interpreted her dream.

"Hey," Conner replied, waving.

"Where is everyone? Still on the ride?"

"Yeah, they all wanted to go again, except Trent, Kim and Dr. O," Conner replied. "Trent's off in the bathroom; he said something about enclosed spinning rides creeping him out. And Kim and Dr. O haven't come back from putting Jake in the car."

"Why didn't you go again? You didn't throw up on that, too, did you?" Kira asked worriedly.

"No, but after the first time I rode it Trini wouldn't let me go again," Conner said sheepishly. "She went all Dr. O on me."

"Dr. O's been acting kinda weird today, did you notice?" Kira asked. "I mean, first he didn't want to go to the carnival, because it was where he had his first date with Kim, and then he was fine, and now he's wandering around buying her stuff. He's done a complete about-face."

"Yeah, but I figured he probably just needed a minute to get over the fries and all," Conner replied.

"But you said he didn't _want_ to act flirty during that, and now… he seems really… _interested,"_ Kira said, for lack of a better term.

"It _is_ kind of weird," Conner admitted. "I mean, back in the car, I could practically hear him thinking, 'I will _not_ flirt with Kim.' Maybe he's actually trying to get her back."

"Kim and Tommy have always had a weird relationship," Adam said off-handedly, waving to Rocky as the ride threw him into Adam's line of sight. "Madly in love, and never once having an issue, despite trying to kill each other and evil spells and all sorts of things. But Tommy was usually too shy to make the first move; it was mostly Kim."

"Hmm," Kira said thoughtfully. "You think Trini actually got to him? Cuz he seems to be making a lot of… subtle gestures… today."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Adam said, smiling faintly.

"Hey, guys," Trent called, coming up behind them. He flicked a glance at Adam before focusing on Kira. "What did the psychic say?"

Kira paused for a moment to decide if she wanted to answer that, then said, quite plainly, "Kiss me."

"The psychic wanted you to kiss her?" Trent repeated in confusion.

"No, _I_ want _you_ to kiss _me."_

"Kira…" Trent began, embarrassed. Adam had the good grace to look away, but Conner was watching with interest.

"Kiss me _now,"_ Kira demanded.

"But…"

"I said _now!"_

"Okay," Trent said in bewilderment. He hastily stepped forward and leaned in, intent on making it a quick event, but Kira grabbed his shirt and hauled him closer. Before long, the two were making out quite happily against the railing of the Tilt-a-Whirl.

"Kira's gotten kinda needy lately," Conner commented. "OW! Ethan said she made out with Trent this morning after she knocked me unconscious. OW! OW!" he added, as both Trent and Kira whacked him one.

"Is she always that violent?" Adam asked. Conner looked at him questioningly. "We got into a bit of a scuffle over the chair at the psychic's table. I might have a few bruises."

"That's Kira for you. OW! See?"

Adam nodded. "Tanya does it too. Not as bad as Aisha, but still. Guess it's just a Yellow thing. OW!" Adam rubbed his arm ruefully. Apparently Kira was now comfortable enough with him to smack him if she felt it was warranted. Rangers tended adjust faster to changes in a situation. All the ludicrous monsters will do that to you.

"What's going on?" Tommy called as he followed an irritated Kimberly over to the group. Adam fought off a grin at the sight of them. Tommy was taking care to invade Kimberly's personal space, staying close to her. Kimberly looked flustered, and Adam was pretty sure she'd closed a few of the buttons on her shirt.

"Hey," Conner said. "Where you been? We didn't park _that_ far away."

Tommy smiled. "Around." Kimberly muttered darkly about something to do with hiding corpses. "What have you been up to?" he continued casually.

"Kira and I saw a psychic," Adam said. "We both wanted to get some dream—ow! Or maybe I'm not supposed to tell you about that."

Tommy shrugged. "Feeling better, Conner? Or do you need another Coke?"

"Don't you _dare_ go buy another drink," Kimberly hissed dangerously.

"Would you prefer I get some fries?" Tommy replied calmly.

Kimberly's hands twitched into a classic throttle position. Tommy decided to let it go and turned to Kira and Trent. "Much as I hate to stand in the way of passion," Tommy said with a mocking glance at Kimberly, "Anton's already tried to kill me a few too many times." Tommy reached out, grabbed the back of Trent's shirt, and pulled him back, startling both Kira and Trent. "There are _children_ at this carnival." He shot Kimberly another teasing look. Adam, sensing tension like radar detecting incoming nuclear missiles, stepped forward, blocking Kimberly from Tommy's view. "Do that somewhere where I can't see you, okay?" Tommy added to Kira and Trent.

"Like the Ferris wheel," Conner teased, dancing out of the path of Kira's swinging arm. "Or the chairlift. Or—"

"You know," Tommy interrupted suddenly, "I think I know where we should head next."

"Where's that?" Adam asked suspiciously. He could feel Kimberly glaring through him at Tommy, and he was starting to worry.

"You'll see. Let's wait for the guys to get off the ride."

The rest of the group exited the Tilt-a-Whirl fairly soon and walked over—well, some of them walked over, and the others staggered. Anna and Ethan were clutching each other for support.

"Kimberly actually gave up Jake?" Jason asked. She nodded. "Good. It's nice to have a belt again. What are we up to now?"

"Much as I hate to leave, I kinda need to take off," Anna said. "I promised my sister I'd help her go pick up her car from the mechanic today; I'm supposed to be there at three, so I'm already cutting it close. I should be back fairly soon, though; are you guys planning to be here for a while?"

"All day," Tommy replied. He dug in his pocket for a scrap of paper. "Anybody got a pen?"

Anna handed him one and he scrawled down his phone number. "Give me a call when you get back," he told her. "We'll meet up."

"Definitely," she said.

"See you later," Ethan said.

She grinned happily at him before leaving, still a little off-balance from the Tilt-a-Whirl. Tommy watched her go, reflecting on her advice about Kimberly. Though Jason had been the catalyst, Anna had done him a world of good, both at the age of eight and the age of eighteen.

"Well," Tommy said, turning back to his friends, "there's another ride I wanted to go on. Let's go."

Without waiting for an answer, Tommy set off; the others shrugged and followed. Conner, who was now rather bruised from Kira—and Trent, to a lesser degree—decided to heckle Ethan about Anna, while Kimberly took advantage of Adam's sympathy to vent a little. Only Jason paid any attention to where Tommy was going… so everyone else was surprised when Tommy stopped in front of a large pink and white structure.

"Check it out, guys!" Tommy said cheerfully even as Trini, Kimberly, Zack and Billy's faces clouded with horror.

"The Tunnel of Loe?" Conner said, confused.

"I think that's supposed to say 'love,'" Ethan said, rolling his eyes. "There's a big gap where the V might've fallen off."

"Remember this old thing?" Tommy asked with a wicked grin. "Ah, good times."

"Maybe for _you,"_ Trini said sourly. _"You_ didn't get your leg cut open or fall into the water or get kicked out of the carnival."

"Aw, come on," Tommy said. "What are the chances of that happening again?"

"You just _had_ to say that, didn't you?" Zack grumbled. "You know that's the ultimate jinx!"

"You actually want to go _on_ that thing?" Trini asked Tommy incredulously. Given their history with the Tunnel of Love, Trini had assumed that no amount of evil planning would get Tommy back on it. _"Again?"_

"I'm afraid I feel no inclination to relive the previous catastrophe," Billy said apologetically. "Especially not with Zack."

"Hey!" Zack complained. _"You_ pushed _me!"_

"So ride with someone else," Tommy suggested, ignoring Zack.

"I'm game," Trent said, slipping his hand into Kira's. After the hotel room this morning, and the Ferris wheel, and the chairlift and Kira following the psychic's advice by the Tilt-a-Whirl, a Tunnel of Love ride sounded like a dream come true. If it weren't for the fact that the saner half of him knew it was completely ridiculous, he'd be saying something really triumphant to Adam and Rocky right about now, or at least declaring himself The Man.

As if picking up on Trent's idea, Jason slid his arm around Trini's waist. "Come on. If Zack falls in, I won't try to rescue him. We'll be fine."

"I guess I could go for a smooth ride after the Tilt-a-Whirl," Ethan said, shrugging.

"There's no point in going to a carnival if you don't ride everything," Rocky added. "Come on, gang. I'll ride with Billy, I don't care."

"Come _on,_ Trini," Jason said, giving her a suggestive grin.

Her resolve to stay away from this particular ride began to melt; if Tommy was eager to get back on it, Trini could only hope all her plans were truly starting to work. "Only if Adam goes with Zack," Trini said.

"Why me?" Adam asked.

"Because he needs someone sensible in the boat with him. I'm not getting my leg cut open again. Those security guards were just _rude."_

"What, Billy isn't sensible?" Adam demanded.

Trini shrugged. "We all have our moments."

"Come on, Adam," Zack said, putting his elbow up on Adam's shoulder. "Us Black dudes gotta stick together."

"Fine," Adam said with a sigh.

Kimberly's eyes widened as she realized exactly how the gang was pairing off. That left her, Conner, Ethan, and Tommy, and there was no way she was getting in the Tunnel of Love with Tommy, especially considering what had happened last time.

Kimberly looked at Conner, but he caught on to her thoughts just a moment too soon and violently threw his arm around Ethan's shoulders. "Let's make some magic, baby," Conner said, deepening his voice and smiling mock-seductively. He waggled his eyebrows at Ethan.

Ethan frowned incredulously, started to respond, and then looked at Kimberly and Tommy in realization. "Sure," he said, pitching his voice high and breathy. "I'd love to, you big strong ma-a-a-an."

Kimberly wanted to hit him. Preferably both of them. She was not going. Oh, no.

"Guess it's you and me, Kim," Tommy said lightly, though the smirk on his face seemed to say he'd been planning it all along.

Kimberly narrowed her eyes at him. Was this payback for the fry thing? What exactly was his deal? He wasn't the best guy for these sorts of games; in fact, the only person worse at it was probably Billy, and Billy had come a long way since hooking up with Cestria. Hell, Tommy had nearly killed them all on the way here just because she was being a little… flirtatious. Sure, Tommy had been holding his own in the parking lot, and he'd been bugging her all day… but where had he gotten the guts, and what was his motive?

Kimberly knew she should refuse to ride—but that would leave her outside, away from the group, and she had a feeling Tommy would "offer" to stay with her rather than ride alone. Besides which, Kimberly had had enough. She was tired of messing around. She needed to smack him down, and now seemed like a perfect time.

_Well,_ she thought, _two can play at this game… but only one can win._

"Great," Kimberly returned, in a tone that made it obvious that she was challenging him. "This was probably the best _ride_ in the _park."_

Tommy didn't back down; he merely smiled and headed towards the line, the others following. As Trini went to walk past her, Kimberly grabbed her arm.

"What did you do to Tommy?" Kimberly hissed, glaring at her.

Trini blinked, looking rather startled. "Nothing. What do you mean?"

"He's acting different."

"Well, that's a human being for you. They just keep you guessing."

"Trini, so help me, if you've used your tricky psychology bull to alter him in any way—"

"Kim, what are you _talking_ about?" Trini said impatiently. "I haven't even said three words to Tommy today, let alone captivated him with my secret death ray hypno-vision. What's gotten into you? Tommy is _Tommy._ Just because he did something weird doesn't mean I brainwashed him. Get a grip."

Trini shook off Kimberly's grip and sauntered over to Jason, taking his hand. Kimberly sighed heavily, remembering their first disaster on this particular ride.

"This should be fun," Jason said happily as Kimberly reluctantly joined Tommy, who was standing between Conner and Ethan and Jason and Trini.

Kimberly glared at him. "Has it not occurred to you that we've had fun on every ride today, _except_ the ones we went on ten years ago? The Scrambler, getting stuck on the Ferris wheel, us getting stuck in the corner of the bumper car arena, Jake almost falling off the chairlift… are you _really_ expecting to have fun on this one?"

Jason appeared startled. "What are you talking about? I've been having a great time. _Especially_ on all of those."

Kimberly sighed heavily, wondering just how badly the Tunnel of Love would go.

* * *

_End Notes:_ I still have some piecing together to do on the next chapter, but hopefully it'll be up pretty fast. Sorry for the cliffie. 


	54. A Drive to Win

**Chapter Fifty-four**

_**A Drive to Win**_

The line moved slowly up the ramp and into the Tunnel of Love. Trent and Kira, at the front of the Rangers' group, didn't look around much at the décor; they were too busy grinning at each other about the chance to spend some more time alone. Conner and Ethan, however, looked around in disgust the moment they stepped onto the dock.

"Ugh," Conner muttered. "This isn't romantic."

"Looks like it used to be the house of horrors ride," Ethan added, peering in at the murky green water. "Ew! Zack and Billy swam in that?"

"Not really swam," Kimberly said wryly.  
"Shh! I think that's the same carnie working the dock," Tommy admonished, nodding at a strange, creepy old man motioning people into the boats two at a time.

Conner and Ethan nodded and went back to checking out the ride. The boats had the classic two white swans on the front and back, their necks curved so that they formed the sides of a heart, with the beaks touching to form a point. The sides of the boat were painted a ghastly pink that made even Kimberly cringe. The interior dock was badly-worn wood that looked ready to collapse and capable of not just giving splinters but of shooting them five feet in the air. The dock jutted out over the water—if it was indeed water and not some sort of radioactive toxic waste—and the tunnel started a good fifteen feet to the right, while boats came out of a heart-shaped hole in the wall twenty feet to the left. The area between the tunnel's exit and entrance was designed to look like a meadow surrounding a large pond; the edges around the loading bay and dock were covered with frayed Astroturf meant to resemble a meadow with cardboard flowers sticking up at random. A mural of a cloudy sky with little sinister-looking cupids floating near the top covered the walls in peeling paint.

"In," the carnie working the line told Kira and Trent as an empty boat stopped at the dock. They helped each other sit down and the boat took off with a jolt that nearly threw them over the back.

Conner and Ethan stepped forward, watching as the next boat stopped further down the dock, where a ride attendant steadied the boat and motioned for the happy couple in the boat to climb out. Then the boat lurched down to them. They looked at the carnie expectantly, waiting for him to give them the all-clear, but he was peering past Tommy and Kimberly at Jason and Trini.

"Don't I know you two?" he called.

"Who, us?" Jason asked. "I don't think so. I haven't ridden this ride before."

The carnie frowned and absently let Conner and Ethan onto their boat. He scrutinized Tommy and Kimberly carefully.

"You two ever ride this ride before?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nope," Tommy lied with the ease of a guy who'd had a secret identity for over ten years. Kimberly winced, wishing she'd managed to beat Tommy to responding. She doubted it would really help, though—after all, she hadn't been kicked off the ride. She'd spent it making out with Tommy.

Tommy hopped in the boat first and took her hand, steadying her unnecessarily. She let him, hoping that if she didn't growl he wouldn't make a fight out of it, wouldn't cause a scene in front of Trini. She sat down and tossed her purse on the floor of the boat, scrunching as far against the side as she could get and nearly banging her head on the dock when it finally surged forward towards the heart-shaped tunnel entrance. A moment later, the lighting went from dim to worse, so that all she could really make out was the garish red-painted walls and the vague outline of Conner and Ethan's boat ahead of her.

Kimberly shifted uncomfortably in the swan boat. Tommy was taking up most of the space, and he wasn't trying to leave her any extra room. Their shoulders were touching, his hand was right up against her leg, the fingers twitching occasionally so that they fluttered against her bare skin, keeping her jumpy. Worst of all, he was _staring_ at her. Not in an absentminded way, either. He knew what he was doing, and he knew it was bugging her, and he _liked_ it.

Kimberly bit her lip, torn. The girl in her wanted to blush and look away. The ex-girlfriend in her wanted to jump off a cliff. And the Ranger in her—the part that was currently in control—wanted to stare back, stare him down, ram his stupid challenge back down his throat. She'd enjoyed playing this game when she was the one on top, but now that he was playing—and, worse, _winning_—it had lost a lot of its fun factor. Still, she forced herself to meet his gaze, trying to put as much fire behind it as she could, knowing that if she backed down she'd have lost a serious battle. Something told her this wasn't revenge for the fry thing; it was _war,_ not a simple counterattack.

In the boat behind them, Trini smiled in satisfaction and leaned against Jason to whisper to him. "All right, spill. What _did_ you do to Tommy?"

"What do you mean?" Jason asked nonchalantly, the evil grin on his face totally contradicting his tone.

"Come _on._ If it wasn't me, it _had_ to be you."

"What makes you think that? Could have been Billy or Zack. Or one of the Dino Rangers. Or Rocky or Adam…"

"Please. You know as well as I do that Rocky and Adam are just plain confused at this point, and the others are taking their direction from me."

"Are they? Don't seem to be," Jason said innocently

"Of _course_ they are. It's just that Billy and Zack are the only ones who know it. Now, come _on!_ What did you say? You're the only one who could have made a move. Billy and Zack don't do that sort of thing without clearing it with me. I've got a tight grip on the Dino Rangers' strings. And Rocky and Adam haven't had time yet. That just leaves _you._ Come on, Jase, spill."

"You know, you've _got_ to stop manipulating people some day."

"Where's the fun in that? Come on, baby, tell me?" She gave him her most enticingly pleading look.

Jason's grin widened. "It's just killing you that I might have gotten in the winning hit, isn't it."

"It is not! I don't care how we get there, as long as we do!"

Jason chuckled. One of the things he liked best about Trini was that she wasn't afraid to take over, when she needed to, when she wanted to. As a natural-born leader, he loved the fact that he could give up control if he had to, let it be someone else's burden when he needed a break. When it came to Tommy and Kimberly, he was content to let Trini push most of the buttons. But Jason had his own agenda, too.

"I didn't do anything," Jason said firmly.

"Yes, you did, and we both know it."

"Sorry, Trini. I've got my own plans."

Trini gave him her most demure pout. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours?"

Jason laughed and pulled her to him. "At the moment, I've only got one plan," he said, and kissed her.

"WHOO!" Zack yelled from behind them. "Hey, Rocky, I think Jason's going for second up here!"

Adam let out a strangled noise that might have been covering laughter before quickly covering it with an admonishing, "Oh, come on, you sound like you're back in high school. They're _married."_ He let out another snort of suppressed laughter.

Trini giggled against Jason's mouth; Jason took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, flipping Zack off behind Trini's head for a moment before the hand promptly disappeared.

"Ja-_son,_ Ja-_son,_ Ja-_son!"_ Rocky chanted from behind Zack and Adam.

"Go for third, buddy!" Zack jeered. Trini made a vague "quit that" hand motion.

Back in Kimberly's boat, Tommy broke eye contact with Kimberly momentarily to casually look back at Jason and Trini. "Looks like they're having _fun,"_ he said in a lilting, almost _invitational_ tone.

Kimberly twisted her head to the side, trying to tell herself that it was childish to get into some stupid staring contest with Tommy, though she couldn't fool herself into thinking that it didn't piss her off that he'd won the Staring Contest Round. Great.

_Trini, you suck,_ Kimberly thought in annoyance. She was _sure_ Trini had planned this. Get her thinking about kissing and sex when she was sitting in a swan boat with Tommy. It was the sort of evil genius move that Trini would come up with. It was very psychological. But Kimberly wasn't going to cave. Nope. No way in hell.

"Damn," she muttered. Now the Ranger in her wanted to knock Tommy's lights out, the ex-girlfriend in her wanted to knock Trini upside the head, and the girl in her wanted to knock Tommy's socks off. She was _so_ giving Trini hell for this later. Jason, too.

"What was that?" Tommy asked, leaning closer as if trying to hear her better. Tricky. Practically _rehearsed._ "I didn't hear you." He was practically sitting sideways now, and she had to stare out of the corner of her right eye just to keep him out of her field of vision.

"I think you're imagining things," Kimberly retorted, staring straight ahead. Two could play at this game. Yes, two could. She just had to figure out how _she_ could play it. After all, this was all his fault. She'd only tortured him with the fries because he'd caused the spill with his driving and then she'd caught him looking down her shirt. Besides, he'd nearly killed them over and over. Yes. It was his fault. This was out of line. They'd been even after the fry thing. Or at least, he should have backed down after she won. This was instigating, this was. She was going to get him for this.

"Your hair smells nice," Tommy said casually, picking up a strand of it and letting it run over his fingers as he released it… using his left hand, so that the right hand was still brushing her leg. He rubbed the outside of her leg again.

_I'm gonna knock your ass out of this boat, so help me God,_ Kimberly growled mentally. _Think, Kim, think! How do I kick his ass? HOW?_

This was a game Kimberly knew well. Unfortunately, she was also well-acquainted with the rules. Right now, she couldn't say something rude, such as "You smell horrible" or "Can't say the same about yours." Nothing mean; that would be a game-ender, and right now Tommy was winning the game, so she had to keep it going until she turned the tables. She also had to look at him, which she thoroughly didn't want to do, and time was running out to come up with a return statement. She couldn't think too long; then it wasn't banter, it was her floundering to come up with a response.

Kimberly turned to look at him. He was _way_ too close. She cursed herself for letting him take so much of her personal space. Once he had it, she couldn't make him back up, unless she wanted to forfeit the game, and that simply wasn't an option. "Thanks," she said as calmly as she could, stalling for time. Tommy dropped the hand that he'd touched her hair with—right into her lap, his palm against one leg and his fingertips resting on the thigh of the other. She had to fight not to jump.

_Kiss him,_ the girl part of her urged.

_Yeah, kiss him,_ the ex-girlfriend part of her agreed.

_Well, it **would** take him by surprise,_ the Ranger part admitted grudgingly.

_You're not helping!_ Kimberly growled at herself.

"You know, I'm getting kind of _hungry,"_ Kimberly said, struggling to sound challenging. "I could go for some _fries."_

"Could you?" Tommy returned easily, smirking slightly.

_Damn you! No FAIR!_ Kimberly raged. Her eyes narrowed a bit in frustration, causing his smirk to widen. He'd tossed that comment right back down her throat, and he knew it.

"Ethan!" Conner shouted from the boat in front of them. "I think they're gonna _kiss!"_

"SHH! I _know!"_ Ethan fairly squealed back.

"Trent! Kira! You gotta _see_ this!"

"'M busy," came Trent's muffled voice from farther down the tunnel.

Kimberly didn't even bother to flinch. She was angry now. She wanted Tommy to _suffer._

She slowly moved herself forward, until she was leaning across his lap, nearly folded in half over him. She thought she saw him shift a bit, thought she felt the muscles in his legs tighten as she pressed against them, and she grinned a bit as she reached down and seized hold of her purse.

By the time she came back up (to Ethan's nervous, disbelieving question of "Uh, what's she _doing_ down there?" and Conner's "Way to _go,_ Dr. _O!"_ both of which were a bit quieter than their previous shouts, but sound carried too much in the tunnel) Tommy's face was straight, but she knew she'd gotten at least a bit of a hit in there. She'd startled him for just a moment, and now she could sit back in any position she wanted under the cover of getting situated. With any luck, she could get some space in between them, and he wouldn't be able to take it back without being obvious. Obvious—the sort of obvious that couldn't be later played off as "I didn't _mean_ to do that, honest,"—was a no-no.

Kimberly resettled herself in the seat, turning towards him and thereby putting her face farther back while maintaining interested body language for the game's sake, then opening her legs just enough that Tommy's hand slipped down between them. Before he could decide what to do about that, she dropped the purse on top of his hand, trapping it. She was in control here. He was going _down._ Besides, she didn't want that hand going anywhere else. At least there, she could keep it from moving; Tommy certainly wasn't forward enough to do much else in that position. Not to mention the fact that trapping his hand there sent a message that whatever his hands were doing didn't register on her radar.

However, she was still fumbling for a game plan. She reached into the purse and pulled out the first object that met her fingers—her camera. "Can I take your picture?" she asked curiously, glad that his face was now less close; it was a lot more comfortable, and it made it easier to read his facial expression. "This lighting just does _wonders_ for you."

_Ha,_ she thought as Tommy paused. If he said no, he'd have to have a reason. If he said yes, he'd have to go all the way back to his side of the freaking boat so she could get him in the shot, and then he wouldn't be able to get back very inconspicuously. Probably not by the end of the ride. _When DOES this ride end?_ Kimberly wondered.

"Think I saw something about no flash photography in here," Tommy said calmly.

_Ugh. Jerk._ "What, like none of us have ever done anything we're not supposed to do in this tunnel?" _Ha! Eat your heart out._

"Trini would have a fit if she got kicked out again," Tommy pointed out.

"Trini's a bit busy right now, I think." _I'm winning, I'm winning, I'm winni—GAH!_

Tommy's thumb had swiped gently, _almost _accidentally, across her thigh; she'd nearly yelped. Perfect. Now he'd caught her by surprise, and he _knew_ it. She shouldn't have trapped his hand. She didn't think he'd actually _move_ it; Tommy had always been fairly good about not wandering without permission (which she'd rarely, if ever, denied him, but still). A little _too_ good, if she remembered correctly; he had always had a small problem with taking initiative. Now, however, she'd given him even more ground, and while "Don't you dare try that again" could be considered a winning statement, she'd know it wasn't, and so would he. It would completely shatter their air of "let's play pretend." She had to give up on doing anything about his hand—which she couldn't exactly call unpleasant, as his thumb had caused a rather nifty feeling, but she knew she was going to lose if she didn't back him up.

"Good old Trini," Tommy said. His thumb moved again, sensing his victory. "So nice to have the gang all back together again, isn't it? They're all so… _helpful._ I missed talking to them. Trini and I had a nice long _talk_ yesterday." Kimberly stiffened. Trini was _evil._ "And Jason and I talked a lot earlier. Zack and I have had some _great_ conversations, too. Like right before I snuck onto your balcony."

Kimberly felt a little twinge of… not exactly _fear,_ but something very close. He was telling her that their friends were on _his_ side, whatever that side was. He was telling her that he was _planning,_ and planning with a miniature army of their fellow Rangers. He was telling her that this wasn't going to be the end of their game, no matter who won this round. He was telling her he was ready to fight.

Kimberly felt the boat slowing down. Risking a glance out of the corner of her eye, she saw Conner and Ethan disembarking up ahead while still trying to watch Tommy and Kimberly. Kira and Trent stood nearby, holding hands and looking covetously at the reentrance line.

Here was her shot. Kimberly dropped the camera back in the purse and zipped it closed, accidentally pressing down slightly so that it pushed his hand against her thigh in a tingle-inducing fashion. She fought off a wince and started leaning in, ignoring Conner's roar of "Guys guys guys_ LOOK!"_ while sliding one hand up Tommy's purse-trapped arm, getting closer to his neck. Timing was critical, _very_ critical. He was staring at her, daring her to finish what she was starting, they were so close, she was tilting her head to the side…

The boat shuddered and screeched to a halt.

Tommy rolled his eyes, which Kimberly caught. She smirked, but he was too close to see it. The hand snaking up his arm grabbed a lock of his short hair and tugged gently.

"You know, Tommy," she whispered, "I really _do_ miss your hair."

She sat back, slid the purse strap up her arm, and stood up, still smirking down at him. She'd _won._ She'd _totally_ won. Fake-out. Mocking the hair. Control of the stopping point. The last word.

Turning around, she grabbed hold of the dock's railing and pulled herself up, grinning both at the thought that Tommy had a nice, "look at what you're missing" view of her climbing out of the boat and at the four Dino Ranger's utterly disappointed expressions. She almost laughed when a faint mutter of _"Damn,"_ reached her ears. Humph. Maybe by now he knew better than to mess with her. At the very least, he probably realized his mistake of letting her get in second, knowing it meant she'd get to be the first to leave. She felt Tommy's eyes on her and struggled not to laugh. That'd teach him to start with her! HA!

And for the grand finale, she had to tie up loose ends.

"Jason, Trini, knock it off, would you? Everyone can _totally_ see what you're doing!" Kimberly shouted down the tunnel as loudly as she could.

Trini pulled back so violently she almost fell right out of the boat; she probably would have, if Jason hadn't been so taken aback by her sudden withdrawal that he'd fallen right on top of her, thereby holding her down.

_I rule,_ Kimberly thought in satisfaction as Rocky, Zack, and even Billy and Adam laughed uproariously. _Maybe Trini should have thought twice before instigating things._

Trini was bright red as her boat landed at the dock; Jason, however, merely looked annoyed. Tommy stepped aside to make room for them and the eight of them moved away down the dock to wait for the others.

"Well, at least we didn't get kicked out," Billy said as he and Rocky came over.

_"Much_ better than the last time we were here," Jason agreed, still looking a bit ticked about the interruption.

"Ah, I don't know," Tommy said lightly. "I think they _both_ had their fun moments."

Kimberly's hands twitched into claws. Oh, she wanted to strangle him. He was doing it _again._ Already. How _dare_ he! She _won._ She hadn't even gotten to gloat yet!

He'd totally blown it all to hell with that one simple phrase. He'd brought up their previous extended make-out session on the tunnel of love—their first, in fact. He'd basically told her that every bit of discomfort she'd caused him just now was nothing. And he'd plucked the last word right out of her grasp.

Tommy turned and sauntered away, the Dino Rangers following him. As Kimberly was now blocking the exit ramp, the others waited patiently for her to move.

She turned and glared at them. Suddenly the fact that they were conspiring was no longer okay. He'd talked with Trini yesterday. He'd hung out mostly with Jason today. And he'd talked to Zack right before sneaking onto the balcony, had he?

Little moments were popping into her head, bits and pieces of plots against her. She'd always thought she'd known about all of them, caught them all… but Tommy had just dropped a few bombshells on her in the love boat. What the hell was the gang _doing?_ And more importantly, how had they pulled it off?

Certain things had taken hours to register before she realized just how well-thought-out they were, whereas moments like locking her and Tommy in the trunk—despite the fact that it had been Conner and Ethan's work—carried the Ranger Insanity, Inc. trademark. Yet she'd never thought that it would all actually _work._ She had never believed that a few tired tricks could make Tommy snap to like this. Yet it had to have been their friends who had finally knocked some fight into him. The only question was which one. Trini was the most obvious choice, and therefore the least likely. Jason, as Tommy's best friend, was also a factor. Rocky and Adam would have the element of surprise on their side, as they hadn't spent all week playing games. But Billy and Zack were also possibilities…

Kimberly raised her hand, pointing wildly from one to the other, her eyes flashing. "When I find out which of you did this, you are _DEAD!"_ she shrieked, then stomped off down the ramp.

"What'd we _do?"_ Rocky asked, startled.

Trini patted his shoulder. "Come with me, Rocky. I'll explain it to you."

"Hey, how come you get Rocky?" Jason demanded.

"I called him first."

"Yeah, but you've got everyone else!"

"All right, fine. You take Adam." Trini shoved Adam in Jason's general direction. "You'll need the smart one."

_"Hey!"_ Rocky complained.

"That came out wrong," Trini assured him. "Don't worry, Rocky. We've all got our parts to play."

"Come on, Adam," Jason said, throwing an arm over his shoulders. "Let's take a walk."

"Jason's in it now?" Zack asked Trini as Jason and Adam broke off from the others.

"Not on our side," Trini told him. "Which is just as well. We've got two fronts in the war now, guys, and we're closing in. Between us and Jason, Tommy and Kim don't stand a chance."

Trini smiled at Kimberly, who was now looking a little lost. As she'd just yelled at the others, she couldn't rejoin their group, but she couldn't exactly catch up with the Dino Rangers at the moment, especially without a plan, as Tommy was with them. She was netted, and whether he knew it or not, so was Tommy. Everything was finally coming together.

Perfect.

* * *

Don idly glanced around the Reefside Mall, checking out groups of high-school kids. He didn't want to talk to a large group; groups of kids tended to be less honest, as they were answering every question while wondering what their friends thought of the answers. He needed one hanging out alone, or at least separated for the moment, but that was hard to find in a mall.

At last he managed to spot one—a busty brunette who looked like she just might be the wrong side of legal, who broke off from her friends to go toss her gum in the trash can. Don hurried over.

"Excuse me," he called.

The girl turned and looked him up and down. "Yeah?"

Don held out his badge so the girl wouldn't think he had any intentions other than interrogation. "I'm with the Angel Grove Police Department. I'd just like to ask you a few questions—"

"I've never shoplifted in my life," the girl said quickly.

Don smiled at her reassuringly. "You're not in any trouble. I'm just looking for some information. Can I ask your name?"

"Tiffany Smith."

"I'm Officer Brewster."

"Whatever. What do you want to know?" she asked nervously.

"It's about a man named Dr. Tommy Oliver, do you know him?" Out of the corner of his eye, Don saw a young blond girl suddenly pause; she watched them for a moment, then went to stare avidly at a nearby directory. Don shook his head, dismissing the girl as a regular mall-crawler; his tiredness and paranoia were just catching up to him, he supposed.

"Oh, yeah, he teaches at my school. He's _way_ hot. I made sure to get in his class."

"Have you noticed anything strange in his behavior in the last few weeks?"

Tiffany frowned thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, yeah, actually. About a week or so ago he was held hostage in Hayley's Cyberspace."

"Hostage?"

She nodded seriously. "I'd just stopped by for a smoothie, cuz she makes the _best_ vanilla mint smoothies ever, and he's being held down by like five guys right in the middle of the café, and everybody's so shocked that nobody's saying anything! And the guys take his wallet and cell phone, and then the phone rings and one of the guys said that 'the first red' is on the phone, and then the guys start beating Dr. Oliver up and they rip off his shirt and then I kinda stopped paying much attention cuz Dr. Oliver is so totally built and I mean, _wow_, my mom's always saying that she wants me to marry a doctor someday but the only doctor I knew growing up was my family doctor, Dr. Boca—and he was all old and totally not attractive at all, but Dr. Oliver is _way_ hot and I can totally understand now why my mom wants me to marry a doctor. He must work out like every day to be that yummy—I should know, I've checked out a lot of hot guys in my time." She paused and looked Don up and down again. "You know, you look kinda built yourself." She batted her eyelashes at him and gave him a toothy smile.

Don shifted uncomfortably; he'd always been adamant about working out, but something about the way she said it made him unsure if he should be resolving to attend the gym more or less now. "Um, thanks. Five kids were beating him up, you said?"

"Yeah. There was this one guy with a Mohawk, and this one with these three-foot-long dreadlocks, and this really heavy girl, and I can't really remember what the other two looked like, but there were definitely five. I think they were members of that gang that's been hassling people over on Hanover Street."

"You wouldn't happen to know any of their names, would you?"

Tiffany stared at him incredulously. "Me? Hello, why would I be talking to gang members? If my friends found out I even looked at them my life would be over! I'd be totally shunned."

Don rolled his eyes. "Okay. Do you remember anything else about them?"

"Well, the guy with the Mohawk had a tongue ring, and I remember that cuz I totally want a tongue ring but my mom won't let me get one cuz she says that only freaks and trashy girls get tongue rings but Cyndi got one for her seventeenth birthday and it looks really cool and all the guys are like all over her and stuff and she's totally not trashy _or_ a freak—"

"Do you remember anything else about what happened that day?" Don interrupted impatiently.

"Nope. Dr. Oliver chased them around and got his phone back and fought them off, and then Hayley made him stay and clean everything up that he'd trashed in the fight. Hey, why are you asking all of these questions about him anyways? Oh my god! You don't think _Dr. Oliver_ is a member of the gang from Hanover Street, do you?"

Don blinked and tried to reply, but Tiffany plowed on. "Oh my _god!_ It was a gang war! They must've been fighting over drugs or territory something! Or maybe Dr. O was their leader and the guy with the Mohawk and the tongue ring decided he wanted to be leader and got some of the others together and jumped Dr. O when he just happened to be in Hayley's café! And since she made him clean up, he must be really scared of her—maybe she's the mafia godfather or something! No wonder her smoothies are so good! She must put drugs in them!"

Don blinked again, still trying to wrap his brain around this logic.

"That thing about 'the first red' must've been some sort of gang codeword because everyone knows that all gang members dress in either all blue or all red which is, just, stupid and totally bad fashion sense but oh my _god!_ I've figured out who they are! And they're probably watching me right now!"

Tiffany began glancing around in wild paranoia. Devin and Cassidy, who were still trailing Don, dove into the Sunglass Hut, so when Don tried to follow her gaze, he saw nothing out of the ordinary, though the blond girl was still staring at the directory.

"They probably know I'm talking to a cop, and they're going to put a hit out on me and have me killed for telling the police what I know! Are you going to put me in the Witness Protection Program? Can I make up my own name? I want to be Victoria Louisa Elizabeth Angel Agnes Sabrina Dubois!"

Don continued staring at her until realizing she'd finally paused and was now looking at him expectantly. He struggled to catch up with what she'd been saying. "Uh, I think you're safe. I don't think anyone is watching you."

_"Yet," _she said meaningfully. She shook her head in wonder. "Wow! I can't believe Dr. Oliver is a drug-selling gang member!"

"What was that?" asked the girl standing by the directory.

"Oh, hey, Stacey," Tiffany said cheerfully. "Guess what? Dr. Oliver's in a gang!"

"What?" Stacey asked, startled.

"I bet that whole degree thing is totally fake—he must've bought it on the black market or something, cuz he's way too hot to study paleontology," Tiffany continued. "I _knew_ something was weird with him from the first day of class, cuz he's way too fine to be a science teacher." Stacey nodded in agreement. "He should _totally_ have become a model. This is _so_ cool! I have to call everyone I've _ever_ met, excuse me."

Don frowned, not wanting her to be chattering to all of Reefside about "Officer Brewster" being "after" Dr. Oliver. "I don't think that's such a good idea. Um… gang, remember?"

Tiffany waved a hand dismissively. "Duh, they won't care. I mean, talking to a cop, yeah, bad, but why would they care if I told all my friends?" She pulled out her cell phone and began punching buttons, then paused and looked up at him sternly. "Do you mind, Officer Brewster? This is a private call!"

Don sighed and wandered off, discouraged. Everyone he'd talked to in the town of Reefside was either totally insane, totally clueless, or totally smooth. Or a combination of the three. He was running out of ideas. He was ready to throw in the towel as it was.

He leaned against the wall and pulled out the map of Reefside he'd bought at a gas station. Hanover Street was on the way to Valencia Drive, where his research said Tommy lived. He might as well swing by on his way and see exactly how ludicrous Tiffany's story was.

Stacey watched him go and hit the speed dial on her cell phone for her best friend, Cyndi. "Hey, Stacey," Cyndi said cheerfully. "What's up?"

"We need an emergency meeting," Stacey said urgently. "Get the gang together, fast."

Meanwhile, Devin and Cassidy carefully snuck out of the Sunglass Hut and returned to tailing Don with the skill of two kids who'd spent a year trying to and eventually succeeding in spying on the Power Rangers. "Whoa," Devin muttered. "I can't believe Dr. Oliver's the leader of the Hanover Street gang."

Cassidy rolled her eyes and pulled out her cell phone to update Hayley. "Don't be stupid, Devin, there are no gangs on Hanover Street."

"Really?" Devin asked in surprise.

"Devin, you _live_ on Hanover Street," Cassidy reminded him with a sigh.

"Oh, yeah."

* * *

Tommy practically _bounced_ down the midway, more cheerful than he'd been in a long time. It was the sort of feeling one—well, a Ranger, that is—got after winning a hard battle at the end of a bad day. _Satisfaction_ was the closest way to describe it.

He could admit it now. He wanted Kimberly. Oh, yes, he did. He always had. He'd never stopped wanting her. But he'd been scared. Scared of having another moment as painful as the moment Adam had read that damned letter out loud.

Well, he wasn't going to let his fear dictate his actions. Oh, he was still plenty scared, no doubt about it. However, now he knew that if he fought for her, the chance that he'd be hurt again was slim. He was a Ranger. Rangers fought for their cause, and they won. He knew that better than anyone who'd ever waved around a morpher.

There was a good chance he'd metaphorically burn, but he was willing to take the shot now. Long years of risking his life had taught him the value of fighting for the things he wanted. That was where he'd gone wrong with Kimberly… he'd never had to fight for her.

Yet once he began, he'd totally kick ass. He was _Tommy,_ after all.

When it was over, he'd be thanking Trini, he knew. He was still mad at her for playing games with him, but it was the sort of anger he might have with a buddy who'd just won a really good hand at poker and cleaned him out for the night—he was pissed, but he'd be back next weekend to play some more cards. Right now, he was oddly comforted by Trini's presence, annoyed as he still was. Just like those days after the letter's arrival, when his friends had driven him up the wall with their Save Tommy antics. It was irritating to be dragged from fun place to fun place, set up on blind dates and constantly cheered up and patted on the back and smiled at, but it was nice, too. It meant his friends cared for him and supported him, and he needed that. So he was thankful for Trini. Irked, yes, but thankful that she was trying to help him. However, he was going to try to avoid Trini's traps as much as possible; Kimberly had red-flagged them, so they'd be less effective than his impulsive attacks—at least, so he assumed.

If it came down to it, he'd go to Trini for advice, but meanwhile, he'd be attacking in every possible way. It would take a lot of planning, but no one could be lost in thought the way Tommy could (hence the memory issue). She might turn him down, yes, but the harder he fought the less chance there was she'd consider dumping on him.

He'd be charming. He'd be hot. He'd be enticing. He'd bring up every good time they'd ever had. He'd make her beg for more good times. He'd make her want him back, and once she pleaded with him to give her another chance, he'd say yes. Prince Charming and his giant white tiger were in the building, ladies and gentlemen, and preparing to snag the princess and drag her back to the freaking castle. In chains if necessary. Ooh.

Most of all, he'd have to make Kimberly _mad._ He knew very well that a mad Kimberly was a _driven_ Kimberly, and he wanted her driving straight towards him. She'd played right into his hands on that ludicrous swan boat. She'd played _back._ If he was careful, he could have her attempting to seduce him just for the principle of the thing. Fighting was something Kimberly liked. She liked challenges, and if he made _himself_ a challenge, well… she'd either beat the living snot out of him or be madly in love. …Or possibly both.

He had never fought for a girl before. His girlfriends had always pursued him, or been pushed towards him by friends. He was particularly out of his element when it came to getting women. After all, girls were much more dangerous than any alien, monster, dinosaur or robot. But they weren't more dangerous than Tommy. He _was_ a legend, after all. He could do anything. He was the guy other superheroes whispered about, for crying out loud. Still, he'd need a certain amount of advice. Adam would be good for that. Adam was better suited to the Yellow variety of women than the Pink variety (there were only two types of women; life had taught Tommy this over and over again), but Adam was excellent at keeping Tanya happy and also knew exactly what to say to Trini and Aisha to keep them from getting upset when someone did something stupid. The other guys would probably be a good help, as well. Trini was drastically different from Kimberly, but if Jason could keep Trini happy, Jason was probably a good place to start. It might also be a good idea to stay on Kira and Trent's good side; Trent had a deeply engrained coping mechanism that allowed him to take all odd questions in stride, and Kira was the only other female Tommy could talk to at present, as Trini had a vendetta.

Wait.

_Hayley._

No. No, Hayley would shred him alive for even asking. (She was, after all, a Yellow-type. Didn't have to wear the color to be the type.) Hayley thought she knew what was best for him (the fact that she was often right was disconcerting but totally beside the point) and therefore Hayley would tell him to stay away from Kimberly. Kimberly had hurt him once and that was once too many, as far as Hayley was concerned. It was Hayley, after all, who'd wrestled the cell phone out of his hands that one night they'd gotten drunk together right after Tommy had filled his closet with new black clothing, and a combination of beer and vodka had given him the inspiration to call Kimberly at three in the morning. It had taken two hours to find his cell phone the next day, the both of them stomping through the forest and trying to hear it ring through their morning-after headaches. Hayley didn't mess around when it came to things like Kimberly. Probably because she'd been there to help him through a good deal of his dating issues, and it hadn't been an easy task.

Come to think of it, he probably shouldn't tell Hayley a thing about Kimberly until it was all good and over.

It could take months, he knew. But he had until Sunday morning, minimum. If that wasn't enough time, he could try to persuade everyone to stay a few extra days, keep Kimberly in town… and if they said no, well, he had the whole summer off. He could camp out on her front porch if he needed to. Serenade her all night. Follow her around. Make her _miserable_… and get under her skin. That was the key. Get under her skin. Then there was no getting rid of him. At least, not without losing a lot of skin. Oh, well, that was kind of a gross analogy…

_Focus, Tommy,_ he told himself sternly. Plans had to be made. Made, and carried out. He was so going to take her down. He was good-looking, he was strong, he was romantic (which he never admitted out loud but he'd heard it often enough to sometimes let himself say it in his head) and he was charismatic. He could make her like him. Hadn't been that hard the first time.

Tommy didn't even notice when Jason fell into step beside him, took one look at the expression on Tommy's face, and grinned broadly.


	55. Back in Black

**Chapter Fifty-five**

_Back in Black_

The attic was rarely used—or so Mr. and Mrs. Porter thought. They would have been deeply shocked to know that all of the things they'd stored in the attic over the years had been shoved as close to the door as possible, while a carefully-concealed tunnel through the boxes and bags and old furniture now led over to a small area of the attic. The improvised room had been meticulously cleaned, draped with black curtains for extra privacy and atmosphere. In the center of the room was a round table surrounded by nine mismatched chairs, the largest of which sat facing The Shrine.

Nine cloaked figures stood in front of the chairs, having rushed to the Shrine Room (as they were fond of calling it) after being summoned by coded text messages. They all looked expectantly at the leader, who got the chair facing The Shrine.

The leader held a candle torch over the black candle in front of her and lit the wick; the others followed her example. Then the leader threw back her hood—revealing Stacey.

"The second emergency meeting of D.O.R.K.S. will now come to order," Stacey said solemnly.

As one, all of the girls, save Stacey, sat. D.O.R.K.S. (Dr. Oliver's Royally Kissable Stalkers) had started last October. It had begun as nine girls looking to start their own club, but having nothing to really make a club _about._ Until the day they'd realized they all had a huge crush on Dr. Oliver.

It had gotten a little too elaborate somewhere along the way. The cloaks from Cyndi's mother's costume shop had made it feel more like a secret society than a club, and somehow it had all become a little more serious afterwards… a little _too_ serious.

The Shrine was the most important part of the room, and it showed. It was set up on a heart-shaped red table at the back of the room, with a collage hanging behind it of various pictures taken of Dr. Oliver and clipped from the yearbook, red and black candles (red for love, black for secrecy) lining the edges, and various pieces of memorabilia in the center. Most of the memorabilia was comprised of graded quizzes and homework with little encouraging statements written by Dr. Oliver on them in red ink, but there was also a glass beaker that Dr. Oliver had touched (practically _caressed,_ or so Betsy claimed), a lab coat that Dr. Oliver figured he'd lost (stolen by Stacey during one of the most daring capers D.O.R.K.S. had ever executed, after which she was unanimously voted President of D.O.R.K.S.), an empty pop can that Dr. Oliver's _lips_ had _touched_ (in a special place of honor, dead-center), a taped-up to-do-list that Gina had started to rip up and throw away before noticing a stray piece had fallen on Dr. Oliver's desk and he'd absently put it in his pocket (the piece that had said "Remember to feed dog" on it), an information sheet of random facts and trivia that Laura had compiled (she'd actually gotten the privilege of interviewing him for a journalism class assignment last semester), a receipt for a bag of Skittles that Amanda had offered to Dr. Oliver and he'd actually accepted, and, most importantly, a lock of his hair (Denise's older sister was a hairdresser at the shop where Dr. Oliver got his hair cut and Denise was getting her hair cut at the same time in the chair _next to Dr. O's!_ and afterwards she'd "dropped" her keys and managed to grab some of Dr. Oliver's hair before her sister swept it up).

It was ludicrous. It was overly solemn. It was insanity. They were aware of all this. They were also aware of the fact that Dr. Oliver was just as far out of their reach as Brad Pitt. They just didn't care. It was more about the fun of having a club and doing secret missions and having something in common than Dr. Oliver himself.

The other members of D.O.R.K.S. looked expectantly at Stacey. She eyed The Shrine grimly. "There's a cop in town, investigating Dr. Oliver," Stacey began.

There were several gasps around the table, and one horrified whisper of, "Is Dr. Oliver okay?"

"I'm not sure," Stacey said gravely. "As you all know, he's still out of town, vacationing with Conner, Ethan, Trent, and Kira." A few sour expressions appeared at the mention of Kira. "But the cop was asking Tiffany about Dr. Oliver's connections to a gang. Tiffany mentioned that he might have bought his paleontology credentials on the black market."

"Did he?" gasped Amanda.

"Of course not," Betsy said with a snort. Then she frowned. "Did he?"

"We'd know if he had, right?" said Dawn.

"Oh, my god, how could we not know that Dr. Oliver bought his degree on the black market?" Laura wailed.

"Calm down!" Stacey snapped. "Tiffany was the one who planted the suggestion about the gang in the cop's head. The cop's from the Angel Grove P.D., so hopefully he'll go by Hanover Street, realize that there are no gangs there, and go home."

"Actually," said Mary, "I think now would be a good time to bring up these weird guys in Hayley's Cyberspace."

The others all turned to Mary curiously. Hayley's Cyberspace was a favorite hangout for D.O.R.K.S., because Dr. Oliver hung out there quite a lot, listening to that Kira girl's music (no one in D.O.R.K.S. was very fond of her), talking to Hayley (they were even less fond of Hayley) or hanging with Conner, Ethan and Trent. When discussing their various Dr. O sightings during meetings, Cyberspace came up no less than twelve times.

"There are these two guys in there, Bulk and Skull," Mary explained. "They're from Angel Grove, and they used to be friends with Dr. Oliver. They're claiming that he's the original Black Power Ranger."

There was an instant uproar.

"A Power Ranger?"

"No way!"

"Dr. Oliver?"

"That explains why he's so muscular!"

"And hot!"

"And why he wears black all the time!"

"Guys, no way is he a Power Ranger."

"We'd have known by now."

"Why would a Ranger study a boring subject like paleontology?"

"But wouldn't it be cool if he _was?"_

"Quiet!" Stacey commanded. "Let Mary talk."

They instantly fell silent and looked at Mary. Stacey sat, and Mary got to her feet. "They say that there was something on the news about it, and Bulk and Skull and some cop named Don—"

"Must be the same cop," Stacey muttered.

Mary gave her a little glare for interrupting, especially since Stacey had officially yielded the floor. She cleared her throat loudly before continuing. "After I realized what they were ranting about, I hopped on the computer and went through some websites. Apparently the news in Angel Grove is reporting Dr. Oliver might be the original Black Ranger. But—I did some research. Given our notes on his history, and matching it against the Power Rangers' histories, Dr. Oliver _couldn't_ be the Black Ranger. He moved to Angel Grove _ages_ after the Rangers appeared."

"That's some pretty careless reporting," Laura said angrily. The others nodded in agreement.

"I also checked for any more news from Angel Grove. Apparently the Black Ranger showed up at a hotel right next to Dr. Oliver, but that's just something I found on someone's blog as of right now."

"Still, if it's true…" Laura said.

"Can I tell my freaking story?" Mary demanded. The others nodded quickly. "Okay. So, yeah. The cop is probably just looking into Dr. Oliver because of that stuff about him being a Power Ranger. I doubt he's doing anything about Dr. Oliver's credentials being bought on the black market. Or a gang from Hanover Street."

"So Dr. Oliver okay?" Betsy asked.

"Well… here's the thing. The report I read, the one that mixed him up as the Black Ranger…" Mary took a deep breath, knowing the others weren't going to like this. "Apparently they thought that Dr. Oliver was the Black Ranger because the Black Ranger turned in a guy to the police that Dr. Oliver…" She swallowed hard and finished quickly, "That Dr. Oliver beat up for trying to steal his girlfriend's purse."

All nine of them were on their feet in an instant; a few actually knocked their chairs over.

"WHAT?"

"Dr. O doesn't have a girlfriend!"

"He's only been gone a week!"

"When did he get a girlfriend?"

"Laura!" Stacey practically screamed to be heard over the din. "Read the minutes from the last meeting. Anything pertaining to dating."

Laura, official scribe of D.O.R.K.S., thumbed through a black notebook until she found the last entry. "According to the meeting on June 5, 2004, Denise says that her sister was talking to Dr. Oliver during his haircut and she asked him how his romantic life was doing and he said, quote, 'I'm much too busy to date right now.'" Laura flipped through a couple of pages. "There haven't been any reports of any other women frequenting his life besides Kira Ford and Hayley. And Principal Randall, but that's just because everyone knows Dr. Oliver was the one to find out that Randall was an evil villain in disguise."

"So who's he dating?" Amanda demanded. "Kira?"

"He can't be dating _Kira!"_ Dawn exclaimed in horror. "She never expressed _any_ interest in him! Even turned down that offer to join D.O.R.K.S.!"

"No way is _he_ dating _Kira,"_ Gina growled.

"Bitch," Betsy added darkly. "She's not good enough for Dr. Oliver."

"Guys," Stacey said carefully, "there's nothing we can do about a _possible_ girlfriend until he gets back to Reefside."

"And then there's a _lot_ we can do," Laura muttered blackly.

"Our main focus right now should be the cop," Stacey continued.

"Personally, I think we ought to take matters into our own hands," Gina said.

"How? What can we do against a cop?" Betsy asked incredulously.

"I'm sure we'll think of something. We just need a plan. Something that will scare the cop away."

"Like what?"

"I don't know," Gina said, shrugging. "But there's nine of us. Surely we can think of something."

"Well, those guys were driving an orange bus; it's parked at the café. If the cop's with them, he'll probably be going back there soon," Mary said.

"OOH! OOH!" Denise suddenly shouted. "What if we do emergency procedure number eight?"

"Isn't that the one with the Jell-O?" Dawn asked.

"No, silly, that's twelve. Eight is that thing with the hubcaps," Gina corrected.

"No, it isn't," Denise said. "That's four. Eight is that thing we did to Cyndi's little brother when he caught us sneaking into the attic."

"Would that work on a cop, though? Her brother's, like, nine."

"Worth a shot. If not, we could always run."

Stacey stood back up. "All in favor of doing emergency procedure number eight?"

They all raised their hands, save Dawn. "I still say that's the one with Jell-O," Dawn grumbled.

"No, that's _twelve!"_

"We should have kept a list."

"Well, we'll make one and put the thing we did to Cyndi's little brother as eight now," Stacey said, rolling her eyes. "Are we agreed?"

There was a general murmur of "Yeah" and "Whatever." "Good," Stacey said. "Let's get going."

* * *

Melissa groaned in frustration as the server refused to let her log on. She'd completely forgotten all about the fact that Reefside Tech was supposed to be posting her grades today, and she knew that if she didn't have them today her father would assume she'd gotten bad grades and freak out. High gas prices meant she couldn't afford to alienate him, even for the few weeks it would take to convince him that she hadn't used her computer skills to hack into the school's records and change her grades (like she was willing to risk doing _that_ again).

So she sat in Cyberspace, glaring at the computer screen as it once again informed her that the college website was experiencing heavy traffic. Muttering about talking to a voodoo priest about her classmates keeping her stranded in the café for longer than was necessary, she glanced cautiously around the café. The weird newcomers named Bulk and Skull were currently harassing a couple of eighth-grade boys in the corner; Hayley was too busy with waiting tables to chastise them. Apparently the guy who'd teamed up with Bulk and Skull a little while ago had grown tired of the charade and tried to slip off. Unfortunately, this meant Bulk and Skull were trying to get answers about his whereabouts out of everyone else, certain that the "Blue Ranger" had rushed off to a battle and hadn't wanted anyone to see him leave because as long as no one actually saw him morphing he could deny it later, "just like Tommy," whoever that was.

Shaking her head, Melissa turned back to the computer and clicked refresh one more time just as a hand landed on her foot beneath the table. She screamed, wondering who dared crawl under her table. Deciding she should check the identity of the person she was about to kick to death for looking up her skirt, she bent down to glare under the table and found herself nose-to-nose with the Blue Ranger guy.

"Shh!" he whispered desperately. "PLEASE don't give me up!"

A wave of sympathy, combined with the thought that the guy had really nice blue eyes, made her nod and sit back up. Everyone in the café was now staring at her.

"Sorry!" she said quickly. "I… uh… dropped my straw? It… startled me…"

A kid at the counter tossed a fresh straw at her, and everyone went back about their business. Under the cover of leaning in closer to the computer screen, she hissed, "What are you _doing?"_

"Every time I get _near_ the door they start to turn around and I have to hide again!" the guy whined. "I was lying behind the counter for twenty minutes!"

Melissa frowned, pressed her legs a little tighter together, and asked, "What the hell made you chat them up, anyway?"

"I like telling funny stories," he said miserably. "I wanted to see how believable I could be, but then I got bored, and I tried to go away, and they offered to fight the monster with me, and I… I don't know. Lapse in judgment, I guess."

Melissa rolled her eyes and clicked refresh a few more times. When her school website still failed to come up, she sighed and stood. "Come on. Hide behind me and we'll inch towards the door. If they see you, I'll try and hold them off and you can make a break for it."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he moaned quietly.

Melissa headed for the door as nonchalantly as she could, which wasn't very easy with the guy clinging to the back of her shirt, his face buried between her shoulder blades. They were at the back of the café, and she was taking care to hug the wall, so it was going to be a long walk, but she was fairly certain she could make it. A few feet from her terminal, she caught Hayley's eye; Hayley smiled and nodded. At least she had an ally, then…

Melissa was just considering making a break for the door when Bulk suddenly whirled on his feet; he moved surprisingly fast for his size. "I know!" Bulk proclaimed, pointing straight at her. "The Pink Ranger probably knows where he went!"

"I thought she was the Yellow Ranger, Bulky," Skull said, scratching his head.

"Come on, Skull, any idiot can tell she's Pink," Bulk said patronizingly, despite the fact that Bulk had been the one to originally tag Melissa as Yellow.

"Hey!" Melissa complained, forgetting her mission. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Behind her, the "Blue Ranger" whimpered.

"You never did tell us where you _really_ were on the night of April 13!" Bulk said, ignoring her question.

"Yeah! All right, Pinky, where's Blue, and why aren't you at the same battle?" Skull demanded.

"For the last time, I am not—" Melissa began heatedly, but Hayley jumped in front of her, breaking her eye contact with Bulk and Skull.

"Look!" Hayley shrieked, pointing wildly. "It's the Black Ranger!"

Bulk and Skull turned, as did half the people in the café. Hayley grabbed Melissa's arm and shoved her violently towards the storeroom. Melissa dove into it, the Blue Ranger right behind her.

"Great," Melissa groaned as the squeezed into the storeroom. "Now we're going to have to start over."

"Sorry I got you into this," the guy said miserably. He held out his hand. "I'm Chris."

"Melissa," she replied, shaking his hand. "It's okay. You know, if we make a break for the parking lot, we could probably lose them dodging behind cars…"

"Do you hear that?" Chris asked suddenly. "A sort of… beeping?"

Melissa nodded and looked around, startled to find a small door behind her. "Ooh! A door. Hopefully it's a back way out."

She popped it open and they crowded into an even smaller office. On the desk in the corner sat a very powerful computer with odd attachments that even a techie like Melissa couldn't identify. The screensaver was up, but as they watched it turned itself off, displaying a wooden house surrounded by woods. A guy was standing on the front porch, peering in the windows. A message saying "Intruder Alert, front main entrance" was flashing across the bottom of the screen. The screen divided itself, now showing four other places in addition to the house—what looked like the same house's back door, a dinosaur skeleton on a table, a large skeleton carved into a side wall, and what looked like a sheer cliff face. The other four images were labeled "currently secure."

The man on the front porch began jiggling the doorknob. Before Chris or Melissa could react, the beeping reached an ear-splitting volume and the camera angle showing the man became full-screen again. "WARNING" was now flashing over the picture.

"What the _hell_ is going on?" Chris demanded, but before Melissa could offer any theories—all of which would have involved the words "I don't know"—Hayley burst into the office. She rushed over to the computer screen, looking furious.

"That little _prick!_ Cop or not, he's going _down!"_ Hayley growled, typing in a few commands on the keyboard. The beeping shut off, replaced by a cool, computerized voice.

"Security level successfully upgraded. Select mode."

Melissa's eyes widened and she leaned around Hayley to see the keyboard. Hayley typed in "detain." Startled, Melissa began to speak, but the computerized voice interrupted.

"Detainment mode activated. Do you wish to incapacitate the subject?"

Hayley hesitated for a moment, then hit the N key, typed "Power down auxiliary command post," and leaned away. The computer shut itself down. Hayley spun around, noticing Chris and Melissa for the first time.

"Latest computer game; I'm testing it for a friend," she said, shoving them both bodily back into the storeroom. She closed the office door firmly; they heard a lock click, and then Hayley was pushing past them into the main room.

"This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Chris said ruefully, then jumped as Hayley started screaming.

"OUT! Everybody out! We're closed! Right now! OUT! _OUT!"_

Melissa peeked out of the storeroom. Bewildered, the customers were being herded out, Bulk and Skull in the middle of a crowd of teenagers, Hayley shouting all the while, the customers protesting but not actually holding their ground.

"You two, too!" Hayley shouted over her shoulder as the last of the customers stalked out. "Come on; Bulk and Skull are gone!"

Melissa and Chris darted out of the storeroom. "Is everything okay?" Melissa asked worriedly as she passed.

"Fine, fine," Hayley said distractedly, ushering them outside and turning to lock the door behind her.

Hayley rushed off the moment the three of them hit the sidewalk. Chris tapped Melissa on the shoulder, nodded at Bulk and Skull, who were standing about thirty feet away with their back to Chris and Melissa. Melissa dashed off around the other side of the building, Chris on her heels.

"Well, _that_ was fun," Chris said sarcastically as he leaned against the wall to catch his breath.

"Tell me about it," Melissa muttered.

Chris grinned. "I guess I owe you one, eh? Can I buy you dinner, or are you going to require my soul or something?"

She laughed. "Dinner would be nice. Though I'm going to get back to you on the soul."

He chuckled. "What do you think that computer thing was about?" he asked. "In her private office?"

"Who knows? Guess it doesn't matter, does it? It probably _was_ just a computer game or something." He laughed. "Or maybe Hayley's the real Power Ranger."

Melissa cracked up. "Yeah. Right. And that's why those two goons were staking out the café."

They laughed, and then the two headed for Melissa's car, the incident quickly forgotten as they turned their attention to each other, already discussing which restaurant they should go to.

Meanwhile, Hayley raced towards Tommy's house, intent on dealing with Don once and for all.

* * *

Tommy's cell phone went off once again and he sighed heavily. Hayley had been calling every so often ever since he'd arrived at the carnival, as if sensing he was doing something she disapproved of. He pulled the phone from his pocket, intent on turning it off once it stopped ringing—but he noticed the caller ID was an unknown Angel Grove number. He frowned, wondering who it could be—everyone he knew was programmed into his phone under a specific name. 

"Hello?" he asked carefully, trying not to sound too much like himself in case Hayley had used some sort of crazy hacker trick to get an Angel Grove area code to show up just so that he would answer the phone—or, worse, driven to Angel Grove and used a pay phone, in which case he needed to start running.

"Tommy? It's Anna."

"Hey, Anna!" Tommy said happily, relieved not only to hear from her but to have escaped one of Hayley's elaborate traps. "What's up?"

"I'm back in the carnival. Over by the Ferris wheel."

"I'll come pick you up; wait there."

Tommy hung up. "Guys, Anna just called; I told her I'd go get her."

"Aw, man, we're next in line for the water-gun-race," Rocky complained.

"I'll go by myself," Tommy told him. "Just wait here until I get back."

"Can I come?" Ethan asked eagerly, anxious to spend a little more time with Anna.

Tommy shrugged, deciding he'd worry about Ethan dating on Tommy's watch some other time, like when there wasn't a Kimberly to win over. "Sure."

Tommy and Ethan broke off from the others and went to pick up Anna. The three easily fell into conversation as they headed back towards the water-gun-race game.

Tommy spotted them quickly; Billy, Rocky, Conner, Jason, Adam and Zack were all playing, lending an odd sort of color-coordination to the game while Kimberly and Trini cheered them on and Kira and Trent hung out at the next game, both trying their luck at a ring toss. Tommy was about to head over when he saw something that made him stop dead in his tracks.

Davey, the little boy who'd wanted autographs at the gas station, was standing about twenty feet down from Kira and Trent, not far from Tommy, Ethan and Anna. Davey was standing with his mother… and no less than ten clowns.

"Look, Uncle Bonkers!" Davey shouted, pointing straight at Trini. "It's my friends!"

"Wait here," Tommy muttered to Ethan and Anna, a plan—albeit a psychotic one—forming within his head in mere seconds. Tommy rushed by the clowns, hoping Davey wouldn't spot him as he ran to Kira and Trent as quickly and unobtrusively as possible, grabbed their arms, and yanked them away from the game, back past Davey, and over to Ethan and Anna.

"Your friends?" asked Uncle Bonkers. Tommy wondered if Bonkers was really Davey's uncle, or if "uncle" was just included in his "clown name."

"Yeah. They're clowns, too. Mom, can we go say hi?"

His mother burst into a fit of giggles as she realized who Davey was talking about, so she didn't answer. So Bonkers took it upon himself to head over.

"Dr. O!" Kira complained as Tommy finally released her. "What are you _doing?"_

Tommy kept his eyes trained on the others. "Paying you back for the countermeasures thing and for the whole riding-in-my-car thing."

"Countermeasures?" Anna repeated, confused.

"Slight near death experience, nothing exciting," Trent told her. Anna gave him an incredulous look.

"What? How?" Kira asked Tommy.

Tommy jerked his head at the clowns. "Look."

"So?" Anna asked, shrugging. Kira, Ethan and Trent, however, tried to look a little deeper.

"It's a clown," Kira said, confused.

Trent and Ethan's eyes widened. "You told us to warn you if we saw a clown!" Ethan hissed.

"Trini's scared of clowns!" Trent added.

"I know," Tommy said with relish, feeling a great retort to Trini's meddling as Uncle Bonkers tapped her on the shoulder and tried to offer her a balloon animal.

Trini turned, saw clown, and punched clown.

"Argh!" the clown shouted, landing heavily at Trini's feet.

"No!" Jason yelled, leaping off the stool in front of the racing game.

"Evil bastard!" Trini screamed.

"Bonkers! Bonkers!" shouted another clown, rushing towards his fallen comrade with the others on his heels.

"Clown down!" screamed another member of the clown posse.

"Is there a doctor in the house?" shouted another. Tommy let out an evil laugh.

It was total chaos. The clowns rushed at the Rangers, attempting to reach their coworker, but Trini only saw a clown army coming for her and she dropped immediately into a martial arts stance. Seeing this, the clowns stopped short, warily preparing for a battle as Rocky, Adam, Jason, Zack, and Billy tried to get to Trini to stop her, Conner gaped incredulously, and Kimberly—being leery of clowns—bolted across the midway.

Kira started forward to go help, but Tommy held out a hand to stop her. "How exactly does letting Trini get into a brawl with a bunch of clowns pay us back?" Kira demanded.

"You'll see," Tommy said in a self-satisfied way.

The leader of the gang of clowns took a swipe at Trini with what looked like a toy magic wand. Jason let out a roar and dove at him. Adam tackled Jason, accidentally knocking Zack aside; Zack fell to the ground and rolled over Bonkers. One of the clowns must have figured this was another attack on poor Bonkers and he lunged at Zack while the clown Jason had tried to kill kicked at him and Adam, who were now rolling around the midway.

"Security! Someone bring security!" shouted the smallest clown, who was hiding in the back as his friends all surged forward and attacked, while Davey's mother held Davey firmly, keeping him out of the fray. Billy found himself fending off a clown in patched overalls. Conner wrestled another renegade clown to the ground. Trini, realizing her mistake by this point, gave the leader an apologetic look, grabbed his magic wand and whapped him sharply over the head with it; he swayed about and toppled over. Rocky tried to pull Adam and Jason apart and found himself being bombarded by bowling pins that another clown was pulling out of his pocket (Tommy figured the pins were for juggling displays). Adam and Jason rolled back over Bonkers and crashed into a game, covering themselves in a shower of stuffed animal prizes. Bonkers suddenly sat up and dove into the pile of stuffed animals, swinging madly.

"This is… this is painful," Trent murmured.

"I've seen worse," Tommy told him conversationally.

"No wonder the simple act of meeting you made my life a whole lot weirder," Anna said, shaking her head. "You're actually _used_ to this sort of thing? Yeah, that explains a lot."

Bonkers and Adam were now dueling with stuffed animals—Adam was grimly waving a large green frog, while Bonkers whacked at him with a huge elephant. Jason managed to rescue Rocky by grabbing the water gun from the racing game and squirting Rocky's clown mercilessly; the game attendant desperately tried to turn off the water supply but couldn't, as the game hadn't been finished. Billy and Conner were now in a spectacular fighting match with a clown who seemed to know quite a lot of kung fu.

"Whoo! Clown fight! Clown fight!" Davey shouted.

"This has been a really weird week," Davey's mother muttered.

A crowd began to gather, assuming this must be some sort of entertainment planned by the carnival. The small clown who'd been hanging back apparently decided to get into it and started pelting Conner with stuffed animals from the pile around Adam and Bonkers. Billy dropped the Kung Fu Clown and left Conner to be thrown into the stuffed-animal pile by Small Clown. Adam managed to disarm Bonkers, and thought Bonkers was out of the fight until Bonkers revealed that he carried around all the supplies necessary for juggling flaming torches. Jason tried to turn his water gun on Bonkers' torches, but the game attendant, determined to help his fellow carnies, threw an around Jason's neck and tried to choke him from behind. Rocky's former foe, now soaking wet with his clown makeup smearing to make him look like something out of Stephen King's wildest nightmares, was squaring off with Trini, looking like a parody of a Mike Tyson match, Trini all grim determination and flawless fighting stance, the clown hopping around like a guy trying to dance on hot coals.

Adam tried to run from the flaming torches, but the growing crowd prevented him from getting far. He chucked his stuffed frog at Bonkers, hoping to knock a few of the torches to the ground, but to his horror Bonkers somehow managed to include the frog in his juggling, so it was three fiery torches and a slightly-singed toy frog. It took Tommy a moment to realize he'd lost sight of Zack… and he was completely unsurprised to find him in the dead center of the midway, fighting his clown via a break-dancing contest, where one would do a series of moves and then glare challengingly at the other and waiting for their opponent to produce a routine worthy of responding to. Davey was cheering for Zack something fierce—or rather, he was cheering for "Tinkle" something fierce.

Jason flung the game attendant over his shoulder, where he landed on Conner, who was being buried alive in stuffed animals by Small Clown while the clown Conner had subdued earlier held Conner down. Unfortunately, this was totally the wrong move on Jason's part; three game attendants jumped in—one glaring as he detached his wallet chain from his wallet, another removing his belt and wrapping it around his hand so that the buckle was over his knuckles, and the last brandishing a broken bottle from the ring toss bottle game. Jason sighed resignedly, planted his feet, and motioned for them to bring it on. They started to circle him, but Trini happened to toss Soaking Wet Clown in their direction, where he slammed into Wallet Chain and sent them both stumbling into the water-gun-race game, which still had several active guns. Rocky, meanwhile, squared off with Patched Overalls Clown.

Two security guards arrived on the scene, stared for a moment, and promptly began radioing for backup. Tommy smirked at one of them as Adam swept Bonkers' legs out from under him; many people screamed as frog and flaming torches tumbled to the ground, the latter setting the former on fire. Billy grabbed a couple of water guns from the game and let loose, but the frog was apparently highly flammable, and it didn't help that Wallet Chain and Small Clown attempted to rush Billy at the same time. Meanwhile, Zack won the dance-off (or rather, he got bored with his inferior opponent and kicked him, not hard enough to do any real damage but hard enough that he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon) and wandered by, walking on his hands for reasons unknown and heading to help Conner, who was slowly being suffocated by dozens of stuffed animals. Trini joined Jason, the two of them back-to-back and using almost identical fighting stances as they were surrounded by Broken Bottle, Belt Buckle, and a couple of clowns. Bonkers somehow managed to convince Soaking Wet Clown to help put out the fiery frog, and the two had forgotten Adam, who found that Kung Fu Clown had gotten back up. Water-Gun-Race-Game Guy had taken over the burial of Conner in stuffed animals, but he and Conner's other attacker were taken by surprise when Zack ran up, still on his hands.

Guards and random well-built employees began arriving from all directions, shoving through the crowd, which was cheering on both clowns and Rangers. One went to rescue Small Clown and Wallet Chain, both of whom were rather skinny and easily lifted by Billy, who had one in each hand, holding them a foot off the ground by the front of their shirts. Three guards went after Jason and Trini, both of whom looked like they would need a stern talking to even after the game attendants and clowns backed away, shouting "They started it!" at the top of their lungs. Yet another guard merely watched in open-mouthed amazement at the display Kung Fu Clown and Adam were putting on, while two more doused the fiery frog (in addition to Bonkers and Soaking Wet Clown, both of whom were wearing flame-retardant clothing but relatively inflammable wigs). The clown leader had apparently gotten back up and helped Patched Overalls Clown subdue Rocky; they dragged him to a guard, which Rocky didn't realize was a guard until he'd thrown Leader Clown off of him and into said guard.

Rocky might have been in it deep if it hadn't been for Zack and Conner, who decided to make a stand from behind the railing of the ring toss game, flinging stuffed animals and baggies of water (prepped to hold the live goldfish that were in the bottles the rings were being tossed at) at the guards, the crowd, and their friends. The baggies of water (and whatever saline solution was intended for eventual goldfish prizes) exploded like water balloons.

"Zack, Conner, quit!" Anna screamed over the noise of the crowd, praying she didn't get noticed by any carnival employees, most of which knew her on sight. "They need those bags! The goldfish in the bottles will die if they're not moved into the bags tonight! They can't survive in those bottles much longer!"

Zack and Conner weren't mindless fishy killers, so they returned to stuffed animals and then went on to rings. It was a brave front (well, no, it was psychotic, but under different circumstances it might have been a brave front if it hadn't been for the fact that they were chucking little pink unicorns and cutesy stuffed tigers at rent-a-cops in the middle of a county fair) but eventually the two ran out of ammo (despite the fact that the crowd gleefully tossed them all manner of things) and they came out from behind the ring toss with their hands up. The clowns and the game attendants nursed their injuries and watched smugly as Jason, Trini, Zack, Billy, Rocky, Adam and Conner were all marched down the midway towards the front gate.

"Are they going to be arrested, do you think?" Kira asked worriedly.

"Nah," Anna said confidently. "They'll just be thrown out. Carnival security doesn't have the power to arrest anyone, and since they probably won't be able to get any reliable witnesses or anything since all the customers are wandering around and you never know who really saw what, they'll just ban them all from the carnival. No way will they be able to make a case worthy of presenting to the cops."

Kira shook her head. "So, again—how does this pay us back for that countermeasures thing?"

Tommy pulled a wad of bills out of his wallet; he gave a few to Anna to cover the cotton candy, then held the rest out to Trent. "Here. Cash advance on your dad's card, Trent. He told me to make sure I kept cash in case someone wouldn't accept the card, or I was buying something that credit cards wouldn't pay for. Take this, go enjoy the carnival. Meet me at the entrance in three hours."

"You're turning us loose?" Kira asked in surprise as Trent divided the money between himself, Kira and Ethan. "But—"

Tommy grinned. "I was going to leave you to be kicked out with the clowns, but I remembered I owe you."

"You owe Conner, too," Trent pointed out.

Tommy arched an eyebrow. "Somehow, I figure no matter how much I owe you, Conner still owes me more." Kira, Ethan and Trent nodded in agreement.

"Why'd you let them be kicked out by the clowns, though?" Ethan asked.

"Just settling a few scores," Tommy said nonchalantly.

"This is about Kim, isn't it?" Trent asked, noticing that she was now leaning against a game booth across the midway from Davey, his mother and his clowns, rolling her eyes as her friends were escorted out. "You're planning to, you know—"

"I don't owe you that much," Tommy interrupted firmly. "Go. Have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't want to explain to your father."

"Gotcha," Kira said, taking Trent's arm and leading him off in the opposite direction of the twice-banned group. "Coming, Ethan?" she called over her shoulder.

Ethan shook his head, figuring they could use a little alone time… and he was still quite interested in seeing if he was correct in thinking Anna might be interested in him. "No, you guys go. I'll hang with Dr. O."

Kira and Trent waved and disappeared into the crowd. Ethan looked expectantly from Dr. O to Anna. "So? Where we heading?"

_"We're_ not heading anywhere," Anna said firmly. Tommy and Ethan looked at her, taken aback. "Ethan, _you_ and _me_ are going to go find a cotton candy vendor. Tommy's going to go hang out with Kimberly."

"I can do that any time," Tommy told her. "I haven't seen you in ten years."

Anna shrugged. "It's not like we're going to lose touch now that we've finally met each other again. You've got my number, I've got yours, you need to go take care of your little… _unfinished business."_ She nodded at Kimberly; Tommy reddened slightly. "We'll hang later. How often do you get to relive your first date with an ex you're looking to get back with?"

Tommy smiled softly. "Thanks, Anna."

"Anytime, Tommy. Remember what I said about buying her cotton candy." Tommy laughed, and Ethan and Anna departed.

Tommy grinned, grateful that Anna had made the only tricky part of his plan—getting rid of her and Ethan—easier for him. Much as he wanted to see Anna again, his evil plot was top priority at the moment, and like she said, they certainly weren't going to be strangers from now on. Tommy took a deep breath to prepare himself, and headed for Kimberly.

"Hey."

Kimberly narrowed her eyes at him warily. "Hey."

"Looks like it's just you and me."

Kimberly sighed. "I think I'll go meet up with the others."

Tommy reached out and lightly put a hand on her arm. "Hey, wait."

Kimberly gave him a suspicious look, but she didn't jerk her arm away. "What?"

Tommy thrust his hands in his pockets and looked down shyly. "Why don't we… you know… hang?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You want to hang?"

"Yeah. I mean, I know I was teasing you on the Tunnel—" He grinned. "But that's what you _get_ for tormenting me with fries," he finished, in the same tone she'd said "but that's what you _get_ for looking down my shirt and nearly killing us all in the process," when trying to convince him to enter the carnival.

Kimberly stared at him, mouth agape at his audacity, but then she chuckled. "You're getting better at retaliating."

"Thank you." They shared a smile, and then Tommy turned serious. "Look. All joking aside—I miss you. I miss being around you and… well, I don't have the foggiest idea what you've been up to for the last eight years. All I know is that you've been in a few of Tanya's music videos and you gave up pro-gymnastics three years ago. There has to be more than that."

Kimberly nodded slowly. "Nothing on the level of Dino Rangers, exploding islands, and tomato-sauce fires, but yeah."

"So tell me all about it. I want to know who you've become, and I want you to know who I am now. I want to know you the same way I know the others. You were right—we should have stayed friends. So let's start acting like it. Besides…" Tommy grinned again. "I promised Kira, Ethan and Trent they could go explore the carnival—figured they could use some normal time, and I kind of owed them one. So let's me and you go _do_ something. Ride some rides, get some cotton candy, play some games… and talk. Catch up."

Kimberly considered it for a long moment. Finally, she said, "Promise to win me more cute stuffed animals?"

"All you want. I'll even pay for some of them."

She laughed. "You've got yourself a deal, Oliver. I want to find that damned balloon dart game again."

Tommy motioned with a flourish for her to lead on. Kimberly grinned and skipped off.

Tommy followed, fighting the urge to cackle. She'd fallen for it. She was so totally going _down._

* * *

_End Notes:_ D.O.R.K.S. was thought up by the latest edition to our writing team, Brynhild GoUrL. A little over the top, but useful as a plot point in future stories and, of course, fun for us, so hope you liked.

Dedicating this chapter to Pink-Green-White-4ever, who is absolutely nifty.


	56. The Rescue

**Chapter Fifty-six**

_The Rescue_

Conner stumbled a bit as the security guard shoved him bodily forward, finally releasing him a good thirty feet on the other side of the admissions booth. Conner was the last to be let go; the others were already staring stonily at the guards, their expressions neither proud nor abashed.

"And don't come back!" the head of security shouted as he and the other guards and employees retreated, shooting black glares at Jason, Trini, Billy, Zack, Rocky, Adam and Conner.

Conner sighed inwardly. _Here it comes,_ he thought resignedly. _This is the part where I get yelled at._ Though the clown fight hadn't been Conner's fault (at least, not as far as he could tell), Conner knew from experience that doing something as crazy as getting into a brawl with a bunch of carnies was something he was going to be yelled at for. It was practically a law. Even though Dr. O wasn't around, and Dr. O's friends didn't know Conner all that well, surely one of them would start screaming. …Yep. Any minute now.

Then, to Conner's utter shock, Trini—of all people—threw back her head and laughed uproariously.

"That was _awesome,"_ she gasped, and suddenly they were all giving high-fives, tapping fists and clapping each other on the back or shoulder.

Billy shook his head. "I don't believe it. We just got banned from the same place _twice."_

"Yeah—we're special like that," Jason joked. "No one bans _us_ just once!"

"I really hope our identities never get exposed," Adam said with an amused, "what's next?" sigh. "Can you imagine seeing clowns on the news alleging the Power Rangers once attacked them?"

"They'd probably claim we lost, too," Rocky said with a sniff.

"Whatever. We kicked their butts," Zack said, jumping up to bump chests with Rocky.

"Of course we did," Jason agreed.

Billy smiled wryly. "Although I was sure Adam was a goner when that clown pulled out the flaming torches."

"That was just _not cool,"_ Adam growled. "No pun intended."

"Okay, okay, survey," Trini called. "Favorite parts?"

"When the little kid started yelling 'Go Tinkle,'" Jason answered promptly. "Or, well, when I realized that 'Go Tinkle' meant 'Go Zack' and not 'Go to bathroom.'"

They laughed and started heading back to where the cars were parked. "I gotta go with the look on Adam's face when the torches were lit," Zack said.

"Definitely the game attendants going after Jason," Rocky said. "They looked like a wannabe street gang. The cheesy carnival uniforms with the nametags… it just didn't blend with the makeshift weapon look."

"Trini?" Jason prompted.

"When Bonkers and Adam started sword-fighting with stuffed animals," she replied without hesitation.

"Billy?"

Billy blushed slightly, as though fully aware that he shouldn't have enjoyed their little duel with chaos. "When I looked up and saw Zack in a dance-off."

"Conner?"

The others turned to him expectantly. Conner stared back, drawing a blank. "Um…" he said finally, "isn't anyone going to yell at me?"

"For what?" several of the others asked.

"For… you know, for _that._ For somehow getting sucked into a battle with a gang of clowns and carnies." Conner looked around hopefully. Though not often disturbed by abnormalities, the thought of going at it with random civilians in public and then not getting screamed at, or at least lectured… the mere thought of joking and laughing about it afterwards… it just didn't seem to _fit._ Conner couldn't process.

Rocky slung a sympathetic arm around his shoulders. "Let me explain something to you, man—chaos happens. Happens more and more, ever since we stopped, you know, having monsters to fight. Like our lives are overcompensating."

"There's no excuse for fighting clowns," Billy added. "So we ignore the fact that it shouldn't have happened and look upon it as a funny event worthy of amusement. In a few days, suddenly no one will mention it. Ever again."

_"Run_ with the psychotic, _be_ the psychotic, _forget_ the psychotic," Zack recited. "What, Tommy never told you that rule?"

Conner shook his head. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. No normal person fought random carnival employees for no real reason. No normal person got buried in stuffed animals by a four-foot-tall clown or took the ring toss game's goldfish hostage. _No one did that._ No one. So they all started discussing it as if it was a TV show they'd just watched. Got it out of their systems. And then pretended it had never occurred.

"I'll forget it when I get all these stuffed animals out of my pants," Conner said.

"How did you get stuffed animals—no, no, don't tell me," Billy corrected himself, struggling to suppress his own curiosity.

"Favorite part?" Trini pressed casually.

Conner thought it over. "When I saw the look on Anna, Kira, Ethan and Trent's faces."

"Oh, yeah—where'd they go?" Rocky asked.

"Tommy dragged them off right before Trini dropped Bonkers," Jason said. "I thought he was just going to lecture them about something or whatever. He must've been removing them from the fight."

"Odd," Adam said, surprised. "You'd think he'd have grabbed Conner, too."

"Huh? Why?" Conner asked. He'd assumed his friends just hadn't been able to elbow their way through the crowd in time to help; it hadn't occurred to him that they'd _wanted_ to miss the action.

"He gets you out of the way, he doesn't have to explain anything to your parents," Adam clarified.

"Oh, _please,"_ Trini said with a snort. "Notice who _else_ isn't with us?"

Adam and Rocky both scanned the group. "Heyyyy… Kim isn't here," Rocky said slowly.

"Bingo," Trini told him. "I'll bet you anything Tommy instigated the whole thing." She gave Jason a grudgingly grateful look. "Pretty smooth, hon."

"I didn't do anything," Jason said firmly, but he grinned wickedly.

"Wait, wait, wait." Adam stared from Jason to Trini in incredulous exasperation. "Are you telling me Jason got Tommy to start a fight between us and a dozen clowns just to get Kimberly alone?"

Rocky whistled. "Damn, Jase, you're brilliant. That was kick-ass."

Jason fought with himself for a moment, trying to decide if he should accept the praise or deny it yet again. "Thanks," he said finally. He checked his watch. "Well, I say we give him two or three hours before we call him and ask him when he plans on coming out. You guys wanna go catch a movie or something?"

Conner felt a very unsettling feeling sweep through him. He knew that, if Dr. O was in Jason's place, Dr. O would not be suggesting they go see a movie. Dr. O would be suggesting all the horrible things that would happen if Conner ever managed to get into a public clown fight again three days before Power Rangers Day, just a few hours after dropping a couple of bellhops to smuggle Billy past a reporter, especially after that Play-Doh incident the night before.

The odd thing was… Dr. O was the leader of Conner's group. However, Dr. O had also been the leader of _this_ group, of these people, and he couldn't imagine _their _Dr. O doing anything at this point other than saying "My favorite part was when Jason soaked a clown with the water guns from that game" or "What kind of movie?" Conner realized, for the very first time, that Dr. O wasn't just an ex-Power Ranger twice over. He had once been a completely different _person,_ and somewhere along the way, somehow, he'd really and truly changed. By the time Tommy had become Dr. O, he'd become more responsible, less easily amused, and far more wary of impending doom.

_He's only like eight years older than me,_ Conner thought, faint stirrings of horror creeping in now. Was Conner going to be a completely different person in eight years? When Dr. O had said "You remind me so much of myself at your age," back when Conner was trying to get on Krista's good side, Dr. O had sounded like he was seventy or something. It really made Conner's stomach churn to think that one day—one day relatively soon—maybe he wouldn't think being in a clown fight was the most awesome thing ever. Maybe he'd be too responsible, too… too _tired_ of chaos. Maybe he would just stop being _Conner,_ no more soccer or long hours spent watching cartoons or goofing off with his brother or hanging in Cyberspace with the gang or partying on the weekends—

"Conner?"

Pretty girl, dead ahead. What had he been saying?

"Dee!" Conner called happily. "You're back from lunch!"

Dee nodded. She was carrying three large fountain drinks and looked a bit frayed, as though she'd had a rough couple of hours, but she perked right up at the sight of Conner. Zack and Rocky hurried to stand near him, though neither Rachel nor Sandra was nearby. "We've been back awhile, actually. I wanted to call you guys, but our truck broke down again and we've been dealing with that instead."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Conner said sympathetically, privately thinking, _Whoo! Captive audience, AND a chance to be Mr. Hero._ "D'you need any help?"

Dee looked hesitant. "It's… kind of a weird truck. It's been… _modified."_

Billy perked up and stepped forward, unwittingly cutting off Conner's megawatt smile from Dee's line of sight. "Really? I love customizing cars. I'm great at it. So's Trini. Although Jason and Tommy are more into trucks."

"We could take a look, if you'd like," Jason said. "It's not like we've got anything better to do."

Dee nodded at the admissions booth. "What about the carnival?"

"We… um… kind of got banned," Conner said sheepishly, shoving Billy out of the way as inconspicuously as possible. Billy stumbled for a few yards before regaining his balance.

"Awesome," Dee said, grinning at Conner. "Did you guys hop the fence, too?"

"You hopped the fence?" Trini said, frowning.

Dee nodded. "We kind of had to. Long story."

Trini squirmed a bit, but didn't say anything. Trini wasn't a fan of things like ditching admission prices, but as she'd just incited a clown riot, she didn't feel she could talk without being a total hypocrite.

"Our truck's over here, if you wanna take a look," Dee said, pointing across the parking lot. "I just went back into the carnival to get some drinks for us." Dee flashed the readmission hand stamp on the back of her hand.

"We might as well," Jason said. "I—hang on." His phone had started ringing, and he fished it out of his pocket. "It's Tommy." Pressing the phone to his ear, he said, "Hello?"

"A _clown fight?_ What the _hell,_ Jase?"

Jason rolled his eyes, figuring this was the obligatory "I didn't have a hidden agenda, honest, I just _happened_ to be scarce during the moment of chaos and am now alone with Kim through unforeseen circumstances" call. "They snuck up on us," Jason said in a defensive tone. He might as well play along with Tommy's game.

"Oh, they _snuck up_ on you, that's a completely different story," Tommy said with a sniff. "Have you been arrested yet?"

"Nah. They just dumped us off in the parking lot like last time." The sound of a palm smacking against a forehead could be heard through the line. "You guys coming out?" Jason asked.

"I would, but there's been a problem."

_Of course there has,_ Jason thought with a smirk. "What _kind_ of problem?"

"I told Kira, Ethan, Trent and Anna to stay put while I went to get Kim so we could leave together, but by the time I came back to get them, they'd disappeared. Mysteriously," Tommy couldn't help adding with just a touch of "It's hard to keep a straight face right now" in his voice.

_Not a bad cover,_ Jason thought, impressed. "Well, I'm sure they'll turn up. Or they'll call you when they're ready to go. Listen—we just ran into that Dee girl Zack met on the Ferris wheel. She's having car trouble; we're gonna go help. Might go do something afterwards. Wanna just call us when you find them and are ready to leave?"

Tommy was silent a long moment. "Fine," he ground out, obviously—or, rather, _supposedly_—unhappy. "Kim and I are gonna split up to cover more ground. As soon as I get them to the Jeep, I'll call you. Don't go do anything where you might have to turn your phone off, like a movie."

"All right."

"And take care of Conner."

"We're not exactly gonna sell him to the gypsies, Tommy."

"If you do, I want my cut," Tommy replied without missing a beat.

Jason snorted. "Anything else?"

"Nah. Sorry I'm stuck in here, Jase. They're gonna be in for it when I find them."

"Hey, we're the ones who got banned. Kira, Ethan and Trent deserve a little calm time. I'll see you in a few hours. Oh, and Tommy?"

"Yeah?"

Jason couldn't resist. "Have _fun_ with Kim."

"Shut up," Tommy retorted, and hung up the phone.

Jason hung up as well. "So?" Trini prompted.

"Fed me a line about how he 'lost' everyone else but Kim and has to look for them before he can meet us," Jason replied. "He _claims_ he and Kim split up to search."

"That's a pretty decent cover," Adam said, impressed.

Jason nodded. "So. Let's go help Dee with her truck, go grab a bite or something, and conveniently not answer our phones when he calls back."

"Sounds like a plan," Rocky said cheerfully, and motioned for Dee to lead on.

* * *

Tommy sniffed as he hung up the phone. Kimberly stared at him in shock. The expressions on his face had perfectly matched what he was saying during the whole call, and now here he was, looking calmly at her.

They'd decided to feed Jason a line of crap about why the two of them were alone; they didn't want their friends crowding over their shoulders for gossip or instigating evil plans, so they'd decided to say they'd split up. Though they'd all done their fair sharing of lying before, she couldn't believe how much Tommy had improved in the falsehoods department since she'd last hung out with him.

"What? Not convincing enough?" he asked, noticing her expression.

"Even _I_ almost believed you, and it was _my_ plan."

_"Our_ plan," he corrected.

"Our plan," she agreed, though she privately credited herself with most of the details. "Seriously, though, have you been taking some acting classes or something?"

He smiled faintly. "I've just had a lot of practice."

"We've all had practice, Tommy," Kimberly pointed out.

He shook his head. "I had to work a little harder. Pretty much the moment I started going to college, Hayley became my best friend. Her IQ is almost as high as Billy's, but she's got Trini's shrewdness and attention to detail. Moving in with her… I was surprised my secret lasted as long as it did."

"How'd she find out?" Kimberly asked.

Tommy chuckled. "Remember how Trini told you that she, Zack, Jason and I got drunk together that one time?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, Hayley came home to find Jason dancing on the table—"

"Bet that was a sight to see."

"—only he was in morph."

Kimberly's jaw dropped. "He was _morphed?"_  
Tommy nodded. "With his helmet off, no less. We weren't expecting Hayley home at all that night, but she'd had a fight with her boyfriend and didn't stay the night like she'd planned. Trini made Jason morph—figured the power boost might sober him up faster. Instead, Hayley walks in to see the original Red Ranger doing the Macarena on our kitchen table. Started ranting about how she knew it all along but didn't have the proof until now."

"To which you replied…?" Kimberly prompted.

Tommy rubbed the back of his neck. "I was… kinda sobbing about how I missed Saba at that point."

"Saba?" Kimberly blinked. As she hadn't been around for the loss of the original powers, it hadn't occurred to her that Tommy's talking saber was as gone as they were.

"Yeah. You know. Saba." Tommy cleared his throat. "My—"

"I know who Saba is. I remember. I'm sorry… I just… didn't realize he was gone too," Kimberly said lamely.

Tommy cleared his throat again. "Yeah. Thanks. Um… can we leave the touching awkward remorseful moments alone today, please?"

"Sure thing," Kimberly said quickly, kicking herself for dredging up something so obviously painful. Tommy, of all people, probably didn't want to talk about something associated with power losses. Not only had he had more of them than any other Ranger, but his most recent one was only a few weeks ago.

"So where to?" Tommy asked, waving an arm at the numerous attractions.

"Opposite direction of the clowns," Kimberly said fervently.

They started walking. Silence settled over them, but to their surprise, it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It felt… right, wandering through a carnival together. Kimberly was startled at how okay it felt to spend time with Tommy and not see him as her boyfriend—something she hadn't done in well over ten years.

"So," Kimberly said, fishing for something to say. While the silence wasn't awkward, Kimberly wasn't ready to examine the thought of "so _this_ is what it's like to spend time with Tommy when I'm not about to suck face with him." Conversation seemed like a much better plan. "You wanted to talk. What do you want to talk about?" Of course, she didn't see why _she_ was the one who had to come up with the subject matter.

Tommy shrugged. "I don't know. I just… wanted to hang. To… to be with you again."

Kimberly felt as if she'd just been slugged, as if the God of Love had just popped up, grabbed her heart, shoved it in her face, pointed to a section and said, "See? This part right here that's bleeding? That's where all that stuff about Tommy you thought you buried is hiding, waiting to attack." It was an unbelievably _sweet_ thing for Tommy to say.

Kimberly smiled at him, forcing herself not to shut off her emotions, to leave the barriers down for the moment. "So. Let me get this straight. You raced stock cars for a while, left the Rangers, went off to college, met Hayley, found the Dino Gems, started working with Mercer, he went evil villain, and you had to use the Dino Gems on him and your boss. And somewhere along the way, you set your hair on fire. Anything else interesting happen in the last eight years?"

"Not really. So tell me about you. What have you been doing?"

Kimberly shrugged. "Did the Pan Globals twice, hit the Olympics in 2000, won a silver medal and a gold, and wandered right out of the sport. Moved to L.A., opened my school. Then Jason showed up on my doorstep and told me about Power Rangers Day."

"Wish he'd shown up on _my_ doorstep," Tommy said. "I got a phone call. It was a disaster."

"Should I ask?"

"Nope. So… tell me more."

"Such as…?"

"I don't know. Writing songs for Tanya, how's that going?"

"She told you about that, eh?"

"No, actually, I get her CDs."

"Ah. Yeah, I'm writing. She keeps telling me I should go pro. And occasionally she starts ranting about how we should _all_ go pro—you know, me, Aisha, Tanya, Cassie. Form a group."

"What would you call it? Pink and Yellow?"

Kimberly laughed. "Maybe."

"So why not do that? Why not take the shot?"

Kimberly shrugged, looking troubled. "I don't know. I just… I know this sounds really crazy, but I don't want another dream."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… that's everyone's dream, you know? Be a famous singer. But I did one dream already. I got to be a pro gymnast. Famous. Medalist. I kick ass." She shook her head. "I don't know… I just… I conquered my world. I don't want to conquer others."

She sighed heavily. "To be honest, I feel kind of… lost. There's not a whole lot left, you know? You set out to do something, and you do it. And then you're just… just _you_ again. Accomplishing my dream… it was great, for about three weeks. And then I was just sort of like… 'huh.' Like I'd just gone to the grocery store or something. Everyone always talks about hitting bottom, Tommy. Me… I hit the freaking roof."

"I can understand that," Tommy said slowly. "You keep reaching for the stars, you make it to them, and suddenly they're not all that shiny."

"Exactly." Kimberly beamed at him, glad to have found someone who finally understood; most of her friends just sort of gave her blank stares. "I mean, maybe one day, I'll find something I want to go after, and I'll do it. But for now… I just want to have fun. Relax. See if I can figure a few things out, about me, about life, about all sorts of things. I'm tired of working for something and missing the party, you know?"

"Six years of college, more than six years as a Ranger," Tommy pointed out. "I hear you."

She giggled. "In a way, it's kind of like being a Ranger. Every time we went on a mission, we were scared, nervous, determined—but deep down, we always thought we'd come out on top. Always figured that no one was going to take over the world. Like we were just tools to stop the evil, and the end result was already decided. It's going out there and trying that's important, you know? The outcome, that's fate. But getting there, _that's_ your part. Your contribution to the world. Not some medal or trophy at the end."

Tommy nodded. "You know, I have a big shelf full of trophies and awards. But I have even more trophies stuffed into boxes in my attic. Only the really special ones get the shelf. The rest, they're important, yeah. I worked for them. But it's still just another piece of metal saying, 'Yep, you're cool.' Maybe it's not so much that you don't want to accomplish something as it is you're too secure in who you are, you know? You don't need an Olympic medal to prove you're a gymnast. You don't need a recording contract to know you're a good singer, or a hit song to know you're a good writer."

Kimberly blinked. "I'd never thought of it that way." Her eyes widened as she realized that she and Tommy were actually having a friendly conversation. No talk of dating, no circumstances or set ups like being locked in the trunk or whatever. They were hanging out because they wanted to, and they were talking about everything and nothing, just like the old days. It was exactly the sort of thing she would have assumed they'd never get to do again.

"Ooh! Win me that!" Kimberly said suddenly, pointing randomly at a game. It happened to be sporting Scooby Doo toys.

"Sure," Tommy said with a shrug, and headed for the game, pulling out his wallet.

Kimberly smiled. She didn't feel awkward, or pressured, or nervous. She just felt like a part of Tommy's life, and it felt really, really good.

* * *

"Who's there?" Don shouted as the sound of the door creaking open reached his ears. His heart was pounding in his chest as if trying to escape before it could get murdered like the rest of him. What the hell had he been thinking? Breaking into _a Power Ranger's house?_

Slow, deliberate footsteps sounded, coming towards him. He tried to figure out something by the footprints—male or female, heavy or thin, _anything_—but he was too busy cursing his stupidity. He was all too aware of the fact that the best thing that could come out of his current situation would be losing his job.

The footsteps stopped behind him. Don thought about swinging around to see who was approaching, but figured he didn't want to confirm the person's identity, anyway. He was probably about to be murdered, so he didn't think it would matter if he saw Tommy Oliver moving in for the kill.

He was currently hanging almost-upside-down in—of all things—a net. It had dropped on him right inside Tommy's foyer and scooped him up, so that he was lying on his back with his legs in the air. The net was made of some extremely heavy rope, and he'd managed to saw through a strand of it with his pocketknife only to discover that the fibers had been woven around some sort of wire cable that refused to be sliced. His gun was, unfortunately, out of reach, but logic told him that attempting to shoot himself out of a booby trap was probably a seriously dumb move. Don waited with ragged breath for the killing blow… and a hand suddenly seized hold of the net and swung him around, so that he came face-to-face with… _Hayley._

"Hello again, Officer Brewster," Hayley said in a dangerously silky voice. Her eyes were wide, not necessarily with anger or surprise, but with something _else,_ something commonly seen in the bad guys in horror films. He imagined he could see the flames of an evidence-destroying bonfire reflected in her eyes.

"Hi," Don said dryly, struggling not to appear utterly terrified.

Hayley smiled. "You know, Officer Brewster… you've made a very unwise decision."

Despite his fear, indignation swelled within him. He was tired, he was scared, he was annoyed, the entire town of Reefside had been one weird moment after another… and he was trying to do the world a _service._ He was trying to reveal one of the world's greatest mysteries! And he was a _police officer._ A good one. He was bright, he was in excellent shape, he was usually pretty nice to offenders who showed remorse, and he was good at his job. And here he was, hanging in a net and being threatened by some scary random chick who owned a café!

"It's not very _wise_ to threaten police officers, either," Don snapped at her.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Nor is it very wise, Officer Brewster, to commit breaking-and-entering well outside of your jurisdiction. Especially in a Power Ranger's house."

The words "Power Ranger" instantly turned his anger to shock and glee. She was admitting it! She was admitting that Tommy Oliver was a Ranger!

"So it's true!" Don exclaimed. "I was right!"

Hayley shrugged. "Somewhat. Tommy _is_ a Ranger—the Black Dino Ranger."

Don's eyes widened. "He was two Rangers?"

"Did I _say_ he was two Rangers?" Hayley demanded irritably. Don shook his head, too awed to speak. "No. He's the _Black Dino Ranger."_ She stepped closer, peering through the net directly into his eyes. "The Green Ranger was a friend of his back in high school. When the Green Ranger found out about Tommy's paleontology degree, he asked Tommy to take the Dino Gems, which transformed Tommy and three people of Tommy's choosing into the Dino Rangers. One lost Gem, the White Dino Gem, made it into the hands of a hapless kid, who became the evil White Ranger before joining us."

Don swallowed. Something was off. Something major. Why was she telling him this? Especially when it was so obvious that he intended to expose them? Was she planning on killing him? Were the Rangers on their way to help?

"But the Dino Rangers, they're gone now," Hayley continued calmly. "Their corner of the planet is saved. So they're enjoying a little time off. They're going back to the lives they used to lead in peace." Her gaze hardened. "They don't need people like you coming around trying to destroy them. After everything they've done, saving the lives of people like you, they're not going to stand by while _you_ ruin _their_ lives."

"You can't honestly expect me to think that the Rangers would harm me," Don said uncertainly.

Hayley chuckled in a way that sent a shiver down his spine. "Good lord, you're really not that bright, are you? You honestly think you're the first person to ever figure out the identity of a Ranger? There are _dozens_ of people who know who we are. Who other teams are. The difference is, my dear boy, that very few people express a desire to reveal us. There are six people in Reefside alone who've figured out who the Rangers are, for crying out loud, and those are only the ones we're aware of. We suspect there are more."

"And… and no one's _said_ anything?" Don whispered in horror. The idea of people in his own city knowing a secret that huge and never informing anyone… people he knew, his friends, his family, his pals on the force, making fun of his not-so-secret affinity for Rangers while knowing all along who the Rangers really were…

"Of course not. They respect us, and what we do. See, Rangers sacrifice a lot to keep you safe. Relationships with loved ones are strained by the lies. Employers frown upon lateness and absenteeism caused by monster attacks. There's very little free time when you're saving the world every day. So people tend to understand that we're giving up a lot. That our identities are the only truly sacred things we have—the only things that allow us a slice of normality."

Don felt pangs of guilt and shame. He knew, logically, that the Rangers were doing the world a real service—but at the same time, he felt the world had the right to know. The citizens caught up in the crossfire—imprisoned, bewitched, kidnapped, injured, and so on, not to mention all the property damage—had a right to know their heroes' names as well as their attackers'. Becoming a cop had made him realize just how important it was for people to have someone to thank. He felt bad about his mission, yes… but he didn't feel he was wrong.

Then what she'd said processed in his overworked brain, and Don felt as if he'd been slugged in the chest all of a sudden.

_"Us,_" he breathed. "You keep alternating between 'them' and 'us.'"

Hayley looked startled for a moment, then smiled. "Come now, did you really miss it?"

"Miss what?" he asked, staring at her warily.

"Me," Hayley said simply. "Tommy Oliver's best friend. Tommy Oliver's confidant for years. Owner of the business in Reefside subjected to more monster attacks than any other in the city."

"Oh, my god," Don whispered. "You're…"

"I'm the Yellow Dino Ranger," she finished, nodding in confirmation. "How else could I know what I do about the Power Rangers? How else could I know you'd broken into Tommy's house? Who do you think activated this cute little booby trap?"

The indignation swelled again at the mention of his mistake. "This is… is false imprisonment," Don growled, though he wasn't quite sure if capturing a cop in a net counted as such. "I could—"

"You could _what?_ Explain to your friends in law enforcement that you broke into someone's house because they were under suspicion for being a _Power Ranger?_ Let me tell you something, _Officer_ Brewster, I'm not an idiot. I'm a certified genius, in fact. I.Q. of 180, which means I'm probably the smartest person you'll ever meet. Fresh out of college I went straight to work in Washington on projects people like _you_ don't even know exist, and guess what? I got _bored._ _Bored_ with top-secret classified government projects! So don't treat me like I'm clueless. See, first of all, you introduced yourself as _Officer_ Brewster, so I know you're not a detective. You're an _officer,_ which means you're probably not someone Angel Grove would send all the way to Reefside to investigate a Power Ranger. Second, you're out here alone. Just you and two guys who haven't been detectives for a _very_ long time. They own a _hotel,_ for crying out loud. No partner, and you're not even in uniform—and as far as I can tell, you're a uniform cop. Third, you're out of your jurisdiction _and _violating Tommy's fourth amendment rights by busting in here. Fourth, Tommy's committed no crime, and you did not announce yourself as an officer before letting yourself into his home—I oughtta know, because I wired the security on this place. So I happened to know you didn't even knock."

Hayley leaned in close, and Don swallowed and instinctively tried to lean away. "Don't misunderstand me, Officer Brewster," Hayley said softly. "I don't want to hurt you. Neither does my team. But if you keep sniffing around the Power Rangers, _you're going to have an accident."_

With that, Hayley grabbed hold of the net and tugged. Despite the fact that Don had been struggling to no avail before her arrival, the net easily tore free and he dropped to the ground with a painful thud.

Shaking, Don stood up and slowly untangled himself. Hayley was staring at him with an expression of deadly seriousness. There were no doubts in his mind that she meant what she said.

"Get out," Hayley hissed. "If any of us ever hear you even _mention_ Reefside or Power Rangers again, you won't have a chance to reveal our identities before you start screaming."

Don nodded, trembling slightly, the reality of his situation hitting home. Don was two hundred and twenty-five pounds of solid muscle and no amount of struggling had loosened the net whatsoever. Hayley had torn the net free as casually as ripping off a Band-Aid. She was a _Ranger._ She could kill him without breaking a sweat. And she would.

Don headed for the door, struggling not to show weakness. "We'll be watching you," Hayley whispered, and Don abandoned his brave front and bolted out the door, running down Valencia drive as fast as his cramped legs could carry him.

Hayley walked out onto the porch and watched him go, a self-satisfied but weary smirk on her face.

"Whoa," Devin breathed, popping up out of the bushes, where he and Cassidy had been watching through the gap in the curtains. "How'd you yank that net down?"

"You'd need the strength of a Ranger to do that," Cassidy added accusingly as she pulled some leaves and twigs from her hair and clothing.

Hayley snorted and pulled a small device from her pocket. It was no bigger than a remote control, but with a lot more buttons and a joystick. "Portable control for every security feature in the house, lab and café," Hayley explained. "I always keep one in my car."

"Awesome," Devin said, his eyes lighting up at the sight of such a cool toy.

Hayley smiled tiredly at him and rolled her head about on her neck. She supposed she should go get back to the café, but the sight of giant rope-and-cable net now covering most of Tommy's foyer gave her a sudden craving to raid his fridge, put her feet up, and watch sitcom reruns on his big-screen TV for a few hours. "I forgot how exhausting saving Tommy's butt can be," she said with a sigh. "And he's only been gone less than a week."

* * *

_End Notes:_ Sorry this chapter was more of a bridge… but it's kind of hard to top a clown fight so soon, you know. Give us time, though—we've got some stuff even better than clowns down the road.

I'd just like to point a little something out about Trini's characterization when it comes to clowns. In the first-season episode "No Clowning Around," Pineapple lures Sylvia away, then gets in Trini's face when she tries to drag Sylvia away. And Trini drops into a stance and says "Back off, clown!" And Sylvia jumps in between Trini and the clown in a panic, begging her not to hurt the clown—as if she fully expected Trini to kick the seemingly-innocent clown's butt. As if Trini made clown-attacking a habit.

Am I reaching a bit? Maybe. But still, Sylvia expected a clown fight. Regardless of clowns, I think the moment shows Trini's character fairly well—the show was really subtle about showing her violent side, but it was always there and easily drawn out. A little push, and Trini's ready to kick your butt.

"The Rescue" is a subtitle from the "Green with Evil" arc. Refers mostly to the Hayley bit.


	57. Rocky Just Wants to Have Fun

**Chapter Fifty-seven**

_Rocky Just Wants to Have Fun_

"It's right over here," Dee said, shifting the drinks in the crook of her arm.

"Let me help you with that," Conner said eagerly, taking two of them from her.

"Thank you," she said, beaming at him and taking a long slurp through the straw of the last drink.

Without warning, Rocky and Zack lunged forward, each taking one of Conner's drinks. "Hey!" he hissed as Dee skipped ahead. _"I_ was helping! I thought we _agreed_ that _I_ get Dee!"

"You do. These are for Sandra and Rachel," Rocky pointed out, taking a sip of the cup meant for Rachel.

"Oh." Conner pursed his lips, a little annoyed that he hadn't gotten to carry Dee's drink, but he brightened when he realized that at least now she could comfortably carry her own drink, and even more when he realized he had plenty of stuffed animals in his pants.

"Hey, Dee!" Conner called, hurrying to catch up to her while simultaneously digging for something suitable in his jeans. "Look what I won for you!" She turned just in time to see him unearth something that might have been a green otter, or possibly a cat; it was hard to tell.

"Aw! It's a green lobster!" she exclaimed, hugging it to her chest. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Conner said proudly. He was about to say something else, but Rocky dragged him back so that he was behind Dee again.

"Hey, man, hook us up," Zack whispered. "Got anything else?"

Conner fished about in his pants. A few items had already fallen out the bottom of his leg holes, and the ones that had been stuffed in his shirt were already strewn between the water-gun-race game and the admissions booth, thanks to the security guards. After a moment, he unearthed a polka-dot donkey and a pink giraffe. "These do?"

Rocky and Zack looked at each other. "Those came out of your pants, dude," Rocky said slowly.

Zack started to reach for the giraffe, but he pulled back with a sigh. "I can't do it."

"Thanks anyway," Rocky added ruefully.

"Suit yourself." Conner shrugged and caught up with Dee.

Rocky and Zack shared another glance. "What do you think Kimberly would do to us if we ripped off Jake?" Rocky mused.

Zack shuddered. "Nah, man, I don't want to think about it."

Sighing, the two continued to follow Dee. "Oh, _there's_ my car," Adam called from behind them, pointing it out. "I was wondering where we left it."

"That's _yours?"_ Conner asked, impressed by the shiny black Mercedes.

"Yeah. Gift from Tanya," Adam replied.

"That's some… that was nice of her," Conner amended, appalled that he'd almost said "That's some girlfriend you've got there" in front of Dee.

Adam made a noncommittal noise, too busy staring at Dee's truck as the gang came to a halt behind it. Almost unconsciously, they walked around it in awe.

"Here she is," Dee said proudly.

She needn't have said anything; somehow none of them doubted that the truck belonged to Zack's chaos girls. It was a slightly-dented Ford F-150 full-size pickup, and it was a bright, frightening shade of orange—in the spots that weren't covered by bumper stickers. At some point, the truck had run out of bumper, and the girls had simply covered the entire rest of the truck in stickers; even the roof had stickers all over it. Some were easily recognizable, while others were original and still others had obscure quotes.

"Hey, Jason?" Zack called. "Your German is better than mine. Does this one say 'I eat green beans in the nude?'"

Jason looked at the sticker in question, which was sandwiched between "A good fight is like a stick of broccoli, but different" and "Washing your car only to have a bird crap on it two seconds later is a metaphor for life." Jason, Trini and Zack had all picked up bits and pieces of foreign languages at the Peace Conference, though they'd each gotten good at different ones depending on their individual friends, teachers and roommates. "Yeah. That's what it says," Jason confirmed.

"Does it make any sense to you?" Zack asked.

"Nope."

"…Any idea why it's in German?"

"Nope."

"Ah. Okay then."

Jason pulled out his cell phone. "Who you calling?" Zack asked.

"No one. I'm taking pictures to torture Tommy with later." Jason grinned. "It's a psychotic orange pickup truck, man."

Zack chuckled and shook his head. "Will you look at this thing? It'd take hours to read all of it!"

The only bits that didn't have stickers were two patches on either side, both of which had the words, "The Sharpie Graffiti Girls of Doom" in spiky, stylized letters, one word each in red, black, blue, green, purple and brown.

Billy peered in through the open passenger window at the dashboard, which was covered in magnets, action figures, and assorted knickknacks. Most disconcertingly, they had several dozen tiny toy Power Ranger helmets hanging from the rearview mirror—which looked like miniature decapitated Power Ranger heads to Billy.

"Um… what are those?" Billy whispered to Trini.

"Those? Lollipop covers. We have a bunch of them at the house. They're little helmet keychains with a lollipop you can take out and eat."

Billy nodded and made the unfortunate mistake of leaning a little closer, looking for his own helmet in the two-foot-long string—and suddenly a sword flashed through the air three inches from his nose.

"ARGH!" Billy screamed, leaping back.

"I found it!" shouted a cheerful voice, and suddenly Rachel popped up in the window as Billy clutched his heart and tried to see something other than "large sword close enough to shave my eyebrows." "It was back under the seat!"

Rachel began to climb out of the window, still clutching the sword. "Hi," she said, blinking at Trini and Billy in surprise. "You're Rocky's friends, right?"

"Hey," Rocky called, hurrying over and offering her the cup. "Drink?"

"Ooh, thanks," she said, sucking a good third of the drink through the straw without pausing for breath while Rocky watched with interest. When she finally paused for air, she looked up at him expectantly. "Did you guys ditch the carnival or something?"

"We got banned," Rocky said.

_"Nifty,"_ Rachel said, thrusting with her sword for emphasis. Billy ducked instinctively.

"It was mostly my fault," Rocky said conspiratorially.

She grinned. "I _knew_ you were my kind of crazy."

"Rachel!" Dee called. "Sandra's stuck again!"

Rachel rolled her eyes and marched over to the tailgate, which was open. Rachel and Dee each reached into the bed, which had a solid black canvas shell over it. A moment later they were hauling Sandra out of the truck bed by the ankles.

"Did you find the toolbox?" Rachel asked.

"I think it's caught on a bungee cord," Sandra said in a muffled voice, just as Dee lost her grip. Rachel and Dee stumbled back, Rachel struggling to hang onto the sword and Dee's drink sloshing ominously as Sandra disappeared, yanked back into the truck bed. A moment later, Sandra called, "Yeah, definitely a bungee cord."

"Stand aside, ladies," Zack said cheerfully. He sat Sandra's drink on the pavement, shouldered between Rachel and Dee, grabbed Sandra's ankles, and heaved. Sandra came shooting out the back of the tailgate, clutching a small gray toolbox. She fought to hold onto it for a moment, but the bungee cord hooked on the handle proved stronger; the box flew out of her hands and slammed back into the truck. There was a loud click.

"Uh-oh," Sandra, Dee and Rachel chorused, diving back.

The Rangers made a break for it. Zack dropped and rolled under the Buick parked next to the truck, where he collided with Billy. Conner and Trini dove under the Suburban across from the truck, while Rocky, Jason and Adam ran back towards Adam's car.

The canvas truck topper began folding down, like a convertible car's top. Then, without warning, a bright orange tent sprang up and out with alarming speed, filling the bed of the truck and popping up to its full height.

"What the—?" Adam demanded, his hand already on the door handle of his nice, normal, safe Mercedes.

"Whoa, it's a truck tent," Jason breathed. "I always wanted one of those. Most of the ones I've seen aren't automatic, though."

"Yeah, we got tired of all the setup, so we found a way to make it spring-loaded, and when it's collapsed it doubles as a bed cover under the Softopper," Rachel said. "Trouble is, the release button's pretty easy to accidentally smack."

"Prodigious," Billy said, peeking up from beneath the truck.

"You guys go camping a lot?" Jason asked as Zack, Billy, Conner and Trini crawled out of hiding and Rocky, Adam and Jason cautiously returned.

"Sort of. We live in the truck, most of the time," Sandra explained. "It's easier that way, since we're always on the road."

"What do you guys do?" Rocky asked.

"We run a website. Long story," Rachel replied. She looked at Sandra and Dee. "Match you for it?"

The three engaged in a game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors," which Sandra lost. Grumbling, she climbed into the tent. It rustled about for a bit before slowly beginning to collapse; Sandra hurried back out of it. "It really sucks to get stuck in there while it's folding," Sandra explained.

Dee headed for the drink Zack had set on the ground. "Oh, before I forget—your drink," Zack said, scooping it up before Dee could get too close.

"Oh, thank god," Sandra said gratefully, taking a swig. "I'm dying of thirst."

"Want me to get the toolbox for you?" Zack asked. "I'm pretty good at getting into tight spaces."

Sandra smiled at him. "Thanks."

"So what exactly is the problem?" Billy asked.

"We're not sure," Dee said. "We made it through the drive-thru at Wendy's and noticed it was smoking. But it's not overheating. So we're pretty confused. Anyway, in order to look under the hood, we have to have a flashlight _and_ the sword, and we couldn't find the sword and the toolbox was stuck."

"Why…?" Trini began.

"Long story," Rachel said, accepting the toolbox from Zack.

"It's Rachel's fault," Sandra said quickly.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "How was I supposed to know he was a lunatic? You thought he was okay, too!"

"Yeah, but _I_ didn't break his heart and make him angry enough to rewire the entire truck!" Sandra insisted.

"Can we fight _after_ we fix the truck?" Dee asked hopefully.

"I didn't break his heart! I just said I didn't believe in monogamy on a long-term basis."

"That would be what broke his heart!"

"They do this a lot," Dee said with a sigh.

"What exactly are they arguing about?" Conner asked.

"I'm not sure I wanna know," Trini muttered.

"Well, see, Rachel used to be involved with this guy, Dale—he was really smart, knew all this stuff about cars and computers and stuff. Then she dumped him. And he did all this… _stuff_… to our truck."

"Like what?" Adam asked.

"Well… for one thing, made it so we couldn't open the hood without a flashlight and the sword," Dee replied. "Every button in the truck does something different than it's supposed to, and he added a few new ones."

The group moved around to the hood of the truck. Sandra dug through the toolbox, which was filled with various odds and ends, primarily the sorts of things that aren't generally found in a toolbox—sparkplugs, light bulbs, paper towels, and several books from _The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook_ series. "Nice flashlight," Billy said.

"Police issue," Rachel said absently as she crouched down so that her eyes were level with the hood.

"You were a cop?" Rocky asked.

"No, I knew a couple of cops, is all," Rachel replied.

"And that's why we can't safely enter the state of Maine anymore," Sandra muttered.

"Would you get _over_ that? There are still forty-seven other states we can drive to whenever we want!" Rachel snapped. "And it's not like Maine's on the way to anywhere important!"

"Forty-five and a half," Dee corrected helpfully. "You keep forgetting Alaska and Hawaii."

"We can drive to Alaska," Rachel argued. "It's not across the Pacific."

"No, but it's across Canada. We said we wouldn't go through customs again," Sandra said as she steadied the flashlight.

"Oh, yeah."

"What's the half a state?" Zack asked.

"Michigan. We can't go into the lower peninsula anymore," Sandra replied.

"The upper part's fine though," Dee added.

Jason leaned over to Trini. "You know," he whispered, "every time I meet one of Zack's dates I'm really, _really_ thankful I have you." Trini snorted and put a hand to her mouth to muffle her laughter.

Rachel motioned to the Rangers. "You guys might wanna stand back," she said. They all dove back a good six feet as Rachel thrust the sword under the hood and swished it to the side. The hood whooshed up automatically, dangerously fast.

"Yay! Finally," Dee breathed, and all of them clustered around, peering under the hood. The various working parts had been painted—the engine, for example, was detailed in blue with yellow stars, and the relay switch covers were tie-dyed.

"This is awesome," Conner said. Rocky nodded in agreement.

"You said it was smoking but not overheating?" Billy asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "We're a little concerned."

"Give me a second." Billy gazed into the truck for a moment, then slid under the hood. A few seconds later, he rolled back out. "You've just got an oil leak," Billy explained. "That's what's causing the smoke—but it's still safe to drive. For a while, anyway. You'll have to keep checking the oil until you get it fixed."

"That's _it?"_ Rachel said in disbelief. "I was expecting something major. Nothing minor _ever_ goes wrong."

"They must be our lucky charms," Dee said, beaming at Conner.

"Yeah, or else the gods are just luring us into a false sense of security before smiting us really, really hard," Sandra muttered darkly.

"Well, it's nothing to scoff at—you should get it fixed as soon as you can. But like I said, you'll be fine, as long as you make sure to keep oil in the tank," Billy said.

Rachel grabbed the dipstick and set about checking the oil. "Still fine," she said. "We weren't due for an oil change for another seven hundred and twenty-four miles, anyway."

Rocky raised his eyebrows. "You've got a pretty good memory."

"Have to keep up on stuff like that; the truck's a wreck as it is," Sandra muttered.

Rachel bristled. "It's still the coolest truck ever. How many people have a convertible pickup truck?"

"You mean the way your truck cover folds down?" Jason asked.

"No, I mean _this."_ Rachel slammed the hood back down, went to the driver's side, and grabbed hold of an odd sort of clasp. Dee flipped open a similar clasp on the passenger's side, and the entire roof of the cab slowly slid backwards. "See?" Rachel said proudly. "It was one of the few modifications I had Dale do before he went psycho on us. There's a release in the middle of the backseat so we can pull it all the way off and store it in the bed of the truck. And we have a spare roof."

"That's a _great_ idea," Billy breathed, his face lighting up. He shared an excited look with Trini.

"Not to my truck, you're not!" Jason said firmly, though neither Billy nor Trini had mentioned anything about experimenting on his vehicle. Jason loved his truck too much to try sawing the top off, even if it might land him with a convertible pickup.

"Of course not, honey," Trini said soothingly, and not very convincingly.

"It's kind of annoying to take the top on and off, but it's really fun having a convertible, too," Dee said as she and Rachel slid the clasps back into place.

"Point is, our truck kicks ass," Rachel said proudly.

"Sure, if you don't mind pushing the passenger's window button to move the seat forward," Sandra mumbled.

"You know," Rocky said, sidling closer to Rachel, "I'd love to take a ride in this thing."

"Yeah, me too," Zack said quickly.

"Yeah," Conner added.

"We're banned from the carnival," Rocky continued, "so why don't we swing by the Havoc Center? It's just on the other side of Stone Canyon. They've got bumper cars, go-karts, that sort of thing. Hang out there until Tommy shows back up. Our treat," he added to Rachel, Sandra and Dee.

The three girls looked at each other and shrugged. "Okay," Sandra said.

"Um… why don't you guys wait here for a second?" Trini said to the three girls. "We've got to put some stuff back in Zack's car."

"Hurry back," Sandra said, smiling at Zack.

The Rangers moved off through the parking lot. As soon as they were out of earshot, Trini hissed, "Are you _sure_ you want to go riding around with them?"

"Yep," Conner, Zack and Rocky replied in unison.

"They seem kind of… _off,"_ Trini said.

"They seem kind of interested, too," Rocky returned. He and Zack grinned at each other.

"But they're _weird._ Did you notice their accents are slipping?"

"Yeah," said Zack. Accents were another thing one picked up on at the Peace Conference. "I'm guessing Sandra's from Boston, Rachel's from the southeast—Kentucky or Georgia or something—and Dee's either Australian, or maybe a New Zealander." He paused. "What do they call people from New Zealand? Zealandese?"

"Neo-Zeals?" Conner guessed.

"That's not the point," Trini said sharply. "They hopped the fence to get into the carnival, you know."

"So?" Rocky said.

"So that's not exactly a kosher thing to do!"

"This from the girl who started a carnival riot," Conner pointed out. Trini glared at him. "Who is also wonderful, kind, caring and very nonviolent," Conner continued nervously. Trini rolled her eyes.

"So they hopped a fence, big deal. It's not like they killed anybody," Zack said.

"What about that thing about not being to enter specific states?" Trini shot back.

"So? I can't go to Texas," Adam said. The others turned to stare at him. "Um… long story," he said sheepishly. He cleared his throat, then brightened. "Ooh! And Tommy won't go to Florida, or Arizona!"

"Why not?" Conner asked.

"Florida because that's where Kimberly was training for the Pan Globals," Billy replied.

"And Arizona because, well, he had a bad experience with the Grand Canyon," Jason explained.

"Point is," Rocky said, "there's plenty of reasons—albeit obscure ones—for not wanting to go to specific states."

"They keep a sword in their truck!" Trini said in exasperation.

"Tri, you have a sword _collection,"_ Jason pointed out gently.

"But not in my car! You _really_ don't think there's something off about them?" Trini demanded of Rocky, Zack and Conner, ignoring Jason.

Conner, Zack and Rocky looked at each other, then looked back at Trini blankly. "Nope."

"Look, we'll follow them in my car," Adam told Trini. "If they turn out to be axe murderers, we'll just have to hope we can take them." Adam was a little too straight-faced to not be laughing on the inside.

Trini threw up her hands. _"Boys!"_ she exclaimed, the way a nine-year-old girl might complain after getting her hair pulled at recess. "Do what you want. Just don't come crying to me if your carcasses wind up in the desert so buzzards can eat your entrails."

"Morbid, much?" Zack asked. "That was worse than saying Jason would display my eyes for a trophy after eating my flesh."

Jason frowned. "What, exactly, did you do to deserve _that?"_

"It was hypothetical," Zack assured him quickly.

Rocky shook his head and turned to Jason. "And she thinks _my_ taste in girls is whacked? Look at you!"

"Hey!" Jason socked Rocky in the arm, hard.

They headed back to the Jeep and the Escalade. Trini grabbed her shoulder bag and Conner shook the remaining animals out of his clothing while Zack and Rocky searched for anything suitable to give away (and they found plenty; all that competitiveness had loaded them down with random cheap prizes).

When they arrived back at the truck, the girls were stuffing the trash littering their floor into garbage bags. "It's gonna be a tight fit with all ten of us, but we'll manage," Dee called cheerfully.

"Adam, Jason, Billy and Trini will take Adam's car," Conner said.

Dee blinked. "Oh. That'll make it easier."

"Rocky and Zack certainly go after _smart_ girls," Trini muttered. Jason threw an arm around her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze, but Trini wasn't comforted. "Smart axe murderers," she added under her breath.

"We'll have to follow you," Rachel said. "I get lost easy, and I'm not from around here."

"Where _are_ you from?" Trini asked, a note of challenge in her voice.

"Wisconsin," Rachel replied, her accent slipping into a southern twang on the O. Trini sighed. Rachel turned to Dee. "Give me the keys."

Dee whined. "Can't I drive, just this once?"

"No! The last time you drove the steering wheel fell off!" Rachel snapped.

"That wasn't my fault!"

"Come on, Rae, let her drive," Sandra said wearily. Then she added, rather pointedly, "At least _she's_ never accidentally driven us to Alabama."

"That was one time!"

"Or Pennsylvania," Sandra continued.

"Okay, two times."

"Or Mexico," Dee added sulkily.

"Give. Me. The. Keys!" Dee sighed and pulled a lump of keychains from her pocket. There were only four keys on the ring, and about sixteen sinister-looking instruments in addition to a couple dozen random keychains, from miniature Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles to PEZ dispensers to tiny memo books to a Magic 8-Ball.

"They have a lock-picking set on their keychain," Trini hissed to Rocky in exasperation.

Rocky shot Jason another "What kind of girl are you dating?" sort of look. "How do you know they're lockpicks?" he whispered back to her, looking at her suspiciously. Trini sighed.

Sandra and Dee threw the trash bags into the tailgate while Rachel unlocked the driver's side door. "You and Dee can sit in the back," Rachel told Conner.

"Cool," Conner said, climbing in. Dee followed him and locked the seat into place behind her. Conner instantly regretted agreeing with Rachel; leg room was nonexistent in the backseat.

"Sorry, you have to climb over," Sandra told Zack. "The passenger door doesn't work."

"No problem," Zack said, grabbing the roof of the truck and pulling himself up and in through the window. Sandra grinned and slid into the middle of the bench seat from the driver's side door; Zack just _happened_ to have put his arm across the seat before she got settled, and his arm just _happened_ to slip down onto her shoulders. Rocky followed her in, but before he could figure out exactly where Rachel could sit, she climbed onto his lap and stuck the keys in the ignition.

"Go ahead and lead the way," Rachel told Adam. "Beep when your car passes so I know it's you, and I'll follow you."

Jason, Trini, Billy and Adam left. Rocky, Zack and Conner glanced around the truck curiously. The inside was just as interesting as the outside; it was covered in doodles and quotes, all done in various colors of Sharpie. The cup holders were full of Sharpie markers. A row of six buttons—one each in red, blue, black, green, purple and brown—stretched across the dashboard.

"What do those do?" Rocky asked.

"Those? Don't touch them," Rachel said quickly. "We know the red one is the ejector seat—"

"The _what?"_ Zack demanded.

"The ejector seat," Rachel repeated.

"You guys have—?"

"Yeah, it's one of the less pleasant things about the truck," Rachel said wearily. "We have no idea what the other five buttons do. Well, we know that one of them is a self-destruct button, but we don't know which."

"I'm telling you, it's the purple one," Sandra insisted. "What else would Dale pick for self-destruct?"

"It's too obvious!"

"He probably figured you'd see a new purple button and want to push it immediately," Sandra argued.

"Why would he put in a self-destruct button?" Rocky asked.

"Like we said, he's Looney with a side of Tunes," Rachel replied. "The only one we've figured out is the red button."

"Yeah," Dee spoke up. "This guy tried to steal our car once, but he got ejected, and when he woke up in the hospital he'd suddenly found Jesus and decided to become a priest and never try to steal cars ever again. We're really proud of that."

"Dee is, anyway," Sandra quipped, shaking her head.

"Hey, there's something back here called 'police report,'" Conner said, waving a sheaf of papers.

"Don't touch that!" all three girls exclaimed. Sandra grabbed the report and leaned across Zack to stuff it in a side compartment. Rocky and Zack exchanged a look that clearly said "Thank God Trini didn't hear that."

"Anything else we shouldn't touch?" Rocky asked.

"Nah, everything else is pretty much fair game," Rachel said, grinning mischievously at him.

Zack reached for the radio. "Hey, let's get some tunes in here." He hit the power button and the sound of a cow mooing boomed out. "Um… but not that," he said, exchanging another glance with Rocky, one that said "I'm starting to worry. Just a little." Police reports and swords, they could handle. Mooing cows from out of nowhere gave it all a surreal edge.

"That's not the radio, that's the horn," Sandra explained.

"Your horn goes 'moo'?" Conner asked.

"Actually, it does all sorts of things." Rachel poked the power button and the first few bars of "Hey, Hey, We're the Monkeys" blared out. Zack's eyes lit up and he began jabbing the button repeatedly. It did "Pop Goes the Weasel," the theme song from _Sailor Moon,_ the sound of a rooster crowing, and a deep male voice shouting "Get off the road, idiot!"

Jason suddenly appeared at the window. "Um… are you guys okay?" he asked, staring at them nervously.

"Hey Jase, check this out!" Zack exclaimed. He hit the button again. A heavily-accented woman said "Hel_lo,_ Mr. Bond." "Isn't that _great?"_ Zack gushed.

Jason sighed long-sufferingly and looked around the parking lot at all the people staring curiously at the truck. "I'm going back to my world now," Jason said firmly.

"Kay," Rocky replied, waving at him as he left. A faint mutter of "They're doomed" could be heard, but they all ignored it.

Zack giggled and punched the button again. "Alert, alert, rabid squirrels are attacking," said a computerized female voice.

"So… if that's the horn, then what do the buttons for the horn on the steering wheel do?" Rocky asked.

Rachel held down the left horn button, and Zack's window lowered. The right button sent it back up.

"This is gonna be _fun!"_ Conner said happily. Zack hit the radio/horn button one more time. The classic tune for impending doom—"Dum, de dum dum DUM!" blared out.

* * *

"Favorite food?"

"Still pizza. You?"

"Italian chicken."

"Favorite movie?"

_"Stage Beauty."_ Seeing Tommy's blank look, Kimberly added, "It's a romance set in the seventeenth century."

"Ah. So… standard chick flick."

Kimberly socked him in the arm, but she smiled. They were currently wandering aimlessly through the fairgrounds and asking each other random questions, in the hopes that they'd catch up on all the basics and yet avoid awkward pauses in the conversation. "What's your favorite movie?" she asked.

_"The Whole Nine Yards."_

"Really? Why?"

Tommy shrugged. "It's got action and a hapless guy sucked into chaos." Kimberly chuckled. "It's your turn to think of a question."

Kimberly thought for a moment. "Favorite… time of day."

"Three thirty-four a.m."

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'noon' or 'late evening,' not a random minute."

"Three thirty-four a.m. _is_ my favorite, though. See, right around finals week when I was really sleep-deprived, I went through this phase where I kept seeing the number 333 everywhere—in books and magazines, on billboards, in prices on things I wanted to buy, _everywhere,_ like it was haunting me or something. I got really paranoid. And then once I took my last test I went out partying and when I looked at the clock it was, lo and behold, three thirty-four in the morning. Anyway, what's your favorite time of day?"

"Sunset. It's pretty, it's pink, and it's the end of the day but still with a reminder that tomorrow's coming, you know?"

"Ah. Let's see… new hobby."

"I like to assemble furniture."

"…Assemble furniture?"

"Yeah. I lived in dorms and hotels a lot while I was still doing gymnastics professionally. When I got my own place, I suddenly realized I needed furniture, and I'd used up just about every favor I had to get people to move me into the house, so I had to do most of my own furniture assembling. It was fun after a while, gave me a sense of accomplishment and made me realize 'hey, I'm finally on my own.'"

"Huh. I never really looked at it that way. I got kind of tired of it after Hayley had me put together most of her furniture for her."

"Really?" Kimberly asked carefully, not sure where he was going with randomly dropping in the Best Female Friend again.

"Yeah. We've always been really symbiotic. She helped me with my homework and the Ranger stuff, kept me organized and everything. But she's so on top of things that there isn't much I can do to pay her back—she's even into cars and she's very handy. Like Trini. So mostly I just did manual labor. I did most of the chores when we were living together, carried the heavy stuff, fixed her car when she'd let me, unclogged the sink…"

"You sound like you were married to her," Kimberly said, fighting to keep her voice neutral.

"Yeah. It was kind of a weird phase. We were like a couple from a fifties sitcom. Separate beds but still married. It took me about three months to figure out how to survive without her when we moved out, and even now she still helps me function. I can't imagine life without her."

"Must be nice," Kimberly mumbled, trying to sound pleasant. She was surprised to feel a twinge of jealousy go through her. Though Kimberly would never, ever admit it, the idea of some other girl being so important to Tommy just… _stung._

"Yeah. Anyway, I guess my new hobby's pretty obvious."

Kimberly frowned. "It is?"

"Paleontology…?" Tommy reminded her.

Kimberly smacked her forehead, chiding herself for getting so hung up on Hayley that she'd forgotten the conversation. "Duh! Of course. Okay… biggest fear."

"Becoming an Orange Ranger," Tommy joked with a grin. Kimberly laughed. "Okay, seriously… dying alone."

Kimberly froze, then forced herself to act natural. Now _that_ had stung. "I'd have to say losing you guys," she said, surprised at the effort it took to get her voice not to shake.

Tommy seemed to sense that she was uncomfortable. "Wanna hit the Kamikaze?"

Kimberly nodded and allowed Tommy to lead her towards the line. She watched him pensively as he walked casually down the path. Though they'd been having a great time, every so often Tommy would say something off, something that shook her and made her head turn to thoughts of Them. Part of her was starting to wonder if he was doing it on purpose.

_Don't be paranoid,_ Kimberly warned herself. _Just enjoy this, the chance to catch up and be around him without strings and schemes. Tommy was just messing with you because of the fry thing. Forget the games, and be his friend._

The more they talked, however, the less Kimberly wanted to be his friend.

* * *

_End Notes:_ Still bridging a bit, but coming up on pure psycho.

Reason the updates are slowing down? I had roughly three chapters written when my comp crashed, so it was easy to throw them out there the moment my hard drive returned. Now, I'm out of pre-written material and in order to update, I have brainstorm with Freyja, type up all our ideas, proofread, read it to Freyja over the phone, read it to Bryn, make any changes we come up with, sift through hundreds of episodes looking for chapter titles, and stick it into Document Manager. Hopefully I'll have a bit more time for a while, though, as I got fed up with my boss Saturday night and walked out in the middle of the night shift, thus leaving the store unmanned for several hours and royally screwing him over (trust me, he deserved it; even people who like him agree). So until I find a new job, I'm wonderfully unemployed and loving it.

By the way, most of the story is up on deabryn, along with "Strange Relations," my Supernatural/Dino Thunder crossover that I hope at least a few of you will go read. "Of Love and Bunnies" is all on one page at deabryn, unlike here where you have to click to go to the next chapters, and it has chapter links at the top so you can skip to whatever chapter you want without leaving the page, although there's no way to review on deabryn and this story takes a little longer to upload to there.


	58. Shift into Turbo

**Chapter Fifty-eight**

_Shift into Turbo_

The orange pickup followed Adam's Mercedes out of the carnival parking lot, only to get stuck in a major traffic jam caused by a car wreck on the main road. The three girls used the opportunity to explain more about their truck to Rocky and Zack—like how the passenger's side window button moved the seat forwards and backwards, the seat controls activated the wiper blades, and so on. Conner, meanwhile, investigated the backseat with interest.

A big canister of popcorn decorated with pictures of the Time Force Rangers was on the floor, and the sword Rachel had used to open the hood was now hanging across the back of the front seat. Beneath it hung three walking sticks, a baseball bat, a shovel and a large net, the last of which formed a pocket filled with all sorts of interesting things, like action figures, camcorders, a laptop, several photo albums, tons of papers, a huge amount of pay-by-the-minute cell phones still in their packaging, and plenty of snack food. On the seat next to him was a pile of ski masks and wigs, which had been covered by a blanket until he'd gotten curious; Dee had hurriedly leaned across him and swept everything onto the floor, giving Conner space to stretch out across the seat, his legs tangled with Dee's. By the time they'd escaped from the traffic jam, Conner was sharing the tin of popcorn with Dee, vaguely listening to the conversation between Rocky, Zack, Sandra and Rachel and wondering if Dee would get mad if he threw some popcorn down her shirt, or if she'd pull a Kimberly.

"So why are you guys in town?" Zack was saying in the front seat. Sandra was leaning into him by this point, her feet propped up on the dashboard.

"Oh, you know, just sightseeing," Sandra said casually. "Nice place, Stone Canyon. We came through here last year, went to this really nice park…"

"Which park was that?" Zack asked.

"Stony… something," Sandra replied. "Stony river… lake… something with water in it. Haven't been able to find it this time around."

"Could be a lot of places, this being Stone Canyon," Rocky said. "Stony River, Stony Lake, Stony Creek, Stony Stream, Stony Bay, Stony Pond—I think there's a few more, can't name them all off the top of my head…"

"Well, I'm sure we'll find it eventually. Anyway, we heard about Power Rangers Day and came running. We _love_ Power Rangers," Rachel gushed, looking fondly at the Power Ranger helmets hanging from the mirror.

"Rachel's life ambition is to do a Power Ranger," Sandra said in a stage whisper.

"Shut _up!"_ Rachel exclaimed, whacking her shoulder. Zack winced as one of his fingers got caught in the crossfire.

"Nothing wrong with that," Rocky assured her, grinning his head off.

"That's why we adopted specific colors," Rachel said. "We heard the Space Rangers say in an interview that they were very adamant about their Ranger colors, always wore them and everything. So we all started doing the same thing."

"Is that why you all have dyed hair?" Rocky asked, fingering the purple streak through Rachel's hair. The ends of Sandra's hair were red, and Dee's hair was all-green.

"Yeah. Rachel's into purple and blue, I'm into red and black, and Dee's green and brown," Sandra said.

"We do that too," Rocky said, exchanging a grin with Zack. "Never go a day without wearing our favorite colors. I'm into red and blue."

"Black and purple," Zack said.

"Red and, um, white," Conner said. He'd never really thought about his second favorite color, but red and white made up his soccer uniform.

"That's so cool," Dee said. "We've never met anyone who's really adamant about colors."

"Oh, we are," Zack said emphatically. Rocky chuckled. "From clothes to bed sheets to cars."

"We use our colors everywhere we can, too," Sandra said. "Especially in our artwork."

"That whole Sharpie Graffiti Girls thing?" Conner asked. Dee had tried to explain it back on the chairlift, but all he'd managed to comprehend was that it was an underground website relating to "urban art." Conner wasn't even sure what an "underground" website was, let alone urban art. He'd meant to ask Ethan, but hadn't gotten around to it before finding himself in the middle of a clown fight.

"Er… yeah," Rachel said, shifting a bit on Rocky's lap.

"Hey, isn't graffiti illegal?" Conner asked. "You know, isn't it technically vandalism?"

There was a pause. "Only technically," Dee said finally. "If it's done without consent."

"I think I've heard of the Sharpie Graffiti Girls somewhere before," Zack said, frowning as he tried to remember.

"You've probably come across some of our merchandise," Sandra said. "Spencer's carries it, and so do lots of places that sell novelty T-shirts."

"Oh, yeah," Zack said vaguely. "I think I saw it on a T-shirt once."

"We've got a bit of a cult following," Sandra said with a shrug. She nudged Zack in the side. "So, what do you guys do for a living?"

"I'm a fight choreographer in Hollywood," Zack said proudly, allowing the hand on her shoulder to slip so that his fingers were dangling precariously over her chest. "Rocky owns his own dojo, and Conner—"

"I just accepted a scholarship to UCLA," Conner interrupted quickly. That wasn't entirely true. UCLA scouts had been looking at him closely to play soccer for them in the fall, but so had several dozen other schools and he hadn't picked one just yet, and wasn't sure his soccer skills were enough to get him into college; his C-average was starting to catch up with him. Still, scouts from most major universities in the state, and a few that weren't, had been looking at the great Conner McKnight, especially after hearing he'd turn down a spot with the Reefside Wave soccer team to "focus on school."

"So you're a brainy type?" Dee asked in surprise. Despite not knowing him very long, Rocky and Zack both let out snorts of not-quite-suppressed laughter.

"Me? No, of course not. I'm an athlete," he replied quickly.

"We all are," Zack added. "You like sports?"

"We met on the track team in high school," Sandra replied. "We have a few trophies, nothing major."

"I always wanted to take martial arts, though," Rachel said. "We're just never in one place long enough to actually go for it."

"I'd be willing to give you a few private lessons," Rocky told her.

"Really, now? Sounds like fun," Rachel said, exchanging a grin with Sandra.

"We're _all_ really into martial arts," Zack said. "Rocky and I have been into it since we were kids, but Conner just got into it—when was it, Conner?"

"September," Conner replied.

"Adam and I were just saying how cool it would be to spar with—you know—Conner's friends," Rocky said. "See what Tommy's taught them."

"They're pretty awesome," Zack said. "Especially for newbies."

"Thanks, Zack," Conner said happily, feeling a swell of pride and fighting the urge to geek out. The original Black Ranger thought he was _"pretty awesome!"_

"OOH! There it is! Stony _Creek_ Park!" Rachel shouted, spinning the steering wheel as hard as possible. The truck shot off down a side street heading for the park.

"Are you sure that's it?" Sandra asked, sitting bolt upright so fast that Zack's hand was thrown against the seat with a loud _thwack!_

"Yeah! See—look—" Rachel pointed at a tree along the road. "That's the tree we hit!"

_"You_ hit," Sandra corrected. She bent over and began yanking large sheets of orange canvas from under the seat. "Dee, unhook the shovel." Dee untangled her legs from Conner's and began fiddling with the hooks securing the shovel to the seat. Conner pulled his legs up to give her more room.

"We were supposed to stay behind Adam," Conner said. "Shouldn't we—?"

"Sorry, but we've been trying to find this park ever since we got back here," Sandra explained. "It's _really_ important."

"Don't worry. We'll catch up with them later," said Zack, who had long since learned that when out with a hot girl, one should put up with any unplanned detours, just in case said detours were to isolated areas where fun things might happen.

"Hey, take the wheel," Rachel said to Rocky. He obeyed, peering out the windshield over her shoulder—which wasn't easy, as she'd decided now was a good time to tie her hair back and strands were flying everywhere. "You guys want to come with us?" Rachel asked.

Conner thought it over, slightly nervous as he watched Dee select strange items from the net-pocket across the seat, such as a crowbar and a video camera. He frowned down at the various objects in the net. His instincts were suddenly informing him that Something Was about to Happen. He wasn't sure what, but it hadn't escaped his attention that every time he'd deviated from the prescribed plan on this trip (mostly when he'd disobeyed Dr. O), something odd had gone down—getting beaten by an old lady with a cane or being pelted with cans of Play-Doh on a mad dash to the elevator, for example. Or maybe he was just a little too used to things going downhill just when things were getting good—like when he was happily looking down Kimberly's shirt and suddenly found himself in an episode of _World's Scariest Car Chases,_ or when he'd been moseying down the sidewalk with his friends and the next thing he knew he was witnessing a conspiracy to cover up the fact that his science teacher had just decked a purse snatcher.

Regardless of what had set off his intuition, he got the feeling that something new and freakish was on the horizon. Even Conner was smart enough to realize that coming across three friendly girls with a thing for Power Rangers was a little too good to be true. Maybe it was the abrupt detour to a secluded wooded area (which never ends well on TV, after all) or the girls' talk of committing petty crimes like fence-hopping and tagging, but reruns of _Law & Order_ were beginning to play through his head. His eyes fell on the multitude of cell phones—weren't the bad guys always using pay-by-the-minutes phones for one reason or another?

"Come with you to where?" Conner asked cautiously.

"To do some art," Sandra said cheerfully, pulling several Sharpies out of the cup holders and passing them out to Rachel and Dee.

Rocky shot Zack a look, as much to gauge Zack's reaction as to keep Rachel's hair from getting in his eyes. Zack shrugged.

"Sure, we'll go," Rocky said, wondering for the first time exactly what they were getting themselves into.

Conner looked down at the pile of wigs and masks. Frowning, he grabbed three ski masks and stuffed them into his pockets.

* * *

Tommy and Kimberly sat on a bench near the swings (which, given the carnival's psychotic nature, were dubbed, "Fantastic Fred's Free Falling Fliers"), happily partaking of ice cream (at Tommy's expense). Well, Kimberly was happily partaking of ice cream, and Tommy was happily watching Kimberly partaking of ice cream.

"I think life is sometimes like an ice cream cone," Kimberly said suddenly, taking another lick of her strawberry.

"Why's that?" Tommy asked, praying her metaphor wouldn't end in innuendo like the fries. Given the events of the past few hours, he would probably be able to restrain himself from being embarrassed if she did try something of the sort, but given his new mindset of "Must Get Kim," he didn't think it would be very easy to restrain himself in… _other_ ways. And, as he'd told her when putting Jake in the car, there were children present at this carnival.

"Lots of different flavors, if you eat it too fast you'll hurt yourself, you have several different colors to choose from, and people are sad when it's gone."

Tommy considered this. "Know what I think?"

"Hmm?"

"I think you're over-thinking the ice cream."

Kimberly ignored him. "When's the last time I got something other than strawberry?" she wondered aloud.

Tommy paused and looked at her. "You know, there is no decent red ice cream out there that doesn't taste like a frozen sugar cookie or a non-alcoholic fruit drink. And there's not really any black ice cream out there at all. When I've burned out on everything remotely white, I usually have to settle for chocolate, or something else brown." He held up his mint chocolate chip to prove his point.

"So our colors choose our ice cream flavors."

"That and so much more."

"But how many people can say their destiny is color-coordinated?"

"Quite a few, actually." Tommy frowned, thinking of the dozens of Rangers who'd come by to gawk at or enlist him. Cole's face in particular came to mind.

Kimberly frowned suddenly. "So what do you think our destiny is, Tommy?"

"What do you mean?" he asked carefully.

"Well, see, one could say we were destined to become superheroes. But we did that already. We completed our destiny. So… what's next?"

Tommy thought about this for a second. "As long as I don't have to start liking a new flavor of ice cream or reorganize my closet again, I could care less."

Kimberly laughed and nearly choked on her ice cream. "Seriously, though. Do we still have a purpose in life?"

Tommy shrugged. "Probably. Just not one that involves spandex."

Kimberly chuckled. "Any thoughts on what it is?"

Tommy smiled at her. "I might have some ideas."

Kimberly blushed slightly, wondering if he meant what she thought he did. She cleared her throat. "Wanna go on the sea dragon?"

Tommy tossed his nearly-finished cone in a nearby trashcan. "Sure."

Kimberly sighed inwardly. Once again, Tommy had said something odd, and now here they were, interrupting their conversation, hopping on another ride and planning to resume their conversation once they got off, pretending nothing had happened. It was seriously starting to wear down her barriers. No matter how much she resolved to stop reminiscing about the past, Tommy kept doing things that made her long to be his girlfriend again.

_Maybe he's just cool like that,_ whispered the singsong little voice inside her head that had tormented her most of the day. _Maybe you want to be with Tommy because he's a good catch, not because you're clinging to the past._

_Shut up,_ Kimberly told herself wearily, so distracted by thoughts of Tommy that she bumped right into him. "Why are we stopping?" she asked, sidestepping around him and catching sight of what had made him freeze—Ethan, sitting on a park bench, making out with Anna.

"Aw, how _sweet,"_ Kimberly crooned. She was glad to see that Ethan had made a move. As a natural matchmaker, and someone who'd spent years encouraging Billy to not let his dating phobias hold him back, Ethan getting a girl made Kimberly's romantic side squeal with pride.

Tommy abruptly turned left, away from the sea dragon. "I never saw that."

"Why?" Kimberly asked, hurriedly struggling to keep up with him.

"I'm the responsible adult, Kim. I don't think his parents would be too happy if they knew he was at a carnival kissing a girl he'd just met."

Kimberly giggled. "Probably not," she agreed, remembering all the times her father had tried and succeeded in intimidating Tommy. Even her mother had made a few "that's my daughter!" remarks.

Tommy smiled at her. "Oh, well. At least I know that Conner's in good hands."

* * *

"What are you doing?" Billy asked curiously as Trini typed away on her laptop.

"Surfing the Net," Trini replied distractedly, glad Billy's alien technology had given her ways to advance her computer's performance. "The logo on that truck—the Sharpie Graffiti Girls of Doom—I know I've seen it somewhere before."

"Trini, give it a rest," Jason said, exasperated. "They're not criminals. Just… Zack's type." Adam chuckled. Jason and Adam enjoyed taking friendly jabs at Zack and Rocky, who often had spectacularly bizarre and chaotic dating stories that reinforced Jason and Adam's thankfulness for Trini and Tanya.

"Find anything?" Billy asked, unbuckling his seatbelt and sliding into the middle of the backseat to get a better look at the monitor before refastening his belt.

"Yeah, actually," Trini said smugly. "They run an underground website where they show off videos of themselves defacing public property."

"They're graffiti artists?" Billy asked.

Jason frowned. "Did _you_ just translate _her?"_

Trini and Billy ignored him. "They _do_ call themselves 'Graffiti Girls,' Billy," Trini pointed out.

"Yeah, but plenty of groups give themselves weird names! Like… um… Goo Goo Dolls, for example, and—well—but anyway, they really go out and spray paint bridges and stuff?"

Trini nodded. "Yeah. And they have lots of merchandise—T-shirts and hats and stuff, mostly—available for ordering. Two books—_Adventures of the Graffiti Girls,_ which is a novelized version of their little shenanigans, and a book of artwork they've done. Pride themselves on only using Sharpies and never getting arrested." She paused, then added, _"Told_ you they were criminals."

"Well, they're taggers. Not axe murderers. …Right?" Adam asked hopefully.

Trini didn't reply, bringing up another browser window and heading straight for her preferred search engine. After a lengthy pause broken only by occasional rapid-fire bursts of clicking keys, Trini pronounced, "Well, Adam, you were right. They're _not_ axe murderers."

In spite of himself, Adam let out a sigh of relief. "Told you so."

"They're just arsonists, armed robbers, and kidnappers."

_"What?"_ Adam spluttered.

"Oh, and let's not forget the cases of fraud," Trini continued casually.

"You're joking, right?" Jason asked desperately, turning to look at her. Billy's eyes were wide as he read the site she'd found and Trini was smiling smugly at Jason.

"Afraid not. Of course, it's all speculation, but I just finished reading a blog done by a Sharpie Graffiti Girls fan. Seems he was visiting his father, a detective, at work and saw mug shots of girls that looked exactly like the Graffiti Girls on his father's desk. According to his father, they're suspected of pulling several robberies, mostly convenience stores; setting four fires that did a lot of property damage, no fatalities; committing about seven known cases of fraud; and they've kidnapped at least two people, but the victims were returned unharmed, and in one case the ransom hadn't even been paid. So again, no murder. Although it says here that one of the armed robberies attributed to them _was_ committed with an axe."

"Please be joking," Jason breathed, thinking of all the ways Tommy would kill him once he found out that Jason had let Conner go for a ride with axe-wielding kidnappers.

Trini turned the laptop around to show him the page. "Sorry, Jase. It looks like Conner, Rocky and Zack are trying to hook up with criminals."

As one, Jason, Trini and Billy turned to peer out the rear windshield while Adam looked into the rearview mirror. The orange truck was gone.

"Uh-oh," Billy muttered.

"Damn it!" Jason growled.

"When I'm right, I'm right," Trini said, grimacing.

"Hang on!" Adam shouted, and spun the wheel hard to the left while slamming his foot on the brakes. The others screamed; twisting in their seats right before a fast U-turn wasn't a very good idea. Jason hit his head on the roof before crashing against the passenger's side door, while Trini, Billy and the laptop were flung across the back seat.

"Maybe you should let _me_ drive," Jason said shakily, startled by Adam's abrupt metamorphosis to psycho.

"Sorry, man. Rocky's been kidnapped! And Zack and Conner!" Adam exclaimed, knuckles tightening on the steering wheel as he pushed his Mercedes to the limit. "I'm not giving up the wheel at a time like this."

"Look, Adam, we've already been in one car chase today," Jason began, but Adam interrupted.

"Shut it, Jase," he said tersely. "I know what I'm doing. I was a Turbo Ranger."

"Oh, goody—just like Tommy," Trini muttered darkly.

"Look, they're probably fine," Jason insisted. "You're gonna feel really stupid if you bust in waving a Blade Blaster only to find out Rocky just wanted to ditch us so he could get that Rachel chick alone."

"Better stupid than finding out she's decapitated Rocky with an axe!" Adam retorted.

"Gee, why didn't I think of that argument?" Trini said, shaking her head. _"Boys,"_ she added in exasperation.

Jason was about to continue talking Adam down, but Billy cut in, having just spotted the sticker-covered truck's taillights disappearing around the bend in a side street. "There they are! Heading for Stony Creek Pa—argh!" Billy's statement became a yelp of worry and horror as Adam made an impossibly sharp left, despite the fact he didn't have the right of way and the road had quite a lot of traffic on it. Jason was able to count six almost-collisions before he closed his eyes, visions of fiery death—so easy for an ex-Ranger to imagine, given their past—floating through his brain.

When Jason opened his eyes, the Mercedes was roaring down Rocky Creek Lane. Jason wasn't stupid enough to make himself even more nervous by checking the speedometer, but judging by how much the scenery blurred as they flew down the road, he'd put them at seventy miles per hour, minimum. Swallowing hard, Jason noticed two things—that he could no longer see the truck in front of them, and that the maniacal gleam in Adam's eye meant Jason was going to avoid any more turns by refraining from pointing out the truck if he saw it again. They flew down the road for several long minutes, but the truck didn't reappear; Jason prayed the truck had turned off down one of the dirt paths through the park, therefore keeping it out of reach, which meant Adam might give up the mad chase eventually.

"Left! Left!" shouted Billy. Jason mentally began placing a voodoo hex upon Billy as Adam yanked the wheel. The car fishtailed into a parking lot.

The truck had apparently already parked—if it was indeed the same truck. Even as Jason, Trini, Adam and Billy climbed out of the Mercedes, they stared uncertainly at the truck. The canvas top was back up, and the roof was no longer sticker-covered; Jason vaguely remembered the girls saying something about having a spare roof. The Sharpie Graffiti Girls of Doom logo had disappeared, as had the stickers on the tailgate.

"Is that it?" Adam demanded.

"There are those decapitated Ranger heads," Billy added, pointing through the window just as Jason caught sight of the sticker with the German phrase for "I eat green beans in the nude" on it.

"Half the stickers are missing," Jason said. "Why would they yank them off?"

Trini knelt down by the blank spot that had once housed the logo. "They didn't. They've put some sort of orange canvas over the sides here, probably to hide who owns the truck."

"That's not a good sign," Jason muttered.

"So which way did they go?" Adam asked, whipping his head around in one direction after another.

"We're not exactly bloodhounds," Trini pointed out, clamping a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to soothe him.

"Don't worry. We'll find them. And it doesn't matter if they're criminals or not, Rocky, Zack and Conner can take them," Jason reminded him.

"I suggest that we split up," Billy said. "We'll be able to cover more ground that way."

Adam nodded. "Stony Creek is a pretty big place. I want to say it's about—" Adam broke off as Jason's cell phone rang. "Who is that? Is it Rocky?"

Jason fumbled with it as he pulled it from his pocket. He paled a bit as he saw the caller ID. "No. It's Tommy."

Four sets of eyes widened in horror. "Don't answer it!" Billy hissed.

"You have to! He might think something is wrong if you don't!" Trini argued.

"Something _is_ wrong!" Adam growled. "We should be looking for them, not—"

"Shh! Shh! Let me think!" Jason yelled. He took a few deep breaths, then flipped open the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jase. What's up?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. You?"

"I just saw Ethan making out with Anna. Figured I'd make sure that I've still got one teenager entrusted to my care who isn't going for second base." Jason was pretty sure he could hear Kimberly laughing in the background. "You keeping an eye on Conner?"

"Er… yeah… well… we're on our way to the Havoc Center," Jason said. "He's riding with Rocky and Zack."

There was a pause. "What are you not telling me?"

"Well… Rocky and Zack are riding with those girls Zack picked up at the Ferris wheel. Not with us."

Tommy took a moment to digest this. "In other words, Conner's probably gone way _past_ second base by now."

"Not necessarily…" Jason said, which was possible. After all, Conner could be dead, or tied to a chair and giving out his parents' address and annual incomes for the ransom notes.

Tommy sighed. "Well, if you see him doing anything that isn't G-rated, don't tell me. And bro?"

"Yeah?"

"Going to the Havoc Center probably isn't a good idea."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Come on, after all the chaos we've had in the past few days, you want to go somewhere called the _Havoc_ Center?"

"Heh, right. Irony. Irony bad. Um… listen, I gotta let you go. I have to… pee."

"You have to go… pee?"

"Yeah. Right now."

"…I thought you were driving to the Havoc Center at the moment."

"Yes, well, that's not the point. Bye, Tommy!"

With that, Jason snapped the phone closed, praying that the worst thing Conner was doing right now involved going for second base.

* * *

_End Notes:_ Coming up on "Of Love and Bunnies," we'll explain how to keep your friends from finding out you've let a minor they're responsible for go for a ride with criminals, and who knows, maybe we'll even have a kiss or two. You never know. Stay tuned.

I'm working on typing up our ideas. I'm up to about chapter 20, but I think I'm going to do a few more before I put them where people can see. I do have two major points from the last chapter finished—the truck and the number "333" and here they are, if you're interested.

That truck was mostly just imagination but also had a lot of blended-in things from real life. For example, my car once had a screw loose on the brake lights that crossed the ground wire and the brake wire and made it so my brake lights wouldn't come on (even with fresh bulbs) and my cruise control wouldn't work when the headlights were on. (I stumped two mechanics with that one; took my uncle three hours to figure out that all I needed was to tighten a screw.) The bumper stickers were a combination of Bryn's sticker-covered car and Freyja's love of obscure quotes, although the one about bird poop was something I made up and the German phrase "I eat green beans in the nude" is my cousin's catchphrase. The convertible top was from my mom's boyfriend's son, Scott, who once got drunk and thought it might be fun to saw the roof off of the top of his un-air-conditioned, beat-up, five-hundred-dollar, rusted-pipe-for-a-bumper Chevy S-10; took him over a week to figure out how to weld the roof back on while making it possible to take it off whenever he wanted without using the saw and the welder again. The horn was similar to a truck owned by Scott's friend; the two used to amuse themselves by parking the truck in our driveway in our frou-frou subdivision right as the school buses were dumping kids off at the corner, so that they could scare the neighborhood children with barnyard noises; kids used to spend ages standing on the sidewalk wondering where the mooing cow sounds were coming from, as the truck was way louder than a stereo. The truck tent and convertible canvas bed cover were just things I found online when searching for truck accessories.

The number 333 is not from a movie or whatever; it's something that happens to me and one of my friends quite a lot. 333 is known as a perfect number, the triple trinity, very powerful and sacred in certain beliefs, particularly paganism, which regards three as one of the most powerful numbers. My friend and I see it all the time, at least a few times a day. Sometimes my head just snaps up to look at the clock and it's 3:33 (even when the clock isn't set to the right time), or I'll be driving by a car dealership and see something like $33,399 written on a windshield. It pops up on the counter on my DVD player, in catalogues, on restaurant menus, in phone numbers, everywhere that uses numbers. It used to freak me out, but I've come to see it in a more positive light. However, I imagine someone like Tommy would find it a cause for worry, given his propensity for weird moments.


	59. Lights, Camera, Action

**Chapter Fifty-nine**

_Lights, Camera, Action_

Don marched swiftly down the sidewalk. He was almost back to Hayley's Cyberspace. Hopefully Bulk and Skull were waiting for him, and he'd be able to get out of this freaky-ass city in a matter of minutes. The sleep deprivation, the threats from Hayley the Yellow Dino Ranger, and all that swinging round and round in a net had combined to make Don jumpy, irritable, and just plain twitchy. He would never be setting foot in Reefside ever again. He would never be setting foot near a Power Ranger ever again. Hell, at this point, he was thinking of setting fire to his Red Ranger action figure.

_Power Rangers aside, I'll be glad to get out of this city,_ Don thought as he half-jogged towards the cyber café. _Everyone here is completely insane._

He cut down an alley behind the café and was almost out the other end when he found his path blocked by three short figures in black cloaks. Frowning, he slowed down and went to move around them, only to realize that they were now on all sides of him.

Don counted nine of the cloaked figures, none of them within four inches of his height and all of them a lot skinnier. He doubted they were a threat, but being surrounded by robed and hooded figures in a back alley in a strange town after being growled at by a Yellow Ranger was no time to assume that the situation was harmless.

"A.G.P.D.," Don said, brandishing his badge at them. "Move along."

"We know who you are, Officer Brewster," said the figure in the center. The voice was feminine, but off a bit, as if she was trying to deepen it, trying to sound threatening when she'd never threatened anything other than a younger sibling. "We know all about you."

"We know what you're here to do," said another. "And we're here to tell you we don't like it."

Don frowned. Was this another "Don't mess with Power Rangers" scare tactic, or were these people completely unrelated to Hayley and Tommy? Or was he just hallucinating from fear and lack of sleep?

"Is that a fact?" Don asked carefully. "What are you going to do about it?"

The robed figures looked askance at each other. A few shifted from foot to foot.

"You don't want to know," said the one fourth to his left.

"You really, really don't," said the one second from his right.

"Just stay away from Dr. Oliver," the figure in the center added. "We mean it. Stay away."

"I don't know any Dr. Oliver," Don said slowly.

"Yeah, but you've been asking questions about him," said another angrily. "About him being a Power Ranger."

Don winced at the term. "I'm done," he said quickly, no longer caring who these people were or what their brain malfunction was. "I'm going home."

"Make sure that you stay there," the one in the center said ominously, and something about her voice hit home.

_Teenage girls,_ Don realized suddenly. _They're all just teenage girls. I'm surrounded by a miniature army of teenage girls in cloaks who are telling me to back off their science teacher._

Was _everyone_ in Reefside totally bonkers? Was there a single person in this town who wasn't crazed and a good pal of Dr. Power Ranger?

"For crying out loud, people!" Don yelled. "You're threatening a police officer! That is not only stupid, it's _illegal!_ I don't _care_ about Dr. Oliver! I don't _care_ about Power Rangers! I don't _care_ about this stupid town full of _psychopaths!_ I just want to go home, enjoy the rest of my leave of absence, and forget I ever heard of Dr. Oliver! Now leave me alone before I shoot you all!"

The nine figures looked at each other, as if not quite sure what to do. Then the one in the center stepped aside. "Okay. You may pass. But, um, beware the wrath of the Secret Society of the—"

"LUNATICS!" Don roared, storming out of the circle and marching out of the alley, ranting as he entered the parking lot for Hayley's Cyberspace. "Every last one of you! Forget Tommy Oliver! Forget Power Rangers! Hell, there's a half-dozen other teams besides the Dino Rangers that haven't had their identities exposed and I'm sure there's probably an easier Ranger to unmask than Tommy freaking Ol—"

Don froze in mid-stomp, one foot still in the air. There had been seven Ranger teams to date with secret identities. Dino Thunder. Mighty Morphin. Zeo. Wild Force. Time Force. Ninja Storm. Lost Galaxy. Of course, the Lost Galaxy Rangers hadn't spent much time on Earth, and Time Force had gone public, though most of them had returned to the future and two had stayed to form the Silver Guardians task force. Zeo, Wild Force and Ninja Storm he wouldn't even know how to begin hunting. But Mighty Morphin…

They were all going to be gathering in Angel Grove Park on Saturday.

Why had he been bothering wasting all this time, dealing with Bulk and Skull and talking to whack job after whack job? How could he have been stupid enough to overlook the obvious and spend his day on a wild goose chase that ultimately led to, of all things, a booby trap?

Power Rangers Day was coming. It would take some careful planning, maybe even a few accomplices… but then, who _wouldn't_ be willing to help him? That reporter from the hospital, Abe… the mayor himself would probably want to unmask a Ranger. He could find help. Help beyond two buffoons who couldn't drive and thought wearing tie-dye with black leather was a good idea.

Don started walking again, grinning broadly.

In a couple of days, he'd have his proof.

And all he'd have to do was yank off a helmet.

* * *

"Conner still okay?" Kimberly asked as Tommy shut his phone.

"Eh, sounds like he's been kidnapped by axe-murderers, but other than _that…"_ Tommy joked.

Kimberly giggled, trying to picture Conner being held at axe-point. She was about to ask Tommy if he was having better luck with the imagery when his phone beeped. Again.

Kimberly fought off a growl. They'd been having a blast together. They'd had dozens of great conversations and he'd won her so many prizes that they'd had to drop off another bag of stuffed animals at the Jeep before they'd gone for ice cream. But Tommy was still catching her off guard at random moments, and his phone wasn't helping. Apparently Hayley had been calling him pretty much every twenty minutes since they'd gotten to the carnival, though Kimberly had failed to notice until she'd started hanging out exclusively with Tommy. Tommy refused to answer the phone—something about not wanting to "get into it" with Hayley right now—but he also refused to shut his phone off, especially now that the Dino Rangers were on the loose. It was getting very disconcerting to be reminded of Hayley every time the conversation really got going. And once his phone had startled him in the middle of the game and they'd had to spend an extra three dollars to win the cute two-foot-tall Eeyore he'd been after (although it had been worth it to have an Eeyore to add to her collection of Pooh animals, even if they had lost Eeyore's tail for a good long while and had to spend ages looking for it before Tommy finally spotted it near the swings).

"It's probably Hayley again," Tommy said apologetically. He frowned. "Huh. She's sent me picture mail."

"Is it her being held at axe-point? Next to Conner?" Kimberly joked, but was annoyed to find that Tommy was ignoring her, punching buttons on his phone to bring up the picture. Kimberly bristled a bit, but forcefully reminded herself that this Hayley girl was Tommy's friend, just like Trini, just like Tanya, just like Aisha, and _just like Kimberly._

Tommy stared down at the screen for a long while, then drawled, _"This_ can't be good."

"What?" Kimberly asked, trying to sound interested.

He turned the phone around to show her. A redhead—a redhead far too pretty for Kimberly's taste at the moment—stood in front of a row of computer monitors, holding what looked like a large fishing net in one hand and a bottle of Jack Daniel's in the other. She was wearing an oversized green-and-black flannel shirt and glaring into the camera. The picture wasn't quite the same size as the screen, suggesting it had been taken with something other than a camera phone.

Kimberly looked askance at Tommy. "She's on a fishing trip?" Kimberly guessed. Remembering the computers, she added, "In a library?"

Tommy shook his head. "She's getting drunk in the lab. The one below my house—the home base for the Dino Thunder Power Rangers," he explained in a whisper. "That net… I think it's from one of the booby traps in the house."

"Booby traps?" Kimberly repeated incredulously.

"Hey, you weren't there when the Command Center blew," Tommy pointed out with a sad smile. Kimberly felt a pang of sorrow for Zordon, combined with the old guilt for leaving the team, but she forced herself not to think about it. "I have traps all over, just in case someone tries to get into the lab from the house. The lab's pretty wrecked right now, thanks to Zeltrax, but a few things are up and running and it looks like she's using the digital camera down there." He peered a little closer at the tiny screen. "Hey, I think that's my shirt, too."

"You let her wear your clothes?" Kimberly asked, struggling to keep the pang of jealousy out of her voice.

Tommy looked sheepish. "It's what she does when it's my fault she has to do something that could ruin her own clothing. When I've had some sort of problem and she cleans, or needs to get drunk, or dig tunnels, or deal with chemicals, or oil the zords—that sort of thing. Wearing my shirt while holding a bottle of J.D. is her way of saying I've screwed up big-time. I don't know why she'd have a net, though." He frowned thoughtfully, then shot Kimberly a hopeful look.

"Go ahead and call her," Kimberly said reluctantly, feeling like she'd just put an electric eel inside her stomach.

"Thanks," Tommy told her gratefully. "I'll try to make it quick." Kimberly knew that the polite thing to do would be to tell him to take his time, but she couldn't muster that much politeness at the moment.

Tommy closed out of the picture-viewing feature, hit a single key, and hit send. Great. So Hayley had made it into the top nine on his speed dial. How lovely for Hayley. Tommy sat down on a bench, and Kimberly followed suit, making sure to sit on his right, as Tommy was holding the phone to his right ear and Kimberly was hoping to hear whatever Hayley had to say.

"Hayley? Hey, I'm sorry I didn't—"

"Where are you?" asked Hayley, her tone giving nothing away—no anger, no panic, no sign of having drunk a lot of Jack Daniel's.

"I'm in Stone Canyon. We had a big… issue… today, almost blew our identities, so I've, um, been too busy to answer the phone—"

"Almost blew your identities? Newsflash, Tommy—you _did_ blow your identities."

Tommy's eyes widened in horror. Kimberly pressed her head against his, not bothering to pretend she wasn't trying to eavesdrop. "How?" he whispered.

"A cop named Don Brewster showed up. He thinks you're the original Green Ranger, Tommy."

"Oh, my god," Tommy breathed. "How did he get _that?"_

"I don't know. He mentioned you moving to Angel Grove right before the Green Ranger showed and acting like a prick when the Green Ranger was evil."

"You spoke to him?" Kimberly asked.

There was a pause. "Who was that?"

Tommy winced. "Uh, Kimberly."

He could practically hear Hayley rolling her eyes, but she chose not to comment. _"Anyway,_ he came by the café this morning. With Bulk and Skull."

"Bulk and Skull?" Kimberly and Tommy repeated in the same breath.

"Yeah, Bulk and Skull," Hayley replied. "They've been terrorizing people in my café all day."

"You poor thing!" Kimberly exclaimed sympathetically.

"Thanks, Kimberly," Hayley said, and just enough of a slur came through to confirm Tommy's suspicions.

"Have you been drinking?" he demanded.

"Yes, Tommy, I have. Still am. I'm willing to deduct the amount of your alcohol that I've drunk from the money you owe me."

"What money I owe you?" Tommy asked blankly.

"Bulk and Skull broke four glasses, a table, and trampled half my supply of muffins. Not to mention all the customers who won't be back for a few days."

"That's not Tommy's fault," Kimberly pointed out, a little surprised that Hayley expected Tommy to fit the bill for Bulk and Skull's actions.

"Not his fault?" Hayley repeated in a tone that made Tommy cringe. "Not his _fault?_ _Excuse_ me, random ex-girlfriend, but if Tommy's going to get himself in such deep trouble that I have to spend the day babysitting the guys who are trying to expose the fact that Tommy's worn more colors than I have shoes, Tommy can go ahead and fork over the cash to pay for the damage they did, if for no other reason than because I've saved his hide more times than either of us can count. And I just had to do it again today, while simultaneously running a business, and Tommy was too busy enjoying Nostalgia Week in Angel Grove to even bother answering his phone!" Hayley voice had risen to a nearly-hysterical shout.

Tommy sent Kimberly a "Be. Quiet. _Now!"_ sort of look. "It's okay, Hayley. I'll pay for it. I understand. I'm so sorry I didn't answer the phone; I didn't realize that I'd turned off the ringer until I got the picture mail and saw that I had voicemail, too. The tones for picture mail and voicemail are different so the picture mail tone alert was still on—"

"Spare me, Tommy," Hayley interrupted. "You owe me for this. A lot. Don't think I don't know you just didn't want to answer your phone. And by the way, don't tell someone you'd turned down the ringer five seconds after telling them you had an 'issue' that made you too busy to answer."

"I'm so sorry," Tommy said sincerely. "I just… I thought if it was an emergency like this, you'd beep me on the communicator."

"I was at the café most of the time, Tommy. I didn't have a chance to dial you up from the computer system in the back, between customers and making sure Bulk and Skull weren't going to burn the place down."

"Are you okay?" Tommy asked.

"Of course I'm okay. I'm great. Me and Cassidy and Devin kind of trashed your living room—"

"Cassidy and Devin?" Tommy repeated. "You're drinking in the lab with _Cassidy and Devin?"_ Hayley might have a right to be upset, but he wasn't sure she had a right to supply minors with alcohol in his house while surrounded by Power Ranger artifacts related to every team every known.

"No, no, no. We ate what little snack food you had and watched the first hour of your collection of _Miscellaneous Power Ranger Footage Salvaged from the Viewing Globe Archives, Part I._ Then they took off and I started working my way through the bottle of Jack."

"You saved his identity by showing people Viewing Globe footage?" Kimberly asked, confused.

"Cassidy and Devin already knew," Tommy told her absently. "So… get back to the cop, Hayley. Tell me what happened."

"He came, he questioned, he left Bulk and Skull at Cyberspace, went to bother Councilwoman Sanchez, Elsa and Anton," Hayley said. "Don't know about Sanchez, but Elsa and Anton should have done pretty well."

"Eleanor Sanchez loves me," Tommy said. "I'm not worried about her, but I'll call her and ask her about it."

"Whatever. Regardless, he won't be bothering us again, that's for sure."

Something about the way she said it made Tommy a tad… _worried._ "Why's that?" he asked carefully.

"I threatened him."

"You… what? You threatened a _cop?"_ Tommy asked incredulously.

"Yeah, Tommy, you totally gotta pay her for the muffins," Kimberly said, concerned.

"I kind of had to. I caught him breaking into your house; the security alarm in the café's office went off."

"You set it to 'detain,' right? Not 'incapacitate?'"

"Duh, Tommy. Anyway, I told him you're a personal friend of the Green Ranger, not the actual Green Ranger."

"Brilliant," Tommy said. "That'll stop him from looking too closely into my high school days, keep him off the track of the others."

"But I went ahead and told him you were the Black Dino."

"What? _Why?"_ Tommy demanded, horrified.

"He was already there, Tommy. And I had to confirm a few of his suspicions, or he might have thought I was lying about everything and disregarded what I said. But the bottom line is, he wasn't here to find out _if_ you were a Power Ranger. He was here to find _proof._ He's a cop, Tommy—that's how they work. They know that figuring out who did it is nothing if you can't prove it."

Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose. Kimberly rubbed his back soothingly, feelings and memories swirling through her—how he'd protected her, even though it could cost him his identity; the look on his face when he'd knocked Walter out…

"What makes you think he won't talk?" Tommy asked wearily.

"I told him I was the Yellow Dino Ranger and threatened to make him have an 'accident.'"

To Kimberly's surprise, Tommy chuckled. "You told him you were the Yellow?"

"Oh, shut up, Tommy. I kind of had to. I screwed up on the pronouns—kept saying 'we' instead of 'they.' Besides, it helped me scare him, made him think I was strong enough to kick his butt, and it protected Kira along the way, so at least that's one of you that's completely out of the woods. And it explained how I knew so much about you. He looked ready to wet himself by the time I was through. Trust me, he won't be back."

"You're sure?"

"Very."

"Okay." Tommy took a shuddering breath. "Thank you, Hayley. I can't tell you how grateful—"

"Yeah, yeah. I know, Tommy. I know."

"Okay. Um, any other catastrophes?"

"Mm… not really. Oh, add a bottle of glass cleaner to the list of things you owe me; there's smudges all over the café's windows from when I wouldn't let Bulk and Skull in. And not all of them are fingerprints, mind you."

Tommy grimaced. "Okay, I don't want to know."

"Listen, I'm sure you're anxious to tell the gang and hang out and all that nonsense—"

"In other words, you want to get back to your drinking," Tommy interrupted with a grin. Hayley was the sort of person who only indulged in things like overeating or alcohol after something stressful; he had gotten very good at predicting what she'd want to do after each and every crisis.

"Yeah. It has been a _really_ rough day. Is Jason there?"

"No, why?"

"I wanted to ask him if I could stay with him over the weekend."

"Ah, so you're definitely coming?"

"Yep. When I called Anton to give him the all-clear, he said he'd pay to keep the café open over the weekend so I could take a vacation."

"Seriously?"

"Mm-hmm. He's bringing over a few of the people who work in the cafeteria at Mercer Industries' headquarters for me to train tomorrow; shouldn't be too hard, since they already have food service experience. Elsa offered to come in and 'supervise,' and given her time as a principal I'm sure that'll be helpful. I'll be driving down tomorrow after closing. Think Jason and Trini will be fine with that?"

"Probably. You know Trini loves you. Jason's been ranting a bit lately about people monopolizing Trini's time, but I'm sure you're still welcome to drop in. And Billy has wanted to meet you for years."

"Is Trini around at all?"  
"Um, no, it's just… me and Kimberly." Tommy shifted uncomfortably. Kimberly stopped rubbing his back, wondering why he didn't seem to want to tell Hayley that he was hanging out with only Kimberly at the moment.

"Where'd the gang go?"

"They got banned."

"Banned? Banned from _what?"_

"We're at a carnival. Trini started a clown fight."

"A _what_ fight?"

"Clown. Trini decked a clown and a whole troupe got into it. It was a full-scale riot. Managed to save Kira, Ethan and Trent, but Conner got caught in the crossfire."

"…Oh-kay. I'm guessing I'm gonna have a lot to catch up on by tomorrow."

"Yeah," Tommy agreed emphatically.

"All right. I'll call Jason, then. And Tommy?"

"Yeah?"

"When I'm sober, I'm going to rip you a new one."

"Understood. I love you, Hayley."

"Love you, too. Bye."

Tommy hung up and leaned back against the bench, his head flopping back and his eyes closed. "God, I'm lucky I have her."

"She sounds great," Kimberly said quietly, her head spinning. She felt a little sick. Here this Hayley woman was, saving the day, saving Tommy's identity and threatening a law enforcement officer. She wondered how many times Hayley had done something so spectacular and selfless in the past few years… and how many times Kimberly would have had an opportunity to do the same if she'd just made an effort to stay in Tommy's life, if she hadn't been too embarrassed and upset after their breakup to make amends. Once again, the question of how close Tommy and Hayley really were resurfaced—she didn't know of any two friends who said "I love you" at the end of a call, not even the Ranger gang. And Hayley had just taken a serious risk for Tommy—Kimberly had read once that verbal threats were technically, legally assault, and she wondered if even threatening Don could get Hayley charged with assault on a police officer.

"She's wonderful," Tommy groaned, stuffing the phone back into his pocket. "I couldn't survive without her. She just saved our asses. Again."

"Yeah."

He let out a deep, shuddering breath. "I should probably call Anton."

"The guy who was Mesogog, right?"

"Yeah."

"That was really nice of him, offering to pay people to take over her café for the weekend."

"Well, Anton's probably the richest guy I've ever met. I think he's in the top one hundred richest people in the country."

"Damn," Kimberly said, impressed.

"Yeah. Plus he kind of… feels guilty. For the whole Mesogog thing. I mean, it really wasn't his fault, but after everything that happened… two days after we defeated Mesogog, I suddenly had no more debt and Hayley was signing papers to own the building and land the café is on. He told me he's been trying to think of ways to broach the subject of helping the other Dino Rangers out with their financial problems. Ethan can't afford to move out of his parents' house for college, Kira's been looking to move to New York, that sort of thing."

"Wow. He sounds pretty nice."

"He is. I just… I can't _believe_ that Anton and Elsa and Hayley have been saving my ass while I wander mindlessly around a carnival."

Kimberly wasn't sure what to say. "Heh."

"I mean, not that I haven't been having fun," Tommy said quickly, sitting bolt upright and looking kind of nervous. "I just… I feel bad. After everything she's been doing, and Anton and Elsa—"

"I'm sorry," Kimberly said.

He frowned. "For what?"

"For… for… well, it was my purse."

Tommy looked startled. "So?"

"So if you hadn't punched that Walter guy—"

"That Walter guy deserved to be punched!" Tommy growled. "How _dare_ he try to steal your purse! I could have killed him, and then come to find out that he targeted you specifically—"

"He did? Who told you that?"

"Carrie did, this morning. When she came into the restaurant while I was eating breakfast." He sighed. "I feel bad about what happened with Walter and his friends back in school. But… to try to mug you… well… I really wish he hadn't gone down so fast, you know? When I saw him going after you… I wanted him to _suffer."_

Her stomach flipped in a way it hadn't since high school. She had almost forgotten what it was like to hear something that romantic. Sure, "I wanted him to suffer" wasn't straight out of a chick flick, but it meant a lot to her that he felt so protective of her.

"Thanks, Tommy," Kimberly said softly.

"Anytime," he replied firmly.

They stared at each other for a long while, the old chemistry sparking between them. Kimberly couldn't help but remember all the good times with Tommy, how sweet he was, how considerate, how romantic and thoughtful and protective, on top of being smart and funny and good-looking. Hell, he was even, technically, a doctor. Her mother would be beyond pleased about that…

It occurred to her quite suddenly that Tommy was Getting Closer. He was _leaning in._ Oh, god, was this really about to happen? What was she gonna _do?_

And now her head was moving of its own accord, tilting to the side, lips parting just enough that the kiss could be closed- or open-mouthed depending on how the moment of impact went. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest as if struggling to break free, run home and pull the covers over its head. Her fingers twitched; her arms longed to go around his neck and yank him down, partially because the suspense was killing her and partially because it felt so right, sitting on a bench in a carnival, _this_ carnival, their first date.

What if it sucked, though? What if this kiss was horrible? What if Tommy had somehow become the worst kisser on the face of the earth? What if all those memory issues had made him forget how to do it properly? What was the last thing he'd eaten? Hopefully it wasn't going to taste too awful—oh, no! What was the last thing _she'd_ eaten? What if she kissed him again after all this time and then he pulled away and said "Never mind, let's forget that ever happened and go buy you a toothbrush and a copy of _Kissing for Dummies?"_

Panic swirled through her as Tommy's mouth inched closer and closer. She wasn't ready for this. She needed days of planning for this and she wasn't even sure she was wearing kiss-proof lipstick and dear god she needed Trini, she needed her best friend to say all those reassuring things that Trini was so good at when she wasn't plotting to force Kimberly to like Tommy all over again and—

Wait.

Wait just a second.

All the stuff about Hayley.

The occasional sweet remarks that had shaken her up.

Conveniently ditching everyone else before hanging out with her. Especially since their first date here hadn't gotten "fun" until after the rest of the gang had been banned.

Turning a blind eye to Ethan and Anna, despite being responsible for Ethan—probably because once he said something, he wouldn't be able to just leave the two of them alone and hope they stayed kosher.

His odd, I'm-gonna-get-you behavior earlier.

How passionate he'd seemed about being so protective of her.

Too shy at one moment, not shy enough at the next.

Not answering his phone when Hayley called, but making sure that Kimberly knew who was calling.

Winning all those games.

Buying her cotton candy—what had Anna been saying about Tommy buying her cotton candy?

Was she really supposed to believe that he just wanted to be friends after his stunts earlier?

Was she really supposed to believe that he'd just dropped it, just like that?

After that display on the tunnel of love, and in the parking lot…

_Of course!_ Kimberly thought, furious with herself for not seeing it before. _Of COURSE he's still… still doing IT! Ever since Trini CONVENIENTLY got the gang banned again, all that sweet talk—I can't believe I was so stupid!_

"You little _creep!"_ Kimberly roared, quite literally in his face, which had come close enough that her lips almost brushed against him when she shouted. Tommy jolted in surprise and shrank back, cringing. "You _planned_ this! I can't _believe_ you, with your little speeches about 'I just wanted to hang, to be with you again' and your greatest fear being dying alone and all the things you 'accidentally' brought up to make me all nostalgic and… and… I don't _believe_ you!"

Everyone within a fifteen-foot radius was staring. Kimberly jumped up and loomed over him, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't figure it out? Huh? Did you honestly think that as a girl who's been Trini's best friend since the age of five that I wouldn't see right through you? You, with your cotton-candy buying and your 'sure, I'll win you a stuffed Eeyore and I'll help you find his tail you must have dropped it near the swings oh look it magically appeared almost as though it was in my pocket the whole time' and your little door-opening thing and your 'I'll buy lunch, I'm being financed by a billionaire' and 'it's okay, I won't freak out if you cling to my arm on the house of horrors ride' and you planned it! You totally _planned_ it!"

"Kim—" Tommy began.

"Oh, shut _up!_ Did you honestly think you'd be able to make out with me within a couple hours? Did you think I wouldn't see that clown fight as part of some big psychotic master plan engineered by you whack jobs to get you and me alone?"

"The clown fight wasn't me—"

"Oh, _sure_ it wasn't! Wasn't your fault at all! You were just the guy who happened to be gone when it happened! Just like you just _happened_ to be okay with me clinging to you on that horror ride! And you just _happened_ to find Eeyore's tail! And you just _happened_ to brush my hair out of my face when we got off the roller coaster so you could get all sheepish afterwards! IT'S ALL PART OF YOUR EVIL PLAN!"

"Kim—" Tommy said desperately.

"Let me tell you something, Mister—oh, excuse me, _Doctor_—I'm Kimberly Hart and I'll be damned if I'll let you trick me into _anything!_ I kick ass in the truest sense of the word and I'll be kicking yours if you try any more head games on me! So _back off!"_

Tommy stared at her as she glowered at him, breathing so heavily she was practically snorting, livid with rage. Then, he did the unthinkable.

Tommy grinned.

"Good going, Kimberly," Tommy said calmly, standing up and fixing her with a steely gaze that she hadn't seen since Jason had shattered the Sword of Darkness. "I really didn't think you'd figure it out. I had this whole thing planned, you know, the old 'that shouldn't have happened' and 'let's put it behind us' and oh, my personal favorite, 'let's take things slow.' Guess it's back to the drawing board."

"Draw all you want!" Kimberly screamed. "It's never gonna—"

"Oh, yes it will, Kimberly," Tommy interrupted dangerously. "It'll happen. It'll happen because out of the six of us _I'm_ the evil genius, not you, not Trini, not Jason, not Billy, not Zack. _I am. _ _I'm_ the one who will take you down and there's nothing you can do to stop me because no matter what happened, no matter what will happen, you're mine, Kimberly. _Mine._ And nothing's gonna change that. Not Florida, not cruel little letters, not seeing other people, not years of ignoring each other. _Nothing._ You are_ mine!"_

Kimberly glowered at him, lost for words. Her mouth gaped open and closed repeatedly as she fought to come up with something to say. She wanted to scream. She wanted to rant. She wanted to be angry. But the sad fact was, the rage was quickly leaving her. Because as egotistical and unrepentant as Tommy's little speech was, it was also insanely touching. It actually made her feel warm and happy, even after all the years and all the pain, to know that Tommy still thought of her as His.

Kimberly took a deep, shuddering, calming breath. Then—

"I'm gonna kick your ass, little boy!" Kimberly growled, and dove at him, flying over the bench, fist cocked back, ready to knock his lights out. He only had a couple of seconds to react, there was a good chance she'd land a few hits before he could get his wits about him…

Unfortunately for Kimberly, Tommy had allies close at hand. Someone flung their arms around Kimberly from behind and both Kimberly and Tommy's savior tumbled off-balance, falling backwards onto the bench. Kimberly elbowed her attacker hard in the gut and jumped up the moment he released her; she spun around to find Ethan clutching his stomach. Before she could decide whether it would be more productive to admonish Ethan or continue going after Tommy, Trent latched onto one of her arms and Kira grabbed the other. Anna ran up and flung herself down next to Ethan, rubbing his back and trying to see if he was okay. Ethan waved her off, managing a weak thumbs-up, and Anna stared at Kimberly as if she was a by-product of Lord Zedd.

"Jesus, Dr. O," Trent half-joked as he fought to keep his hold on Kimberly. "We leave you alone for two hours…"

"Ethan, are you okay?" Kira called.

"Fine," Ethan choked out, looking as though his eyes might start watering.

"You people are all really violent," Anna muttered nervously, shooting a glance at Tommy.

"So nice to have friends," Tommy said in amusement, smirking at Kimberly. "You never know when you're going to need a little help."

With one hard wrench Kimberly tore herself free from Kira and Trent. "I'm going to help you off a cliff if you don't knock it off right now," she snapped, and stormed off into the crowd, which parted quickly for her.

Anna, Ethan, Kira and Trent looked questioningly at Tommy. Tommy returned their gaze calmly. "Well. Took you guys long enough. Any longer and she'd've knocked me unconscious."

"You're welcome," Ethan said dryly. He coughed. "Ugh. I think she knocked out one of my lungs."

Tommy gave him a quick once-over and shrugged. "You'll be fine," he said dismissively.

"Thanks," Ethan replied, rolling his eyes.

"So, um, what now?" Kira asked. "Should we call Jason to come get us?"

Tommy shook his head. "Nah. Kimberly will stay scarce for at least an hour, and I'm gonna need some time to work on a new game plan. It's gonna take me a bit longer now that I blew the whole kiss-on-the-park-bench. Maybe I can convince the gang to swing by the lake later, though," Tommy said thoughtfully. "That'd probably get her."

"Just out of curiosity," Trent began, "um… how many different people _are_ you?"

Tommy blinked. "I figured that was pretty obvious." Anna, Kira, Ethan and Trent stared at him blankly. Tommy grinned. "Four, Trent. Approximately four."

Tommy checked his watch. "Okay. I know we were supposed to meet at the entrance in an hour, but I'm thinking we should push that back to, say, an hour and a half." He looked at each of them in turn, obviously thinking hard. "Look, I hate to break up your fun, but I need your help."

"Does it involve getting elbowed in the gut again?" Ethan demanded.

"No. But I need Anna, and I need Kira to go after Kimberly. You and Trent can go your own way."

"How come?" Trent asked, slightly offended that Tommy wasn't including him and Ethan.

"I work better with Anna one-on-one. And Kimberly needs a female, one who doesn't have her own agenda, to rant to right now."

"I'm _not_ gonna spy on Kimberly for you," Kira said, folding her arms over her chest.

"I'm not asking you to," Tommy said with a shrug. "I'm asking you to go calm her down before she starts her own clown riot."

Kira sighed. "Okay. I was kind of thinking about it anyway." She looked at Trent. "I'll see you later." Trent nodded and Kira took off.

Ethan turned to Anna. "That cool with you?"

"As long as _I_ don't get elbowed in the stomach," Anna said, in the helpless sort of tone used by those swept along in others' chaos. She smiled at Ethan. "This was fun. If I don't see you later, call me some time, okay?"

"Definitely," Ethan promised happily, and Anna beamed at him before walking off with Tommy, heading the opposite direction of Kimberly and Kira.

Trent sighed and plopped down on the bench next to Ethan. Trent and Kira had run into Ethan and Anna near the funnel cake kiosk shortly before hearing Kimberly go off on Tommy; they'd been able to follow the screaming past several noisy rides. He'd been hoping to eventually split back up; it was nice to spend time with just Kira, which they hadn't done a lot of this summer. Now, he'd traded Kira in and gotten Ethan; Trent sincerely hoped it was worth the sacrifice. Trent turned to look at Ethan, all set to ask him what he thought about this new development in the Tommy/Kimberly saga, but instead Trent found himself blurting out, "Dude, are you wearing _lipstick?"_

"What? No," Ethan said quickly, hurriedly wiping at his mouth.

Trent chuckled. "Had fun with Anna, then, I take it."

Ethan nodded, slightly embarrassed. "You could say that."

"Don't worry," Trent told him. "I won't tell Conner."

Ethan stared at him incredulously. "Why not?"

Trent thought it over. "Never mind. I just won't tell Kira."

Ethan nodded emphatically. "Thanks. She'll go all, 'aw, how sweet' on me. It's scary when Kira acts like a girl."

Trent smirked. "Not to me." Ethan made a face and started to reply, but then suddenly burst out laughing. "What?" Trent asked.

"I get it now," Ethan explained. Seeing Trent's confused frown, Ethan added, "When you asked how many different people Dr. O was."  
Trent smacked his forehead in realization. "Duh! _That's_ what he meant by four."

* * *

_End Notes:_ Sorry for the wait. Hopefully the next won't take so long; we'll be back to Conner, Rocky and Zack by then.

_Shameless plug:_ I've made a music vid called "Tommy's Reminders," set to "How You Remind Me" by Nickelback, and posted it on Youtube under my friend's account, BrynEnsomhet. I'd love any and all comments; it still needs some editing, as it was my first vid, but I'm pretty proud of it.


	60. Life's a Masquerade

_Author's Notes:_ The four-people joke was, in fact, a reference to Tommy's four colors, and the different aspects of his life apparent when he wore those colors. Sorry to those of you that missed it.

This chapter goes out to Steven Quinlan and Jarel Jones, Steven for helping me out with some stuff for the OLaB sequel, and Jarel for sending me a wonderful list of errors made in OLaB that I'm currently working on correcting.

* * *

**Chapter Sixty**

_Life's a Masquerade_

"Any of you know how to work a video camera?" Rachel asked as she, Sandra and Dee marched purposefully through Stony Creek Park, with Rocky, Zack and Conner practically jogging to keep up. The three girls were each carrying well-worn shovels and had stuffed their pockets full of Sharpie markers.

"I'm 'technologically challenged,' according to my buddy Ethan," Conner said.

"I can," Zack said. Rachel shoved a camcorder into his hands. "Um, what do you want me to film?"

"We'll tell you once we find it," Rachel told him absently, choking up her grip on her shovel handle.

"Keep your eyes peeled, guys," Sandra said.

"For what?" Rocky asked.

"Nothing," Sandra said.

"How can we keep our eyes peeled for nothing?" Conner asked blankly.

"OOH! That's it!" Dee screamed, pointing wildly at a picnic table dead ahead. The three girls rushed at it, stabbing their shovels into the ground and flinging themselves onto the benches before uncapping their markers.

Rocky, Zack and Conner looked at each other. "They're going to vandalize public property, you know," Conner muttered.

"I'm aware of that, Conner," Rocky said. "What do you want to do? Walk away, call the guys to come get us, and hope that we find three more girls _without_ a fondness for petty crimes?"

"When you put it like that…" Conner said slowly, thinking it over.

"I was joking," Rocky said. He nodded at the girls; Rachel and Sandra were doodling all over the tabletop with their Sharpies and Dee was scraping something off the underside of the table with a knife. "We passed like six tables on the way here. What's so special about that one?"

"And why's Dee scraping that gunk off?" Conner wondered.

"You _guys,"_ Zack said in exasperation, "we're _reaching._ This happens. I do it all the time. We all do. You see something weird, you start trying to reason it out, but sometimes, just sometimes, there's not a reason. It's just that we're so used to there being a reason. When our friends act funny, we wonder if they're under evil spells. When our wallets go missing, we wonder if it's been turned into a wallet monster. There's always that momentary flash of 'this is an evil villain's work.' It's just something we never grew out of. Because it _used_ to be reality."

"Zack! Come get some shots of this," Sandra called.

"Coming! Just a sec!" Zack yelled. He turned back to Rocky and Conner. "Anyway, it's not our reality anymore. Sometimes our friends act weird for no reason, and sometimes we accidentally flush our wallet down the toilet. So they're defacing a picnic table. Yes, that's bad. But in the end, they're just girls who like to draw on stuff they're not legally supposed to draw on. There is _no conspiracy._ We're not crime-fighters anymore. We're three guys looking to—"

"Where'd they go?" Conner interrupted suddenly.

Rocky and Zack looked around. The girls had disappeared. "Aw, _damn,"_ Rocky complained.

Rocky, Zack and Conner jogged over to the picnic table. The girls had drawn a small version of their logo in the bottom left corner of the tabletop, and covered the rest of it in everything from stars and stick figures to unrecognizable symbols. "Look, the logo's a little faded," Conner said. "Like it's been here a while. Maybe they did it a long time ago, when they were here before. Maybe that's why they wanted this table."

"Now I know where I've seen the logo before," Zack said. "There's a huge mural on a bridge near my cousin Curtis's house. He told me he saw three chicks drawing it in marker. They put the same logo on it."

"Okay, bigger picture—where'd they go?" Rocky asked.

"Shovels are gone," Conner pointed out.

"This is ridiculous," Rocky grumbled. "This only happens to people like us, you know."

"Well aware of that," Zack said. He sighed and looked at Rocky. "What do you think, man? Have we been ditched?"

"Ditched? No. No way," Rocky said firmly. "We've just… been momentarily forgotten."

Rocky's phone went off, blaring an old song that Tanya had written about her days as a Ranger (only not in so many words). Rocky groaned; all of his ring tones were personalized. "It's Adam," Rocky said, hitting the send button. "Hello?"

"Rocky? Where the hell are you?"

"I don't know. Somewhere in Stony Creek Park."

"Where?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"Trini found some stuff on the Internet."

"What _kind _of stuff?" Rocky joked.

"Your new girlfriend's a criminal."

Rocky rolled his eyes. "Yeah, the graffiti stuff, I know."

"Not the graffiti stuff. They're axe murderers!"

"Come on, Adam, that's Trini talking, not you. They're not axe murderers. I think I would've noticed an axe in the car."

"There's one in the back seat," Conner said helpfully.

Rocky frowned at him. "Conner, I'm on the phone."

"No, seriously," Adam insisted. "They make a living robbing convenience stores and stuff."

Rocky frowned. "Adam, you're blowing things way out of proportion."

"I am _not!_ Look, just hold still. Billy, Trini, Jason and I split up; we'll find you eventually."

"You're looking for us?" Rocky demanded incredulously.

"Yes! Those girls are dangerous!"

Rocky rolled his eyes. "No, Adam, they're not. Evil space mutants are dangerous. Giant robots are dangerous. _We_ are dangerous. Not them. Now calm down, would you? I'm having fun. I'm hoping I'll get to have a lot _more_ fun. But that's not going to happen if my crazy best friend interrupts because he's under the delusion that I'm trying to score with an axe murderer."

"Rocky—"

"Adam, I mean it. _No interruptions._ Remember what happened that one time with that Sarah chick?"

"That Sarah chick was completely different!"

"You thought she was a prostitute."

"She was an undercover cop! Anyone could make that mistake!"

"Adam, seriously. _Back off._ I'll talk to you later." Rocky hung up and shook his head. "You were right, Zack. We're totally reaching."

Zack nodded wisely. "It's an ex-Ranger thing. We all go a little overboard sometimes."

"Right." Rocky glanced around. "Okay. Let's see if we can find their footprints or something. They can't have gone far, and I wanna find them before Adam does. Or one of the others."

"Clock's ticking," Zack said determinedly. He and Rocky each took one side of the table and began searching for traces of the girls.

"Um… I thought we weren't going to go overboard," Conner said in confusion. "You know, try to act like normal people."

"Normal people look for footprints, too," Rocky said absently.

Conner frowned. Conner had been "normal" only nine months ago, whereas it had been much longer for Zack and Rocky. "Um… are you sure?"

"How _else_ would normal people find someone?" Rocky pointed out reasonably.

Conner cleared his throat. "Um… so… what was that about axe murderers and prostitutes?"

"The prostitute thing was about my ex-girlfriend," Rocky said vaguely, intent on his search. "Adam saw her dressed like a hooker and picking up guys on the street. He spent the next three days trying to tell me, and finally burst out with it in the middle of a crowded restaurant on a double date. Right in front of her. Only she wasn't a prostitute, she was a cop. Vice squad. Not only did I lose a girlfriend, I lost one of my favorite restaurants."

"Adam's got a thing about ruining double dates at restaurants," Zack muttered sourly, remembering the morpher malfunction.

"Oh. So, um," Conner began, "what about the axe murderer thing?"

"Oh, nothing. Adam said something about Trini finding a webpage with criminal information or something."

"Oh, man, I hate when she starts with the Internet thing," Zack complained. "It's all downhill from there. You date _one_ transvestite by accident _once_ and people think you can't pick out a decent girl. If I had a dollar for every criminal background check Trini dug up—"

"Transvestite?" Rocky and Conner repeated, staring at him.

Zack cringed. "Um… oh, hey! Ah-ha!" Zack bent down and picked up a red Sharpie off the ground. "They went this way!"

Rocky and Zack headed down the path through the trees. Conner, however, hesitated. Rocky had totally dodged the axe murderer question. Adam was in the park and searching for them. And even though Rocky and Zack were acting calm, they were putting a little too much work into reassuring themselves that nothing was wrong. And now the three girls had vanished into the woods. With shovels. After making their truck as inconspicuous as possible.

"Conner! You coming?"

Conner fished a ski mask out of his pocket. "Right behind you."

He caught up with Rocky and Zack at a fork in the path, and nearly got his butt kicked for the crime of popping up behind them while wearing a mask.

"Jeez, man, don't _do_ that!" Zack complained.

"What's with the ski mask?" Rocky demanded.

Conner shrugged. "There was a bunch of them in the truck."

Rocky and Zack stared at him. "Dude," Zack chided, "when you see something as fishy as a pile of ski masks, you warn us."

"Oh. Okay, sorry."

Rocky and Zack looked at Conner expectantly; after a long moment, he figured out what they wanted and handed them the two spare masks. "They were in your pocket, this time, right?" Zack asked suspiciously.

"Yeah. Promise."

"Okay, then." Zack inspected his mask carefully. A small blue dragon was embroidered on the dark purple knit. "What did you get, Rocky?"

Rocky held his up. "Cat."

Zack pouted. "Yours is black."

"And red."

"Mine's got a blue dragon." Zack shook the mask at him enticingly.

Rocky looked tempted, but held firm. "Nuh-uh, man. Trade with Conner."

"No way!" Conner exclaimed. "This one's Dee's."

"How can you tell?" Rocky asked.

"It's got a hermit crab. Dee strikes me as a hermit crab kind of girl."

"Come on, Conner, trade with Zack."

"No! He's black, not green!"

"I wanna wear the black one," Zack insisted.

"For crying out loud!" Rocky snatched it from him in exasperation and yanked it onto his head. "I can't believe we're arguing about which ski mask we want!"

"Yeah, it was definitely on the 'Unlikely List of Arguments,'" Zack agreed as he cheerfully slipped the red-and-black mask on.

"I like the mask," Conner proclaimed, looking around the picturesque park and breathing as deeply as he could with the material covering his mouth and nose. He felt oddly calmer now that he had anonymity on his side again. "Any luck finding them?" he asked.

"Nope," Zack said, gesturing at the path. "They could have taken either fork. Maybe we should split up."

Conner pointed at a woman sitting on a bench down the left fork, reading a book and absently petting a leashed golden retriever. "I'll go ask if she's seen them."

"Wait, Conner, I don't think that's such a good—" Rocky began.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Conner asked the woman in his most polite, normal-person voice. "Have you seen three girls carrying shovels go by?"

The woman looked up at Conner. Only she didn't see Conner. She saw a tall, muscular guy in a ski mask looming over her.

"Attack!" the woman screamed.

Conner, without thinking, dropped into a martial arts stance. "Attack who?" he started to ask, only to realize she hadn't been talking to Conner. She'd been talking to her dog.

With a bark loud enough to mark the dog as a close relative of Cujo, the dog sprang forward, almost snapping his leash as he attempted to snap his jaws onto Conner. Conner yelped and backpedaled, narrowly avoiding the snarling dog as he sprinted back down the path. Rocky and Zack had vanished from view. Conner ran back down the path towards the picnic table when an arm reached out and grabbed his shirt, hauling him into the trees.

Conner was three seconds from punching out his new attacker when he realized Zack had hold of his shirt. Rocky was a few feet away, crouched behind a bush and spying on the dog owner.

"Did you see that?" Conner gasped. "I was almost Kibble and Bits!"

"Dude, you don't chat people up when wearing a ski mask," Zack said in exasperation. "Even _I_ know that."

"Good point." Conner took a few gulps of air, then frowned. "Wait. _How_ do you know that?"

Before Zack could reply, Rocky stood up and headed towards them. "The lady's on her cell phone. I think she's calling 911."

"Great. Do we lose the masks?" Zack wondered.

"Nah. She might have gotten a good look at what Conner was wearing. If we're gonna be caught, we might as well have a shot at not being identified."

"Makes sense," Zack agreed.

"Wait, wait, wait. Caught?" Conner repeated. "Caught doing _what?_ Asking for directions?"

"I don't think we want to explain to anyone that we were just looking for some graffiti artists we picked up at a carnival we got kicked out of," Rocky explained grimly.

"Ah," Conner said slowly. "So… what now?"

"Now we keep looking for the graffiti artists we picked up at a carnival we got kicked out of," Zack said cheerfully. Rocky and Zack set off through the woods. Shrugging, Conner pulled his mask a little lower and followed.

* * *

"I don't _believe_ him!" Kimberly raged as she stomped mindlessly through the carnival, Kira practically running beside her, struggling to keep up. "Can you _believe_ him? I can't _believe_ him!" 

"What, exactly, can't you believe?" Kira asked.

"That he would… would… _orchestrate_ that!"

Kira thought it over. "Why does it bother you?"

"What do you mean, why does it bother me?"

"Well…" Kira swallowed, choosing her words carefully, "why does Dr. O wanting to, you know, kiss you, make you so upset?"

"That's not what makes me upset!" Kimberly proclaimed, whirling around to face Kira so fast that Kira had to fight the urge to retreat.

"Then… what is?" Kira asked in a small voice.

"I… he… I… he _challenged_ me, Kira. Challenged!"

Kira tried to see Kimberly's logic and failed. "I'm not following."

"He's _fighting_ me, Kira. Challenging me. He's out to take me down, not to kiss me."

Kira scratched her head. "Dr. O doesn't strike me as the type who kisses you as part of a fight. I mean, I've seen him go after some pretty major monsters, and—"

Kimberly sighed. "It's not about that. It's that Tommy's gone all… all Trini on me."

"Trini tries to kiss you?"

"No! Oh, man," Kimberly moaned, massaging her temples. "Okay. How do I explain this? All week, Trini's been trying to get me to get back with Tommy. And now Tommy's doing the same thing."

"And you don't want that?"

"No! Yes! No—I don't know!" Kimberly stamped her foot in frustration. "That's not the _point!"_

"What _is_ the point?" Kira asked desperately. "I mean, I'm trying to get it, I really am, but… it sounds to me like you're more concerned with fighting Dr. O than you are with whether or not you want to give it another shot."

"Exactly!" Kimberly shouted. "I'm not going to let anyone goad me into doing anything!"

"So… um… what is it you _do_ want to do?"

Kimberly opened her mouth to reply. Then she shut it. What _did_ she want?

Well, for starters, making out with Tommy on a park bench sounded pretty nice.

Kimberly cocked her head to the side and stared at Kira. "Huh."

"Huh, what?"

"I want… I wanted _that._ I really did."

Kira pushed aside her personal feelings about the ick factor of her science teacher having a social life and tried to put things into perspective. "So… basically, you're not doing what you want to do because Dr. O's trying to get you to do it anyway?"

There was a long pause. Then Kimberly nodded.

"And… why does it matter that Dr. O wants you to do it if you want to do it anyway?" Kira asked.

Kimberly giggled in a helpless sort of way and threw up her hands. "I don't know, Kira. I don't know."

Kira's eyes narrowed. "I think you do."

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not great at this relationship stuff, but—I think you _do_ know why it bothers you."

Kimberly stared at her for a moment, halfway to offended, before sighing. "Okay, so maybe I do."

"And?"

"And you can't tell a soul. Not Tommy, not Trini, not Trent, nobody."

"Promise."

Kimberly took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It's the fight."

"The fight?"

"Yeah. The fight." Kimberly shook her head. "I haven't gotten to fight anything in a long time, Kira. My life went really smoothly after I left the team. Made a name for myself as a gymnast, opened a successful school. I haven't had anything to truly fight for in a long time. And… and I'm not about to lose the first one that's come along in years!"

Kira raised an eyebrow at her. "You know that's a stupid reason, right?"

Kimberly shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe, but… well… I don't care! Trini has all these interesting projects with Ranger stuff, and Tommy's got all these weird dinosaur experiments, and Zack can't have a normal life for three seconds straight, and Billy's king of an alien planet, and Jason's always Mr. Leader and solving everyone else's conflicts, and what am I? A gymnast. And I love gymnastics, I really do, but damn it, Kira, I want to kick something's _butt!"_

Kira regarded her thoughtfully for a long moment. Then she slowly raised her fists. "All right. You and me, let's go."

"Kira, I meant—"

"Come on! You want to kick someone's butt, let's go. I mean, we might've sparred the other day, but I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve and maybe I'll surprise you."

"Kira, that's… um, sweet, but—"

"I'm not being sweet. I'm throwing down. It's you and me. Or, more accurately, it's you _or_ me."

Kimberly chuckled. Then she went oddly still, as if she'd just had an epiphany.

Then she lunged at Kira.

* * *

"There you are!" 

Rocky, Zack and Conner jumped and spun around to find themselves face-to-face with Dee. "Did you get any shots of the picnic table?" Dee asked, as though nothing out of the ordinary—like disappearing so that the guys had been forced to follow a trail of Sharpie markers all over the park—had happened.

"Uh, yeah," Zack lied quickly.

"Sorry about borrowing your masks," Conner said.

"Gotta do what you gotta do," Dee said, shrugging. "Why are you wearing them, anyway?"

The three guys looked at each other. They didn't really have an actual reason, unless one counted uneasiness and the desire to have a secret identity in a possibly volatile situation. "No reason," Conner said finally.

"Ah," Dee said, as though it made perfect sense to wear ski masks in public without cause.

"Where are Sandra and Rachel?" Zack asked, figuring it was time to change the subject.

"Over there. They sent me to find you guys."

"Really?" Rocky said, grinning at Zack (which didn't work so well when his mouth was covered by a mask). At least they knew the girls hadn't been trying to ditch them.

"Yeah. Oh, and you know that one friend of yours? They're here."

"Which friend?" Rocky asked, his good mood evaporating.

"Um… I forget her name. The Asian chick with the pretty hair and the loud screaming voice…?"

"Trini," Zack whispered, wincing.

"Yeah, that's her. She chased me for like fifteen minutes straight, calling me an axe murderer."

_"Are_ you an axe murderer?" Conner asked suspiciously.

"What? No. Of course not. I've never killed anybody."

"Well, that's settled, then," Rocky joked, though Conner thought he looked distinctly _relieved._

"Back to Trini," Zack said quickly, "how'd you get away?"

"I threw Sharpies at her head and ran for it," Dee explained. "Lost her around the fourth or fifth Sharpie. I think your friend is really unstable, by the way. And she owes me half a pack of fine points."

"Sorry about that," Zack said, glancing about uneasily, as if expected Trini to pop out from behind a tree at any moment.

"No problem. It's not like we don't have a lot of Sharpies to spare," Dee said cheerfully. "Come on. Rachel and Sandra should be almost done by now."

"Done with what?" Rocky asked as they followed Dee through the woods. He and Zack both began tossing the Sharpies they'd been picking up off into opposite directions, just in case Trini or any of their other friends was also following a marker trail.

"Digging," Dee replied.

"Digging what?" Conner asked.

"Dirt."

"No, I meant, what are they digging up?"

"A box."

"You're not much for straight answers, are you?" Rocky asked dryly.

"Sometimes."

A few moments later, Dee, Rocky, Zack and Conner arrived at a small clearing in the woods, where Rachel and Sandra were fervently digging. About a dozen other holes, roughly a foot wide and two feet deep, marked the area.

"Hey!" Zack called.

"Oh, hey! Where you guys been?" Rachel asked.

"Around," Conner said.

"This soil's a lot harder than I remember," Sandra said, tossing a shovelful of dirt out of the way. She paused to push her hair out of her eyes. "Just so you guys know—we've found it's usually not a good idea to wear ski masks in public."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Some lady sicced her dog on me," Conner complained.

"Did it get you?" Dee asked, concerned.

"No, I—" Conner paused. "Ran away" didn't sound quite… right. "I, um, I scared it off."

Dee shuddered. "I hate dogs. Cats are cool, though."

"You know," Conner mused, "plenty of people hate dogs and like cats, and plenty of people love dogs and hate cats, but how come if someone hates a cat, it's not because the cat tried to bite the person's leg off?"

Dee thought it over, then gave him a deeply impressed look. "Wow. You really _are_ the brainy type."

"Yeah, that's Conner for you," Rocky said wryly as he hopped over a couple of holes and headed towards Rachel. "Need any help?"

Rachel shrugged. "If you want to grab Dee's shovel, we'd appreciate it. She sucks at digging. That's why we sent her after you three."

"I do not!"

"You do when you're distracted by anything. Which is always."

Rocky picked up the shovel. "What exactly are we digging for?"

"Box. Metal. Down about three feet. We buried it here a year and a half ago."

"Why?" Conner asked curiously.

Rachel's expression and tone became a little too casual to be natural. "It's not important."

* * *

Steven sighed as he stomped down a path through Stony Creek Park. "I can't _believe_ they're going to send forty of us to Angel Grove," he grumbled to his partner, Jarel. 

"Aw, come on, Steven," Jarel chided. "Don't you want to meet the Power Rangers?"

"I _did_ meet the Power Rangers," Steven informed him. "Several times. I was also at the first Power Rangers Day. I got sucked into another dimension with the rest of the town."

"What are the odds of that happening again?" Jarel said, smirking.

Steven rolled his eyes. "Well, it's happened to me twice. I know it's not exactly scary to you. You got to grow up in nice, safe Los Angeles."

"Yeah, cuz Los Angeles doesn't have a single crime," Jarel drawled. It was a conversation they'd had many times before, pretty much since the moment they'd become partners on the Stone Canyon police force. Angel Grove, with a population of roughly four hundred thousand, didn't have a fraction of L.A.'s crime rate. Steven, however, insisted that the trauma of growing up with Power Rangers was just as bad as growing up amongst murderers, rapists and thieves.

"Listen," Steven began, but Jarel ignored him, calling out to a teenaged couple coming up the path.

"Can we help you, Officer?" the girl asked politely.

"I was just wondering if you've seen anything out of the ordinary," Jarel said politely. Jarel had a talent for knowing just how to make people feel at ease; he was often the good cop to Steven's bad cop.

"Eh, no—we just got here," the boy replied. "The only weird thing we've seen so far was a beat-up orange truck in the parking lot, but unless you're looking for goofy bumper stickers—"

"Thanks anyway," Jarel said, and stepped aside so the two of them could pass. He turned to Steven. "You think we'll find this guy?"

"Hope so," Steven said. "Although Angel Grove might not want us if we can't find one single guy in—"

"In forty-odd acres?" Jarel interrupted. "When we've got a vague description off a hysterical housewife? Yeah, not finding this guy might even cost us our jobs. Dream on, man."

They were currently looking for some freak in a ski mask who had scared a housewife out walking her dog. Though she hadn't been harmed, and had even admitted that on second thought he hadn't seemed all that threatening, there weren't many reasons for wearing a ski mask in June. There hadn't been any crimes reported in the area committed by someone wearing a mask, so they had to assume that it was a kid pulling pranks to scare people or something a bit more sinister, like a criminal burying evidence, though the latter weren't often prone to trying to chat up dog-walkers.

"Let's get off the path," Steven said. "He's probably not wandering around in plain sight while masked. At least, not anymore."

_"If_ he's still wearing the mask," Jarel pointed out, but he followed Steven into the woods anyway. "And all we have to go on besides a green ski mask with a crustacean on it is that he was wearing either a black shirt or a red shirt."

"Maybe we'll be able to stave off getting sent to Angel Grove while we look for him," Steven said hopefully. "It could take until at least Saturday night, right?"

"It's Wednesday. You're still reaching, dude."

"No one says 'dude' anymore."

"Except for every other person on the planet who says it and also has to listen to everyone saying that no one says it anymore. Anyway, don't change the subject."

"What subject were we on?"

"Why you don't want to go to Angel Grove."

"I _told_ you why."

"No, mostly you bitched about going. There was no why."

Steven sighed. "Do you know how long the citizens of Angel Grove were trapped in an alternate dimension on the last Power Rangers Day?"

"No, how long?"

"No one knows. All our watches stopped. Pagers, too. Some people even had their cameras fried."

"And your point is…?"

"My _point_ is that it's _not fun_ to get teleported into another dimension!" Steven exploded. "It's also _not fun_ to get shot at by Power Ranger blasters—"

"They _shot_ at you? Dude, _Rangers_ shot at you?"

"Technically, Putty Patrollers disguised as them fired duplicate weapons on us helpless townsfolk. And that was just an average day." Steven had never gone too in-depth about his days in Angel Grove, primarily because he didn't like to rehash the trauma, but now that he was letting it out it just wouldn't stop coming. "That's not to mention the giant monsters and zords crashing into buildings and stepping on everything from chewing gum to my dirt bike. And the regular monsters that chased you down or attempted to kidnap you or just fired blasts of god-knows-what at you. I've been burned, kicked, punched, thrown, kidnapped, teleported, knocked unconscious, tossed a good fifty feet from explosion shockwaves, attacked by creepy clay monsters, attacked by creepy bird monsters, attacked by creepy robot monsters, turned into a photograph, turned into gold, held hostage, hypnotized, put under sleep spells, forced to sing the same song over and over and over again, and put under two different love spells, one of which had me making out with my bio lab partner that I wouldn't have ordinarily touched under any circumstances, and the other had me believing that it was a good idea to marry a neon sign that said 'Winky's.'"

Jarel stopped and stared at him for a full two minutes without blinking. At last, he seemed to fully process this speech and responded with, "Dude… _Winky's?"_

"Yes, Winky's. It's a pool hall that I'm never going back to."

"I don't think you should have gone there in the first place, all things considered."

"I'm _telling_ you, man. Angel Grove is _psychotic._ I got the hell out of there right after that Astronomer, or whatever her name was, held the entire town hostage."

Jarel digested this new information as they started wandering through the woods again, looking this way and that, automatically scanning for anything suspicious. "Okay. I guess that's a good reason for not wanting to go home again. But… correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't all that over with now? Angel Grove doesn't have its own Rangers. They're off in Reefside or something now."

"That's not enough. I mean, the Space Rangers weren't around that much, and we were still held hostage overnight. Besides…" Steven sighed. "As crazy as this sounds, I have this… theory. That the place is, well, tainted. Every time I go back there to visit my folks or see my friends or anything, it's one moment of chaos after another until I find my way back to the safety of Stone Canyon. And the people there are completely insane. Trust me, Jarel—a three-day stint helping patrol the city of Angel Grove is four days too long."

"Yeah, well, you're on the other side now, right? Keeping a lid on the craziness, not falling victim to it."

Steven simply shook his head. "Just don't blame me when you're spending your Saturday wandering around an alternate dimension with a couple hundred thousand other people and a broken two-hundred-dollar watch. I tried to warn you."

"Hey, do you hear that?" Jarel asked, pausing to listen.

"What?"

"This way." Jarel made an abrupt left turn, following what sounded like a small group having a bit of a party. It probably was just a small party, but they were pretty far off the path and most people picnicked in the grassy areas or by the barbecue pits, not this far in the forest.

A few moments later, he and Steven were at the edge of a small clearing, staring incredulously at the sight before them. Two girls holding shovels were grinning happily at a box held by a third, while three guys stood nearby, whispering amongst themselves; one of them was holding his own shovel. All three guys were wearing ski masks.

"That's the one," Jarel whispered. "Green mask with a crab."

Steven shook his head. "Who really gets custom-designed ski masks?"

Jarel shrugged. "I don't really care. Not that there are lots of guys in ski masks running around a public park in southern California in summer, but it's always nice when they make it a little easier for us."

Steven shook his head. "Fifty bucks," he muttered darkly. "I'll bet you fifty bucks that these people are from Angel Grove."

Jarel chuckled before drawing his weapon and stepping out into the open. "Freeze!" he shouted. "Hands in the air, now!"


	61. Target Rangers

**Chapter Sixty-One**

_Target Rangers_

Rocky couldn't believe this was happening to him. Stuff like this didn't happen to him. Stuff like this happened to Zack.

Zack and Conner, standing on either side of Rocky, were slowly raising their hands, eyes wide behind their masks. Rocky, however, wasn't sure if the two police officers pointing nine-millimeter handguns at them wanted Rocky to drop the shovel before raising his hands or not. Probably, but if he just let it go it'd probably land on his foot, and if he threw it he might get shot. Either way, Rocky wasn't too keen on hospitals.

Rocky was surprised to realize that having a gun trained on him by law enforcement officer didn't scare him at all. He was pretty sure he was supposed to be scared, but mostly he was just grim, determined, uneasy, examining the options, and thinking that this whole mess might be more trouble than it was worth.

"Officer," Rocky said slowly, "we haven't done anything wro—"

"RUN!" screamed one of the girls, though Rocky couldn't tell which. A moment later, the girls had vanished into the trees.

Suddenly Rocky wasn't liking the odds so well. He hadn't done anything wrong, true—unless it was illegal to dig holes in a public park while masked—but the girls were fleeing law enforcement, so they probably felt they had a reason to do so, and if Adam had been right about the axe murderer thing, Rocky didn't want to be caught in the crossfire.

Even though some part of him knew it was a bad idea, knew he really shouldn't do it, something about being safely behind a mask made Rocky turn and bolt into the forest as well. Zack was right behind him, and before the cop who'd told them to freeze had finished swearing, Conner was yelling "Wait for me!"

Thankfully, the cops had been a good fifty feet away when they'd popped into the clearing, so Rocky, Zack and Conner had a good head start, and the cops were bound to be slowed down by the multitude of holes throughout the clearing. Rocky thanked God for making him athletic as he sprinted through the trees, Zack and Conner on his heels.

It became harder to follow Rachel, Sandra and Dee, as they were now zigzagging through the trees, dodging left and right, which slowed them down until the guys had almost caught up with them. Rocky tried to puzzle this out and remembered reading that when being shot at, running in a zigzag pattern decreases the chance of getting hit, as a bullet's trajectory is straight.

"Guys, don't run in a straight line! Wind through the trees!" Rocky ordered.

"Why?" Conner asked. "That'll slow us down! The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, even I know that!"

"Yeah, but zigzags mean less chance of getting shot!"

_"What?"_ Conner yelped.

"I thought that was for alligators or something," Zack mused as he darted to the left.

They began to lose ground on the girls and a quick glance over his shoulder showed Rocky that the cops were gaining. They weren't shooting, for which Rocky was grateful, but he didn't know exactly what it would take to get them to shoot.

"Split up!" Rachel called from ahead. "Meet back at the rendezvous point!"

Dee veered left, Sandra veered right, and Rachel returned to going in a straight line, dead ahead. Rocky almost ordered the guys to split up as well, but he had no idea what the rendezvous point was. And now, most unfortunately, there was less chance that the girls would get caught, and more that Rocky, Zack and Conner would. Rocky grit his teeth and switched the shovel to his other hand; heavy as it was, he didn't want to leave it behind, just in case it could be traced back to him.

"Conner," Rocky called urgently. "Do you still have any you-know-what left?"

"Any what?"

"Any… any red juice left?"

"Huh? Oh. No. No, I don't have any, um, juice left."

"Damn." Granted, Rocky had the Blue Zeo Powers and Zack the Black Mighty Morphin, which they could use to escape, but they couldn't just leave Conner to hang.

"Couldn't risk it anyway," Zack panted. "Too important. Almost blew everything last night; not gonna risk it today."

"We got the masks," Rocky pointed out.

"Doesn't matter. Skin tone, clothing, height, build—not to mention they got a good look at the girls. Could probably trace us back to the carnival riot on clothes alone, and before you know it…"

Rocky sighed and switched the shovel back to his right hand. "Anyone got a plan?"

"We could fight," Conner suggested, with no enthusiasm whatsoever.

"That's assault," Zack said flatly.

"And this is resisting arrest," Conner shot back. He groaned. "Oh, man—Dr. O's gonna _kill_ me!"

* * *

Jason sighed and came to a halt by a stream that ran the length of the forest. He was reluctant to leave the path, as he doubted Rocky, Zack and Conner would have a reason to do so (at least, a reason Jason would want to walk in on). Trini had called roughly a half-hour ago to tell him that she'd spotted Dee, who'd been alone and had ditched Trini by nailing her in the eye with a Sharpie (which Jason was pretty sure Rocky, Zack or Conner would be paying for). There really wasn't that much hope of finding the guys and their axe-murderer girlfriends; in a park this size, even splitting up from Adam, Billy and Trini meant they'd still be covering a good ten acres each, minimum…

"Hi Rocky's friend!"

Jason whipped around. Rachel burst out of the trees, leaped over the stream like a track team member doing the hurdles, and bolted across the grassy field. Jason tried to puzzle this moment out logically, but his instincts quickly took over.

_She's being chased,_ Jason thought. _By what?_

He turned back to the trees as Rachel disappeared down a hill. Coming straight towards him were three guys in ski masks… one of whom was wearing a new red-and-black shirt just like one Jason had worn Monday.

"Conner," Jason groaned, remembering Conner showing off his new shirt that morning. It appeared Jason had found Rocky, Zack and Conner at last.

They were running as if drunk, weaving through trees and occasionally smacking into a tree trunk or each other. Stepping far out of their paths, Jason peered behind them, his heart sinking when he caught sight of two cops—the sort of young, in-shape cops who looked like they could handle chasing Jason's friends all over the park. Jason sighed and wondered why there weren't any elderly or pudgy cops around anymore.

"The hell's going on?" Jason demanded.

The cops weren't close enough to hear him, but Rocky, Zack and Conner looked over in surprise. "Hey, Jase," Rocky said helplessly as he leaped over the stream.

"Catch ya later man," Zack said as he also easily cleared the water.

"Please don't tell Dr. O!" Conner whined.

"Straighten out, keep going," Rocky called. "We're losing too much ground."

And with that, Rocky, Conner and Zack vanished down the hill.

Jason grimly regarded the two cops, sizing them both up carefully. "I just know I'm going to regret this," he muttered as they neared the tree line. Taking a deep breath and averting his gaze so the cops wouldn't be know it was intentional, Jason stepped into the path of the closest officer.

"ARGH!"

With a thud and a splash, the cop crashed into Jason, bounced off, and landed in the stream. The second cop leaped over the stream, spun around and knelt on the bank in one unnervingly fluid motion. "Steve! Steven!" he shouted.

Steven rolled over and sat up, his head and shoulders popping above the rushing water. Luckily the ground beneath it was dirt, not rocks, so his fall hadn't been bad. "What are you waiting for? Get them, man, I'm fine!"

The other cop turned and took off. Soaking wet and looking livid, Steven stood up; the water only reached his knees.

"Steven? Is that you?"

Steven spared Jason a glance and did a double-take. "Jason? Jason Scott?"

"Hey, man, I ain't seen you in forever!" Jason said brightly, clasping Steve's hand and pulling him in for a one-armed hug, which Jason realized was a mistake the moment Steve's soggy uniform met Jason's favorite sleeveless red T-shirt. Steven stared at him in a "What the hell?" sort of fashion as Jason pulled back.

"Yeah, not since you left for that Conference," Steven said. Steven had been a year ahead of the Rangers, so he'd graduated by the time Jason had returned as Gold Ranger. "We could have used you on the team; we didn't even make it through round one of the districts after you and Zack left." Steven had been on the varsity football team with Jason, Tommy, Billy and Zack; the season had ended shortly before Jason and Zack had left, but the team had been sad to see them go, especially since next year's team was cut almost in half by graduating seniors.

"Yeah, I really missed football. Didn't get to play in Geneva. Some of the people there hadn't even heard of football."

Steven started to say something, then shook his head and collected himself. "Look, I'd love to catch up, but I've got a couple of criminals to catch…"

_Stop him! Gotta stop him! How?_ Jason thought in a panic. "I'll come with you!" he blurted out, a little too loudly and happily to be natural.

Steven looked at him oddly even as he started jogging. "Um, actually, I don't think—"

"So you're a cop now?" Jason interrupted as he easily kept pace. It was obvious that Steven was tired, and the fact that his clothes were now weighted with water wasn't helping his endurance. With any luck, Steven would give up soon, although Jason knew better than to expect that. He was pretty sure that he'd have to accompany Steven in the race to arrest Rocky, Zack and Conner until he found some way to get Steven to stop.

"Yeah. Got my associate's at A.G.C.C., then went into the academy."

"Cool. How come you're not working in Angel Grove?" Jason asked, fishing through his internal stores of small talk for something to say other than "Please don't arrest my friends. Remember Tommy and Zack? Your former teammates? Tommy will kill me and Zack will go to jail and we kind of have plans for this Saturday." "Do you commute?"

"Nah. I left the Grove right after that bit with that Astronomer psycho."

"Astronema," Jason corrected automatically.

"Whatever. What are you doing now?"

"I run a karate school," Jason replied. They lapsed into silence for a moment until Jason came up with, "Oh, hey, I married Trini Kwan, remember her?"

Steven blinked. "I thought you were gay."

"That was a rumor!" Jason growled. "Trini and I have been together off and on since high school. Got married a couple years ago. What about you, you tied the knot yet?"

"No, but my girlfriend's getting impatient about it," Steven replied. He swore and halted. "Damn. I think we've—I've—lost them."

"Who were you chasing anyway?" Jason asked.

"I don't know. They're wearing ski masks. One of them scared a dog-walker."

_Add that to the list of random things that happened today and we just might have sixty-one idiotic things since breakfast,_ Jason thought wryly. "Well, hey, since you're no longer busy, seeing as how you lost them, wanna go grab a beer or something?"

Steven gave him an incredulous look. "Uh, I'm on duty. Also soaking wet and trying to find a couple of bad guys. Maybe some other time." Shielding his eyes, he scanned the surrounding area. "Aha! There's Jarel! Down that hill!"

Steven took off again. Fighting the urge to knock him unconscious, Jason followed.

* * *

"We can't run forever," Zack muttered as the three of them charged across a field. They'd lost sight of Rachel by now, but at least there was only one cop to worry about.

"I know. I'm thinking," Rocky said shortly. "Wanna carry the shovel for me for a second?"

"No."

"Hey, um, guys?" Conner said tentatively. "Why don't we split up and meet back at the rendezvous point, too? It worked for Dee and the others."

"We don't know what the rendezvous point is, Conner," Rocky pointed out.

"Ah. But, um, Dee and Rachel and Sandra aren't from around here, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Zack replied.

"So… wouldn't the rendezvous point be the truck?"

"Duh!" Rocky exclaimed, starting to smack his forehead but stopping when he realized he was holding the shovel with that hand.

"But we've been running _away_ from the parking lot this whole time," Zack said. "At least, I'm pretty sure. It's directly behind us. Plus at least two miles, probably closer to four."

"I'll bet you anything Dee and Sandra let the cops chase us and circled back behind them," Rocky said. "Rachel's probably done the same thing somewhere along the line. They probably let the cops blow right past them."

"So we should do that, too," Zack said. "Who wants to keep running?"

"I will. You take Conner and the shovel."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. If I get caught, at least I won't have to worry about Tommy coming after me for getting Conner thrown in jail."

Zack laughed. "You're a real hero, man."

"You two ready?"

"Yeah. Try and ditch him, next patch of woods you come to."

"Okay. Meet up on the other side of that stream and jog back. Take off the masks as soon as you're behind him, maybe your shirts, too; do whatever you can not to look like the guys in masks minus the masks. Try to blend in, look like you're just out for a run. I'll slow down for a minute, make him chase me."

"Gotcha." Zack took the shovel. "Now, Conner!"

The two of them sprinted off to either direction. Rocky skidded to a stop and turned to face his pursuer, letting the cop think that he was giving up to save his friends. The cop was only ten yards away when Rocky bolted once again.

"Damn it, I am _so_ gonna shoot you!" the cop shouted in frustration.

In spite of himself, Rocky smirked.

* * *

Something blue suddenly appeared next to Jason, and he looked over to see Billy smiling brightly as he ran alongside Jason and Steven. "You recruited the police. Good thinking, Jason."

Jason shot him a warning look. Billy's eyes widened in horror, not understanding but knowing that if Jason was running around the park with a soggy cop and not because they were searching for the others, it couldn't be good.

"Recruited the police for what?" Steven asked suspiciously.

"Finding… my dog," Jason said quickly. "It got off its leash; we were trying to find it when I ran into you."

"Might wanna call animal control for that," Steven said. "S.C.P.D. is gonna be spread pretty thin over the weekend; they're transferring a bunch of us to Angel Grove for the big Power Rangers Day thing."

"Ah." Again, Jason floundered for conversation. "Billy, you remember Steven?"

"Steven? Oh, yeah," Billy said. "From the football team. Good to see you again."

"Billy? Billy _Cranston?"_ Steven breathed, skidding to a halt. "I thought you were dead!"

"What? Why would you think that?"

"Well, you sort of vanished after high school. I also heard you ran off to Mexico with some chick, and that you were doing top-secret government projects at Area 51."

"Rumors are so disconcerting," Billy grumbled. "How've you been?"

"Good, good—man, I really could have used your help in college, though. I couldn't get halfway through calculus at A.G.U. I mean, I got my associate's, but forget the bachelor's. I still can't thank you enough for getting me through high school."

"It was nothing," Billy said, beaming slightly. Behind Steven's back, Jason motioned for Billy to distract Steven as long as possible… but Billy misread the gesture and figured Jason meant "Keep him talking." "So what are you up to? Right now, I mean."

"Huh? Oh, crap!" Steven started running again. "My partner and I are tracking down these three guys in ski masks. One of them scared the hell out of some housewife out walking her dog, and we caught them digging up half the park with their girlfriends, but they bolted."

Jason glared at Billy as the two of them jogged beside Steven, easily keeping up with the lagging cop. Billy shot Jason an apologetic look. "So… have they done anything wrong?" Billy asked.

"Probably not legal to dig in a public park," Steven said with a shrug. "Incidents in the parks are usually handled by park rangers, but the woman they scared called it in to us. Anyway, they were digging up _something,_ and right now they're probably gonna be facing charges for fleeing law enforcement officers."

"Oh," Billy said, exchanging panicked looks with Jason behind Steven's back.

"Steven! Over here!"

The three of them turned and jogged towards Jarel, who was leaning against a tree, catching his breath. "Lost them," Jarel gasped out. "One of them stopped, let me think he was turning himself in, then took off. Led me away from the others. Next thing I knew he was gone; I think he hid and waited for me to run past, then doubled back."

"Thank god," Billy breathed in relief. Steven and Jarel looked at him oddly, and Jason looked at him with "Shut. _Up!"_ clearly written on his face. "Uh… I mean… you could have been hurt," Billy added quickly.

Jarel raised an eyebrow at him. "And you two are…?"

"Oh, Steven here went to high school with us," Jason said brightly. "I'm Jason Scott. This is Billy Cranston."

Jarel frowned, still trying to work out why Billy and Jason were hanging out with Steven while in pursuit of criminals. "Uh, are you cops, too?"

"No, no, I own a karate school," Jason replied. "And Billy, um…"

"I… swim," Billy supplied lamely. It was the first normal word to pop into his head that halfway-described his life on Aquitar.

"He's a lifeguard!" Jason added quickly.

"A lifeguard?" Steven said blankly. "You were a total genius back in the day."

"I still am," Billy said modestly. Floundering for an explanation, he added, "I had a midlife crisis."

"At twenty-four?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay then."

Jarel shook his head. "I see what you meant about the Grove, dude."

"Told you so," Steven said. "Anyway, um, I really gotta get going, guys. Need to follow-up on this. Look me up, though—we'll get a beer."

"Yeah, yeah," Jason said enthusiastically. "What's your precinct number? I'll give you a call in a few days."

"Nine."

"All right then. Good seeing you… nice to meet you, Jarel… Billy, let's go find, um, my dog."

"Right. Bye!"

Jason and Billy rushed off. Jarel and Steven must have misjudged how long it would take them to get out of earshot, because a moment later they could hear Jarel saying, "They sure made a hasty retreat."

"Eh, Billy and Jason were always like that. Them and their two buddies, Tommy and Zack. Always running off for no apparent reason, spouting lame excuses and vanishing before you could ask when they'd be back. A couple of times they just disappeared for entire days."

"Why?"

"No one ever found out, but I don't think it matters. Just a quirk, I guess. Like I said, they're from Angel Grove."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Billy whispered to Jason, somewhat wounded.

"Who cares? Right now, we have to find Rocky, Zack and Conner and get them out of this park before those two find them. Steven mentioned the three guys in ski masks as the biggest priority, didn't seem that concerned with the girls… I swear. When other guys pick up girls, ditch their friends, and drive to the park, they make out with said girls on picnic blankets. Those three put on ski masks, dig up the place, and run from cops."

Billy grimaced. _"Now_ I get what 'they're from Angel Grove' meant."

Jason chuckled and started to reply when his cell phone interrupted. Not bothering to check the ID, he hit send and pressed it to his ear without breaking stride. "Hello?"

"Hi, Jason."

"Hayley! What's going on?"

"Not much. A cop rolled into town asking questions about Tommy's identity while Bulk and Skull wreaked havoc on my café, until the cop got himself caught in a booby trap and I threatened him into backing off. You?"

Jason blinked, taking a moment to digest this. "What is it with cops today?"

"Must be a full moon or something," Hayley said, giggling.

Jason frowned. "Are you drunk?"

"Wonderfully so."

"Okay, then. Everything okay?"

"It is now. Listen, Anton Mercer offered to pay to keep my café open over the weekend while I come down for Power Rangers Day."

"Seriously? That's awesome!"

"Yeah. I was hoping I could crash on your couch, but I wouldn't be leaving here until nine-thirty or ten, so I wouldn't get there until roughly one in the morning…"

"I don't care when you show; you know you're always welcome. Between Billy and Trini, I probably won't get to actually speak to you, but I'd love to see you."

"Yeah; I don't think we've actually gotten together since Tommy got fossilized."

"No, we all rolled into town for the coma, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Anyway, I'll call you when I'm leaving Reefside. I'm gonna train Anton's temps tomorrow and then head out."

"Okay, cool. I kind of gotta go now, though; we're in the middle of catastrophe time again."

"What is it this time?"

Jason cringed. "Rocky, Zack and Conner kinda hooked up with some cute axe-murderers. We managed to shake the cops for the moment, but we're trying to rescue Conner before Tommy finds out."

There was a long silence from Hayley's end, until he began to wonder if he'd lost signal. Finally, she replied with, _"Nice."_

Jason smirked. "Thanks."

Hayley laughed. "God, I miss you guys. See you tomorrow!"

"Later, Hayley." Jason hung up. "Hayley's driving in tomorrow for the weekend."

"Prodigious! I can't wait to finally meet her in person!"

Jason nudged Billy with his elbow. "She's pretty hot, bro. Probably a lot hotter than when her skin is tinged purple by the Aqua-phone."

Billy rolled his eyes. "Happily involved with a beautiful Aquitian, you know."

Jason snorted. "You know what, Billy?"

"What?"

"We really are weird."

"Most definitely, Jason. Most definitely."


	62. For Cryin' Out Loud

**Chapter Sixty-two**

_For Cryin' Out Loud_

"Please, just five more minutes," Dee begged.

"We can't wait that long," Rachel said firmly, though she didn't look happy about it. "Rocky and the others are from around here, they have friends they can call, people who can pick them up."

"What if they get _caught?"_ Dee whined.

"We'll bust them out," Sandra told her absently, scanning the park for signs of the guys.

"Really?" Dee asked hopefully.

"Honest," Sandra promised. Rachel sent her a disapproving look, knowing they'd do nothing of the sort. They were petty thieves, not escape artists.

"I just don't want anything to happen to Conner," Dee said, wringing her hands. "He's really cool, and he's smart, and he's funny—"

"Hot, too," Rachel remarked, rolling her eyes.

"And wearing your ski mask," Sandra added dryly.

"Yeah, it took her hours to embroider that thing," Rachel agreed.

"There he is!" Dee screamed, pointing wildly. "With Zack!"

"Thank God," Sandra breathed.

Rachel started the truck, now looking worried. "Yeah, but where's Rocky?"

"Smart move, ditching the masks and the shirts," Dee said happily.

Sandra nodded. "Blending in with all the other joggers, keeping themselves from being identified…"

"Who cares, as long as their shirts are off?" Rachel said with a smirk.

Conner reached the truck first; before anyone could say anything, he'd grabbed hold of the window frame, jumped, pulled his legs up and pushed them through the window. He twisted to get his upper body inside and then hopped into the back seat as if he did it every day.

"Hey!" Dee gushed, grinning broadly.

"Hey," Conner said with his most charming smile.

Zack then climbed in through the window the same way Conner had, only he settled in comfortably between Sandra and Rachel. "Hey, ladies," he said, as casually as if he'd just sidled up to them in a nightclub. Then he nudged Rachel. "Hop out so Rocky can get in. He's not far behind us."

"Oh, good," Rachel breathed, popping the door handle. "Did you lose the cops?"

"Oh, yeah, ages ago," Zack replied. "Sorry, but we had to ditch the shovel; it was a dead giveaway. Tried to wipe the fingerprints off with my shirt, though."

"We'd've done the same," Rachel assured him as she jumped down out of the truck. "Well, granted, we wouldn't have taken our shirts off—"

"Please. You know _you_ would have," Sandra interrupted with a snort.

"Only if I had to," Rachel insisted.

"Hey, there's Rocky!" Conner yelled.

"Thank god," Zack said, eyes darting to Adam's Mercedes, parked haphazardly next to the truck.

Rocky raced down the path, leaped off the curb, and dived into the truck. Rachel scrambled onto his lap, slammed the door, and threw the truck into reverse.

"Everyone okay?" Rocky asked, letting his head sag onto Rachel's shoulder as he gasped for air.

"Fine," they all chorused.

"Thank god," Rocky gasped. "I think that cop lives down the street from my uncle."

"Nice of Jase to take one of them out for us, at least," Zack pointed out, attempting to cheer Rocky up.

Rocky nodded and looked up at the dashboard. "I'm kind of new at this whole running-from-the-cops thing, but shouldn't you be flooring it?"

Rachel shook her head. "Too suspicious. They didn't make the truck, so if we act like we didn't do anything wrong, we've got a good chance of getting out of this completely undetected."

"Ah. Okay. Hey, Conner?" Rocky called.

"Yeah, Rocky?"

"What have we learned about chatting up dog-walkers while wearing ski masks?"

"Sorry. Won't happen again."

* * *

"Oh, great," Trini muttered as she and Adam approached the parking lot. Jason had called her to tell her to meet up at the car, and Trini had run into Adam halfway there. She'd been hoping to find Rocky, Conner and Zack in the parking lot so they could cringe before her, but not only were they nowhere in sight, Jason and Billy hadn't arrived yet and the orange truck was now missing.

"What does that mean, do you think?" Adam wondered. "I mean, did the girls drive off without them, or are they all safely on their way to the Havoc Center?"

"Who knows?" Trini said wearily, rubbing at her eye. "I can't _believe_ I let that twit nail me with a freaking marker."

"I think it's swelling," Adam said, pulling Trini's hand away so he could peer at it.

"Good news!" called Jason, jogging up with Billy at his side.

"You found them?" Adam asked eagerly, Trini's eye forgotten.

"Huh? No. Hayley's coming down for Power Rangers Day. I think. I mean, she was kind of drunk, but she said she'll drive in tomorrow, should get here about one in the morning—"

"You're buttering us up," Trini accused. "You're trying to tell us good news so that we won't get angry."

"Told you she'd figure it out," Billy muttered. Jason winced.

Jason sighed, absently fidgeting with his shirt, which still bore wet stains from greeting Steven. "Well, the good news is, they're safe for the moment. The bad news is two cops are out looking for them. One of them was on the football team with us and Zack—Steven… something. Steven Q-something. Can't remember his last name for the life of me."

"You'd think we'd have remembered, since they put our last names on our jerseys," Billy mused.

"Honey, is your eye swelling up?" Jason asked in concern.

"Quit stalling," Trini said sharply.

Jason sighed. "Steven Q-something and his partner Jarel got a call about a guy upsetting a dog-walker. Apparently they went chasing Rocky, Zack and Conner through the park. They ran right by me, at which point I knocked Steven into a stream to slow him down. The other one kept up the chase, but the guys eventually escaped."

"Are you _serious?"_ Adam hissed.

"Unfortunately," Jason replied grimly.

"Yes, but their identities are secure for the time being," Billy said. "They were wearing ski masks."

"Where did they get—no, don't tell me," Adam groaned.

"I told you so," Trini growled. "I _told_ you so!"

"You were right, babe," Jason said soothingly. "Look, Rocky and Zack didn't answer their phones when I called, but that's probably because I must've called in the middle of a mad dash back here, to the truck."

"We don't know if they were in it," Adam said. "It was gone when we got here."

"The cops had lost them by the time I called you. There's a good chance."

"Whew," Adam breathed. "So what now?"

"Well, since Rocky and Zack aren't answering their phones—"

"Conner," Trini interrupted. "I have Conner's number."

"Since when?" Jason demanded.

"I had Hayley send me a list of all the Dino Rangers' contact information a long time ago," Trini said. "When we decided to update the secret code list." She quickly pulled Conner's number from her phone contacts and hit send.

"Uh, hello?" Conner answered uncertainly on the third ring.

"Conner? It's Trini."

"…How'd you get my number?"

"Long story. Where are you?"

"Um, I think we just turned onto… I think it's Salzgaber Avenue. I don't know; it's hard to pronounce."

"Put Rocky on the phone."

"Rocky! She wants to talk to you." There was a pause. "Trini." Longer pause. "Rocky says he's unconscious right now."

"Conner, tell Rocky I'll pickle his entrails if he doesn't wake his ass up."

"Rocky, she said she'll get some pickles and entrails—"

There was a bit of miscellaneous background noise, and then Rocky picked up. "Yeah?"

"Yeah? _Yeah?_ Don't you 'yeah' me! Do you have _any_ idea what—?"

"Can't you yell at me in person? When Zack's in front of you, too?"

Trini rolled her eyes, but even though Rocky was just trying to delay the inevitable, being able to scream at them both at once had a lot of appeal. "Where are you?"

"Driving. Rachel said they need to go lie low, so they're going to drop us off outside the city."

"Can't they just drop you off at your place? It's not far, is it?"

"They want to put some distance between them and Stone Canyon, and it's their truck. Think you can pick us up when they do?"

"We ought to just strand you in the desert."

"Can't yell at us if you do."

Trini smiled in spite of herself. "All right. Call us as soon as you stop."

"Will do. And, um, sorry for…"

"Making us worry? Making us hunt all over the park? Making Jason throw a police officer into a creek? Making us drive to god-knows-where to pick you up from your little brush with the law?"

"Yeah," Rocky said. "I think you're forgetting something, but that should pretty much cover it."

Trini shook her head. "I'll forgive you eventually."

"Later, Trini."

"Bye." Trini hung up. "The psycho girls are getting out of the city, and then they're going to drop the guys off somewhere. They'll need us to come get them."

"What if they're _not_ dropping them off somewhere? What if they're planning to leave their dead bodies in the desert?" Adam demanded.

"Somehow, I can't imagine Rocky, Zack or Conner falling victim to decapitation," Billy said soothingly.

"They just outran two guys with badges and guns; I'm sure they can take three girls with an axe," Jason added. He held up his wrist to check his watch. "Well, look at that. It's almost seven-thirty. What say we go pick up Tommy while we wait for Rocky, Zack and Conner?"

"Tommy? He'll be furious! Shouldn't we do that _after_ we've established that Conner is utterly safe?" Billy asked.

"Nah, see, I don't think so. I think we should tell Tommy all about how _Zack_ and _Rocky_ had a bit of a run-in with a few police officers and had to run for their lives," Jason said mischievously, flipping his phone open with a snap.

* * *

Anna had expected Tommy to be the most fascinating analysis she'd ever made. She had dreamed of meeting the messed-up guy from the Ferris wheel once again, getting in his head and not only understanding him, but making him understand himself. She was incredibly disappointed.

Tommy did have quirks and layers and bad habits induced by former events. The trouble was he knew all about it. He knew exactly who he was, why he did what he did, what caused him to be what he was. True, he didn't seem like he always admitted his reasons to himself, but deep down he knew each and every flaw and strength. He was complex beyond belief, but he'd already figured himself out, which meant Anna didn't have to analyze him.

Yet analyze she did, because even as Tommy poured his heart out to her, about being adopted, about finding his long-lost brother, about college and becoming a scientist, about Kimberly and every other relationship since her, it became apparent that there was some deep dark secret he was harboring. Something that had happened to him that he wouldn't share, couldn't share, but had already examined himself.

"Someone should study you," Anna told him as they meandered past the petting zoo, heading for the entrance to rendezvous with the others. "You'd be a fascinating thesis."

Tommy chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"So what is it?"

"What is what?"

"That big, huge thing that defines your life that you won't tell me about. That thing that makes you amend half the things you tell me, until you're giving me all these carefully-constructed stories rather than the real deal."

He shook his head, smiling in a guarded, almost mysterious sort of way. "Sorry. If I told you that, I'd have to kill you, or my friends would. Nothing personal, just… not gonna happen."

Anna shrugged. "You'll tell me eventually."

That seemed to amuse him. "Oh, I will, will I?"

"Everyone cracks given enough time."

"Well, you're in for a long wait."

"I'm pretty damned patient, buddy."

"Okay, then." Tommy groaned as his phone rang. "Dear God, what _now?"_

"Is it Ethan?" Anna asked, trying not to sound too eager.

He shook his head. "Jason." Tommy leaned against the railing that marked the line for the house of mirrors and pressed the phone to his ear. "What's up, Jase?"

"Got a little story to tell you."

"If it involves you peeing in Adam's Mercedes—"

"Huh?"

Tommy rolled his eyes. "You told me you had to pee while driving to the Havoc Center. Come on, bro, if you're going to come up with excuses, you gotta keep them straight."

"Sorry. A lot's happened since then. How'd it go with Kimberly?"

"I'll tell you later."

"She with you right now?"

"Nah. Stormed off after a little… incident. Anyway, you said you had a story for me?"

"Yeah. Listen, you cool if we come pick you up now?"

"Sure. Anna and I are on our way to meet up with Trent, Ethan, Kira and Kim."

"Now who's failing to keep the excuses straight? What happened to 'they disappeared on me,' huh?"

"That doesn't count. You saw through that one."

"And you _didn't_ see through 'I have to go pee in Adam's Mercedes'?"

"…Is there a point to this conversation?"

"Not anymore. Anyway, we'll meet you at the Jeep, okay?"

"Sure. See you soon." Tommy hung up and he and Anna started walking. "We should get together again soon. I have the whole summer off."

"Me too. Don't start college until fall."

"You're not working over the summer?"

"Don't have to. Grandma left me a trust fund, a '95 Buick and a bunch of antique furniture. I'll be set financially at least through college, and I figured I'd take at least this one summer off from doing anything, since I'll be working nonstop for my doctorate."

"It's not fun," Tommy said emphatically.

"Oh, hey, are you going to Power Rangers Day?" Anna asked.

"Might put in a cameo," Tommy said dryly.

"Maybe I'll see you there. My sister and Rick and I are going together."

"You'll probably see me there," Tommy said with an ironic grin.

"Dr. O!" called Trent, waving at him. He and Ethan were a few feet from the admissions booths, leaning against the fence that ran around the carnival's perimeter. "You seen Kira and Kimberly?"

"No. I assumed Kira would find a way to get Kim back here, but she must've had a hard time convincing Kimberly to meet us. Why don't you call her?" Tommy suggested, not wanting to speak to Kimberly before he absolutely had to.

Trent nodded and fished in his pocket for his phone. Anna sighed and said, "Well, I should be getting back to the Ferris wheel. Call me sometime next week or something, okay, Tommy?"

"Yeah, sure."

Anna turned to Ethan. "This was fun."

"Yeah," Ethan said, swallowing hard and trying to remember what Conner, Kira and Trent had taught him in "dating boot camp." He didn't remember much beyond the horrors of doing the tango with Conner, wondering how Trent knew the proper way to sip champagne, and trying to puzzle out what idiot came up with the idea of putting a thorny flower between one's teeth.

"So I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, I'll email you when I get back from this vacation," Ethan said. "I'll be pretty busy until then."

They said their goodbyes, and Anna turned and wandered off through the steadily thinning crowd of carnival-goers. Tommy watched her go with a fond smile. It was nice to reconnect with the random bystanders whose lives he'd stumbled into for a few moments, especially the ones like Anna, whose lives he'd inadvertently changed.

"You're _where?"_ Trent demanded, and Tommy's instincts went off like fire truck sirens. "What do you mean, you got banned?"

"Oh, no," Tommy sighed.

"You got in a fight with _Kimberly?"_ Trent repeated incredulously. "Are you okay?" Trent cringed. "I didn't mean it like that. Of course you can hold your own. I know that… Kira… It's okay… That's not what I… Goat? Okay. Okay. Slow down! Okay. Meet us by the Jeep, okay? Bye." Trent hung up, looking utterly bewildered. "She said she and Kimberly got thrown out for injuring a goat."

"A… what?" Ethan asked.

"A goat," Trent repeated, completely mystified. "So they went to that empty field next to the carnival lot and did a little sunbathing. At least, I think that's what she was saying. She sounds… odd."

"Did Kimberly hurt her?" Tommy demanded.

"I don't think so. I tried to ask, but she got offended, like I was insulting her fighting skills."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Come on. Let's get them and go wait for Jason."

Nervous and confused, the three of them headed back towards the Jeep. The parking lot was half-empty by now; most of the carnival's patrons had started trickling out by five, especially families with young children who'd managed to run themselves ragged by mid-afternoon—including Davey, the little boy with the love of clowns, who was chattering happily to his weary mother about how cool it was to see Tinkle and Bonkers and how he hoped he'd get to see a clown fight again next year. Tommy dove out of sight until Davey and his mother had gone by, not wanting to deal with a little kid who thought he was "Butch, the Multi-colored Strong Man." When he resurfaced, he saw Kira and Kimberly come strolling up. Tommy, Trent and Ethan's jaws dropped.

The two girls were practically glowing, though it was hard to see why. Both of them were dirty and had scratches on their arms and legs, and a bruise here or there. Their hair looked like they'd just taken a trip on an F-5 tornado, and bits of what could have been hay were stuck in the strands. The shirt Kimberly had stolen from Tommy had a rip in the sleeve, and Kira's denim flood pants were covered in grass stains.

"That was _so_ awesome," Kira gushed, the odd look in her eye and her battered appearance bringing to mind the words "punch-drunk."

"Tell me about it!" Kimberly shrieked, looking like it was all she could do to keep from dancing.

"But I thought you two got in a fight," Ethan said slowly.

"We did," Kira told him. "It must've gone on for a half hour, until Kimberly kicked me into that goat."

"The goat's fine," Kimberly assured them. "It was more startled and annoyed than hurt."

"Where did you get a goat?" Trent asked, in the desperate sort of tone used by one who needs an explanation and is sure that none will be forthcoming.

"The petting zoo."

"You got in a fight in the petting zoo," Ethan said, as though trying to piece together a puzzle.

"No, we got in a fight near the pirate ship," Kira told him, making it clear that she thought Ethan was being silly.

"That's across the carnival from the pirate ship," Tommy pointed out, frowning.

"Yeah. We kind of wandered," Kira explained. "I know we were by the Tilt-a-Whirl at some point, because I thought it was cool how I knocked Kimberly towards that psychic lady, Elena Luna, and even though she had her back to us she sidestepped at just the right moment…"

"We kicked each other's asses all _up and down that park,"_ Kimberly exclaimed, bouncing about on the balls of her feet. "Eventually I knocked Kira into a hay barrel in the petting zoo, and we were fighting in there for a minute, and then I kicked Kira into that goat and the next thing I know this creepy old man—the type of guy whose wife dresses him in overalls so he won't end up mooning everyone—puts a pitchfork to my throat—"

"And then we were escorted out," Kira finished. "We were screaming at each other the whole while, struggling—I'm pretty sure I broke the nose of that game attendant from the water gun race—"

"Oh, my god," Tommy moaned.

"So then we get out on the sidewalk, right," Kira continued, "and we just start laughing, and chattering, and then we walked over to that field over there—"

Kimberly cut in. "And then we stripped down to our underwear and did some sunbathing—"

"And we talked and talked about everything and nothing and watched the clouds go by and it was _so_ much fun," Kira went on excitedly.

"What a rush," Kimberly sighed.

The two girls beamed at each other, then turned back to the guys, all of whom looked quite blank. "We lose you guys somewhere?" Kira inquired.

"Underwear," Trent explained vaguely.

"Ah." Kira nodded. "Ooh! Kimberly taught me one of her songs, wanna hear? It's called 'How Dare You.' _You little bastard, you make me sick, how dare you do this, what a cruel trick, I can't believe I fell—"_

"Kimberly wrote that?" Ethan interrupted, struggling to process.

"It was about Tommy," Kimberly said, waving her hand dismissively.

Tommy drew himself up indignantly. "Hey!"

"I was mad," Kimberly told him, her tone flippant. "It was one of those spur-of-the-moment things."

"Wanna hear the chorus?" Kira asked eagerly.

"No," Tommy said firmly. He started to say something else, but just then a horn beeped and they looked up to see the Mercedes parking nearby. Billy, Trini, Jason and Adam piled out and rushed over, looking eager.

"How's it going?" Jason asked Tommy brightly.

"Great, except I caught Ethan making out with Anna—"

"You did?" Ethan interrupted in alarm, but Tommy ignored him.

"—and then Kira and Kimberly got themselves banned from the carnival for accidental cruelty to goats because they thought it would be fun to kick each other's butts and then go do a little semi-public nude sunbathing while writing songs about how I'm a jerk. How are you, Jase?"

Billy, Trini, Jason and Adam stared at him.

"Nude?" Adam echoed.

"Not nude. In underwear," Kira clarified. "It might as well have been a swimsuit." She grinned. "Oh, I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow."

"It'll be worth it," Kimberly promised. "That was the most exhilarating fight I've had in years."

"Aw, damn," Jason sighed. "And here I thought _we_ were gonna have the best story to tell."

"We definitely don't have nudity," Adam agreed.

"Don't worry," Trini said. "At least ours involves running from the cops, ski masks and swelling from injuries caused by Sharpie markers."

Tommy's heart not only sank, it dropped to his feet, seeped into the cement and began digging a hole to China. "Ski masks?"

"Affirmative," Billy said. "Oh, and you remember Steven, um, Q-something from the football team? He's a Stone Canyon police officer now."

Tommy took a deep calming breath. "Okay, I get it now," Tommy said. He looked askance up at the sky. "Watching _The Truman Show _was a sign, right? I'm actually locked in some sort of bio-sphere for the amusement of others via reality TV. It's the only explanation. That's it, isn't it?"

"I know I'd watch," Trent said, shaking his head as Kira and Kimberly simultaneously burst out into another round of "How Dare You."

* * *

_End Notes:_ So there you are. We're trying to fly through as much of this story as possible before Power Morphicon, simply because Power Morphicon seemed like a good milestone. I can't promise this update rate will continue, but we've been pretty inspired lately. By the way, the three of us—CrazyGirl47, Freyja SilverWillow, and Bryn Spikess—will be attending Power Morphicon (unless one of us manages to piss off a really cruel god between now and June), so hopefully we'll see some of you there.

Congratulations to moonlite-n-roses, our two thousandth reviewer, and thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, from those that said two words to those that left two pages. We're beyond awed that this story—which is, let's face it, just a cleverly-disguised, really long crack fic—became so popular.


	63. Opposites Attract

**Chapter Sixty-three**

_Opposites Attract_

Conner had been betrayed. Totally, completely, utterly betrayed. And, worse, betrayed by his own kind. By his own _color._

Once they'd pulled into the combination truck stop and diner thirty miles east of Stone Canyon, Zack and Sandra had muttered something about snacks and hopped out of the truck. Rocky had looked at Conner and done a tricky little head-jerk that was probably supposed to mean something, but when Conner had failed to decipher it Rocky had ordered him out of the truck. At least Dee had followed him—after politely asking Rachel to "keep it in the front seat"—but Conner still couldn't believe he'd been _banished._ Rocky hadn't even offered to move out of the way so Conner could use the truck's one working door. He felt like he was twelve years old again and being sent to the kid's table at Thanksgiving dinner by his favorite older cousin Bobby because Bobby wanted to chat up the college girls from Uncle Dave's psychology class who couldn't afford to head home for the holidays so Uncle Dave had taken pity on them and offered them a home-cooked meal.

Conner sighed, figuring he'd go chill with Zack, but he only had a chance to take two steps before he noticed Zack hadn't actually gone for snacks. Zack had gone to make out with Sandra against a gas pump. Quite put out, Conner looked at Dee. "Wanna take a walk?" She nodded.

As they were out in the middle of nowhere, and there wasn't another building visible in either direction, Conner and Dee walked behind the truck stop. Conner suddenly felt… drained, for some odd reason, not so much physically as mentally. Kind of like how he'd felt after taking the SAT for the first time and realizing that there were plenty of things that Conner didn't have a clue about. Dr. O had clapped him on the shoulder and told him that there were two kinds of epiphanies—those that made you feel powerful, determined and alive… and those that made you feel small, awed and grateful that your previous ignorance hadn't done any more damage than it had.

"I've never run from the cops before," Conner said slowly.

"It gets easier after the first couple of times," Dee told him sympathetically, patting his shoulder.

Conner shook his head. "How long have you been, you know, fugitives?"

Dee frowned thoughtfully. "Well, we aren't, really. We've just been implicated in a lot of stuff. We were only charged with one crime. They didn't let us post bail, because we were considered flight risks, but we were only in jail for a couple of weeks before the charges were dropped. We don't tend to leave enough evidence to get ourselves convicted, most of the time. There's just a lot of stuff that people assume we've done but can't _prove_ we've done."

"How… what… why do you live like that?" Conner demanded. After just one sprint through a park, Conner was all nerves, wondering if he'd be caught, if this would come back to haunt him in the future, if he was going to wind up in jail himself. Who could really deal with this sort of thing all the time? More importantly, why would anyone choose to?

Dee was quiet for a long moment. "Conner," she said slowly, "have you ever just wanted to run away? Leave it all behind?"

"Everyone has, I guess."

"Well, that's exactly what we did. One day Rachel showed up on my doorstep and said that she'd quit her excellent job and left her incredible fiancée and had decided that there was absolutely no point in plodding through life, climbing an endless career ladder in a job she didn't care about just to keep food on the table and clothes on her back, and having a husband and a family and a mortgage just because that's what people do. Rachel just dropped her suitcase on my porch and told me that she was leaving for nowhere in particular and wasn't looking back and I was welcome to come with her."

"And you went with her? Just like that?"

"No, I stared at her in horror and told her she was insane. But eventually she convinced me that she was right. I didn't want my life to be school, more school, job, marriage, children, retirement, and death. I wanted _more._ Now I spend my life doing artwork I love, driving around, hanging out with my two best friends, seeing interesting things and doing interesting things and I'm _happy._ The only catch is that we still have to eat, and we still have to have clothes. So we steal."

"Aren't you afraid?" Conner asked. "Doesn't it bother you, to think that you could end up in jail for the rest of your life?"

"Sometimes. But we're careful. And it's a lot of fun, it really is. I can't imagine going back to the way things were." She poked him playfully in the shoulder. "Come on. Haven't you ever done something dangerous and crazy, just because it felt right?"

Conner looked down at his shirt, which he'd thrown back on in the truck. He stared at the red design for a moment. "Yeah. Just… drastically different from stealing."

She smiled. "I'm sorry that it bothers you. And we totally didn't mean to get you guys in the middle of that thing with the cops—"

"It's okay. And I think that was actually my fault," Conner told her. "I think that lady who sicced her dog on me was the one who called the cops. Oh, by the way—what was in that box, anyway?"

"Don't worry about it," Dee said. "Just something from our last job in Stone Canyon. We hid it out there so we wouldn't get caught with it, and we tried going back for it but could never actually find the stupid park. Eventually we gave up and left, but of course we had to come back to the area for Power Rangers Day anyway—"

"Why?" Conner asked suspiciously.

"I told you. We're Power Ranger nuts."

"There's no other reason?"

"Nope."

Conner didn't know Dee all that well, but he still got the distinct feeling that she was lying. "Why were you in the carnival? You said you 'had' to hop the fence."

"Oh, I didn't mean because of any specific reason. We just didn't have money for tickets."

"You said it was a long story," Conner pointed out.

Dee shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I just didn't want to admit that we were broke."

"You went out and bought fast food after you left the carnival. You had money for that."

Dee threw up her hands. "Look, Conner, I don't know about you, but I kind of was hoping that if this the last time I see you, you wouldn't be accusing me of stealing the Lindbergh baby."

"Whose baby?"

"Charles Lindbergh. It's the most famous kidnapping ever. Happened back in 1932. And it wasn't me," she added pointedly.

"You were alive in '32?" Conner asked blankly.

"No! I was trying to make a point!"

"Sorry," Conner said sheepishly. "I'm not good with history."

Dee sighed. "It's all right. I can see how it would bother you. It bothers a lot of people."

"I… don't mean to… you know, judge you or anything," Conner told her. "I'm just kind of in shock. I mean, you seemed so…"

"Normal?" Dee suggested with an ironic grin.

Conner snorted; "normal" had never occurred to him, from the moment he'd seen her hanging out of the gondola on the Ferris wheel. "No. More like… my kind of people."

"Your kind of people are weird?"

"My kind of people are the height of weird." Conner chuckled. "As a matter of fact, this whole running-from-the-cops thing? Not even the weirdest thing that's happened to me today. In fact, not even this afternoon."

"Really?" Dee asked, looking a little startled.

"You should have seen the clown fight we got into. Oh, and don't even ask about the bellhops we had to jump this morning. And last night, between the Play-Doh and the purse snatching…"

Dee frowned. "I thought you weren't into, you know, breaking the law."

"Huh? Oh, I'm not," Conner said quickly. "I mean, fistfights and attacking bellhops might _sound_ a little… illegal… um… you know what, let's talk about something else."

"Like what?" she asked.

Conner shrugged. "I don't know. Um… where are you guys going to go now?"

"I don't know," Dee said. "Before we leave here, we're probably going to cover up as much of the truck as we can. Make sure it looks halfway normal, change the license plate, that sort of thing. Then we'll probably hit a local campground. We can't go far until after Power Rangers Day."

Conner smiled. "So who's your favorite Power Ranger?"

Dee blinked. "My all-time favorite?" Conner nodded. "Well, probably the original Green Ranger."

Conner let out an offended noise. "Why? He was evil!"

"Only at first," Dee pointed out.

Conner fought the urge to pout. "Well, okay. Who's your favorite Dino Ranger?"

"Eh, probably the Black one."

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Conner demanded. "The Red one was way cooler!"

Dee seemed startled by his vehemence. "Well, obviously the Black one had more power…"

"Oh, please, that Brachio Staff was _nothing_ compared to the Tyranno Staff!" Conner exclaimed. "The Red Ranger was the first one to achieve Super Dino Mode, _and_ the only one who could become the Triassic Ranger!"

Dee stared at him for a moment. "You know your Power Rangers."

"Yes, I do, and there's no way the Red one wasn't the coolest," Conner told her firmly. "I'm from Reefside, you know."

"That's where the Dino Rangers are from, right?" Dee asked. "Did you ever meet them?"

Conner couldn't recall ever being asked if he'd actually met the Dino Rangers before. He was surprised at how much the question made him want to laugh. "Yeah. Several times. And my identical twin brother Eric lives in Blue Bay Harbor, so he got to meet the Ninja Storm Rangers. So did I, actually. While I was visiting him, I mean, not just randomly. Cuz that would just be weird, if I somehow knew Power Rangers that… did I lose you somewhere?"

Dee shook herself a bit, as if jolting awake from a long nap. "I'm sorry… you said you have an identical twin?"

Conner grinned, remembering how much easier it had been to pick up girls with Eric around. "Yeah. He's two minutes younger."

"Ah." Dee stared blankly into space for a long moment, then asked, "How identical?"

"We have different hair," Conner said with a shrug. "He keeps his shorter. But otherwise, we're completely identical."

"Ah."

Conner waited for her to speak again, and when she didn't he asked, "So, um, do you have any siblings?"

"Huh? Oh. No. I don't actually have any family."

"That must suck," Conner said sympathetically.

"A little. But I've got Rachel and Sandra. They're almost as good. Rachel's like a crazy older sister, and Sandra's like a mom."

"That's kind of how I feel about my friends," Conner said. "Dr. O's like the dad, and Hayley's the mom, and Kira, Ethan and Trent are my brothers and sister."

Dee frowned. "I thought you said Dr. O was your brother."

"I did?" Dee nodded. Conner's eyes widened, remembering their conversation on the chairlift. "Oh, yeah. Um…" Conner sighed. "Well, as long as we're being honest with each other, or at least more honest than we were, Dr. O's actually my science teacher."

"Your…?"

"Yeah. Don't ask why. It's a long story. He's more of a friend than a teacher though. Now he is, anyway."

"Oh-kay. And Rocky and Zack, what do they teach?"

"Oh, no, see, they're actually Dr. O's friends. I just met Zack last Saturday and Rocky earlier today."

"Really? You three act so close."

"Well, they've known each other a long time. And, well, we have… certain things in common. I… can't really talk about it."

Dee squinted at him. "For someone against fraud and theft, you sound pretty cloak-and-dagger."

Conner rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. I know. It's just… I'm… _complicated."_

Dee let out a short laugh. "You know what, Conner? You seem like my kind of people, too."

Conner smiled at her. "Well, maybe this won't be the last time I see you, you know? I mean, if you're ever in Reefside…"

"Yeah," Dee said, though her upbeat tone seemed a little forced. "And hey, maybe I'll see you at Power Rangers Day."

Conner nodded, but he suddenly couldn't shake the feeling that he wouldn't be seeing Dee again. At least, not anytime soon.

Before Conner could decide how he felt about that, he swiftly moved in to kiss Dee. Whether he saw her again or not, he wasn't going to run from the cops, risk Dr. O's wrath, and get banished by a fellow Red without getting something out of the deal.

* * *

"Are you serious?" Tommy demanded angrily for the sixty-third time and counting.

"We didn't know they were axe-murderers," Billy said meekly.

"Are you _serious?"_ Sixty-fourth.

"They're not axe-murderers," Trini said patiently. "They've never been convicted of anything. They've only been suspected of robbery, fraud, kidnapping, and arson. The only crimes we can be sure they've committed are fleeing law enforcement and vandalism."

_"Are you serious?"_ Sixty-fifth.

"Looks like you're off the hook for making out with Anna," Trent whispered to Ethan.

"Thank god for Conner," Ethan agreed.

Jason's cell phone went off. "Rocky," he reported. "Hello? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. We'll be there as soon as possible. Uh-huh. Bye." Hanging up, he said, "Thirty miles east of Stone Canyon. Dinah's Diner."

"I know that place," Adam said. "It's a truck stop with a dive diner attached. Rocky likes their burgers; they're like two pounds of meat."

Tommy had the sort of expression that implied sparks might start shooting out of him at any moment (no one was standing very close just in case it actually happened). Without a word, he pulled his keys out of his pocket and jammed them into the Jeep's door lock.

* * *

Conner was leaning against the brick wall of the diner, Dee pressed as closely to Conner as she could possibly get, Conner's hands in her back pockets as they made out like there was no tomorrow—which, for them, there probably wasn't.

Sandra smiled softly before clearing her throat. When that failed to get a response, she tried coughing, humming, and finally screaming, which eventually got through; Dee yelped and leaped backwards, and would have tumbled off the curb if Conner's hands hadn't been in a position to keep her from going far.

"There you are," Sandra said brightly. "Come on, Dee. I need your help switching out the truck."

"Doing what?" Conner asked blankly.

"Stuff we do to hide the truck. Remove the canvas bed cover, switch the roof, cover the stickers," Dee explained. "I'm coming, Sandra."

Sandra left. Seven minutes later, she returned, and physically hauled Dee away from Conner; Conner nearly lost a finger and Dee nearly lost a pocket. Keeping a firm grip on Dee's arm, Sandra led her back to the front of the truck stop, Conner following sulkily.

Zack and Rocky were standing a few feet away from the truck, smirking while holding a quiet conversation. Rachel was unscrewing the Connecticut license plate and preparing to replace it with a California one. Conner joined the other two guys, though he didn't jump into the conversation.

"We already put the covers over everything," Sandra informed Dee. The truck now appeared solid orange, if one didn't look too closely.

"Did you switch out the tailgate?" Dee asked.

"Figured we'd wait for you," Sandra replied. "Rachel thinks we should take off the roof, too."

"You guys need any help?" Rocky called.

"We're fine," Rachel said distractedly as she held the California plate up to the truck. "We've done this a lot."

"I'm not worried about your skills, I'm worried about speed," Rocky replied. "We already called Jason."

"It won't take much longer," Sandra told him. "Don't worry; we'll be gone by the time they get here. They're on the other side of Stone Canyon, remember?"

"Yeah, well, let's just say our friends drive like the Turbo Rangers," Rocky said darkly.

It took twelve minutes to get the truck to look completely different, which felt like twelve hours to the three guys. At last, the girls climbed in, and the guys came over to say goodbye.

"This was fun," Rocky said.

"Very," Rachel agreed.

"Look us up if you're ever in the area again," Zack said.

"Will do," Sandra replied.

"Bye, Dee," Conner said.

"Tell your friend Trini I'm sorry about her eye," Dee said earnestly.

"What was that about Trini's eye?" Zack demanded.

"Catch you later, guys!" Rachel said quickly, and stepped on the gas. The truck shot off, made a sharp U-turn, and roared out of the parking lot. Within a few moments, it was gone.

"Well," Rocky said cheerfully, clasping his hands together. "I could use some snacks. Or maybe a burger." He turned and strolled into the truck stop.

Conner sighed and looked at Zack. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"Did it bother you?"

"Did what bother me?"

"That they were criminals."

Zack shrugged. "Not really, no."

"Really?"

"Why? Does it bother you?"

"I don't know. A little."

"Conner," Zack said slowly, "things happen to people that can't always be fixed without breaking the law. Look at us. We've broken at least five laws this week that I can think of off the top of my head."

"Yeah, but we had a good reason."

"Really? Because some people would say that just because our identities were at stake is no excuse to lie to police officers, knock bellhops unconscious, or send a friend to threaten a hospital patient."

"But our identities are important."

"To _us,_ yeah. But we could live without them. T.J., Cassie, Carlos, Ashley, Andros and Zhane do. It wasn't necessity that made us do all that. It was desire. And yeah, we feel bad about lying and knocking people unconscious, but we still do it, because we don't want to give up what we have. And that's the same reason why Sandra, Rachel and Dee steal. I mean, the way I see it, they're three girls with a truck and a tent. They don't got a lot, and they're trying to keep what they got. That doesn't make it right, but it does make it understandable. Who are we to judge them, after the week we've had?"

Conner frowned at him. "I thought you were supposed to be the goofy one. The… well, the _me."_

Zack laughed. "I am. But I'm also good at strategy, Conner. I see things the logical ones miss. Logical people, they spend their days thinking of the most obvious, reasonable explanations. The crazy stuff, they leave to me, just because it doesn't occur to them." Zack sighed. "On some level, yeah, it bothers me. I don't think it's right. But there's more to life than black and white. I mean, you got your red, blue, green, pink and yellow, too."

Conner cracked up. "Oh, man, this is all so insane. Dr. O's gonna do one of those things he's been threatening to do for months."

Zack clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on. At least she was hot, right? So what if she was a crazy axe-wielding thief?"

"Hey, Zack!" called Rocky from the door to the diner. "You got any cash on you? Their credit card machines are down and Rachel apparently stole all the cash in my wallet."

Conner and Zack burst out laughing. "Seriously?" Zack asked as he and Conner started towards the door.

"Yeah. I had forty-seven dollars and thirteen cents left when we left the carnival."

Zack and Conner hopped up onto the sidewalk with Rocky and checked their wallets to verify that they still had their cash. Satisfied, Conner was about to make a joke about Rocky's missing money being karma for throwing Conner out of the truck when Zack's Escalade appeared in a nearby parking spot. Jason was behind the wheel, with Trini in the passenger seat. A moment later, Adam's Mercedes parked as well, leaving one spot in between the two cars. Adam and Billy climbed out, and the four of them converged on Rocky, Zack and Conner, effectively surrounding them.

"Uh-oh," Zack muttered.

"All right," Rocky said heavily, looking from Trini to Adam to Billy to Jason and back to Trini. "Let us have it."

"Oh," Trini said, smiling brightly at him, "we decided not to yell at you."

Conner perked up, but Rocky and Zack were immediately suspicious. "Why?" Zack asked.

The answer came in the form of Tommy's Jeep, which screeched to a halt in the spot between the Mercedes and the Escalade. Kimberly, Kira, Ethan and Trent got out, forming a ring in front of the Jeep with just enough space between Kimberly and Ethan for Rocky, Zack and Conner to see Tommy sitting behind the wheel, completely motionless, death in his eyes.

"Run?" Zack said to Rocky. It sounded vaguely like a question, but they both knew it wasn't up for discussion.

"Surrounded," Rocky muttered back. The brick wall of the diner was at their back, Adam and Billy to one side, Jason and Trini to the other. The only gap in the semi-circle was straight at Tommy, and neither guy was stupid enough to take that route.

"They planned it that way," Zack said sulkily. "What do you think? Adam and Billy?"

"We'd never make it before the others jumped us."

"Guys," Conner whispered, "don't worry. I've had Dr. O yell at me millions of times."

Rocky and Zack looked at him, their expressions clearly saying, "This time's different."

Tommy's arm moved towards the door handle. Desperate now, Rocky and Zack began whispering weaknesses in the circle to each other.

"Trini's eye. It's swelling."

"Billy and Jason have been jogging recently. Maybe they're tired."

"Kimberly and Kira have been in a fight."

"Dino Rangers. We can take them."

"Kimberly's between Ethan and Kira. Trent and Kira are too close to Jason."

The Jeep's door opened. Tommy put a foot on the pavement.

"You thinking we jump?"

"Best place is to jump is onto my car, and I'll be damned if the two of us are going to land on my baby. We might dent her."

"There's Adam's—"

"Don't even think about it," Adam said in a tone that was both dangerous and amused.

Tommy was standing now. The Jeep's door slammed closed.

"Over the diner roof. Over the diner roof!"

"And where to after that? We're in the desert and Jason has my keys!"

"We'll figure it out eventually! We'll call a non-Ranger to come save us!"

"We won't get good cell phone signal out here!"

"Calm down," Conner hissed, shocked at their sudden lack of bravery. "It's just Dr. O!"

"No it isn't, Conner!" Zack yelled. "It's TOMMY!"

And then, before either Zack or Rocky could make a bid for freedom, Tommy was in the circle, which automatically tightened the moment he was inside the ring.

"You know," Tommy began in a quiet, calm, almost-cheerful voice.

"Uh-oh," Conner muttered. Almost-cheerful Dr. O wasn't good. Mildly-annoyed Dr. O was the one that lectured. Falsely-bright Dr. O was the one that screamed and threatened.

"Ever since this whole vacation started, everyone's been ragging on me about being strict with the Dino Rangers. 'Tommy, they're almost legal adults.' 'They'll be fine, Dr. Responsible.' 'Stop being so overprotective.' 'Don't you remember being a teenager, Tommy?' 'We're just eating Play-Doh, man, what's your problem?'"

"He's holding a real grudge about the Play-Doh," Conner whispered to Zack, only to find that Zack and Rocky were staring at Tommy, watching him warily, standing straight up with their feet placed as if they were prepared to dodge, jump, or fight at the slightest signal that they were about to get hit.

"And I get that you guys don't understand what my problem is. So I'll _tell_ you what my problem is."

Tommy paused and began inhaling deeply. Conner braced himself. Here came the screaming.

"My problem is _they're my responsibility!"_ Tommy roared, so loudly that everyone within two miles nearly wet themselves. "I'm their science teacher! People ask enough questions about me and them as it is! Why I'm always hanging out in the café, why I have students at my house on the weekend, why I'm always going to Kira's gigs and Conner's games! Now their parents have entrusted them to my care, and I'm supposed to return them to Reefside by Monday, and _look at them!"_

"I'm fine, Dr. O," Conner said meekly.

"Fine, Conner? Fine? No, you're _not_ fine," Tommy spat. "Trent is the only one who is relatively unscathed, and wouldn't you know it, he's the only one whose parents would halfway understand a damned thing! Ethan's been making out with some random girl I traumatized on a Ferris wheel ten years ago, Kimberly kicked Kira's ass and then took her to do some nude sunbathing—"

"Nude?" Conner, Zack and Rocky repeated.

_"In underwear,"_ Kira said firmly, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

_"Do we really want to be interrupting me right now?"_ Tommy screamed. Everybody shook their heads wildly. "And you know that the sad part is?" Tommy continued furiously. "I can't even yell at them about that, because _you two got Conner kidnapped by axe-murderers!"_

"Check the parking lot for eavesdroppers," Jason whispered to Trini. "Come up with a good cover story." Trini jerked her head at Adam, and the two broke away from the semi-circle, though no one but Jason noticed.

"Axe-murderers, for crying out loud! AXE-MURDERERS! People who murder with axes!"

Emboldened by the realization that Dr. O couldn't kill him without his folks getting pissed, Conner stepped forward. "Actually, Dr. O, they were really just thieves," Conner said in a small voice.

"Do I look like I _care,_ Conner? Huh? I leave you alone for three hours and you're going for second base with an axe-wielding maniac! I leave you alone for ten minutes to pick up Anna and you're locked in a fight to the death with a bunch of _clowns!_ I leave you alone for a half hour to go eat breakfast and you're beating up bellhops to smuggle Billy out of a hotel! I leave you alone for three seconds and you're eating Play-Doh! I leave you alone for an hour and you're almost banned from Wal-Mart! I leave you alone for twenty minutes and you're setting off the self-destruct sequence! I leave you alone for one night and you're ordering pornography and fifty dollars worth of room service and are stupid enough to charge it to Trent's father's credit card!"

"Dad knows about that?" Trent yelped, exchanging panicked looks with Ethan.

"You can guess how interesting _that_ phone call was!" Tommy shouted.

Conner whimpered. It had suddenly became apparent that parents or no parents, Dr. O was really gonna kill him this time. He began scanning the parking lot for avenues of escape, but all he saw was Trini and Adam standing ten feet away and trying to convince a bunch of truckers that Tommy and the others were rehearsing for a new off-Broadway play called "Oops, My Bad."

"I just wanted a few hours _alone!"_ Tommy wailed. "I just wanted to hang out with Anna and seduce Kimberly on a park bench in a picturesque carnival—"

"Hey!" Kimberly exclaimed indignantly.

"—and apparently that was just too much to ask! Not one of them managed to survive four measly hours without catastrophe! By the end of this trip, Conner will have joined a gang, Ethan will have impregnated half of Angel Grove, Kira will start a goat-sacrificing cult and Trent will have become a monk!"

Tommy stood there, shoulders heaving with rage, face an ugly shade of purplish red, eyes wide and crazed. They all stared at him as the mood slowly began to deteriorate into something that could only be described as "Where are the hidden cameras?"

No one was quite sure where the first snort came from. Or the first snicker. All anyone knew was that in the end, Tommy was the first to burst out laughing hysterically.

"Why?" Tommy moaned in between fits of laughter as the other cracked up, leaning on each other and giving themselves over to the amusement. "Who did I kill in a past life to deserve this?"

"They really weren't axe-murderers," Zack gasped out. "Sandra told me they haven't had to kill anyone so far."

"I can't believe my dad knows about _that,"_ Trent said.

"Nude sunbathing," Ethan chortled, pointing at Kira. "You of all people!"

"Made out with random girl," Kira replied, pointing right back at him. "You of all people!"

"Monk!" Conner cackled, pointing at Trent.

"I set you up," Tommy choked out, pointing at Trini, who had returned with Adam to join the laughter. "I saw the clowns coming!"

"I knew who those girls were," Trini giggled, pointing at Rocky and Zack. "I'd heard of them before. I was trying to let you make your own mistakes."

"I'm the leader of the world's most recent superhero team," Conner gasped. "And I just made out with an axe murderer!"

They went on like that for ages, pointing wildly at each other, spilling out crazy secrets that just a few moments ago they'd assumed they'd never be telling each other, rehashing the horrors of the past week. And then, to top it all off, the most ludicrous thing that had happened all day began.

Applause.

A large gaggle of truck drivers, waitresses, travelers, and hitchhikers had gathered nearby in the parking lot, drawn outside by the screaming. Now, they were clapping and cheering loudly, applauding the newest off-Broadway play.

Startled by this new addition to their world, the Rangers stared blankly at their audience. Then they did the only thing they could.

One by one, starting with Conner and ending with Tommy, the Rangers took their bows.

Once all twelve of them had taken their props, the Rangers stood by smiling and waving as the onlookers trickled back outside, calling out words of encouragement and the occasional "You suck!" At last, they were alone on the sidewalk again. They stood in silence, staring off into the pretty desert surroundings as the sun sank lower and lower. At last, Tommy took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and smiled.

"Let's say we just scratch this whole day off the list, shall we?" Tommy asked brightly. Everyone started replying at once.

"Agreed."

"Are you kidding?"

"Okay."

"This day rocked!"

"Fine by me."

"No way!"

"Thank god."

"I still wanna hear about the nude part."

"Never happened."

"For crying out loud, underwear! Practically a bikini!"

"Already forgotten."

"Good," Tommy said serenely. "Now, who's up for a burger? My treat. Or rather, Anton's treat. I hear this place is pretty good."

"Best dive this side of the Rockies," Rocky said cheerfully. "But their credit card machine is down."

"I've got cash," Tommy told him. "Had to get another cash advance back at the carnival for the games. So dinner's definitely on me."

"At this rate, here's hoping I still have a trust fund," Trent said dryly.

"Hey, guys?" Jason said slowly. "I know we agreed to forget this day ever happened, but there's something I gotta say first."

"What's that?" Tommy asked suspiciously.

Jason held up his wrist to display his watch. "It's only eight forty-five. We've still got a ways to go."

* * *

_End Notes:_ I don't think we were planning to go in this direction with Conner, but for some strange reason the plot of the overall six-fic saga has taken over and run off down a completely different path, and forced us into certain things that weren't originally in the script. Ah, well. Hopefully it was funny enough. 


	64. Game On

**Chapter Sixty-four**

_Game On_

The diner definitely exceeded expectations; despite the unsophisticated atmosphere, the food was excellent and came in portions so big that none of them actually expected to finish their entire meal. They split up into three tables, chattering and switching seats with each other as they ate.

Conversation was pretty random. Kira and Kimberly rehashed their fight for the benefit of the group at large, going through a blow-by-blow account from moment of attack to injury of goat, and finally clearing up that at no point had they actually been nude. Jason and Billy told Tommy and Zack about running into Steven Q-something from the football team and Jarel, who turned out not only to be Rocky's uncle's neighbor but had also dated Aisha for two months during Rocky, Adam and Aisha's freshman year at Stone Canyon High. Tommy filled the others in on Hayley's phone call about Don, and the fact that she might resort to drunk-dialing a few of them in the near future.

Shortly after ten o'clock rolled around, Conner, Ethan and Trent had a table to themselves, and they were all pretty much staring blankly at the tabletop, waiting for their blood sugar to return to a normal level. Eventually, Conner decided they needed a topic of conversation.

"So, Ethan—you and the Ferris wheel girl?" Conner said.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing. Just… way to go. She was hot." Ethan nodded in acknowledgement. Conner thought for a moment, trying to come up with something else. "Hey, that was the first girl you ever kissed, right?"

"No," Ethan said, his tone more confused than defensive. "Second."

Conner and Trent looked at him in surprise. "Who was the first?" Trent asked.

"Yeah, you said Cassidy was your first date, and we were watching every minute of that, right up until the Tyrannodrones," Conner said.

"You were?" Ethan demanded incredulously.

"Sorry, man. We were curious," Trent said apologetically. "So it was Angela, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Angela."

Conner frowned and tilted his head to the side. "Dude, are you _lying?"_

"No," Ethan insisted, a little too quickly.

Conner was about to reply when he heard the words "Black Ranger, Dr. Tommy Oliver" from the television above the bar. "Dr. O!" Conner shouted.

Tommy turned to see what Conner was pointing at and leaped up so fast that his chair went flying. "Short people in the front!" Tommy called, and there was suddenly a mad stampede as the twelve of them pressed up against the bar, scaring the crap out of a trucker nursing a beer who found himself suddenly squished between Kira, Kimberly, Ethan and Trini.

The ten o'clock news was on, showing a reporter outside the courthouse in Angel Grove, standing next to Walter, who'd obviously just been released. A caption along the bottom of the screen read "Ranger Identity Revelation a Hoax!"

"I don't know how things got out of control," a rather nervous-looking Walter told the cameras. "I mean, I never said Tommy Oliver hit me, or that he was the Black Ranger. All I said was that I should have known not to try to steal from Kim Hart, Tommy Oliver's girlfriend, because he went postal on me and a friend of mine in high school for saying something rude about her. I didn't see who hit me; I didn't know it was the Black Ranger until they told me at the hospital. But, um, if I'd seen Tommy walking around with Kim, I never would have gone after Kim's purse. All I saw were her and a guy and girl I didn't recognize. Tommy Oliver wasn't even there; if he was, I would've run away screaming."

"You go evil _once_ and no one ever lets you forget it," Tommy muttered.

"Dude, you were evil a lot," Jason pointed out.

"I was not!"

"Were t—"

"Hey!" Conner interrupted. "How come he gets to call you 'dude' and I don't?"

"While we're all complaining, do they _have_ to refer to me as Tommy's girlfriend every three seconds?" Kimberly grumbled.

"Shh!" Rocky hissed. "I want to hear this!"

They'd cut to another reporter, standing outside the Angel Grove Inn with the manager and a couple of random people, a middle-aged man and a guy who looked to be just barely twenty-one, grinning happily at the camera. The middle-aged man was talking into the reporter's microphone. "I was just sitting there in the restaurant, and then I hear the Black Ranger yelling that he's not Tommy Oliver, and was just stopping by to prove it. He and Tommy Oliver and some other people sitting with Tommy Oliver chatted for a while, and then the Black Ranger ran off."

The manager practically shoved the man out of the way in his eagerness to speak. "You see, there was a bit of an incident this morning. Two bellhops were attacked by a man on the sixth floor. We believe the Black Ranger was attempting to apprehend the suspect."

"You were one of the bellhops attacked?" the reporter asked the other random person in the group.

He nodded excitedly. "Yeah. We'd dropped off some luggage for this nice lady on the sixth floor, and we were wheeling the cart back. Just when we got the cart back in the elevator, some guy came out of nowhere and dropped my friend like a sack of bricks. I tried to fight him off but he got me too, and when I woke up, the dude had stolen my uniform and I was tied up and blindfolded and gagged and in the elevator."

"Could you describe your assailant?" the reporter asked curiously.

"Naw. He had a Ninja Turtle blanket over his head. Old-school Ninja Turtles, not like that new cartoon, but the _real_ ones from back in the day, the ones that were really different from the comic book and a lot more funny."

"I like that guy," Conner said idly.

"Finally; someone who appreciates the TMNT from back in the day," Zack said approvingly.

"He looks like a pothead," Ethan commented.

"SHH!" Rocky hissed.

"It was a real cool blanket. Anyway, all I know was he was a white guy under the blanket; I could see his arms. He was wearing jeans and sneakers, but that was all I could see outside the blanket."

"Any guess as to your assailant's motives?" the reporter asked.

"Nah. It was pretty crazy today. I heard there was also this crazy biker dude in the lobby trying to attack some guy. Kept screaming something about Red Pop."

"I did not appreciate that, Jason," Billy said with a frown.

"My fault," Jason said apologetically.

"Do you expect the Black Ranger to return?" the reporter asked the manager.

"We're hopeful that he will, but our hotel is fairly crime-free," the manager said firmly. "I'd like to thank him for his assistance, however."

"So there you have it," the reporter said into the camera. "The Black Ranger's identity remains a mystery."

The screen split in two, with one half showing the anchors and the other half showing the reporter. "Yolanda," the anchorman asked, "what does Dr. Oliver himself think about the mix-up?"

"Dr. Oliver could not be reached for comment," the reporter explained. "Sources say he left the hotel early this morning and we were unable to determine if he had checked out or not."

"Thank you, Carrie," Jason muttered with a grin.

"Thank you, Yolanda," the anchorwoman said. "In other news—"

"Excuse me," said the trucker sandwiched between them, "could y'all back up, please? I've gotta get back on the road soon and I'd like to enjoy my beer." Ethan was leaning across him, preventing him from getting the bottle to his mouth.

"Sorry," several of them chorused, and they returned to their tables.

"Well, that's good news," Kimberly said brightly. "T.J. really came through."

"Not to mention how smooth it was of me to show up right next to Tommy," Zack whispered.

"Smooth. Yeah. That's how I'd describe it," Tommy said, rolling his eyes.

"Look, gang, why don't we head back to the hotel, now that the chaos is over?" Jason suggested.

"Yeah," Zack said. "Rocky, Adam, why don't you hang with us tonight? We'd have to double up, but all twelve of us should fit in three rooms, right?"

"Sounds like fun," Adam agreed. "We'll swing by Rocky's and get some stuff."

"Okay," Jason agreed. "Tommy and Zack are in room 618; that's probably where we'll be."

They paid the bill and split up. Jason, Trini and Billy got stuck with the supply run—in other words, snack food and alcohol—as Tommy wasn't about to take the Dino Rangers anywhere else where they could cause chaos. Tommy insisted Zack go with them, because he figured that at least if Zack and the teens were nearby, he'd have some advanced warning before chaos exploded on his head. Kimberly decided to join them, mostly because she was happy to see Jake again and wanted to sort out her enormous new collection of stuffed animals.

There was a news van camped out in the hotel parking lot and a couple of reporters hanging outside, smoking cigarettes and sipping Starbucks beverages, glancing around in the casual manner of people who were on watch for something. Tommy sent Trent to see what they were on the lookout for, which turned out to be something they called "Ranger Watch." Apparently most of the news stations had sent reporters to all the major locations the Power Rangers had appeared so far—the mayor's office, Club Bulkmeier's, the area where Tommy had decked Walter, and the hotel, in addition to the most likely location for Power Ranger sightings—the park.

"Don't think they really care about you, Dr. O," Trent said apologetically.

"Yay, anonymity," Tommy muttered.

"You know, I've always wondered something," Conner whispered as Zack, Kimberly, Tommy, Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent snuck through the lobby as casually as possible. "Mesogog knew our identities, and I'm guessing Rita did too. Why didn't they ever expose us?"

"Who would believe an evil guy?" Ethan asked.

"I pulled a couple fast ones on you, if I remember," Trent pointed out.

"They probably don't do it because it's not in their best interests," Zack said as they all squeezed into the lobby. "Like that time we got stuck in detention because there were evil Putty clones of us. If they'd started attacking the city while we were in school, then everyone would have known they were fakes."

"And Caplan would have let us right out of detention to go fight them," Kimberly added. "We got held up a lot by people and things because of our identities. If they had known, a lot of battles would have been easier."

"Not to mention the things we did to secure our identities," Tommy said. "Being just a little too late sometimes, taking risks to make sure no one made the connections…"

"It's kind of pointless for them to expose us, really," Zack concluded. "I mean, it would actually benefit us in a lot of ways, and not benefit them at all. We'd be famous, even though we'd have no normal lives to speak of, and the bad guys would still be fighting the Power Rangers. Hell, we might have even gotten more help if we'd come out of the closet. The Space Rangers got some serious government funding after they went public."

"If it's such a benefit, then why _didn't_ we go public?" Kira asked.

"Because there are things that we can do anonymously that we can't do publicly," Tommy told her. "For one thing, we can get kicked out of a carnival without it ending up on the six o'clock news. If they'd known we were Rangers, somebody famous, they'd probably have sold you all to the wolves to get a little press."

"Yeah, but how often do we fight clowns or injure goats?" Conner replied.

"You'd better pray for just the once," Tommy told him darkly.

They headed for Tommy and Zack's room, chatting and dividing up the days' carnival prizes while they waited for the others. It was well after eleven by the time Rocky and Adam showed up, and almost midnight when Jason, Trini and Billy returned.

"Great news!" Trini exclaimed, waving around a dark purple bottle as they came into the room, quickly closing the door behind them. "Guess what Billy brought!"

"Alien alcohol?" Zack asked hopefully.

"I told you, Zack, Aquitians don't drink alcohol," Billy told him. "It's dehydrating. Their preferred form of escapism is astral projection."

"What's that?" Conner asked.

"It's a method of meditation where one goes to a higher plane or parallel dimension and experiences other realities," Billy told him. "It's hard to explain, but it's basically an out-of-body experience to another universe."

"Sounds like a trip," Conner said, impressed.

"It's wonderful," Billy said with a sigh. "I really must teach you all some time."

"It sounds kind of like magic or something," Ethan said.

"Magic is just a term for unexplained phenomenon," Billy said. "Mainstream science has yet to discover how it works, but mainstream science is very primitive, even on a planet as advanced as Aquitar, let alone Earth. My personal theory is that one day everything will be explicable. It was only a few hundred years ago that people didn't even know why, if the Earth was round, no one was falling off."

Conner knitted his brow. "Gravity, right?"

"Yeah, Conner, gravity," Ethan said, shaking his head and patting Conner on the shoulder, the way an older brother might do after hearing a younger sibling's harebrained theory about how the world worked.

"So if it's not alien alcohol, what _is_ in the bottle?" Rocky asked.

"Aquitian water!" Trini proclaimed, setting it down on Zack's nightstand with a thunk. "It completely healed my eye!"

"What? How?" Adam demanded, staring at it in surprise. "I thought it could only reverse the aging process."

"It can do that because it rejuvenates," Billy explained. "It doesn't slow aging so much as reverse the effects of aging. It repairs cellular damage."

"You mean it can cure disease and stuff?" Kira asked.

"No, no, nothing like that," Trini said hastily. "See, when we age, things start to fail. Skin loses its firmness. Organs begin to give out. Eyesight fails. Hearing, memory—things wear out from so much use. Drinking Aquitian water is like recharging a battery. Won't do any good if the battery is damaged, but if the battery is just out of juice, it can fix that."

"So why aren't people using it?" Trent asked. "It could heal a lot of problems."

"Well, unfortunately, prolonged consumption could have extremely detrimental effects," Trini said, with a pointed glare at Billy.

"I've been drinking it for years," Billy said, giving Trini a somewhat apologetic smile. "I have noticed a few problems, but it would take years to thoroughly document the effects, and even so, I am not the best example of typical human physiology. I have absorbed all sorts of energy during my days as a Ranger, in addition to possessing an exceptional intellect and sound physique. I also reside on a planet with a slightly different atmosphere and lower gravity, which could alter my chemical makeup in many different ways. We do know the water is toxic to several other alien races, and since there has never been a long-term study, it could be a while before it would be safe to introduce it to the human race."

"So… why did you bring the possibly-toxic age-defying water?" Zack asked.

"Bruises," Trini explained, nodding at Kimberly and Kira. They were still covered in scratches and a few more bruises from their fight were showing up.

"Ooh, I have always wanted to try that stuff," Kimberly gushed.

"Can I have some? Kira knocked me unconscious again this morning," Conner said hopefully.

"Maybe you should make them all drink it," Tommy said thoughtfully, eyeing the Dino Rangers critically. "I don't want to send them home with a half-dozen injuries each. Even Anton would be a little upset."

"We've still got a few days left to go," Trent pointed out. "And I'm relatively unscathed."

"I thought we could all try some," Trini said. "The clown fight was a little rough."

"I'll say," Adam muttered, rubbing a small burn on the back of his hand.

"Um… you want me to drink alien water?" Kira asked faintly. "I… would kind of rather heal naturally."

"I understand if you do, but allow me to assure you that it's not harmful in small doses," Billy told her. "When I say it could have negative long-term effects, what I mean is regular doses over months, even years. Even after extensive consumption the most probable effects would be a loss or an increase of natural healing capabilities or a lack of aging. It could even theoretically make one impervious to injury. If a small amount were to affect you in any manner, it would probably only add a few months to your lifespan."

"So… it'd probably mutate me in a _good_ way," Kira said slowly.

"Theoretically," Trini said cheerfully. She pulled out the cork, which turned out to be hollow. Trini filled the odd cork/cap with water and passed it to Kimberly.

"Should I knock it back or take a sip?" Kimberly asked.

"There are no required ritualistic methods of consumption," Billy said.

"Meaning…?" Kimberly prompted.

"Doesn't matter," Trini clarified.

"Ah." Kimberly tossed it down her throat and swallowed, then shuddered. "Whoo! That is… whoa. It tastes… not like water."

"It's kind of like alien Gatorade or something," Trini mused.

"Hey, yeah!" Kimberly exclaimed. "Totally. It's so… wow. Rejuvenating age-defying healing powers or not, they ought to be mass-producing this stuff. It's so tasty!"

Trini poured another capful. "Kira?"

Kira exhaled sharply and swallowed the capful. It really did taste odd. It was like the water she'd drank all of her life was flat and two-month-old soda pop, and she'd finally found an icy-cold sip of the real thing. It was also as if she'd been extremely worn out and just slammed a Red Bull; she immediately felt wide-awake and alert, even though she hadn't been tired previously.

"Awesome," Kira breathed.

"Tell me about it," Kimberly agreed. A few of the small cuts on her arms were already gone, and a bruise on her leg was beginning to fade.

"Can I have some?" Conner begged. "Clown fight, remember?"

"It's not like we could really forget," Adam said dryly.

They began passing the water around. Thanks to Bonkers and the flaming torches, Adam was the most injured after Kira and Kimberly, though Rocky, Zack and Conner were covered in scratches from their mad dash through the trees, and the others had a bruise or two here and there. Only Ethan, Trent and Tommy hadn't been smacked around at all that day, but they all took a small sip for curiosity's sake.

No matter how much or little they drank, everyone was suddenly as awake as if they had drunk a pot of coffee. They all started chattering, ripping open the snack food Jason, Billy and Trini had bought and taking about everything and nothing. Rocky and Adam were anxious to catch up with Billy and get better acquainted with the newbies, and everyone wanted to hear more about the Dino Thunder days.

Eventually, Ethan started describing the Hovercraft Cycle, which prompted Tommy to inform Rocky, Zack and the Dino Rangers that Hayley would be arriving tomorrow. Kimberly, uncomfortable at yet another mention of Hayley (which now not only brought up conflicting feelings for Tommy but his newfound motivation to fight for her), glanced at the clock and sat up with a jolt.

"Oh, my god!" Kimberly exclaimed. "It's getting way late. Billy's first appointment is at eleven and I still have to get this hay out of my hair before bed."

"Well, goodnight, Kim," Conner told her with a wave.

"Uh-uh," Tommy told him. "You four need to get some rest, too."

"Dr. _O!"_ they all complained in unison.

"Sorry, guys. I've already let you battle clowns, make out with strangers, sunbathe in the nude—"

_"Underwear!"_ Kira fairly shouted.

Tommy ignored her. "—run from cops, attack bellhops, and ingest substances that aren't approved by the Food and Drug Administration. You're just gonna have to deal with going to bed before dawn."

"When did we do drugs?" Conner asked, frowning.

"He meant the alien water isn't approved by the FDA," Ethan explained as the Dino Rangers gathered up their carnival prizes.

"But really, Dr. O, bedtime?" Kira demanded. "We're seventeen. Besides, I wanted to see if they had a washing machine here; I'd like to get this outfit clean before these grass stains become permanent."

"Hey, if I can have the first shower, I'll wash it for you," Kimberly offered.

"Kim, the, um, the whole point was kind of that I didn't want to go to bed," Kira told her.

"Tell you what. As long as I can't actually see if you're awake…" Tommy trailed off.

"Gotcha," Conner said, and the four Dino Rangers left with Kimberly and Trini.

"About time," Jason said, pulling a twelve-pack of beer from under the bed. "I thought we'd never get to drink."

The six guys descended eagerly on the alcohol, even Billy, though he was more curious than anything else. "I never did get to drink at the wedding," Billy said, holding the beer up to the light to inspect it.

"I can't believe you're twenty-four and you've never had a beer," Rocky said, shaking his head.

"Yes, well, Aquitar and such," Billy said vaguely, sniffing the beer experimentally.

"So," Adam said, flopping down on the edge of Tommy's bed, "I've got a question. Actually, I've got about a million of them, but I figured I might as well start with—what's up between you and Kimberly?"

For a moment, Tommy stared at him, wondering how best to answer that. Then he decided that there was no point in denying anything. If he was going to get Kimberly back, he was going to need help, and the five people in the room knew Kimberly better than anyone, excepting perhaps Trini.

So Tommy started with the ice-bucket collision on Friday night, moved on to what he and Zack had overheard on the balcony, and quickly and methodically went through everything that had happened between him and Kimberly in the past few days. By the time he reached the previous night, he was pacing, waving his hands for emphasis as he unloaded every frustration and hope on his five best guy friends.

"So then I go, 'I'm going to get you back for this,' and she goes, 'I'm shaking in your shirt,' and then she actually wears it _all day_ today!" Tommy ranted, tossing an empty bottle in the trash and reaching for another.

"That's rough, man," Rocky said sympathetically.

Adam shook his head. "If there's one thing Kimberly can do well, it's steamroll."

"So what are you going to do to get her back?" Rocky asked curiously, taking another sip of his drink.

Tommy paused. He hadn't thought about it yet… it had been sort of an empty threat at the time… but now that they were on the subject…

"You guys in?" he asked as he glanced at the clock, a plan already forming.

"What do you want us to do?" Jason asked carefully, not liking the idea of retaliating, simply because they of all people knew the girls were always one for fighting back.

"You'll just have to distract Trini."

"Ooh, I'm _so_ in," Jason said quickly, relieved.

"Figured as much," Tommy said dryly. He stood up. "All right. Here's what we're going to do. Rocky, go down to the lobby, ask for a few large trash bags. Jason, see if you can get Trini out of the room, but be careful. Just Trini; they need to be separated."

"I'll get her to go down to the truck," Jason said eagerly.

"Don't park it under a streetlight," Rocky joked.

"Ugh," Zack groaned. "Never riding in your truck again."

"What, like your car's any better? Who _knows_ who's been in there?"

Zack grinned reminiscently. "Ah, good times."

"And ignoring that, we move on." Tommy thought for a moment, then outlined the beginning stages of his plan. A few minutes later, Rocky, Tommy and Jason left the room and split up to accomplish their individual missions.

Tommy knocked on the door to 603. "Who is it?" Conner called.

"Me."

Tommy ignored the panicky whispers and the sounds of probably-forbidden items being stuffed into improvisational hiding places. "What do you want?" Conner asked, obviously stalling for time.

"Just need to see Trent for a minute."

A moment's pause, and then Trent opened the door a crack. "Yes?"

"I need a favor."

"Yeah?" Trent asked hesitantly.

"I think I've kind of upset Kira."

"What _now?"_ Trent demanded.

Tommy cursed himself for not thinking up some imaginary problem he could have had with Kira. "Um, it's not really important. Probably best if you don't bring it up. Anyway, I was hoping you could do me the favor of cheering her up." Realizing how that sounded, he pulled out his wallet and quickly added, "By taking her for out. There's a twenty-four hour diner nearby, Diana's. Take a right out the front entrance and it's maybe six blocks. They have really good ice cream. Get Kira away from all the insanity for a while. You're probably the best bet at making her feel better." He took out the credit card Anton had given him. "Your dad's card. Don't do anything illegal, and make sure you bring it back."

Trent's eyes widened in surprise but he took the card eagerly; it would be nice to treat Kira to something, just the two of them.

"You got it," he said happily. "Just give me a few minutes to get ready."

"Take your time," Tommy replied, wanting Jason and Trini to be gone by the time Trent went to pick up Kira.

He was almost back to the room when Jason approached, his arm around Trini's waist. "Be back soon," Jason called cheerfully. "Just going to check out the pool."

"Right, pool," Trini said distractedly.

It didn't escape Tommy's notice that Jason's hand was wandering… into Trini's front pocket. Trini didn't notice as he pulled her room key out, careful not to jostle her, and let the card drop to the floor as they passed Tommy.

_Score!_ Tommy thought happily as he swooped down to pick it up. That hadn't been part of the plan, but it was going to make things much easier. _Jason, man, you're getting a __**killer**__ Christmas gift!_

"See you," Tommy called happily.

"Uh-huh," Trini replied, staring into Jason's eyes heatedly as he punched the button for the elevator. It opened, revealing Rocky.

"Made a huge mess," he said, indicating his fistful of trash bags. Trini nodded absently.

Rocky joined Tommy as the doors slid shut behind Trini and Jason. "Did you get Trent to help?" Rocky asked as they headed back to the room.

"Yeah… and Jason stole Trini's room key." Tommy held it up, grinning.

"See, now, that's why Zordon picked him to be the leader way back in the day," Rocky said, deeply impressed. "She's gonna kick his ass for that if she finds out, but that was _awesome."_

"Hell yeah," Tommy agreed, privately adding, _And you're about to find out why Zordon picked me to be Jason's successor._

* * *

Kimberly checked to be sure she had her room key one more time before exiting the room and letting it swing shut behind her. Shifting the load of laundry in her arms, she turned and headed down the hall. Rocky and Tommy were standing in the corridor, talking in low voices. Rocky saw her coming and beat a hasty retreat back into Tommy and Zack's room. Kimberly groaned.

"Don't start," she warned Tommy as she approached. This was the first time they'd been alone together since the almost-kiss on the bench, and she didn't want him to try to mess with her again.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Tommy told her, pretending to be wounded. "Are you going down to do laundry? Billy wanted to talk to you about something."

"Yeah, I am."

"Okay. I'll tell him where he can find you."

Kimberly looked up at him suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing," Tommy told her innocently. "Nothing at all."

"I mean it, Oliver—don't mess with me."

Tommy smiled at her. "Come on, Kim. You're paranoid."

She snorted and turned away from him, jabbing the down button for the elevator. "You'd like that, wouldn't you."

"I'd like you to do a lot of things," Tommy replied silkily, and waltzed back into his room.

Kimberly shook her head as the elevator doors opened. "He keeps this up, I'm going to kill him," she muttered.

* * *

Tommy grinned as the elevator closed behind Billy. Kimberly's room was now empty. Billy would keep her distracted. Jason would keep Trini busy, and Trent and Kira would be gone for at least a half-hour more, probably longer. Tommy felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of what they might be off doing, but he tried not to dwell. Kira and Trent probably wouldn't wander far, and they were generally well-behaved… as far as he knew, anyway… comparatively…

_Sorry, Anton,_ Tommy said silently as he rammed Trini's key card into the lock.

The door swung open. He looked around with an evil eye. The room was messy, but in a decidedly girly way. Trash was relatively close to the trash can, makeup and other grooming supplies littered the dresser, and three piles of dirty clothes—one of pink-oriented things and two of yellow—were at the bottom of the closet. It was cluttered, not necessarily messy. It was an _organized_ disaster area… which would make his job much easier.

Tommy headed over to the piles of dirty clothes and scooped up the pink section, dumping everything unceremoniously into one of his trash bags, and then yanking down the assortment of shoes from the top shelf—nine stylish pairs all in neat rows, so definitely Kimberly's. Trini had three pairs of shoes—sandals, sneakers and slightly dressy shoes, all with yellow and the occasional bit of red—and Kira had a small collection of boots and sandals, all in yellow and black. Only Kimberly would travel with more pairs of shoes than days in her vacation, and only Kimberly would give them such a prominent place in the closet. He threw them all in with the dirty clothes, opened a fresh bag to hold the more feminine dresses hanging below the shoes, and then turned to regard the rest of the room.

Red-and-gold backpack, clothes spilling out. That was Trini's, then. Black duffel bag half-covered by a pair of jeans, black backpack with yellow piping, Kira's. Kimberly's matching pink luggage… aha, bottom of the closet… empty.

"Dresser," he muttered, and pulled open a drawer. _"Jackpot."_

Tommy opened another bag and started throwing things in. Jeans, capris, skirts, shorts, skorts… what was _wrong_ with Kimberly, anyway?

Another drawer. Shirts. Every last one got thrown in with the dresses. A third drawer. Accessories—belts and hats and things that he couldn't even begin to guess what they were. Last drawer. Underwear, socks and swimsuits.

Tommy sorted through it all quickly and methodically, selecting what he needed, glancing around to make sure he hadn't missed anything. He fished in his cargo pocket for the roll of masking tape he'd gotten yesterday at Wal-Mart. Then he glanced through the piles of makeup, searching for a red lipstick.

"Bingo," he said, fighting the urge to cackle as he turned to regard the mirror. Kimberly was never going to top this. Ever.


	65. Game of Honor

**Chapter Sixty-five**

_Game of Honor_

"Good as new," Kimberly proclaimed as she pulled Tommy's shirt out of the dryer. She and Billy had been hanging out in the laundry room while she washed her shorts, Tommy's shirt, and Kira's outfit. Billy had wanted to ask what exactly she was planning for him at the mall tomorrow, and she'd just finished walking him through hour four when the dryer stopped.

"Yeah, good as new. Unless you count the rip in the sleeve," Billy commented.

"He'll get over it," Kimberly said with a wince.

"Well, I'm kind of tired," Billy said. "Let's head back, shall we?"

They made their way out of the laundry room and back to the lobby, where they ran into Jason and Trini. "Hey!" Kimberly called. "I got all that muck out."

"Good," Trini said serenely.

"Especially since that's Tommy's shirt," Jason added dryly.

Kimberly raised an eyebrow at him. "No, it's _my_ shirt," she said firmly.

Jason smiled at her. "Whatever."

The four of them headed back upstairs. Jason and Billy said goodbye, heading back to Tommy and Zack's room, and the girls continued towards Kimberly's… but when they were still a good ten feet away, Kira came bursting out of their room at full speed and ran smack into Kimberly before she could stop.

"KIM! Oh, thank god! I didn't know what to do…"

"What's wrong?" Kimberly demanded urgently. Kira shook her head and grabbed Kimberly's arm, hauling her towards the room. The three girls burst in, their eyes immediately drawn to the mirror.

Kimberly's favorite black bra had been taped to the mirror in a U-shape, forming the mouth of a smiley face, with green panties for a nose and two white balled-up socks for eyes. Written in red lipstick above the demented smiley face was the message:

_Told you so! (Neh-neh-ne-neh)_

Kimberly stared at it in horror for a moment, then burst out laughing. "He's such a crackpot!" she chortled, tossing the laundry onto Kira's bed, snatching the bra down, pulling the tape off and opening the drawer. "Did he really think _this_ was going to get me back for stealing his shir—OH MY GOD!"

"What is it?" Trini demanded worriedly.

"My _clothes!"_ Kimberly wailed. "He took my _clothes!"_ She pulled open the other three drawers in a panic. "ALL of them!"

"Even the dirty ones," Kira added, cringing sympathetically.

"Are you _serious?"_ Kimberly demanded, rushing for the closet. Sure enough, her laundry was gone, as were her dresses and…

"My shoes," Kimberly breathed in a horrified whisper. "My shoes. He took my _shoes."_

"It's okay, Kim," Trini said soothingly, rubbing her back. "I'll just go talk to Jason, see if I can get in the room and get the clothes and—"

"HE IS SO DEAD!" Kimberly roared. With that, she stomped over to Kira's bed, ripping her tank top over her head as she went. As if strapping on battle armor, she pulled Tommy's shirt on, buttoned a couple buttons across her chest, knotted the ends over her stomach, and marched from the room.

* * *

A smirking Tommy pulled open the door and calmly regarded the furious Kimberly, who was flanked by the two disapproving Yellows. "Hi," he said cheerfully, leaning against the doorjamb to block her from running into the room to reclaim her clothes.

"Give them _back,"_ she growled by way of greeting. Behind Tommy, the other guys snickered, even Billy and Adam.

"What would you give me?" he retorted silkily.

"You're not funny," Kimberly growled.

"Really? Cuz I think it's _very_ funny. Just like you thought it was funny when you stole the shirt off my back."

Kimberly took a deep, shaky breath and ground out, _"Fine._ Name your terms. What do you want?"

Tommy beamed at her. "Your shirt, of course. Or should I say, _my_ shirt."

Kimberly looked down at the green shirt she was wearing and said, quite simply, "No."

"Come on, Kim. You're beat. I just want the shirt back, and then I'll return your stuff. Well, maybe not _everything…"_ He grinned again.

Kimberly glared at him. "Give me a minute to confer with my associates, okay?" she said through gritted teeth.

"Take your time," Tommy replied. "I'm not going anywhere."

Kimberly turned around and put her head together with Trini and Kira, whispering so quietly that Tommy couldn't make out a single syllable. Then, as one, the three girls turned to look at him determinedly. Kimberly reached up, undid the top button on the shirt… and then lunged at him with a rage-filled battle cry. Tommy yelped; the button thing had been a successful distraction, and he was too startled to react as he hit the floor, Kimberly on top of him, Trini and Kira leaping over them. Kira dove for the bags of clothes in the corner while Trini rushed headlong towards Jason, Billy, Zack, Rocky and Adam.

"ARGH!" Zack screamed, no longer laughing. He and Rocky dove for the bathroom door on general principles, Billy getting swept up in their path; the three of them managed to get inside as Trini charged at Adam and Jason. Zack shoved the lock button in, breathing heavily with terror. "She's gonna kill us!" Zack wailed. "She wasn't supposed to _attack!_ She was supposed to barter! Tommy said she'd barter!"

"We're _doomed!"_ Rocky wailed. "We're really _doomed!"_

"Um, guys…" Billy began.

"We're not finished yet!"

"Yes we are!"

"Guys—"

"We'll barricade the door!"

"How?"

"Guys!"

"Help me move the toilet!"

"Okay! Oh, EW—you get the front, I'll get the back."

_"Guys!"_

"Why do I have to get the front?"

"It was your idea!"

"GUYS!"

"Yeah, it was _my_ idea, so _I_ should get to get the back."

"No, it was _your_ idea, so _you_ should get the front."

_"GUYS!"_

"Jesus, Billy, there's no need to shout," Zack complained.

"Yeah, we're right here," Rocky added.

Billy sighed, but, being used to people not understanding him in conversation, he didn't argue. "Guys… it's six against three. That's two against one. I don't think we need to be hiding in a bathroom. However, if we stay in here, Trini, Kimberly and Kira might get the better of Tommy, Jason and Adam, and then we'll be sitting ducks."

Rocky and Zack thought this over.

"Oh," Zack said, then wrenched the bathroom door open.

Kira and the clothing bags were no longer in sight; she'd taken the bags and fled. Trini was now held firmly in Jason's grasp, her arms pinned to her sides as he held her around the waist from behind, though she was still kicking at Adam, making Jason struggle to keep from falling over as she kept throwing him off-balance with her flailing. Kimberly and Tommy were now having a wrestling match worthy of Pay-Per-View on Tommy's bed, blankets and pillows flying as they grappled with each other. As Billy, Rocky and Zack watched, Trini managed to topple Jason by driving her elbows into his chest and she broke away before he could get up, stumbling as she tried to regain her balance. Before she could get far, Billy grabbed one arm and Adam got the other, holding her fast, while Rocky and Zack leaped at Tommy and Kimberly, just as she was getting the upper hand.

Kimberly saw them coming, diving off the bed so that Rocky and Zack landed painfully on top of Tommy, who screamed in pain and surprise. Panting heavily, Kimberly returned to the doorway, holding a defensive stance and glaring at Tommy. Tommy pushed Rocky and Zack off of him and hopped up, regarding her smugly.

"Six against two, Kim," Tommy told her. "You're beat."

"I don't think so," she retorted. "I've got my clothes back."

"Yeah, but we've got Trini," Tommy pointed out.

"Yeah!" Rocky exclaimed, rubbing a shoulder he'd bruised against the headboard. "She's our prisoner now."

"Prisoner of war," Jason added, coming up behind Trini and putting his head on her shoulder from behind. Trini kicked him in the shin, but he didn't even dignify her with an "Ow."

"Even exchange. Trini for the shirt."

"I'm not going to give you my shirt for Trini!" Kimberly said with a snort. "I mean, come on. It's not like you're going to… _do_ anything to her."

"Wanna bet?" Tommy replied, giving no indication whatsoever that he was bluffing.

"Hand over the shirt, Kim," Jason urged, grinning his head off. "Cuz if you don't, Trini's gonna kill me for this later."

"I'm going to kill you for this later anyway!" Trini yelled, continuing to struggle. "I _knew_ I put my room key in my pocket! Did you honestly think I wouldn't figure out that you stole it and gave it to Tommy after _this_ little display?"

Jason sighed. "Ah, damn."

"Tell you what," Kimberly said. "I can be reasonable. You let Trini go, I'll go change out of your shirt, and you can have it back."

"No. You give me the shirt now, and then I'll let her go."

"How do I know you'll let her go if I give you the shirt?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Jason, for one."

"Jason'll let her go. He wants to live."

"Okay, fine. I'll go change, and when I come back, we can continue this."

"No. Give me the shirt now, or we're keeping her."

"I'm _not_ taking off the shirt in front of you!"

"You are if you want Trini back."

"No, I'm _really_ not."

"Look, if we're not going to let Trini go anytime soon, can we tie her up or something?" Adam asked, exasperated as he fought to keep his hold on Trini's arm. She was mostly kicking Jason now, but a few stray kicks had landed on Adam and Billy.

"With what?" Billy asked.

"I have rope," Zack offered. "Maybe some handcuffs, too; I'd have to check." They all turned to stare at him. "What?"

"Get the rope," Tommy said finally.

"Thank god," Adam muttered, wincing as her foot connected with his knee.

"Wait, wait," Kimberly said resignedly. "Give me back the room key, and then I'll give you the shirt, and then you can let Trini go."

"I don't remember the room key being part of the deal," Tommy said mock-thoughtfully as Zack began rummaging through his suitcase.

"There's no deal without the room key."

"If you want the room key _and _Trini, you're going to have to give me more than the shirt."

"Hell no!"

"Hell yeah."

"Found the rope!" Zack announced, pulling out a coil of white cord.

"Why do you have r—never mind," Billy interrupted himself with a shudder, forcing his natural curiosity and his desire for information as far away from the forefront of his mind as he could.

"Get her feet," Adam begged.

"Come near me and die," Trini growled threateningly, fighting Adam and Billy twice as hard.

Zack no longer looked thrilled about tying her up. "Um… Rocky, you do it," Zack said, holding out the rope to him.

"No way, man! It's your rope."

"Tie her feet," Tommy commanded.

"I'd like to see you try!" Trini roared.

"It's my rope, so I shouldn't have to do it!"

"Yes you should! It's your rope!"

"I'm warning you, Kim," Tommy said calmly as Trini flailed wildly and Rocky and Zack argued about tying her up, "you've got ten seconds to give me the shirt."

"Or what? You'll go tie her up yourself? Don't think I haven't noticed you're smart enough not to turn your back to me."

"Tell you what," Jason called lazily, "throw the rope here. _I'll_ tie her up."

"You sure?" Zack asked incredulously, impressed with his bravery.

"Why not? I'm in enough trouble as it is."

"Yeah, but…" Rocky began.

"Guys, trust me on this. You're her friends. I'm her husband. It's _got_ to be me. Throw me the rope."

"Well, Kim," Tommy said pleasantly. "Ten… nine…"

Zack threw the coil of rope; it bounced off Adam's chest and he handed it to Jason, who knelt behind Trini's wildly kicking legs and tried to loop some of it around her ankles.

"Eight… seven…"

"Okay! Wait! I'll do it," Kimberly shouted. "I'll do it. Fine. You win, you win."

"Pleasure doing business with you," Tommy said pleasantly, holding out his hand for the shirt.

Kimberly opened another button. "Okay. Just… show me the room key. I'll give you the shirt. The shirt for the key and Trini."

"I told you, the key is extra."

"Tell you what—I'll throw in a special one-time offer of no retaliation. No trying to kill you in your sleep, no eating fries in enticing ways, no stealing your cell phone and calling random people in it, no voodoo dolls, no tagging your car, no telling mortifying stories to your students, no setting fire to anything, no stealing your hair gel, no nothing. Trini will even be nice about this, won't you, Trini?"

"Yes," Trini lied through gritted teeth.

"Yes. Trini will be nice to you, and not hurt you. She won't even make Jason sleep on the couch. How's that sound?"

"Please say yes," Zack, Adam, Billy, Rocky and Jason begged in unison. Bravery and loyalty only went so far, after all.

"All right," Tommy said with a sigh. He pulled the key out of his pocket and held it up. "Shirt and no retaliation for Trini and the key."

Kimberly nodded. "Deal." She reached for the buttons on the shirt. "I just want you to know, Tommy, that—NOW!" she screamed, suddenly snatching the key and diving to the side.

Before Tommy could process this odd maneuver, Kira literally flew threw the doorway, kicking him in the chest. Tommy staggered back and just barely caught himself before he could fall. In the confusion, Trini yanked herself free of Billy and hopped out of the loose circle of rope Jason had managed to get around her legs.

"Hold your positions!" Tommy screamed wildly, blocking a punch from Kira.

"Get her, Billy!" Zack yelled in terror as Trini fought to wrench her arm from Adam's grasp.

"RAWG!" screamed, of all people, Conner, as he bounded into the room, leaped over Kimberly and rushed at Adam.

Kira had apparently gone for reinforcements.

Adam dropped Trini's arm in order to fend off a kick from Conner. Jason lunged at his wife, only to find himself tackled by Trent as Ethan grappled with Billy.

"Argh!" Zack yelped, diving back for the bathroom.

"We're still outnumbering them!" Billy shouted as he blocked a right hook from Ethan. "Hold your ground!"

"Forget that!" Zack dove into the bathroom and shut the door—in Rocky's face as Rocky tried to follow.

_"Zack!_ Let me in!" Rocky wailed. "Zack! _Please!_ OW!" Trini had smacked him upside the head as hard as possible as she rushed by.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Tommy!" Kimberly called with a cackle as she and Trini escaped.

"You'll _pay_ for th—oof!" Tommy complained as Kira head-butted him in the chest.

"That's for Kimberly!" Kira yelled. She kicked him in the side. "And that's for getting Trent to take me out on a date just so you could distract me!" She went to kick him again. "And that's for interrupting my pancakes with—hey! Let go of my foot!"

"Rocky! Help!" Billy yelled as Ethan backed him into a corner. Sighing heavily, Rocky dove on Ethan from behind.

"At least Trini's gone," Jason muttered as he pinned Trent up against a wall. Jason frowned. "Never thought I'd be happy to say that."

Kira tried to kick Tommy with her other foot while Tommy was still holding her right ankle, but Tommy seized that foot too, then hurriedly lifted his arms as high as possible to keep Kira from hitting her head on the carpet as she toppled over. Holding her aloft by the ankles, Tommy looked over at his friends.

Trent was still pinned against the wall, fighting Jason like mad. Rocky and Billy were wrestling with Ethan. Zack was still hiding in the bathroom. Adam was now sitting on Conner. Kira, realizing she was beat, sighed and continued to dangle upside down by her feet, holding the hem of her shirt with one hand to keep it from falling off.

"Um," Conner said tentatively, his voice slightly muffled (Adam was sitting on his stomach), "what's going on?"

Silence settled over them as the Dino Rangers stopped fighting. Rocky and Billy untangled themselves from Ethan. Jason released Trent. Adam pushed himself up off of Conner's diaphragm. Tommy swung Kira up and around so that she landed safely on the bed, after which he released her ankles. Confused teenagers warily looked to their predecessors for an explanation, but none was forthcoming. Eventually, Kira crawled off the bed and flounced out of the room. Conner, Ethan and Trent followed, eyes darting from one Ranger to another, all three ready to kick butt if need be. Trent closed the door behind them.

Zack was the first to break the silence. "Well, that was a bust," he called, his voice echoing slightly from the acoustics in the bathroom.

"Not really," Tommy said cheerfully. "Come morning, Kimberly will realize I've still got her entire collection of miniskirts and everything from her sock drawer stashed under the bed."

The six guys snickered. Then Rocky frowned. "Huh. Do you think that offer of no retaliation is still valid?" he asked.

Jason shook his head. "Somehow, Rocky, I doubt it."

* * *

"I'm going to kill him in his sleep," Kimberly was ranting as Kira came back into the room. "First, though, I'm gonna need some French fries, Tommy's cell phone, a voodoo doll, pink spray paint, some lighter fluid, and a good contingency plan for acquiring Tommy's hair gel."

"You forgot telling me mortifying stories and making Jason sleep on the couch," Kira chimed in as Kimberly dumped yet another bag out onto Kira's bed. Trini was refolding everything or running it to the closet to be hung up.

Kimberly sighed. "I think I'll start with the tale of the pink bows, and then move on to Cinnamon Buns. Where's the last bag, Kira?"

Kira knitted her brow. "What last bag? There were only four."

An icy cold chill went up Kimberly's spine. "No, Kira, there weren't. I opened up four, and I'm still missing my miniskirts, underwear, swimsuits, and socks."

"Of course!" Trini muttered, smacking her forehead. "He wouldn't keep everything in one place. He'd stash a few things elsewhere, in case you managed to recapture the bags without giving up the shirt."

"Forget the voodoo doll and the hair gel; he's dead _now,"_ Kimberly growled, heading for the door.

"Kim, don't," Trini insisted, grabbing her arm. "He'll lord it over you for the rest of your life if you walk out after that big a win and come back three seconds later to beg for your underwear!"

"I'm not gonna beg. I'm gonna strangle."

"Just… just wait until morning. Maybe we can steal them back somehow. Jason said that Carrie woman has a friend at the front desk; maybe we can get a room key from her. Or we can send Trent in undercover."

"I'm not sending Trent in undercover to steal my underwear back from my ex-boyfriend!" Kimberly shouted.

Kira suddenly blinked, feeling the first-ever faint stirrings of what she would later dub "Dr. O Syndrome." She frowned and looked askance up at the ceiling. "This isn't really my life, right? I'm not helping the first Pink Power Ranger steal her underwear from my science teacher, right? This is all just a creepy dream. Like Conner and the pizza-box Speedos."

Trini spared her a disturbed glance before turning back to Kimberly. "Kim, honey, make him think he's won. Let him have his little victory. Then bitch slap him in the morning."

Kimberly took a deep, shuddering, calming breath. "Okay. Okay. Morning. Okay."

Kimberly continued putting her clothes away, occasionally muttering what sounded like bits of half-baked plans, things like "fiery squirrels" and "Jeep full of Play-Doh." Kira took over helping Kimberly put her clothes back in their rightful place while Trini went off for a shower.

"Um, Kim?" Kira asked. "What's to stop Dr. O from stealing all your clothes all over again?"

Kimberly waved a hand dismissively. "He wouldn't bother. First time, it's original. Second time, it's tired. As it is, I'm going to have to think of something a little more creative than knocking on his door and demanding my clothes back and then recruiting you guys for help. It won't work again. I'm going to need something a little sneakier."

Kira arched an eyebrow. "You sound like you've done this before."

Kimberly smiled. "Every game has rules, Kira. They're not always apparent, but they're there. Both sides have to play by them, or it's not truly a game."

Kira shook her head. "It just seems like you're both going through a lot of trouble to dance around each other like pygmies at a bonfire for no real reason."

Kimberly chuckled. "Ever hear the expression that 'it's not the destination, it's the journey?'" Kira nodded. "Well, winning is nothing without the game."

* * *

_End Notes:_ The next chapter should be up shortly. We've added in a last-minute zaniness campaign to the coming segments, so it should get fun. Up next, we have nightmares, strippers, balconies, secret rendezvous, and—my personal favorite—ice. Stay tuned! 


	66. The Green Dream

**Chapter Sixty-six**

_The Green Dream_

The guys spent over an hour rehashing their victory and working their way through the supply of beer. Eventually, however, Billy started yawning, and Adam brought up the fact that he had to go back to Los Angeles in the morning for a meeting about a new film. The others reluctantly called it a night, sending Billy and Rocky to bunk with Conner, Ethan and Trent. Adam and Zack doubled, up, as did Jason and Tommy. Everyone was asleep by three in the morning, with the exception of Jason.

Jason tossed and turned for a while but simply couldn't shut off his brain. He'd had just enough alcohol to make him want more, and part of him was still high on the days' events. He was surprised that Tommy had managed to get to sleep so easily—but, then, Tommy had developed amazing skills when it came to sleeping on demand after all that time in college. Zack had always been a heavy sleeper, and the amount of traveling required by Adam's profession had given him the ability to doze off anytime, anywhere.

For Jason, however, sleep didn't come so easily. He didn't travel often, especially not overnight. He was used to a regular sleep schedule and his own bed with his wife beside him. Sighing, Jason threw back the covers and pulled his shoes out from under the bed, figuring he'd go wander the corridors and burn off some excess energy. He grabbed the room key on the nightstand and slipped out, careful not to wake the others.

It didn't take him too long to find the vending area. He spent a while playing with the ice machine, seeing just how long one could hold down the button before the ice actually came out, then creating his own little tune with the ice machine's growling hum by pushing the button rhythmically. This, unfortunately, didn't end well; after covering the vending area in ice, he headed down to the vending machines on the fifth floor, put a dollar in the pop machine, and pressed all the buttons simultaneously with his forearm just to see what would happen. As it turned out, the machine made an angry whirring noise that just got louder and louder until he finally counted the dollar a lost cause and ran for it.

The fourth floor was full of teenagers and college-aged kids, most of them drunk and all of them loud. Three guys were trying to figure out how to fill a cooler full of ice without creating a mess or having to dump bucket after bucket into the cooler. Jason helped them devise a system, involving a slide rigged up from machine to cooler using the boxes from empty twelve-packs of beer, for which he was dubbed "Random Heroic Dude" and given a can of Bud Ice. He downed it quickly before extricating himself from the pack and heading to the third floor.

Realizing he was quickly running out of hotel floors, Jason stuck a dollar in the candy machine, figuring it was time to get a snack and have another go at taking a nap before Billy's eye doctor appointment in the morning.

He punched in the proper number-letter combination for a bag of Fritos and waited. The bag moved forward and then stopped, teetering on the edge.

Sighing, Jason grabbed the top of the vending machine, preparing to shake the Fritos loose. True, people shouldn't shake vending machines. Jason, however, wasn't most people. He was a Power Ranger. Ex, but still a Ranger. He had talents. Come to think of it, he was also the target of a higher power with a sick sense of humor.

A vision of a newspaper flashed through his mind, with a picture of a toppled vending machine with Jason's hand visible from underneath one side, and a caption that read "Power Ranger Defeated by Frito-Lay!" and maybe even Carrie's name on the byline. Jason glared at the Fritos, turned, and marched downstairs, figuring he'd ask the girl at the front desk for a refund and then take the elevator back up to the sixth floor.

The moment he came out of the stairwell, Jason stopped dead in his tracks. Sitting on top of the receptionist's desk was none other than Carrie.

Jason wasn't sure what to do. He hadn't expected to see Carrie again until the bustle of Power Rangers Day was over. He certainly hadn't expected to see Carrie in the middle of the night in a hotel, if for no other reason than "middle of the night in a hotel" was the sort of circumstance that could get him murdered by his wife, no matter how random and innocent the encounter might be. He stood there for a long while, trying to make up his mind, until it occurred to him that maybe he should make his decision from inside the safety of the elevator, but unfortunately it started to move and the lighted numbers above the display said the other elevator was up on floor nine; by the time it came back, he'd probably be spotted, and he didn't want to make it seem like he was hiding from Carrie. Taking a deep breath, he headed for the desk.

Carrie was chatting animatedly with the girl behind the counter, whom, if she was the same girl Carrie had called the day of the "Tommy is the wrong Black Ranger" media fiasco, was probably her friend Jen. They were sharing a large order of Chinese takeout, and, as Jason got closer, he realized Carrie's friend was telling her everything she knew about Tommy, Zack, Kimberly, and the Dino Rangers.

"Harriet from first shift has a crush on the Zack guy," Carrie's friend was saying. "Every time I clock in I have to hear that day's newest attempts to catch a glimpse of him. She was all upset when she found out that he's disappeared from the registry. So I guess there was more than one bonus to my deleting his name." She paused to take a bite of teriyaki chicken. "What was the first bonus, anyway?"

"I didn't want the Oliver story going to hell before I got a crack at it," Carrie explained.

"Yeah, so, why'd I delete his friends, too?"

"Because Oliver was pretty active in high school, and so were those two friends. Anyone who looked Oliver up on Google would've found their names, too, and maybe tried to contact them for a quote."

Carrie's friend shook her head. "You are _way_ too good at that, you know. Always thinking about the angles."

Carrie shrugged. "That's my job."

"No, honey, that's _you."_

Just then, Carrie's friend caught sight of Jason as he approached and she quickly gulped whatever food was in her mouth. "Can I help you, sir?"

Carrie turned to look at him and promptly choked on her fried rice. Jason shifted uncomfortably. "Candy machine ate my dollar," he muttered lamely, hoping Carrie didn't think he'd been eavesdropping.

"Hey," Carrie said quietly.

"Hey, Carrie."

Carrie's friend looked from one to the other curiously. "You two know each other?"

"Yeah. This is, um, a friend of mine," Carrie said. "Jason."

"Cool. I'm Jenny," said Carrie's friend, smiling at him in a somewhat flirtatious manner.

"Nice to meet you," Jason said, waving in a way that showed his wedding ring off. Judging by her grin, Jenny either didn't notice or didn't care. Jason cleared his throat and turned back to Carrie. "I didn't know you hung out here."

"Jenny and I are old friends," Carrie replied. Jason nodded. They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, until Carrie cleared her throat. "So… do you want to talk?"

Jason looked over at the elevator. His wife, his friends, and their chaos were only six floors away. "That'd be nice. But not here."

Carrie set down her container of rice and smiled at Jenny. "Hey, um, I'll be back in a few, okay?"

Jenny frowned at her. She wasn't keen on being ditched for a guy after a stressful week working at a booked-solid hotel when her friend had juicy gossip to share.

"You _do_ know he's married, right?" Jenny asked bluntly.

_"Jen!"_ Carrie hissed.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Jason demanded, affronted.

"Well, he is," Jenny insisted stubbornly.

Carrie rolled her eyes. "Jason and I just have some things to talk about. I'll be back in an hour or so, tops."

Jenny scowled. "Fine. But if you're not back soon, I'm eating your share of the Chinese."

"I won't be long," Carrie promised, motioning to Jason to follow her through the patio doors.

The hotel had two wings—the gang was staying in the east wing, while the west held the more luxurious rooms and fancy suites. The two wings formed a V, with the lobby in the middle, so that the patio was a broad triangle with the swimming pool in the center. A wrought-iron gate formed the third wall of the triangle, beyond which was a grassy lawn and then the larger of the hotel's two parking lots.

"Want to sit under the balconies again?" Carrie asked him.

Jason thought about it, but decided it was probably best to sit out in the open. If Trini discovered him missing, she might think to look for him out here, and he'd prefer she saw him chatting with Carrie in a well-lit area as opposed to skulking with Carrie in a shadowy corner. Unfortunately, the pool was twenty-four hours, and late-night partiers were swimming, horse-playing or standing around chatting in small groups. He didn't exactly want any eavesdroppers nearby. Talking to Carrie under the balconies that morning had been much easier; the pool hadn't been busy, everything had been brightly lit, and he'd been twenty feet away from everyone else at all times.

"Is there somewhere else we could go?" Jason asked. "Somewhere… not here?"

Carrie nodded and led him across the patio, through the parking lot and into a small patch of woods. She walked out of sight of anyone in the parking lot, then sat down with her back against a tree. Jason sat against a tree directly across from her. A slightly uncomfortable silence settled over them. Maybe it was the fact that it was night time now, or that there were no pressing emergencies, but conversation wouldn't come readily.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Jason asked finally.

Carrie shrugged. "I don't know. It's hard to know where to start."

Jason grinned. "What's your favorite color?" he joked.

She laughed. "Purple."

"Purple? It's been a _long_ time since I've had a friend whose favorite color was purple."

Carrie snorted. "I'll bet. Yours is red, right?"

"Most of the time. But I have strong ties to black and gold, too. As far as I know, Trey and I were the only Rangers with a fondness for a non-basic color and a basic color from the same power."

"Trey?" Carrie repeated.

Jason nodded. "The other Gold Ranger."

"There were two?"

"Yeah. Trey was an alien who had a problem with… it's a long story. The Gold powers were his, he had a problem that kept him from using them, and I took them on for a while."

Carrie cocked her head to the side. "Why'd you tell me about Trey? You said you wouldn't tell me about anyone I hadn't found out about on my own."

"Trey's different. He's an alien, and from what I understand, he has no concept of secret identities. I'm pretty sure the entire planet of Triforia knows who the Zeo Rangers were."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"On some level, yeah, it worries me. But Trey's a good guy, and I don't think the Triforians are going to emigrate anytime soon."

"Ah." Carrie cleared her throat. "I think I've got the identities of a few more Rangers, by the way."

Jason stared at her. "You _what?"_

Carrie ignored him. "Rocky DeSantos, Adam Park, Aisha Campbell. Friends of Billy Cranston, Kimberly Hart and Tommy Oliver. Transferred to Angel Grove High shortly before you, Trini Kwan, and Zack Taylor left for Geneva. All three were skilled in martial arts. Katherine Hillard, moved to Angel Grove shortly before Kimberly Hart left for Florida. And of course, my personal favorite, famous pop singer, Tanya Sloan."

Jason fought the urge to wince. The original and Zeo Rangers were one thing. Tanya, who'd magically popped up in America and gone on to become famous, was quite another. "What makes you think—?"  
"The signs are easy, once you know what to look for. The fact that you kept switching around is distracting, would probably confuse anyone who didn't know who the original six were. Because I knew you, Trini and Zack left, I looked for the three most obvious people to fill in for you. Same with Kimberly. Tanya Sloan, though, that was _fun._ World-famous woman, and no one really seems to know much about her before the Zeo Ranger era. And hey, wouldn't you know it, she transferred to Angel Grove High School from a school in Africa that doesn't exist."

"Lot of political unrest in Africa. Her school probably just isn't there anymore," Jason told her. It was what Tanya had always planned to say if anyone asked why there weren't any records of the school Billy had invented when providing her with a few computer records to explain her sudden appearance in California.

Carrie rolled her eyes. "Come on; don't crap out on me now. I've done my research. Even talked to a teacher at the high school who remembers there being some funny little moment wherein Tanya's missing parents resurfaced and her foster family had been under the assumption that Tanya was a foreign exchange student."

Jason cringed, then sighed. If Carrie had figured out so much in less than twenty-four hours, there wasn't much point in playing dumb. "Yeah, that was a fun day. I was actually there for that; it was after I became the Gold Ranger."

"How did that even happen?" Carrie asked. "Who, exactly, _is_ Tanya?"

"Well, Tanya is who she says she is—the daughter of two archaeologists who spend a lot of time searching for buried treasure and lost artifacts. The rest… well, it's a long story."

"I'm guessing you have a lot of those."

Jason grinned. "Far too many." He let his head thunk back against the tree trunk. "How'd you figure it out?"

"Well, a Google search led me to a tournament you competed in with Adam Park and Tommy Oliver. You were a last minute substitute for Rocky DeSantos. I looked into them a little more closely and figured out they transferred to Angel Grove High the same day the Peace Conference announced who was chosen to attend from Angel Grove, as did Aisha Campbell. The three of them showed up in numerous martial arts tournaments and several community projects together. I looked for a similar pattern around the time Kimberly Hart left town, and came up with Katherine Hillard. I found Tanya when Googling Adam Park. I was pretty startled to go from 'Huh, a Power Ranger dating a pop star,' to 'Holy crap, she's the Yellow Zeo Ranger.'"

"It was way more startling for me," Jason told her with a faint smile.

"So tell me what happened," Carrie urged. "I want to hear."

"Why?" Jason asked, trying and failing to keep the note of suspicion out of his voice.

Carrie blinked. "Jason… this is just… all so amazing to me. If you're asking if I'm going to tell anyone, no, I'm not. I'll take the secret to my grave. I've spent years trying to find out who you were, and now I know. I just… want to know more. I'm a reporter. I don't stop at just one or two facts. I want the whole story, even if this story's just for me."

Jason thought it over, then slowly nodded. "All right. Well, I guess it all begins with a time spell. I was happily in Switzerland, away from all the chaos, and…"

* * *

Kimberly listened to Trini's breathing. Deep and steady, in and out. Slowly, cautiously, Kimberly rolled over and checked carefully for any other sign that Trini was awake.

Satisfied, Kimberly rolled out of bed. Kimberly wasn't about to listen to any more convincing monologues about how Kimberly should handle Tommy's theft. This was between her and Tommy. End of story. No way was she going to spend the morning figuring out how to get her underwear back, or—god forbid—going without. She wouldn't let this go. She would sneak in, find her clothing, punish Tommy, and sneak back out.

She glanced around the room idly for something nasty she could use to make Tommy suffer. Eventually, her eyes landed on an empty pizza box and her face lit up. She had some leftover marinara sauce in the mini-fridge. She had a razor in her shower bag. Tommy's little story about fire, tomato sauce, and losing his hair… well. If she hit him with something that traumatic, he'd be liable to never speak to her again. She would be declared the undisputed victor. Of course, it _was_ kind of… cruel, but…

"What are you doing?"

Kimberly jumped at the sound of Kira's sleepy voice. "I'm, uh, nothing. Go back to sleep."

"Are you going after Dr. O?" Kira mumbled.

"Yeah," Kimberly admitted.

"Good luck," Kira told her, then rolled over and went back to sleep.

Kimberly breathed a sigh of relief and steeled her resolve. Tommy deserved it. His hair would grow back eventually. And they were going to the mall tomorrow, so he could get his hair evened out while Billy was getting his makeover.

Kimberly pulled her shorts back on under Tommy's shirt, stuck the razor in her pocket, and retrieved the pouches of marinara from the refrigerator. Smiling to herself, she headed for the balcony; she didn't have a key to Tommy's door, and considering that he'd come into their room from the balcony twice it couldn't be that hard to get to his room.

She unlocked the balcony door, slid it to the side and slipped out, leaving the door open; even though it would be a red flag for Trini, she didn't want to get herself locked out, and Trini had sworn to keep the door locked from now on. Since Trini had already locked it earlier, she'd know it was unlocked for a reason if she woke up to find Kimberly gone and the door open. Kimberly flipped onto the next balcony, easy as cake. _No wonder the two whack jobs didn't have any qualms about this,_ Kimberly thought as she hit the next one. _Hmm. I wonder if I'll have time to carve my name into his hair. Maybe I should make it quick; if Jason wakes up, he'll lecture me._

Kimberly hopped over sixteen balconies before realizing that she'd missed Tommy's; he had the benefit of her room being at the end of the wing, so he knew when to stop, but his was roughly in the middle. After several minutes of balconies, careful counting and cursing Tommy's existence, she took to peeking in windows, though just about every room was pitch black. Eventually, she spotted the huge box in Tommy's room that she assumed held his White Ranger suit, just inside the balcony door. Tugging on the handle, she discovered it locked.

"Ugh! Who really locks the door to a sixth floor balcony?" Kimberly grumbled, even though she of all people knew that the answer was people like her friends.

Sighing, she inspected the door for any weakness. When she couldn't find any way in, she leaned against the balcony railing and tried to come up with a new plan. She supposed her best bet now would be to go down to the lobby and tell the girl she needed a room key for 618; as they'd been deleted from the register, she'd hopefully be able to explain the situation and charm her way into a spare key. If not, she'd have to go wake up Ethan and see if he was on Billy's level when it came to all things electronic.

"I'll teach you to mess with me," Kimberly vowed, staring into the dark room. Glaring at the spot in the darkened room where she guessed Tommy to be, she whispered, "I'll be back. Sweet dreams, Tommy."

* * *

Tommy stood before Kimberly in his basement laboratory, nervous, almost shaking. This was it. The moment he'd been waiting for since the day he met Kimberly.

Tommy got down on bended knee, staring up at her. He took out the black velvet box and held it up to her. Opening it, he revealed a large, pink Ring Pop, brand-new but slightly dusty thanks to the box.

"I had it made special by the Ring Pop Company," he said shyly. "They don't even make pink ones, you know. It's just for you. Please, Kimberly, say you'll marry me."

Kimberly gaped at him, looking pleased and shocked and happy beyond belief. Then, quite suddenly, the look faded to be replaced by sadness. "I can't, Tommy. I'm not ready to be a mom."

Tommy frowned. "What?"

"I don't want children. Ever. Children disgust me," Kimberly said apologetically.

Tommy was a bit distressed by that. He'd always wanted a large family—something he'd never gotten to have. Still, Kimberly was the most important thing in his life, and he wasn't going to let this revelation stop him from marrying her. Besides, it was always possible that she would change her mind. "We don't have to have children, Kim. If you don't want kids, I can live with that."

"But you've already _got_ kids."

Tommy stood up, feeling rather confused now. What was she going on about? "What do you mean?"

"What about Kira?"

"What _about_ Kira? She's not my kid. She's my… eh… protégé, that's all."

"Don't lie to me, Tommy," Kimberly said gently. "We both know she's so much more than that."

"What? What, did I adopt her and forget about it again?" Tommy demanded.

"Tommy, I saw her today. She told me the truth."

"What truth?"

"That she's carrying your baby."

Tommy laughed. "Kira isn't carrying my baby, Kim. I don't know _what_ gave you that idea, because I wouldn't touch Kira. I need the money."

Kimberly frowned. "She pays you not to touch her?"

"No, the Reefside Community School District pays me not to touch her," Tommy said impatiently. "Kim, why would you think _Kira_ is carrying my _baby?"_

Kimberly shook her head. "I saw the proof, Tommy."

Tommy stared at her in horror. _"Proof?"_ There was no way. No _WAY!_

"And the look on your face gives me more. Don't try to deny it anymore, Tommy. I saw it, with my own two eyes. I should have known you wouldn't be held back by morals, and I should have known you thought you were above the rules and regulations of a school system. I also should have known that the money wasn't enough incentive for you. Goodbye, Tommy."

With that, Kimberly turned and wandered away. Tommy stared numbly after her. How _could_ she? How could she think that _Kira_ would have—?

"Dr. O!"

Tommy whirled. Kira was standing behind him. "Kira!" Tommy shouted, enraged. "Why would you tell Kimberly you're carrying my _baby?"_

Kira frowned. "Because I _am_ carrying your baby, duh."

"What are you talking about! I would never, ever impregnate you!"

"Well, that's good to know," Kira said, shaking her head. "But I'll go on the pill, just in case. After all, you're a completely different person during those blackouts you've been having."

"Blackouts?" Tommy repeated incredulously.

"Yeah, you know, all that lost time you've been having since you became the Black Ranger. Hence the term 'blackouts.'"

"I… what… no, no, I haven't been having blackouts! I've just been getting confused because of my pitiful excuse for a memory! I'm not sleeping with you! I'm _not!"_

"Jeez, Dr. O, it was a _joke."_

"I… it was?"

"Of course it was. I would never sleep with _you._ You're old and decrepit and ugly."

"I am not!"

"Oh, you _so_ are. It's your hair, you know."

"Hey!"

"Well, you asked."

"I did not! Anyway, why would you joke about something like that? Why did you tell Kim you were going to have my child?"

"I didn't! I told Kim I was _carrying_ your child."

"And why did you do _that?"_

"Because I am, see?" Kira lifted up her arm. She was holding a small, blond boy by the overall straps. He had green eyes and a frown on his face, as if he couldn't quite figure something out.

"What… I've never seen him before in my life! That's not my child," Tommy said in exasperation.

"It is according to the chick that dropped him off."

"I—what?"

"Some angry woman. Blond, funny accent, wearing a tutu? She stormed up to me, handed me this—" Kira indicated the child by lifting him a little higher— "and told me that it was yours and that she was tired of you never being responsible and she never believed any of those stories about you being a superhero anyway." She turned the kid around to look at him. "What are you going to call him? He looks kind of like a David to me. David… or possibly Frank. Frank's a good strong name."

"First of all—I'm not calling him Frank! And second of all, there's absolutely no proof that that's my kid!"

"Sure there is. After all, he's the second Orange Ranger."

"But… but there is no Orange Ranger!"

"How can you say that?" Kira demanded. "After all, you're the world's first-ever Orange Ranger!"

Tommy looked down at his clothes, fully intending to shake his black T-shirt at her, only to discover that he was clothed from head to toe in a bright neon orange sweat suit. He looked back up at Kira in horror.

She smiled brightly at him. "Ah, I think it's all coming back. Good thing, too, we were wondering if you had Alzheimer's as well as arthritis." She thrust the baby into his face. "Happy sixtieth birthday, Dr. O!"

Tommy awoke with a yelp. His terrified, sleep-deprived mind was racing. It is one thing to have a nightmare. It is another thing entirely to have a nightmare when you've been given several rather prophetic dreams in the past.

At first, Tommy attempted to reach for the phone on his nightstand to call Hayley, before remembering he was in the hotel and didn't know where he'd left his cell. He reached out to wake Jason, only to discover that Jason was missing. His eyes widened in horror—Jason wasn't where he'd left Jason. What else could have changed? Was he wrong to expect Jason to be there? Was he confused? Was he _Orange?_

"ZACK!"

"Huh what huh who what what?" Zack spluttered, jerking in his sleep and rolling into a sitting position before he was fully awake.

"What color am I?"

"Huh?" Zack asked, frowning as his not-quite-conscious brain tried to function.

_"What color am I?"_

"You're a white guy, Tommy," Zack said stupidly. "With some American Indian in you. So… reddish-white. Is _that_ why you woke me up? Your memory must be getting worse, dude."

"No! I _mean,_ am I the Orange Ranger?"

"I… there is no Orange Ranger."

"I'm not an Orange Ranger?"

"No, dude," Zack said, groaning. "Jesus, you scared me to death. There's never been an Orange Ranger."

"Are you _sure?"_ Tommy asked suspiciously, still swimming in the horrified daze that controls the mind right after nightmares.

"Can I go back to sleep?" Zack whined, and, without waiting for an answer, he fell backwards onto his pillow.

Tommy shuddered, still not awake and still quite freaked out. Kimberly had dumped him because his son was an Orange Ranger. Ugh. Ugh. That _sweat suit!_

Tommy hopped out of bed onto stiff legs and ran jerkily around to the other side of Zack's bed, where Adam was slumbering peacefully. Tommy shook him. "Adam. Adam. Wake up."

"Hey, baby, how was Budapest?" Adam mumbled.

"Adam, wake up," Tommy hissed.

"Love you, Tanya. We go out for breakfast tomorrow. Then the wildebeests will sing. Yep."

Tommy growled in frustration and looked around wildly for another option, any other option. He needed more confirmation than a sleepy Zack. He needed someone compassionate. Someone who would know for sure if it was just a nightmare, who would know everything. Someone who would cater to him. Someone not Zack.

"Phone," Tommy muttered desperately. "Need phone. Need my Hayley."

"What?" came Hayley's utterly annoyed voice through his cell phone a minute later.

"Oh, thank god," Tommy moaned. "Hayley! I had that dream again!"

"It's four-thirty in the morning," Hayley growled.

"What's your point?" Tommy asked, confused. He just couldn't seem to wake up. Beer, sleep deprivation, stress—it was all making him sluggish, and the panicked horror wasn't helping.

"Are you dying?"

"No."

"Do you need some sort of invention?"

"Not at the moment."

"Okay, then. What do you want me to do about it?"

"I… you're _Hayley,"_ Tommy whined.

"You know what, Tommy?"

"Huh?"

"You need a girlfriend."

"I—hey! What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means, leave me _alone!"_

"But… but…"

"Tommy, you are not the Orange Ranger. You are not—for the moment—a Ranger at all. You do still have a Zeonizer but you never ever use it anymore unless Andros begs you to, and of course I agree that that was really kinda rude of him. Jason was just kidding about the arthritis and the sixty-year-old Orange Ranger. You have also _not_ been fired, you have _not_ done anything illegal with a student, and you have _not_ eaten calamari. Principal Randall hasn't come on to you since the day you saved her life. Your former selves have not returned to attack you in your sleep. Kim did not date a flamboyant gay gymnast who beat you up. Kat did not kill you with a boomerang. Rita did not kill you, Zedd did not kill you, no one from the Machine Empire killed you, and no one else killed you. You're alive, you're not a Ranger, and you're a teacher, and as depressing as that is, there's nothing I can do about it. Go back to sleep."

"I just… I need someone to talk to. I need… _something,"_ Tommy whimpered. "I'm _freaked out,_ man."

"Well, go find one of your _other_ friends and wake _them_ up when they were getting a much-needed vacation from their overly needy guy friend."

"What?"

"Find someone else. Someone who's… um… closer. Someone who can give you a hug." Hayley's tone suggested she might be saying anything in an attempt to get him off the phone, but Tommy was so out of it that he didn't notice.

"I already woke up Zack."

"What good would _Zack_ be right now?"

"Oh. Good point." Tommy thought about it for a second. "I'll go wake Trini."

"You do that, honey, and try not to get killed," Hayley said sleepily. A click sounded as she hung up her phone.

Tommy grabbed a random T-shirt off the floor and searched about for his room key, only to discover that it, like Jason, wasn't where he'd left it. Feeling a rising swell of panic, Tommy rushed for the door and flung open; hopefully he'd find a way back in tomorrow. At the moment, he had larger problems.

Unfortunately, he had no idea just how large they really were.

* * *

_End Notes:_ We are trying to continue to update regularly, but Freyja might be washed away and I might be thrown in jail. Which sucks, but hey, that's life. In the event that both of us are incapacitated by flooding and police officers and so on, we've left Bryn instructions to carry on our work. So please, don't yell at us if, in the future, the story goes horribly wrong. Yell at Bryn. With any luck, my court date will go smoothly and Freyja's home will still be standing after it stops raining. Or, rather, hopefully I'll find the cash to pay my fine and it _will_ stop raining in Kansas.

_Moral of the story:_ Always check identification, and don't live in low-lying areas.

_Insight into the Creation of "Of Love and Bunnies":_ Where did you _think_ we were getting this stuff?


	67. Ninja Quest

**Chapter Sixty-seven**

_Ninja Quest_

"Billy. Billy, wake up!"

Billy's eyes reluctantly slid open. Conner, Ethan and Trent were clustered around him, staring at him with worried expressions. "What?" Billy groaned.

"It's Rocky," Ethan whispered.

Billy rolled over and sat up. Rocky was tossing and turning in Conner's bed, occasionally mumbling incoherently. "He's sleeping."

"Yeah. But every few minutes he sits up and starts screaming that he's a little teapot," Conner informed him seriously.

"A… what?"

"A little teapot. You know, the song?" Conner explained.

As if on cue, Rocky sat bolt upright and shouted, "I'm a little teapot, short but not really! I got a handle! I'm gonna spout!" before throwing himself back against the pillows.

Billy, Conner, Ethan and Trent stared at him in silence. Finally, Trent said dryly, "We're a little concerned."

Billy rubbed a hand over his face. "How long has he been doing that?"

"A while. That's at least the fifth time he's done it," Conner said. "Er… do you know if he's always like that?"

Billy shook his head. "I don't, but I doubt it. No normal sleep pattern, as far as I'm aware, would allow that on a regular basis."

"Can you make it stop?" Conner asked hopefully.

Billy frowned. "I'd need to know the cause. And I'd need to do some research… The only time I recall hearing about Rocky having unusual nighttime episodes or screaming about random objects, he was doped up on pain medication from a back injury," Billy said slowly. "But that was years ago. The reason for his current condition could be anything."

"Personally? I'm guessing head injury," Trent said.

"What about that alien water?" Ethan asked. "Maybe it's, made him, you know …"

"Touched in the head?" Trent suggested.

Billy sighed. "We'd all be afflicted if that were the case. Or at least, _you _would all be; I've been drinking Aquitian water regularly for almost a decade."

"Did he take anything else after we left the room the first time?" Ethan asked.

"Like LSD?" Trent added.

Billy smacked his forehead. "Beer. He drank alcohol. It must have combined to produce a negative reaction."

"He drank alcohol? No fair! How come we didn't get any?" Conner demanded.

"You're underage," Billy reminded him.

"That's no excuse," Conner insisted indignantly.

"Of course," Ethan said, realization dawning. "That's why Dr. O sent us back here to sleep but came and got Trent a half-hour later and didn't care that we weren't sleeping. They just wanted to kick us out so they could drink!"

"Not entirely," Billy assured him, blushing slightly. He got up, put on his glasses and went to peer at Rocky. "Hmm. I don't understand why I didn't notice any side effects earlier. It was quite a while after we stopped drinking when we came here. Whatever this is, it shouldn't have taken so long to manifest."

Trent frowned. "You said that Aquitians practice astral projection a lot, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, from what I know of astral projection, it's an altered state of consciousness," Trent said. "I've never tried it, but some friends of mine in art class said it involves accessing your subconscious—which is supposedly what we do when we dream."

"That's it!" Billy exclaimed. "Alcohol also alters one's level of consciousness. Aquitian water is drunk by a telepathic race of beings that practice all sorts of advanced meditative techniques. When Rocky started to dream, the alcohol and the water must have thrown him into some sort of subconscious delirium."

"So… Dr. O and the others are probably screaming that they're teapots, too?" Conner asked slowly.

Trent snorted. "If they are, I need to find my camera."

"Well, it would depend on their individual physiology and how easily they could access altered states of consciousness, but they very well could be engaging in similar practices."

"So back to the important thing—how do we fix Rocky so we can get back to sleep without worrying that he'll eventually become a homicidal teapot or something?" Ethan asked.

"I'm a little teapot! Hear me shout! Hear me roar! Hear me whistle and drink of my tea! Haha! HA."

Billy found himself trying not to laugh as Rocky fell back onto the pillows. Billy wracked his brains for a solution to Rocky's predicament. "Was Rocky awoken at any point after he lay down to sleep?"

"Yeah," Conner said. "When I came back from the bathroom, I accidentally sat on his hand. He woke up, but he went right back to sleep. I was almost asleep when he started thinking he was a teapot."

"I _was_ asleep," Ethan grumbled.

"Well, presumably, Rocky wasn't asleep long enough to enter a REM cycle. Conner would have awoken him during stage one or two of his first sleep cycle. That means Rocky's mind has accessed his subconscious without entering a REM cycle. However, I'd imagine that entering REM sleep would fix this little… mishap. If we can avoid disturbing him, he should, theoretically, enter REM sleep and be fine."

"How long before he enters REM?" Trent asked.

"In the average person, it's about ninety minutes. However, given the side effects, it might take longer."

Conner picked up the clock on the nightstand and looked at it. "He's been out maybe thirty. That's another hour."

Conner, Ethan and Trent groaned. Billy sighed. "I'll stay up and watch over him, to make sure he doesn't worsen. The first REM period usually lasts only ten minutes, so if he makes it through that, I'll go to bed, too. If he doesn't, well… I suppose I'll have to wake Trini and ask her opinion. The two of us should be able to formulate a treatment or cure; if not, we can contact Aquitar."

"What about Dr. O, Jason, Zack and Adam?" Ethan asked. "Shouldn't we, you know, warn them?"

Billy shook his head. "If they're plagued by the same side effects, the best solution would be to allow them to enter the first REM period without interruption, then allow them to get a full night's rest. After the first REM cycle, one returns to non-REM sleep, which could mean—"

"Rocky will be a little teapot over and over again all night?" Trent demanded.

"Well, possibly. But one would assume that once he naturally accesses his subconscious, he won't return to this… state. If that is indeed the case, none of the others should be disturbed until they've completed all the stages of REM. I'd imagine that even after one REM cycle, they would be pretty disoriented if awakened, if not—for lack of a better term—teapots." Billy pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down. "You guys, try to go back to sleep. I'll handle it from here."

Trent returned to his bed and Ethan climbed back onto his cot. "Um, Billy?" Conner said tentatively. "Would you mind if we switched beds for the night? I mean, Rocky's cool and all, but I'm not a big fan of tea."

"Fine, fine," Billy said wearily.

Trent shook his head as he scooted over for Conner. "What is it with you people?" he wondered aloud.

"What's that supposed to mean, 'you people'?" Conner demanded.

"I'm the normal one, remember? _I'm_ not supposed to get the chaos. _You_ are."

Billy snorted. "Trent, I live on Aquitar. I'm in love with an alien. I'm a certified genius. I'm an ex-Ranger. And yet somehow, before we were Rangers, I was the last person to have anything exciting happening. It was always one of the others, not me. _I_ used to be the normal one, Trent."

Trent sat up and stared at him in alarm. _"You?"_

Rocky jerked upright again. "When I get all steamy, tip me over and out!"

As Rocky fell back against the pillows, Billy arched an eyebrow at Trent and gave him a sardonic smile. "What? You didn't think Rocky was the normal one, did you?"

* * *

"…So then Tanya let me keep the key of Auric, and that was that," Jason finished.

Carrie shook her head. "Wow. That's… wow. I can't believe no one's realized that a star like her has a falsified background."

Jason shrugged. "People are more interested in the now than the when. Everyone knows Tanya grew up in Africa, moved to America, reunited with her parents and went on to become a singer. Other than that, well… how much does anyone really know about any one star's childhood? All anyone cares about is what they're doing and who they're dating, not if their life course was altered by a time spell and some aliens."

Carrie shook her head, still absorbing the amazing story. "It's so weird to think of time reversing like that and no one ever noticing."

"Yeah. I know I didn't. I remember a few days in elementary school when Billy wouldn't talk to us much, and then he stopped coming to school, but that was it; he came back and it was like nothing had happened, and he didn't know what we were talking about when we asked where he'd been. Me, Trini, Kimberly and Zack were confused as could be."

"Was _your_ childhood strange?" Carrie asked.

Jason shrugged. "Not like Tanya's, no. It had its moments, but it was pretty normal. Until the day Rita appeared."

"Tell me more about you," Carrie urged. "How you grew up. What it was like to be a Ranger. What's your middle name?"

Jason chuckled. "It's Lee. But you know, I'm not just a Ranger, the same way you're not just a reporter. Don't think that just because I spent a couple of years doing, you know—"

"Saving the world?" Carrie supplied teasingly.

"Yeah. I mean, that's big, and I get that. But I'm still just a person. And so are you. So tell me about _you._ I only know what little I could find on the _Sentinel's _website—that you're a good writer, graduated from Angel Grove University with a journalism degree in May of 1994, and a sports fan. That's about it."

Carrie shrugged. "Well, I just turned thirty-three. I'm a Gemini. I never go to bed before four a.m. if I can help it. Moved here thirteen years ago because AGU has one of the best journalism programs in the country. Your turn."

"We were talking about you."

"Yeah, but you said it yourself—you're not just a Ranger. You're a person. So talk."

"Fine. I'll be twenty-five in October. I'm a Libra. I like motorcycles. I moved here three weeks before I started kindergarten because my father got a better job. How did you get into sports?"

"A friend of mine was channel-surfing, stopped on ESPN, and developed a crush on a tennis player. She got me into tennis—and into tennis players. From there I moved on to soccer, then swimming, then NASCAR. It wasn't until I started working for the sports department that I really got into other sports."

"So you're only in it because of good-looking athletes?" Jason asked, disappointed.

"No. That's just what got me into it. Now I love sports in general. Between watching them on the department TVs all the time and covering high school games and Jenny trying to show me how much fun it could be, I became a sports nut."

"Ah. Well, it's your turn for a question."

"Why'd you decide to become a Power Ranger?"

Jason was startled. "I… well, you don't really decide. I mean, yeah, it was a choice, but… I wanted to do it from minute one. Who doesn't dream about being a superhero? It was an amazing opportunity. Why'd you want to become a reporter?"

"I've always liked telling stories, and finding out what makes the world tick," Carrie replied. "I'm obsessed with knowing the why and the how. Let's see, um… okay, weirdest thing that ever happened to you."

Jason stared at her. "Come again?"

"Well, other than being a Power Ranger."

Jason laughed. "Oh, that really is _not_ the weirdest thing to ever happen to me. In fact, I don't think I can actually single one moment out as the weirdest. Honestly, I'd have to say _my life_ is the weirdest thing to ever happen to me."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Care to elaborate?"

Jason had intended to get to know Carrie better… but the moment she said that, all he wanted to do was rant. He stared at her thoughtfully, collecting his thoughts for a moment. Then he nodded.

"Let me walk you through my day," Jason said slowly. "It all started when Billy started yelling in the living room. My eyes snapped open, I heard the dog let out an annoyed bark, I spent a moment wondering where my wife was before remembering she was crashing with Kimberly, and then I leaped out into the living room to see Tommy's picture on the television above the caption "Black Ranger Revealed" and Billy's all paranoid and my dog wants me to either feed him or shut up and go back to sleep and my wife is very, very, _very_ not home. From there, it gets emphatically worse."

* * *

Tommy's hand was starting to ache from pounding on the door, yet no one was answering. No one. He was alone. He needed someone to talk to, and all of his friends were asleep or missing or exasperated. His brain was still half-off, but the beginnings of real angst were starting to seep in. He wanted someone to comfort him. He wanted someone to say that he would never, ever be Orange. He wanted someone to say that he wasn't going back. That was all he needed. That, and a place to sleep; he no longer had a room key.

"Who is it?" called a sleepy, feminine voice, too groggy for Tommy to discern who it belonged to.

"Me! Let me in!"

"Me who?"

"Tommy!"

"Dr. O?"

"Yeah, Dr. O! Let me in, Kira!"

"Go away."

"What? Seriously, Kira, let me in!"

"No! I've had it with underwear theft and insanity. Go away."

"Kira—"

"Away you go, now."

"I can't, I—Kira? Kira? Kir-uh!"

Tommy sighed. She refused to respond. Or to open the door. What now?

Well, there was only one logical course left. The balconies.

Tommy turned and headed back down the hall. He was almost to his room when Billy emerged from room 603. "Hey, Tommy! I thought I heard you yelling."

"I need a hug," Tommy told him, somewhat hopefully.

"Uh… that's nice. Um, I just thought I should let you know that while I'm unfamiliar with the effects of Aquitian water in combination with alcohol, Rocky isn't doing so well. He keeps waking up, babbling, and then going back to sleep; I've been observing him for quite some time but I think he'll eventually be fine. I thought I'd warn you guys. I personally feel fine, but I adjusted to the effects of Aquitian water years ago. Conner, Ethan and Trent are nominal as well, but they didn't ingest alcohol in addition to the water like we did."

"Billy, I kind of need to go get my hug," Tommy said impatiently.

Billy sighed. "Yeah. I just… I wouldn't try going to sleep, if I were you. If Rocky is any judge, the side effects manifest when one tries to sleep."

"Not sleeping. Finding hug."

"Will you warn Zack and Adam?"

"Yeah yeah sure."

Billy looked at him suspiciously, but his personal exhaustion was starting to take priority over the strangeness that might or might not be affecting the others. Between Earth's gravity, sleep deprivation and the day's events, Billy was starting to feel like he'd lost a game of chicken with an M-728 Combat Engineer Vehicle; he wasn't sure how much longer he could feasibly stay awake. "I'll prop our door open, in case one of you needs anything."

"Uh-huh. G'bye, Billy."

Billy disappeared into the room after setting the doorstopper to stay open. Tommy headed for his door and pounded on it. And pounded. And pounded some more.

"Great," Tommy moaned, trying to remember what to do in this situation. He went and saw… someone. For a key. Someone had a key. No, wait, balcony. He needed to go to the balcony. But he couldn't do that if he didn't have a key. So to get a key, he had to… wait. Wait. He wasn't the only person on this floor with an accessible balcony. He'd just have to find someone who was awake in the middle of the night and didn't mind letting a random half-dressed stranger use their balcony.

He moved down the hall, pressing his ear against each door. Silence, silence, moans, silence—aha! Music! Laughter! Night owls!

He banged on the door. A girl in her late twenties opened the door, looked him up and down, and turned to face the gaggle of girls behind her. "You _guys!_ I _told_ you not to get me a stripper!"

"What?" Tommy demanded, that one word seeping through the haze clouding his mind.

"We couldn't resist!" said another girl. "How else are we supposed to celebrate the loss of your status as a free woman?"

"Hank is gonna kill you, Brandy!" the first girl scolded.

"Lighten up, girl!" The one called Brandy approached the door and looked at Tommy appraisingly. "You're not wearing a whole lot to take off, you know."

"He's not even wearing shoes," the first girl pointed out.

"I just need the balcony for a second," Tommy told them firmly.

"What's your name?" Brandy asked.

"Tommy."

"That's a pretty bland stripper name."

"No, it's _really_ Tommy. I'm not—"

"Where's your music?" Brandy asked. "And I thought you were supposed to have an outfit. I requested… I think the cop. Or the firefighter. Maybe it was the ninja. I can't remember, but I _know_ you're supposed to have an outfit."

"Um… I left it in the elevator," Tommy said finally. "I'll, uh, I'll be right back."

"What kind of crack head stripper did you order?" the first girl demanded of Brandy as Tommy pulled the door shut in their faces.

Tommy went back to putting his ear against doors. Silence, moans, silence, silence, silence, Kimberly's room. He pounded on it for a minute. Then he pounded on his own door. Growling, he checked the other half of the hallway, stretching from his door to the elevator. Silence, silence, silence, silence, silence, silence… aha! Laughter! Conversation! Night owls!

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_ "Excuse me!" Tommy called. "I need to use your balcony, but I'm not a stripper!"

There was a long pause. Then a voice slurred, "Go away or I'm calling security!"

"But—"

"I mean it! You'd better leave, or else!"

Tommy kicked the door indignantly and moved on. The two remaining doors were also silent. Tommy slammed a fist against the wall in frustration. What now? He could either go up to the seventh floor and scale down—but climbing down from top to bottom was bound to be a lot more obvious than going from one balcony to the next, and there was no guarantee he'd find anyone who wasn't asleep, producing moaning noises, scared to open the door, or expecting a stripper on the seventh floor.

Tommy sighed heavily. There was really only one option left.

He scanned the hallway for cameras. There was only one, placed halfway down the hall, rotating so that it was only viewing one half of the hall at a time. He waited until it was swinging away and yelled, "Ninja Ranger Power!" and swept his hands through the familiar motions. He didn't often use the Ninja Ranger morph, because it was technically no longer a Power Ranger power but his own ninja abilities, but the loss of his Power Coin meant that the suit looked slightly different from that of the actual White Ninja Ranger, which meant less chance of getting caught. Besides, he didn't have his Zeonizer on him, and it was the only other power he had left. Taking a deep breath, Tommy marched down the hall and knocked on room 628.

The door opened promptly and Brandy's eyes widened in surprise. "That was fast. But remember, I paid for a full hour, so the reverse process had better take longer."

"Brandy!" the first girl admonished. "Leave the poor guy alone!"

"Yeah! If you'd stop yelling at him, maybe he could do his job!" another girl called. Someone else wolf-whistled.

Tommy cleared his throat and pulled his hood off. "Hi. I'm, um, Ninja Man."

"I thought ninjas wore black," Brandy said.

Tommy stared at her for a moment, lost the irony of that statement. "Actually, they come in a variety of colors," Tommy said seriously. "They're practically Skittles. Anyway, someone stole my boom box from the elevator. Got a CD I can borrow?"

"I suppose," Brandy said, rolling her eyes. "Come on in."

Tommy stepped inside. The door shut behind him just as the door to Kimberly's room opened. Kimberly came out into the hall and darted into the nearby stairwell, intent on getting a room key from the front desk, completely unaware that Tommy was no longer sleeping peacefully and waiting for Kimberly to smite him.

* * *

"I can't believe she ditched me," Jenny grumbled to herself. Carrie had been gone for roughly an hour—long enough for Jenny to claim her half of the Chinese, which she ate, even though she was full and the food was cold, simply to prove her point to Carrie. She knew she wouldn't stay mad at Carrie for long, but she figured eating Carrie's food—especially when Carrie had sprung for dinner to partially return the favor Jenny had done about that Tommy Oliver guy—would give her a sense of justice about the whole thing.

"Excuse me."

Jenny looked up. A short, pretty brunette in an extremely oversized green shirt was standing in front of her, smiling charmingly. "Yeah?" Jenny asked, feeling a little too annoyed with the world to muster up a more polite response.

"I need a spare key for room 618."

Jenny was already reaching for the box full of keys waiting to be programmed when she paused, frowning. "618?"

"Yeah. 618."

"That's your room number?"

"Yeah."

"That's not your room number. That's Tommy Oliver's room number."

"He's my… boyfriend," the brunette replied, a sour look on her face.

Jenny cocked her head at the girl. "You're Kimberly Hart."

"You've heard of me?"

"Yeah. You're the girl who almost got her purse stolen."

Kimberly's expression hardened, as though she found being known for this somewhat… insulting. "Yeah."

"And you need a key to Tommy Oliver's room, even though _you're_ staying in room 640."

Kimberly's eyes narrowed. "Boyfriend, remember? It's not like he wouldn't want me in his room."

"Why can't he come get the key himself?"

"Some nonsense about being embarrassed. He said he had to come down here half-naked yesterday. You know how insecure some guys can be."

Jenny was about to reply when the phone went off. "Excuse me, just one moment." She punched the button for line one and put the receiver to her ear. "Angel Grove Inn."

"Hi." Jenny automatically recognized that the caller was male, young, and drunk; in the customer service business, it helped to be able to figure out just who you were dealing with as quickly as possible. "Um… I don't know what you can do about this, but… we're in room 604, and…"

"Yes?" Jenny asked impatiently.

"A guy just banged on our door and said he wasn't a stripper and needed to use our balcony."

"…What?"

"A guy just banged on our door and said he wasn't a stripper and needed to use our balcony," the young drunk guy repeated firmly.

Jenny put a hand over her eyes, then hopped out of her chair and headed into the back room. "Sixth floor, you said?"

"Yeah."

_That's where all the action seems to be,_ Jenny thought wryly. Jenny turned to face the bank of VCRs. There was a camera on each floor in each wing of the hotel, plus two for the elevators and a few more in places like the restaurant, pool and behind the front desk. She scanned the wall for the one labeled "sixth floor." Jenny ejected the tape and put the tape for the sixth floor into the combination TV/VCR. "I'll check it out," she told the caller. "I'll go through the tapes, find him, and send security."

"Thanks," the caller said. "We're pretty sure he left when we told him to go away, but we'd feel a whole lot safer if we knew for sure. When he's taken care of, can you give us a call back? We're planning on being up all night anyway. Room 604."

"Sure thing, sir. Sorry for your inconvenience."

Jenny walked back out to the desk and hung up the phone. "Well, Ms. Hart, I—Ms. Hart?"

Jenny scanned the lobby. Kimberly was gone. Sighing, Jenny grabbed the box of room keys; there weren't many left, given that the hotel was booked solid, though a few rooms were empty and under reservation. Jenny quickly counted the remainders. Sure enough, she was one short.

"Damn it," Jenny growled. She would have to watch the tape of the front desk, too, to make sure that Kimberly was the one who had, in fact, stolen the key, as Jenny hadn't counted them since her shift started. She'd presumed they were all there, but keys had a tendency to disappear; customers were always losing them or accidentally checking out without returning both keys, and the idiots on first and second shift screwed up the count a lot. She was pretty sure it was Kimberly who'd taken one, though Kimberly probably just figured since Jenny was busy Kimberly could go ahead and take the key and let Tommy into his room, then return it… unless the crazy not-a-stripper guy banging on the door to 604 was some sort of distraction to get Jenny to turn off the tape on the sixth floor.

Cursing, Jenny realized that she hadn't put a fresh tape in the VCR. She hurriedly went and stuck one in, hitting record and praying that Kimberly hadn't had enough time to do anything illegal to Tommy's room. She really shouldn't be able to, as the key hadn't been calibrated, but if Kimberly was truly out to do something malicious she might've been able to calibrate the room key while Jenny was in the back. Sighing, Jenny rewound the old tape of the sixth floor for a few moments and sat down to watch, periodically pausing to glance back at the current tape.

She forgot all about the current tape, however, once she saw the old tape. None other than Tommy Oliver burst out of his room, ran over to the door at the end of the hall, banged on it, shouted at it, then dashed back down the hall. A good-looking blond man appeared. He looked kind of like the description of the guy who'd drop-kicked that biker in the elevator, but Jenny was too busy watching him talk to Tommy Oliver. The blond guy soon retreated into room 603, while Tommy ran back to his room… and couldn't get in. Jenny breathed a sigh of relief; that meant Kimberly's luckless boyfriend really was just locked out. Good to know, considering Jenny couldn't have Kimberly ejected from the hotel without explaining that Jenny had purposefully, wrongfully altered the registry to her rather unforgiving boss.

Jenny watched impatiently for the random guy to appear and bang on room 604, only to see Tommy Oliver start smashing his head against doors up and down the hall, listening at each one. The fact that the camera rotated along the hallway meant he came in and out of view, but she was able to see him chatting to someone in room 628, then, a few moments later, closing the door to that room himself and turning around with a rather disturbed look on his face. He went back and listened against the other doors, then shouted at room 604. Jenny rolled her eyes, wishing the cameras had sound as well as picture; now she'd have to call Carrie before she called Al, the night security guy, to see if Carrie had any sort of… explanation. Even if Tommy _was_ just locked out of his room, he shouldn't be yelling about strippers and balconies…

The camera had swung away from Tommy again… and, when it swung back, Tommy was no longer there. Instead, a guy in a white ninja suit and hood was standing in his place.

"What the _hell?"_ Jenny demanded of the television set. "Where the hell did he get a ninja costume?"

Jenny stared blankly at the screen. How had he gotten changed so fast? Was that even him? Same height, same build … but no way he could dress up like a ninja in ten seconds flat. And if that wasn't him, where was Tommy Oliver? And if that _was_ him, why the hell was he dressed like a ninja?

The possibly-Tommy ninja walked back to room 628 and knocked. He exchanged a few words with whoever answered the door. Then the ninja yanked off its hood. Though she couldn't see his face, his hair was the same as Tommy's, only now with a white headband around it. He walked into room 628, and the door shut behind him.

Jenny rewound the tape and played it again, but she failed to get a different result. The only new information she gleaned was that Tommy hadn't been carrying anything in his hands; other than the cell phone clipped to the waistband of his shorts, he didn't appear to have anything other than his T-shirt and shorts. She watched the tape four more times before finally consoling herself to the fact that Tommy had magically dressed up like a ninja faster than Jenny could lace up her running shoes.

Jenny let her head fall forward and thunk against the TV. "Carrie, what the hell have you gotten me into?"

* * *

"Where'd he go?"

"I have no idea."

"Did he fall?"

"Surely we'd see him splattered on the pavement."

"Yeah, he couldn't have jumped all the way into the pool."

"Maybe he's a real ninja."

"Yeah, right."

"I don't _believe_ this. What kind of stripper runs out on the balcony and disappears?" complained Brandy.

"This is why I didn't want one," the bachelorette said. In the three minutes Tommy had spent in that room, he'd learned her name was Taylor.

"Hey!" Brandy yelled down to the pool. "You there! No, not you, the cute guy in the green swimming trunks!"

"Hey baby!" said guy yelled back. Several others hurried to stand by him as they all looked up at the cluster of girls on the balcony.

"Did you see a guy in a white ninja outfit jump off the building?"

"Uh, no. I think I would've remembered."

"Are you sure? Our stripper went out onto the balcony and vanished."

"Your stripper?"

"Yeah. We're having a bachelorette party. And our idiotic ninja stripper apparently made a suicide leap or something."

"You need a new stripper?" the guy called hopefully.

"No!" Taylor said firmly.

"Yes!" Brandy yelled.

"No, we really don't!" Taylor insisted.

"Speak for yourself! Not for your unmarried friends!" one girl exclaimed.

"Guys, this is _Taylor's_ party," another girl reminded them.

The girls all groaned. "Sorry, boys," Brandy called. "Some other time."

"We'll be here if you change your mind!" one of the guy's friends yelled.

"Any of you wanna bail on your party, we got one going on down here!"

"Yeah, but we don't have anything to make us hallucinate suicidal ninja strippers, so bring us some of whatever you're on!"

"Would you people shut up and go to sleep?" shouted someone from a few floors below the girls' balcony.

"Lighten up, man!" one of the guys complained.

"Sorry!" Taylor called, ushering the girls back into the room.

Tommy breathed a sigh of relief as the girls' balcony door slid shut. He'd escaped. He was safe. Relatively, anyway. And he'd managed to make seventeen dollars. Not a bad haul, for an amateur doing the Tootsee Roll to a Shania Twain song. (He was definitely going to send Shania a rude letter for releasing the single "Man, I Feel like a Woman.") And here he'd thought people only put dollars in strippers' waistbands at clubs, not private shows.

Tommy sighed, wishing he had his Black Dino Gem; it accessed the only suit he'd ever worn that wasn't brightly colored. He was currently crouching three balconies away from 628, which was as far as he'd been able to get before the girls realized that side-stepping out onto the balcony and shutting the curtain behind him meant he wasn't coming back. So he only had three more balconies to go to Kimberly's room; he could only hope that she'd left the door unlocked, and that the guys down by the pool wouldn't be watching too closely for suicidal ninja strippers.


	68. RockaBye Power Rangers

**Chapter Sixty-eight**

_Rock-a-Bye Power Rangers_

Carrie couldn't breathe. The laughter was too intense, and Jason's story wasn't even half-finished. "Clowns?" she gasped in disbelief.

"Yes, clowns. The world's first and last Power Rangers, locked in a fight to the death… with a bunch of clowns."

"Oh, my god… that's great!"

"Oh, it gets better. Apparently the clown fight could have been avoided if Tommy had given us some warning, but Tommy, who wanted to spend some time alone with Kimberly, saw the clowns coming and just pulled Kira, Ethan and Trent out of the line of fire and sat back and watched while the rest of—minus Kim, who bolted—battled it out. So I guess you could say that the clown fight was really just the freakish result of a guy trying to get his ex-girlfriend back."

"Oh, man," Carrie gasped, clutching her side. "You weren't kidding about your life being weird."

"Life? Carrie, this is one day. And I'm only up to about four o'clock. That was over twelve hours ago. I still have axe murderers, alien water, a panty raid, and an overflowing ice machine."

* * *

"OW!" Billy hissed as his hip slammed into the metal frame of Ethan's cot. Navigating around to the other side of the bed in the dark wasn't as easy as one might think.

"Y'okay?" Ethan asked sleepily.

"Yeah. Rocky's finally stopped proclaiming to be a teapot. I'm gonna get to bed."

"Was that Dr. O in the hallway yelling something about strippers and balconies a little while ago?" Ethan asked.

Billy grimaced. "Yeah. I assume Tommy's subconscious contains strippers instead of teapots. I was kind of trying to block it out."

"Ah. Well, goodnight," Ethan murmured.

"If not good, at least a little better," Billy replied. He let himself fall onto the mattress. Both he and Ethan were sound asleep in seconds.

* * *

The elevator door popped open. Kimberly carefully inspected the hall for any other life forms before stepping out of the elevator and letting the door slide closed.

"Here goes nothing," Kimberly murmured, checking her pockets to make sure she still had the key card, marinara sauce and razor. She turned and began to walk down the hall—until her bare feet landed on chunks of ice melting all over the carpet.

"Cold!" she yelled as her foot came down on the first cube. Her other foot was already swinging forward; she couldn't stop it from landing on a small pile of ice. With a startled yelp, Kimberly tried to leap back off the ice, only to land on more of it. Unfortunately, she'd inadvertently jumped into the vending area, which wasn't carpeted, so her feet slipped out from under her. Kimberly quickly tucked her chin down to avoid smacking her head, arms scrambling to find something, anything, to break her fall.

All she found was the broken ice machine's on button.

As she landed flat on her back, the ice machine whirred to live above her and began spitting out ice at an alarming rate. Kimberly shrieked and covered her face with her hands as the cubes pelted her mercilessly. She bent her knees and slid her feet over the floor, trying to find a spot that wasn't too slippery so that she could stand up without leaving her face unprotected. Her feet were wet and slick themselves, no way she'd be able to get up without using her hands, no way was she going to let the cubes smash against her face… what was she going to do? She was going to be buried alive in a mountain of ice!

Kimberly tried to wiggle back towards the hall, but that succeeded only in shaking the ice around; the floor was simply too slippery for her to get anywhere, especially since the only real shot she had at scooting out from under the machine would involve pushing off with her feet, which would only send her towards the back of the vending area, not the exit…

"Oh, my god, are you okay?" called an unfamiliar male voice.

"Help!" Kimberly shrieked from behind her hands. Strong hands grabbed her ankles, hauling her out of the line of fire. Keeping her eyes squeezed shut, Kimberly flung her hand out. Her rescuer grabbed it and hauled her up, then dragged her down the hall and off the ice.

"Thank you," Kimberly gasped, shaking the ice off of her shirt and dancing about on the spot, trying to make the cubes inside her shirt and shorts fall out without having to go fishing. Again. In front of someone new.

Kimberly turned to face her savior… and discovered that he was a cop. A drop-dead gorgeous cop in a too-tight uniform. Tall, shoulder-length dark hair, and the kind of muscles that, if Kimberly didn't know better, could have marked him as a Power Ranger. Suddenly the ice didn't seem so cold; he wasn't just hot, he was scorching.

"Anytime," he said, smiling at her. The moment his dimples flashed, Kimberly forgot all about the ice. "That was one hell of a freak accident."

_Oh, god, how embarrassing!_ Kimberly thought, mortified. "Yeah, tell me about it." She brushed a few more cubes off of Tommy's shirt. "Why did it have to be ice? I mean—oh. Oh, no. No he _did not!"_

"No who didn't what?" the cop asked.

"He _planned_ this!" Kimberly raged. "He booby-trapped the hall with ice! He knew I'd be back for my underwear and he set this up! Jason's probably in on it, got that girl at the front desk to give me the run-around about the key! Ooh, won't Trini be surprised to hear all about her husband asking that Carrie woman for favors! I'll get them both! And Zack! How dare they! Those little pricks! And what kind of idiot steals all my panties and then makes sure I don't have any skirts to wear, anyway? It's bad planning, is what it is! It's counterproductive! And no amount of ice is going to keep me from _shaving that little jerk's head!"_

This seemed to leave the cop without anything much to say. "Uh…"

"Oh, I'll make him sorry he ever scared off Bulk and Skull that day! He should have kept working for Rita; she's not half as evil as I'm gonna get! Even Zedd thought I could do a better job, and he's obviously a great judge of evilness!"

"Who?" the cop asked. He wasn't from Angel Grove, and he wasn't a big follower of the Power Rangers phenomenon.

Kimberly suddenly realized just who she was talking to; considering the guy was a police officer, she probably didn't want to tell him her evil plan. "Um… sorry. I'm just a little upset. My ex-boyfriend and I had to get together with some mutual friends this week and he's doing everything he can to push my buttons. Apparently he even stooped so low as to rig the ice machine."

The cop frowned. "Is that even possible?"

"If anyone could do it, it'd be him," Kimberly said dryly, thinking back to Tommy's "I'm the evil genius" speech at the carnival. She sighed. Then her face lit up; an idea had just occurred to her, but it might not work now that her hair was messy and her not-so-alluring outfit was damp. At least the shirt was clinging a little, though. At any rate, she had to try. If it worked, she'd get her clothes back, and she could save the head-shaving for a later date.

"You know, officer," Kimberly said, smiling as enticingly as she could, "this is _really_ embarrassing, but… do you think you could do me a favor?"

"Well," he began, but Kimberly didn't let him finish.

"See, he actually had the nerve to steal all of my clothing earlier. I got most of it back, but he still has my miniskirts and my lingerie. Do you think you could, you know, knock on the door and ask for it back?"

"I would," he told her apologetically, "except I'm not really a cop. This is just a costume, and if I were to pretend to be a cop to get your clothing back, I could be charged with impersonating an officer."

"Oh." Kimberly sighed, disappointed. Then she frowned. "Why are you dressed up like a cop?"

"I, uh, have an appointment on this floor."

Kimberly knitted her brow. "What kind of appointment do you have in a hotel in the middle of the night? Especially when you're dressed like a c—oh. Oh. Oh! I'm sorry! I… wow. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. Happens a lot," he said sheepishly. "I just… you know… the bills don't pay themselves."

"I hear you," Kimberly said, wishing a meteor would strike her dead. She'd actually just been rescued from an ice machine by a male stripper and asked him to help her fight her ex-boyfriend!

"If there's any other way I can help you, I can—"

"No, no, I'm fine. Thanks for the, um, rescue. I appreciate it."

"No problem. Good luck getting back at your ex."

"Uh-huh. Thanks."

The stripper moved past her down the hall. Kimberly watched him go—or rather, she watched certain parts of him go. "Hey!" Kimberly called before she could stop herself.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning around, the tone of his voice saying he was trying hard not to sound too eager.

"I, um, didn't catch your name," Kimberly said.

"My real name?" She nodded, trying not to look too startled by _that_ question. "Marco."

"I'm Kimberly."

"Pretty name."

"Thanks." She smiled at him awkwardly, then cleared her throat. "You know, um, I was thinking… maybe you _can_ help me out."

"How?"

Kimberly pulled the room key out of her pocket. "I've could use a look out. You game?"

Marco grinned. "Very."

* * *

"Isn't the ocean beautiful?" Jason asked, smiling at Trini as they stood alone together on the beach.

"Yeah. I've seen all four oceans and sixteen different seas, and I never get tired of looking at the water," Trini said. "Especially at night."

"Reminds me of that time you, me and Zack accidentally stole that guy's speed boat and went cruising around."

"Reminds me of what happened when Zack was in the inner tube," she replied with a smirk.

Jason laughed. "Yeah. Right before we crashed."

Trini cracked up. "Only in our lives could we get shipwrecked for three days in an accidentally-stolen boat."

"Those were some of the best days of my life," Jason said with a reminiscent smile.

Trini nudged him with her elbow. "We could always do it again sometime. This time without Zack."

Jason grinned. "And this time, maybe our friends won't freak out that we've gone missing and get the bright idea to teleport us to a boat full of superstitious Greek fishermen."

"They don't even have teleporting capability anymore," Trini added.

Jason grabbed her hand. "Come on, Trini. Let's go find ourselves a boat."

Trini shook her head. "We can't. We might get caught this time."

"We'll think up a good cover story. Something better than being kidnapped by aliens."

"Oh, god, I can't believe that actually worked," Trini chuckled.

"Why not? After all, we had Alpha to explain the situation."

"Well, we won't have him this time around."

"No… but who says we have to come back? We'll just stay gone. Forever.'

Trini smiled. A swell of recklessness filled her. Why not? Why not just take off, run away in the middle of the night, stay lost, forever?

The word "yes" was halfway out of her mouth when her eyes snapped open to see Tommy's wide-eyed face filling her vision. She was only dimly aware that his hand was shaking her shoulder violently.

"Oh, good," he said. "You're awake."

"Am not," Trini retorted crossly. "What do you want? How'd you even get in here?"

"Balcony."

"What did I tell you about doing that?"

"I wasn't spying. I was entering."

"For future reference, that's not allowed, either."

"Well, your door was locked," Tommy said, as though it was her fault he'd broken into her hotel room. "And Kira wouldn't let me in."

"What do you want?" Trini demanded with a sigh.

"I had a bad dream."

Trini stared at him. "Are you serious?"

"It was _awful,_ Trini," Tommy said, nodding solemnly. "I dreamt Kat dumped off my baby with Kira and it looked a whole lot like Billy for some reason and it was an Orange Ranger and Kira wished me happy birthday and said I was sixty and arthritic and Orange and Kim wouldn't take my special pink Ring Pop and Jason vanished and so did my key and Adam was all about the singing wildebeests so I woke up Zack and he just got confused so Hayley told me to come wake up you because you're good at comforting people who are freaking out like nothing else even though they haven't eaten any seafood lately." He looked at her hopefully. "Said I needed a hug, too."

Trini continued her incredulous staring. "Ring Pop?"

Tommy shuddered. "Come on, Trini. It's time for you to do that words-of-wisdom thing. Tell me it'll be okay and that I'll never be Orange and no one will ever be Orange and make me believe it."

"It'll be okay and you'll never be Orange and no one ever will be," Trini recited impatiently.

"I didn't believe it."

"What's it gonna take to make you go away?"

"I can't go away. I don't have my room key."

"So go back across the balconies."

"I can't. The people in room 628 are still looking for their suicidal ninja stripper."

"…What?"

"It's a long story."

"…Tommy… why do you have dollar bills in your waistband?"

Tommy plucked a few of them out and held them out to her. "I'll pay you for a hug."

"Tommy, please don't _ever_ offer to pay me for _anything,_ let alone a hug, right after telling me about your stint as a suicidal ninja stripper."

"Why not?"

Trini groaned. "Oh, please tell me this is the real dream. Tell me I got knocked unconscious while stealing a boat with Jason and this is my psychotic little nightmare—"

"You and Jason shouldn't go stealing boats anymore," Tommy interrupted sternly. "It'll be a lot harder to teleport you to a boat full of Greek fisherman without the Command Center."

_"Superstitious_ Greek fishermen," Trini corrected him sourly. She sighed heavily. "Tommy, _please_ go away."

"Not until you hug me. Hayley said it would help."

Trini glared at him and flung her arms around his neck for a moment. "Feel better?"

"…Not really. Maybe I need another one. Or a longer one. Like that time after Kim and I broke up."

"Tommy, that hug took hours. Go away. Go sleep in Conner, Ethan and Trent's room."

"…You're not _serious,_ are you?"

"Do I have to call Jason?" Trini demanded.

"Come _on,_ Trini. Please?"

"Please _what?_ Please scoot over and let you sleep with me and Ki—_hey!"_

"You're the best, Trini!" Tommy gushed, shoving her over and climbing in between the covers.

"That wasn't an invitation!" Trini hissed in exasperation.

"Please, Trini?" Tommy said, looking at her hopefully. "That was one of the worst dreams _ever._ I'd do the same for you."

"I wouldn't freak out about a stupid dream!"

"But if you _did,_ I'd do the same for you. Especially if you had to masquerade as a stripper."

"Something tells me that needing to share a bed with you after I was pretending to be a stripper is at the top of the list of things so bizarre that they will unravel the fabric of the universe in the unlikely event that they happen!"

"It's not nearly as unlikely as one might think," Tommy pointed out, fluffing up her pillow and snuggling into it. "Bachelorette parties should be illegal. And that Brandy chick was just rude. I mean, I was there for Taylor, after all, and Brandy has to be all bossy and everything when Taylor didn't even _want_ a stripper…"

"Tommy, if you don't get out of my bed, I'm going to climb out and wake up Kimberly and let her freak out and scream and beat you to death."

"Where _is_ Kimberly, anyway?"

"I—what?"

"Kimberly," Tommy said, nodding at the other side of the bed.

Trini turned to look at Kimberly and realized Kimberly wasn't even in the bed. "What the… what did you _do_ to her?"

"Me? Nothing. Lately. She wasn't here when I came in. Balcony door was wide open, though."

"Was not! It was locked when I went to sleep."

"Well, I don't suppose it's really important," Tommy said, yawning loudly.

"Not important? Excuse me?"

"She's probably just trying to steal her stuff back," Tommy explained, his eyelids drooping. "But my balcony door is locked. At least, I'm pretty sure."

"You didn't even go try the door before coming in here?" Trini demanded.

"Nope. Like I said, the girls down the hall want their ninja back, so I can't go back that way. At least, not tonight."

"Tommy, you—wait. Where'd you get a ninja costume?"

"Same place as always," Tommy muttered, eyes closed and peaceful look on his face.

"You didn't. Tell me you _didn't!"_ Tommy didn't respond. "Tommy? You can't be asleep that quickly. Tommy? _Tommy!"_

"Quiet," Kira mumbled from across the room. "Sleeping."

Trini winced. The last thing she wanted to do was explain to Kira why Kimberly was gone and Tommy was sleeping next to Trini. Especially since the only explanation Trini had involved nightmares, ninjas, hugs and strippers. Trini lie back in the middle of the bed so that Kimberly would have room to lay down when she came back and tried to get comfortable. Tommy rolled over, taking the majority of the covers with him.

Trini sighed and flung back what little bit of blanket Tommy hadn't managed to steal. She wasn't quite ready to go back to dreaming about running off to a deserted island with Jason while lying next to Tommy. Besides, she should probably find Kimberly and warn her. Not to mention Jason; he might go homicidal if he came looking for Tommy and found him curled up with Jason's wife. Trini could only hope that the two of them were doing something less psychotic than letting their wacky friends climb into their beds because of nightmares.


	69. A Friend in Need

**Chapter Sixty-nine**

_A Friend in Need_

"I don't think it's going to work," Marco told Kimberly as she continued to jam the keycard into the lock.

"It has to. It _has_ to!"

"Maybe it hasn't been activated."

Kimberly froze. "Activated?"

"Yeah. They run it through a machine so that it only works for one specific room. That way you can't use your room key in anyone else's door."

Kimberly smacked her forehead. "Why didn't I think of that? Why? _Why?"_

"Sorry." Marco clapped her on the shoulder, checking his watch as he did so. He was going to be late fairly soon, but usually drunk girls didn't have a great grasp of how to read a clock. "Got any other ideas?"

"Yes, in fact, I do." Kimberly marched down the hall. Marco followed her. Kimberly was beginning to grow on him. Not only was she hot, she was very determined. Crazy as hell, but determined.

Kimberly raised her hand to knock on the door to 603 when she realized it was propped open half an inch by the doorstop. She pushed it all the way open and peered inside for a moment, then turned back to Marco. "Okay, listen. This is what we're gonna do. I need the two guys in blue. I'm gonna wake up Billy, the blond one, and get him to come outside with me. You wake up the one on the cot. Make sure you keep quiet. I need to do this fast, in case Trini wakes up and realizes I'm gone. I've already wasted enough time with the bal—"

Kimberly broke off at the sound of a door opening down the hall. Without another word, she grabbed Marco and hauled him into room 603 with considerable strength for a girl her size. She quickly shut the door behind them and peered out through the door.

"Oh, damn, it's Trini," she moaned. "I can't close the door all the way without opening the door wide enough to move the doorstopper! She'll see me if I do!"

"Who's Trini?" Marco whispered.

"My best friend," Kimberly told him. "Oh, god, she's coming! Quick! Hide in the bathtub!"

Something about the panicky order made Marco comply without thinking. Kimberly followed him into the tub and pulled the curtain closed, leaving the bathroom door open so that they could hear if anyone approached. It was pitch-black in the tub, Marco clutching Kimberly's arm both for comfort and so that he could tell where she was.

After several tense moments, they heard the door creak open and a woman whisper, "Have you guys seen Kim?"

"Teapot," someone inside the room groaned.

"Guess not." The door creaked again; Marco let out a shaky sigh of relief when he heard the click of the door hitting the metal stopper.

Kimberly leaned against Marco for support and carefully climbed out of the tub, trying not to slip now that her bare feet were wet again. Marco cautiously followed her back out into the room and waited while she peered through the crack in the door. "Trini just got in the elevator," Kimberly reported finally. "Hurry. Get Ethan—the guy on the cot. I'll get Billy."

Kimberly turned and squinted into the darkness. The cot had been shoved at an unnatural angle, so that she'd have to move it to get to Billy, who was sleeping farthest from the door. Before Marco could offer to move the cot for her, she vaulted right over it, did some sort of tricky flip in midair over Ethan's head, and landed gracefully on the other side. Marco gaped at her for a second, then shook himself and crept towards the cot.

Kimberly stealthily moved to Billy's side and clamped her hand over his mouth. Marco could only see their silhouettes in the dim lighting, but he could see Billy immediately start fighting. "Shh, Billy, it's me, Kim!" she hissed, and Billy went still. "Meet me in the hall." Some of the tension in Marco's gut eased as Billy sat up and climbed out of the bed; at least whatever this Kimberly girl was into, these people knew and liked Kimberly well enough to help her without complaint. He caught sight of Billy's face as Billy gently moved the cot aside and slipped past. Billy looked at him, his expression a mixture of reluctance, confusion, and resignation. However, there was no surprise, which put the ball of tension right back into Marco's stomach. Marco knew Billy thought he was looking at a cop. The fact that Billy was unsurprised to see Kimberly and a cop sneak into his room in the middle of the night didn't bode well. Marco could only pray that these people weren't into anything worse than a little payback for an idiotic ex-boyfriend.

Marco gently shook the kid on the cot, glancing uneasily at the other three guys in the room. The kid didn't wake up. "Hey," he whispered.

"TEAPOT," someone boomed. Marco nearly bit his tongue off as he fought down a yelp. The sudden random word and its volume brought up a bizarre image of God trying to place an order at Starbucks.

"Jeez, enough with the teapots," Kimberly muttered under her breath.

"He didn't even twitch," Marco whispered, awed at how deeply asleep Ethan and the others were. "He's dead to the world."

Kimberly grabbed Ethan's shoulder and shook him violently. "Ethan!" she hissed.

One of the kids sharing the other double bed rolled over, his forearm whacking the other guy in the head. "Ow," the kid complained.

Kimberly ducked into a crouch, disappearing into the darkness faster than it took to say "Beam me up, Scotty." Marco belatedly hit the deck as well.

"Damn it, Conner, if one more part of you touches me, I'm throwing you back in with Mr. Tea," the guy who'd been hit grumbled, rolling over and pulling his pillow over his head.

Kimberly tugged on Marco's sleeve and motioned towards the door. Marco shook his head to indicate he didn't understand. Kimberly pointed to the cot, then to the door. Marco frowned, not getting what she meant… until she crab-walked over behind the cot and began to push. Marco hurriedly crawled for the door and held it open. A sleepy Billy stood out in the hallway, eyebrows raised and arms crossed, transmitting a vibe of "What _now?"_ as clearly as if he was screaming.

Kimberly wheeled the cot for the door. Marco was just about to open his mouth to inform her that it wouldn't fit through the opening when it hit the wall. Marco cringed, waiting for someone to wake up, but no one did; the mattress had cushioned the impact, so there wasn't a whole lot of noise. Marco started to lean around the cot and see if Kimberly had a new, less psychotic plan when he realized that Kimberly, who was still crouched, couldn't see over the cot, and had assumed she'd simply missed the doorway. She pulled it back and let out a soft grunt of effort as she shoved it violently forward and towards the right.

The cot still wouldn't fit, and, being at an angle, it jolted hard and tipped downward. Ethan and his sheets slid down the mattress and tumbled out into the hallway in a heap.

"Uh-oh," Kimberly murmured.

"Oh, my god, are you okay?" Billy demanded quietly.

Ethan's voice drifted in from the hallway, slightly muffled by the carpet his face was pressed against and the blankets covering his head. "What. The. _Hell?"_

Marco stood up. Kimberly was on her feet as well. The two of them peered over the cot at Ethan, who was struggling to sit up and untangle himself from his bedding. "Oops," Kimberly muttered, then climbed over the cot. Marco followed. Kimberly pushed the cot out of the way and pulled the door shut against the stopper just as Ethan unearthed himself.

"What happened?" Ethan groaned. "Why am I in the hallway? What's going on? And who are you?" he added to Marco.

"Um, Marco," he replied.

"Polo," Ethan said blankly.

"No, Marco. It's my name."

"Well, that's nice. _Why am I in the hallway?"_

"Shh! Keep it down," Kimberly admonished.

"Keep it down? Keep it _down?_ I'm in the hallway!"

"Yeah, me too," Billy said dryly.

"Did they fling you out into it, too?" Ethan asked.

"No. I got marched out."

"Okay. Well, good to know I've one-upped everyone on weirdest ways to be woken up. Someone want to tell me why Kimberly and Officer Marco here just dumped me out of my nice warm cot onto the cold, wet… is this ice?" Ethan looked down at the floor. He and Billy both looked curiously at the trail of ice leading back to the vending area, where the ice machine was still going. Ethan shook his head. "Well? Is this about the bellhops, Officer? Because I swear that I—"

"Not a cop," Marco said quickly, not wanting to hear anything else about whatever had happened with bellhops to warrant a visit from the police. In Marco's line of work, he preferred to avoid the cops at all times—ironic, really, given his outfit. "It's just a costume."

Billy and Ethan stared at him. "Why…?" Ethan asked.

"I have an appointment on this floor," Marco explained.

Usually, it didn't take long for people to make the leap from "guy in costume with a late-night appointment in a hotel" to "male stripper," but Billy and Ethan both stared at him blankly. Marco sighed.

"Marco, here, is in the entertainment business," Kimberly said delicately.

Billy and Ethan both frowned, puzzling it out. Marco was startled at how long they stayed quiet before it finally clicked.

"Let me get this straight," Ethan began, his tone slow, deliberate and dangerous. "You and a male stripper broke into my room in the middle of the night so you could dump me out of my cot into the hallway and—"

"Guys, look, I don't have a whole lot of time," Kimberly cut in urgently. "Listen up. I need you two to—"

"No," Ethan interrupted firmly.

"Ethan—"

"No. No! I don't care. I don't care what you need, I don't care who's a teapot, I don't care if Mesogog himself asked you to wake me up, I am getting back in my cot and going to sleep and sleeping _all through the night!"_

"Ethan—"

"Save it. I like you, Kimberly, I really do. You're really awesome. But I am not getting sucked into any more drama tonight. I escaped the axe-murderers, I escaped the clowns, go me. I even got to make out with a cute girl. But you know what? I didn't even want to get out of bed today. But Conner, _Conner of all people,_ convinced me it would be _okay._ And I got out of bed and bravely faced the day. I weathered the disgusting seduction of my science teacher with French fries. I dealt with the high-speed car chase. I handled the broken Ferris wheel. And when Kira burst into my room and told me that something had happened and that I needed to be prepared to attack on her signal, I went, no questions asked. I have the bruises to show it. So I'm sorry, but whatever you and your new pal the stripper—and I'm not even asking how _that_ friendship got started—are planning, count me out."

Ethan stomped over to the door, pushed it open, and smacked at the support bars on his cot. He folded it up, rolled it through the doorway, tossed his blankets on top and closed the door behind him. "Me and my cot are going somewhere nice, quiet, and chaos-free. If you'll excuse me, I'll see you in the morning."

With that, Ethan stalked down the hall, wincing as the ice cubes bit into his feet. He got into the elevator and didn't look back as the doors closed behind him.

"Well! How do you like that?" Kimberly said, hands on her hips. "I bet if _Tommy_ had asked, he'd have agreed. Or at least heard him out." She scowled and turned to Billy. "Now—"

"Whatever it is, Kimberly, count me out too!" Billy said quickly, a slightly panicky look on his face now that Ethan had managed to flee. "I absolutely refuse to assist in any intricately-woven, vengeance-based diabolical plans to remove your possessions from Tommy's grasp!"

Kimberly fixed him with a glare. "Don't even think about it, Billy. Just because I let the newbie go doesn't mean you're off the hook. Ethan wasn't part of Tommy's little offensive maneuver, but you were. If you want to escape retaliation, you better fall in line. I might let the rookie Blue with no tie to me other than hero-worship go, but you, _my dear friend since first grade,_ are gonna help me or die trying to escape.

Billy sighed gustily. "Thought so." He looked at Marco. "I'm Billy, by the way. Nice to meet you."

"Eh, you too," Marco said, wondering for the first time just what, exactly, he was doing.

Billy nodded at him and turned back to Kimberly. "What's the plan?"

"I need you, oh intelligent one, to bypass the electronic lock on Tommy's door."

To Marco's surprise, Billy's face lit up. "Huh. As you know, I am unfamiliar with modern circuitry, but I doubt it will be beyond my capabilities. I will require a few tools, however; I'll be right back."

Billy returned in short order, holding a book bag and a laptop. "Hopefully I won't require parts form Ethan's computer, but I brought it just in case," he explained as he slung the bag onto his shoulder. "If I do need any, I'm certain I can reassemble it. Now—before we begin, there are four things I need to know."

"Shoot," Kimberly said.

"First, why have you recruited the outsider?"

Marco frowned. It seemed like an odd choice of words. "Outsider." Not "random guy," or even "stripper." As if the two of them did this sort of thing a lot and usually didn't bring non-team members in on it.

"If one of them wakes up, I'm gonna need him. Since you and Rocky were in there, I'm guessing Tommy, Jason, Zack and Adam are in Tommy's room?"

"Affirmative."

"Well, regardless of which of the six of you were in there, I knew I couldn't fight them all off without an army. Even with the element of surprise and back up from everyone but you guys, I doubt we could take everyone in the room. I only got away with what I did earlier because I had surprise him and I didn't duke it out. It was a grab-and-run, and I'm on search-and-rescue right now. If they wake up, the odds aren't good, and running isn't an option anymore. Marco's the only one who could stop all four of them from keeping me from getting what I need."

"Why's that?" Marco asked.

"The costume," Kimberly told him, somewhat apologetically. "No amount of muscle would help, but given the day Tommy's had, all you'd have to do would be stare him down and he'd let me tear the place apart looking for my clothes."

"I told you, I won't announce myself as a cop."

"Like I said, you won't have to. Just stare at him. If he wakes up, he'll be forced to stand by helplessly and let me do whatever I want."

"Okay," Marco said, but he was liking this plan less and less. He'd better at least get Kimberly's phone number out of this deal.

"Second," Billy continued, "this is all I do, correct? I open the door. You do the rest on your own."

"Definitely." Kimberly pulled a pack of marinara sauce out of her pocket. "Trust me—you don't want to know what's going to go down once that door is open."

Billy cringed at the sight of the marinara sauce. "I believe you're right. Third, my name stays out of this?"

"Done."

"Okay. Fourth, why is there ice all over the hall?"

"I think Tommy thought I might drop by and booby-trapped the ice machine."

Billy frowned. "That doesn't make sense. He would presume you'd be coming from the other end of the hall from the vending area. Are you sure it was Tommy?"

"Yeah. I mean, who else could it have been?"

* * *

"So after the ice machine exploded, the pop machine growled at me, everyone on the fourth floor bowed down to me, and the candy machine ate my dollar, I came down to the lobby," Jason finished.

Carrie shook her head. "That… that's more weirdness in one day than I have had in the past six months."

"Tell me about it," Jason said.

"So when you say the ice machine 'exploded,' you—" Carrie broke off as her cell phone rang. "Jenny! Aw, damn, I forgot all about her! Do you mind?" she asked, motioning to the phone.

"No, no, be my guest."

Carrie pressed the phone to her ear. "Hey, girl, I'm so sorry I… what? _What?_ He… ninja? Okay, I… uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. _What?_ I see. Are you sure that…? _What?_ He did _what?_ They're doing _what?_ For crying out loud, Jenny, why would _I_ have an explanation for _that?"_ Carrie listened for a long moment, then sighed. "Hey, listen. That Jason guy? He's Tommy Oliver's friend. I'm gonna put him on the phone. Tell him exactly what you told me, okay?"

Carrie thrust the phone out at him. "I don't think your weirdness is over."

Jason groaned and took the phone. "Hello?"

"There I am, minding my own business," Jenny began without preamble, "when this Kimberly Hart chick shows up and asks for a key to Tommy Oliver's room—"

"Did you give her one?" Jason demanded.

"No. Well, she stole one while I was dealing with freaky occurrence number two, but I don't think she activated it. Now shut up and listen. While I'm trying to figure out if I should give her a key, room 604 calls and tells me some crazy guy is banging on the door, asking to use the balcony and insisting that he's not a stripper." Jenny paused, waiting for a response. Jason, unable to figure out why she'd stopped talking, impatiently asked her to continue, his mind already wandering to possible causes and reactions. "So I tell them I'll watch the tapes, and it turns out to be this Tommy Oliver guy. He kept listening at doors, pounding on a few of them. Then he was out of camera view for a second, and when the camera focused on him again, he was dressed like a ninja."

_Oh, crap,_ Jason thought in horror. "A ninja?"

"Yes, a ninja. Only in a white outfit instead of black. He had ten seconds, max, and he wasn't even carrying a bag! Then he disappears into room 628 and a few minutes later, this stripper dressed like a cop shows up and drags that Kimberly chick out of a pile of ice in the vending area—if I find the bastard who broke that ice machine I'll have him assassinated—"

"Back to Kimberly," Jason said hastily.

"Anyway, the two of them start working together. When they figured out they couldn't get the keycard to work, they busted into room 603, dragged a cute guy out, and dumped another guy off of a cot into the hallway."

"Where the two guys wearing blue?" Jason demanded.

"Huh? Yeah. How'd you guess?"

"I'm psychic. Keep going."

"Well, the guy from the cot folded it up and marched off into the elevator. The stripper—"

"You're sure it's a stripper and not an actual cop?"

"I've been in the hotel business for a while now. He was alone, no gun, and way too hot to be an actual cop. I know there's a bachelorette party up on the sixth floor, too. The fact that he was carrying a stereo until he ran into the Kimberly chick didn't make it any harder to guess, either."

"But the stripper isn't Tommy."

"No. Tommy's the ninja, remember?"

"Ah. Yes. Go on."

"Well, now the stripper, the other guy, and Kimberly are currently fooling with the electronic lock on Tommy Oliver's door. Got any logical explanations for any of that?"

"Not a one. What I do have are instructions."

"Instructions? _Excuse_ me? Between the broken ice machine and breaking-and-entering, not to mention the keycard theft—"

"Listen. If you interrupt Billy, the guy they woke up, in the middle of fooling with that lock, you'll never repair it properly. Ever. Let him do whatever he's going to do to the lock, because I can guarantee he'll put it back the way it was as soon as Kimberly's inside. That way, you won't catch any flack from your boss for not noticing that there were strippers and vandals on the sixth floor."

"I can't say that doesn't appeal to me," Jenny said slowly. "Are you sure he'll fix it back the way it was?"

"I'm positive. Billy can't stand to leave things broken, and Kim will want to cover her tracks."

"Regardless, I can't just let people break into other people's rooms."

"You ever have an issue with an ex that you wanted to smack around?"

Jenny snorted. "More than I can count."

"Well, Tommy is Kimberly's ex-boyfriend. Earlier today he stole her underwear and refused to give it back. She's just trying to one-up him."

"I'm just supposed to trust you? Random married man chatting up my best friend in the middle of the night?"

"Hey, if I was doing anything not-so-moral with her, would we have bothered answering the phone? We're old friends. We're just catching up. If you don't want to trust me, trust Carrie. And for your information, I fear my wife almost as much as I love her."

Jenny sighed. "There's still the broken ice machine."

"Once Billy's done, he'll probably go fix the ice machine himself; he can't resist the urge to repair things. Kim will be in and out before you'd have time to send security. At which point, I imagine—and hope—that the stripper will be on his merry way to wherever he was going previously."

"If I find out you're lying to me, I'll have _you_ assassinated."

Jason grinned wryly. "I'm not. And even if I was, you'd never find an assassin good enough. Many have tried and failed."

"Okay, fine, one last question. How'd he do that trick with the ninja costume?"

"I don't know. Maybe your camera has some sort of delay or glitch; he couldn't do it that fast. But I know the guys in 603, they're friends of ours, and we were planning on a costume party Friday night. He probably hopped in there and grabbed one, and your tape messed up and made it seem like it only took three seconds."

"Wouldn't be the first time the tapes have glitched," Jenny said slowly. "I guess that's possible. Put Carrie back on."

Jason handed the phone back to Carrie. "I'll come back soon," she promised. She listened for a moment. "Okay, then." She hung up and shook her head. "Jenny said to take my time; she's having a blast watching the tapes. But I guess you've got to go, huh? Deal with the weirdness?"

Jason sighed. He really should go interrupt Kimberly before she could break into the room; she probably had some sort of heinous plan for Tommy in addition to stealing back her clothing. However, Tommy wasn't in the room… he was in 628… being a ninja… how could he be stupid enough to morph in the hotel, in a hallway with a camera, just a few hours after finding out that he was no longer suspected of being the Black Ranger?

It occurred to him suddenly that moments like these were exactly why he'd sat down on Carrie's desk. Whether it was her presence or just a coincidence, Jason again felt like he was in a bubble, safe from the insanity. He had a moment of peace here, and he was reluctant to leave it.

"You know what?" Jason said slowly. "We do this sort of stuff all the time. It's nonstop chaos. I don't think my going back there will change anything. Besides, we've been talking for about an hour and I still don't know much more about you than when I got here. I'll stay. It'll just have to work out without me."

Jason shoved away the pang of guilt, settled back against the tree trunk, and looked expectantly at Carrie, trying not to think of ninjas, strippers, ice or videotapes. He of all people knew the chaos would be there when the bubble popped.

* * *

"How long is this going to take?" Marco asked. "The girls in 628 are probably wondering where their stripper is." Marco glanced down the hall, where he'd left his stereo when he'd rescued Kimberly from the ice machine.

"It shouldn't be long," Billy assured him. "By the way, Kimberly—before you go in there, there's something you should know."

"What? You know where my clothes are?"

Billy winced. He _did_ know where they were—under one of the beds—but he rather felt he was helping Kimberly enough for one night. "No. After you left the room, before the clothing theft, Tommy, Jason, Zack, Adam, Rocky and I drank a little beer."

"You? _You_ drank beer?"

"I _am_ twenty-five, you know," Billy said dryly. He often found it a tad irritating when people expected him to be far more sweet and innocent than they themselves were; it was something that had happened a lot back in high school, as everyone assumed that a nerd like Billy must have no life experience whatsoever.

"I know. I just don't recall ever hearing about you drinking."

Billy reminded himself that unlike others who'd made assumptions about him, Kimberly hadn't meant to judge. "I haven't had the chance. I've been living among a—the Amish," Billy amended hastily, remembering Marco's presence. "Anyway, the point is, that, um, Amish water we all drank earlier?"  
"Uh-huh?" Kimberly asked, carefully avoiding Marco's questioning look. She was pretty sure that the Amish didn't make specialty water.

"I'm used to its effects; I've been drinking it for years. However, it would appear that, when combined with alcohol and given to one who isn't used to it, it has… side effects."

"What kind?" Kimberly demanded.

"Well, if one tries to enter a REM cycle after consuming both, they… well, I believe you heard Rocky yelling about teapots?"

"That was because of the water?"

"And the beer. I assume it only happens to one who attempts to dream, then is awoken. Or only to Rocky; I haven't observed the others. My point is, if you were to wake Tommy or one of the others up, you could find yourselves dealing with someone quite out of their mind."

"Oh, well _that's_ good to know," Kimberly grumbled.

"I'll say," Marco agreed nervously.

"If they have yet to fall asleep, they shouldn't have manifested any side effects, and if they continue sleep throughout the night, they should be fine. In theory. I just thought you should be aware that waking them up will be detrimental. It took ages before Rocky stopped babbling constantly, and he's still apparently muttering about teapots every so often."

Just then, the door swung open with a soft click. "There you are, Kimberly," Billy whispered. "Give me just a moment to reassemble the lock; I don't want you to wake him up while I'm fiddling with the door."

"Sure thing," Kimberly replied quietly. "Thanks, Billy."

"The pleasure's mine," he told her. "It's been ages since I had the opportunity to examine the intricacies of a device with which I had no prior experience. Come to think of it, maybe I'll go see if I can disable the booby trap on the ice machine." Billy replaced the handle, then gave it a few tugs to make sure it was in proper working order and reached inside to ensure that both handles were operating correctly. "There. Good luck."

"Thanks. Come on, Marco."

Billy nodded and headed towards the ice machine. He was almost there when Kimberly reemerged with Marco. "Psst! Billy!"

"Yeah?"

"Tommy and Jason are gone!"

"Where'd they go?"

"I don't know! I was hoping you did!"

"I have no idea. I saw Tommy in the hall earlier, banging on a few doors and yelling something about balconies," Billy told her, omitting the part about strippers for Marco's sake. "When the yelling stopped, I assumed he'd gone back to sleep. He seemed a little out of it, so maybe he'd already been affected by the combination of water and alcohol, though. He could be anywhere. And I couldn't even begin to guess at Jason's whereabouts."

"Damn! My entire evil plan is _ruined!"_

"At least you can still reclaim your belongings," Billy pointed out. "Any other parts of your plan will simply have to be implemented at a later date."

Kimberly sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. Oh, well. Come on, Marco. Let's go."

Billy let out a sigh of relief as she disappeared back into Tommy's room. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Kimberly had been planning some pretty major payback. He was glad that, whatever the reason Tommy had been running amok in the hallway, at least he'd escaped Kimberly's wrath.


	70. Scavenger Hunt

**Chapter Seventy**

_Scavenger Hunt_

Jenny shook her head in amazement. It had all worked out exactly as Jason had said it would. The Billy guy dismantled the electronic lock—no easy feat, if the lock company was to be believed—and then put it back together again in half the time. Then he stood up, smiled, exchanged a few words with Kimberly and the stripper, and headed for the vending area, hopping over the worst piles of ice, tools in hand. Kimberly and the stripper came out of the room, talked to Billy for a second, then slipped back inside the room, leaving the door cracked open. Jenny watched with interest, waiting for them to reappear. She had to use the monitors instead of waiting for everything to get recorded and then playing it in the VCR, so she didn't have the option of fast-forwarding. It was annoying even without the fact that she couldn't rewind, pause and fast-forward, as the monitors were up high and put a crick in her neck, but it was all worth it. She just wished they'd hurry up and come back into view. Unlike when Tommy had been banging on doors, this was taking far too long and happening in too many parts for her to wait for it to end and then watch it at her leisure. Not that the TV/VCR was for entertaining herself; it was used mostly to go through a tape quickly and find a specific incident…

"Hello? Anybody here?"

Cursing the idiot customers that felt it necessary to interrupt her fun, Jenny left the back room and went out behind the desk, only to find herself looking at the sleepy kid and his rollaway cot. "Can I help you?"

"If I'm really, really lucky," he grumbled. "Look, I doubt you want a full, in-depth explanation, but I need a place to sleep."

"Well, we're actually all booked up at the moment," Jenny said apologetically. "I can't give you a room."

"Oh, I already have a room. I am paying for it. I just can't sleep in it. However, since I'm paying to sleep here and unable to, I don't think it's unfair to ask that I be allowed to sleep elsewhere."

"Actually—"

"So I tried to unfold my cot in the elevator, but it wouldn't fit. So I'm kind of hoping I can sleep here."

"Here?"

"Yes. Here. Right here. I'm sure it's probably pretty quiet down here. And I don't snore or anything. I'll just set up over here, out of the way, and take a nap." With that, he determinedly snapped open his cot and began putting his sheets back on it.

"I'm sorry, but you can't just crash here in the—"

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"What _now?"_ Jenny growled, and turned to face a trio of guys in swimming trunks with towels around their necks. "Yes?"

"We just thought we'd let you know that these crazy girls about six or seven floors up claim their ninja stripper jumped off the balcony," a guy in green swimming trunks said.

Jenny froze. "What?"

"Yeah. They asked us if we'd seen anyone jump off," he said. "We said no, asked if they were on something, but they just said their ninja stripper had vanished. Not sure if you need to do anything about it or not."

Jenny stared at him. "He jumped off the balcony?"

"That's what they said. But no one saw anything."

"Thank you."

The guy smiled at her and the three of them walked away. "That'll teach them not to invite us up," one of the guys muttered.

"Call me crazy, but I'm not sure I _want_ to hook up with girls drunk enough to think their stripper committed suicide in mid-pole dance," the third guy said dryly.

"You're crazy. Those are _exactly_ the kind of girls _I_ want to hook up with," the guy in green replied.

Jenny pulled out her cell and dialed Carrie. "Hey, Jen," Carrie said. "I thought you said it was cool if I didn't come back right away—"

"Put that Jason guy back on the phone."

"Um, okay."

"Yeah?" Jason asked a moment later.

"I think that Tommy Oliver guy just… um… well, I think he just committed suicide."

_"What?"_

"These guys just came in and told me that some girls up on six said their ninja stripper jumped off the balcony."

Jason paused, then burst out laughing. "Oh, my god. You mean he was _actually_ posing as a stripper?"

"Yeah, but—"

"They actually thought he was a _real_ stripper? HAHAHA!"

"Would you quit laughing? Didn't you just _hear_ me? He committed suicide!"

"No he didn't. He just went to Kimberly's room."

"…What?"

"Tommy's really athletic. I know he's hopped across the balconies to Kimberly's room at least once. He must've put on hi—Trent's ninja costume and used it to get the girls to let him in. Then he ran out onto the balcony and jumped across the sixth floor's balconies to Kim's room, and they all thought he'd leaped to his death."

"That's sixty or seventy feet in the air! Is he _insane?"_

"Yes. He's _beyond_ insane."

Jenny shook her head, awed at the craziness of this guy. It was amazing to her to think that just last night she'd actually thought the whack job could be a Power Ranger. "Well, why didn't he just use his own balcony? Why pose as a stripper to use someone else's?"

"I don't know. Can you think of anything else you saw him do?"

"Yeah, actually. Come to think of it, he went and knocked on Kimberly's door, then knocked on his own door."

"Oh, well, if that's the case, he might be back in his own room by now instead of Kimberly's. Matter of fact, I just remembered—I have his room key. He's just locked out; that's why he's using the balconies."

"Why not just come down and get a spare key from me, like he did last night?"

"Eh, well, to be honest, Tommy's got the memory of Swiss cheese. Swiss cheese that isn't just aged, it's ancient. And has contracted Alzheimer's. And had several head injuries. He must have just forgotten that was an option. I told you this wasn't as criminal as it seemed."

Jenny gave the phone an incredulous look, which was as close to smacking Jason upside the head as she could currently get. "Gee, how silly of me, not to take all of this in stride. Now, if you'll excuse me, that kid who got dumped off his cot is trying to sleep in my lobby."

"Ethan? Aw, come on. Have a heart. _Look_ at him."

Jenny looked. By now, he'd set up his cot and was curled tightly in a ball, his body posture implying that he expected an anvil fall on his head at any moment, while his face was now peaceful and relaxed. She sighed, watching the serene expression for a moment. What was it about sleep that made everyone, from the ugliest of people to the drop-dead gorgeous, look so darned cute?  
"All the same, I think I've done you people enough favors tonight," Jenny said firmly.

"Tell you what. Are you a Tanya Sloan fan?"

"Yeah, why?"

"She's a good friend of mine. You let Ethan get some rest and let these little… _issues_ go unnoticed, name your concert and I'll get you tickets. Backstage passes, too."

"Are you _serious?"_

"Ask Carrie. Or just watch the any of the Grammy Awards that Tanya won something at. Every acceptance speech she ever gave, she mentions Jason Scott. And Tommy Oliver. We're her best friends from high school."

"No way. You people might be weird, but that's just a little _too_ freaky."

"I'm beyond serious. As a matter of fact, her boyfriend—my buddy Adam—is currently crashing in Tommy's room; we were all having a party. Check the tapes, about eleven or twelve o'clock, you'll see him walk into the room. It's the same guy you've probably seen in magazines or on TV standing next to her on the red carpet. Check it out. If I'm lying, feel free to call security. And if I'm not, you let Ethan sleep until a few minutes before your shift is over, and you don't call security on my friends."

Jenny rushed into the back room, turned on the TV/VCR, and rewound the tape of the sixth floor until the clock in the lower left-hand corner of the screen read eleven twenty-four. Sure enough, there he was, walking down the hall with a guy in a red T-shirt. Jenny had met Adam Park on several occasions when he'd vacationed in Angel Grove with Tanya; he'd always been a total sweetheart to the staff, just like Tanya, and he was a lot easier to talk to, as being around him didn't make Jenny nearly as star-struck.

"Holy crap, Adam Park's in the hotel," Jenny breathed. "How did I miss _that?"_

"Same way you must have missed all those crazy wacky people on the sixth floor," Jason said nonchalantly. "Do we have a deal?"

_"Any_ concert I want?"

_"Any_ concert you want. I go to a lot of the ones in California myself. I even spent one summer touring with her, back when I was in college and had the summers off. Carrie's got my number; just let me know when you want to go. Okay?"

"Hell yeah," Jenny breathed, forgetting all about how many ways her boss would have a stroke if he knew about the nonsense Jason's friends were causing. Jenny loved music almost as much as she loved sports, and even though she adored Tanya's albums she'd never been able to make one of Tanya's concerts. All the ones in the area sold out too fast. Jenny hung up the phone and checked the monitors; Billy was now gone. She'd call housekeeping to go clean up the ice mess on the sixth floor and let Ethan take shelter in the lobby. No _way_ was she going to call security on one of her favorite singer's friends. She'd just have to hope nothing _too_ freakish went down.

* * *

Adam was happily cavorting through the meadow with twelve singing wildebeests, three belly-dancing mastodons, and a Chinese spy, enjoying the bright green sunlight and the lush black grass and the beautiful yellow trees when disaster struck. Someone woke him up. How incredibly rude.

"What's a matter?" Adam spluttered.

"Who the hell are you?" Zack demanded.

"I'm Adam," Adam explained. "And you're Zack, in case you were wondering."

Zack gave him an odd look. "No, I meant that guy."

Adam looked where Zack was pointing—straight at a police officer, who was looking pretty mortified. The cop cleared his throat and glowered at them.

"You are not singing wildebeests," Adam declared. "Or belly-dancing mastodons. Or a Chinese spy. In fact, you're not even Chinese. And I doubt you sing."

"Actually, um, I don't know about mastodon, but the belly dancer thing—" the cop began.

"How about you start with who you are?" Zack repeated, hopping out of the bed. "And where are Tommy and Jason?"

"I… don't know," the cop said slowly, backing away from Zack.

Adam, realizing that he should support his friend, flipped out of the bed, ran at the cop, and got in the cop's face. Quite literally; the tip of his nose was pressed against the cop's cheek. "Are you _sure?"_ Adam asked.

"Y-yeah," the cop stammered.

Adam looked at Zack. "He doesn't know who he is. Maybe we should ask around."

"No, no, I know who _I_ am, I just don't know where Tommy and Jason are," the cop explained. "I came in here with—OW!" A small object came out of nowhere to hit Marco in the forehead before it bounced away.

"What was _that?"_ Zack asked, looking suspiciously around the darkened room.

"Something fell from the sky, silly," Adam said.

"Dude, how much did you drink?" Zack demanded.

"I forget." Adam flung out his arms and began jumping around the room. "Hurry up and cut off his hands and toes, Zack! I want to go back to playing with the wildebeests!"

Zack frowned at Adam, then shook his head and went back to glaring at the cop. "Now, listen. I don't know who you think you are, but since I didn't let you in, and Tommy and Jase aren't even here, and Adam's obviously gone off the deep end, you didn't have permission to be in here. You have no right to come in here without consent. Cop or not, you can't just barge into our rooms without announcing yourself, never mind without probable cause. You got a warrant?"

"I'm…" The cop sighed. "I'm not actually a cop."

"You mean you're a wildebeest?" Adam asked excitedly, pausing in his frolicking.

"I'm a male stripper," he continued, ignoring Adam. "My name's Marco."

Zack took several hasty steps backwards. "Then what the hell are you doing in our _room?"_ His expression turned even more horrified. "Adam, man, what did you _do_ while I was sleeping?"

"I danced in the black meadow of happy thoughts," Adam replied. "I was only gone for a moment."

"Something tells me you were gone longer than that," Zack said dryly. "Okay, so, Marco. How'd you get in?"

"The door was open," Marco said quickly. His face lit up, as if something had just occurred to him. "Isn't this room 628?"

"No, it's 618!"

"No! It's the land of eternal hiccupping toiletries!" Adam exclaimed, leaping on top of the dresser and spinning in circles.

"Oh, my god, I'm sorry! They told me they'd leave the door open for me, and this door was open, and I just saw the eight and I came right in! Stupid me. I'll be going now. So sorry for the mix-up."

"No weirder than anything else that's happened today," Zack muttered as Adam toppled off the dresser.

Marco rushed out of the door while Zack went to check on Adam. "You okay?"

"I am grander than the Grand Canyon! I am grander than the Grand Master! I am grander than the Grandest of Grand People, Places, Things, Ideas, and Any Other Forms of Nouns! I am GRAND! I am the true Lord of the Dance! I am the Harbinger of the Wildebeests!"

"That's nice," Zack said, shaking his head. "But if I find out you ordered a male stripper while I was sleeping, let alone sharing a blanket with you, I'm gonna kick your ass."

"And kick it well you shall," Adam told him solemnly.

Zack sighed and grabbed his shirt and jeans, checking to make sure he still had his keycard, wallet, keys and cell phone in the pants pockets before throwing the clothes on. "I'm gonna go see if I can find Tommy or Jason. Will you be, uh, grand while I'm gone?"

"I could never be grand without you! For you are my dear friend, and you are just as grand as I!"

Zack shook his head. "The gang is right. It's always me the weird stuff happens to."

Zack left, shutting the door behind him. Adam stared happily off into space until something Kimberly-shaped filled the space he was staring into. "Hello, Adam," said Kimberly in a slow, gentle voice.

"Hello, dear Kimberly. Where hast thou been?"

Kimberly grinned. "Billy wasn't kidding."

"Nay, Billy is not a child. Nor am I. I am a man, dear Kimberly, with wants and needs and desires and ears." Adam jerked into a sitting position and took her hand in his. "Kimberly, dear Kimberly, would thou fly me to Africa so that I can be a man with my dearest Tanya and the singing wildebeests?"

Kimberly stared at him for a long moment. "Uh, _no."_

Adam was instantly crestfallen, but he brightened almost as fast. "Well, then, I shall just have to flap my arms until I arrive at Tanya's location!"

"Yeah, you do that. By the way, do you know where Tommy put my clothes?"

"Haven't the foggiest. I am, however, aware that he stashed your entire collection of miniskirts and everything from your sock drawer under the bed."

"Thank you." Kimberly walked away. Adam stared blankly ahead until Kimberly returned to his side, holding a trash bag. "Come on, Adam. Let's get you back into bed."

"Will there be cheese?"

"…Probably not, but you never now."

"WHOO!" Adam leaped up and flung himself on the bed, snuggling down into the pillows. "Will you sing to me, dear Kimberly?"

"Only if you stop calling me 'dear Kimberly.'"

"Yes, my little pink wildebeest of glory."

"…Never mind. 'Dear Kimberly' is fine."

"Yes, dear Kimberly."

"Well, I'm gonna go now."

"You said you'd sing!"

Kimberly rolled her eyes and glanced nervously at the door, then back at Adam. "Okay, um… _go to sleep, crazy Adam, go to sleep where you lay. _Um… _I've finally stolen back my panties, and want to go away, before Tommy can find me. Now that Zack met Marco, I'm sorry but I must go. So sleep, crazy Adam, the effects will wear off soon, so sleep, crazy Adam, sleep straight through until noon… sleep…"_

Adam's eyes fluttered closed. Kimberly stopped her singing and waited to see if he would protest or not. When he didn't, she went to the balcony door and unlocked it; she didn't want to go out the bedroom door, just in case Zack was still in the hall. She shut the balcony door behind her, hoping no one would notice it was now unlocked, and checked to be sure all of her underwear and miniskirts were in the bag. Satisfied, she hopped across the balconies, pausing when she reached the fifth one and heard music.

Peering through the window, she saw that Marco was inside, dancing for a group of maybe a dozen girls, his shirt already off. A girl who looked thoroughly embarrassed was handcuffed to a chair in the center of the room. Marco happened to see Kimberly and faltered in his dance, staring at her. Kimberly gave him a sheepish wave, held up the bag for a second to show that she'd succeeded in her mission, and mouthed "Thank you." Then she quickly hurried on, not wanting anyone to wonder what he was staring at and come out on the balcony to look.

She had a moment of panic when she returned to her balcony and saw the door was closed, but thankfully it was still unlocked. Breathing a sigh of relief, she went inside, dumped the contents of the bag back into her sock drawer, put the marinara sauce and razor back in their rightful places, and headed for her bed. Trini was sleeping peacefully, covered from head to toe in the blankets. Kimberly lay down beside her, careful not to disturb Trini or Kira.

_Well, this didn't turn out so badly,_ Kimberly thought as she closed her eyes. _Ice aside, anyway. And at least I got my clothes back. I can always sneak attack him with the head-shaving tomorrow. Wonder where he went, anyway._

Trini rolled over beside her, knocking some of the covers back onto Kimberly. A moment later, Trini's arm snaked around Kimberly's waist. Kimberly ignored it; Trini did that a lot, probably from all that time spent sleeping next to Jason. Without opening her eyes, Kimberly arranged the blankets on top of herself and let her mind drift off into sleep.

If she hadn't, she might have noticed that the arm she thought was Trini's actually belonged to Tommy.

* * *

Jenny heard the doorbell go off and irritably returned to the front desk. After all that avid watching, Kimberly still hadn't emerged from the room. Marco had run out of the room as if being chased by hungry lions and snatched a stereo up off the floor by the elevator. Then he'd practically broken down the door to room 628 before someone had opened it and he'd flung himself inside. A guy who looked vaguely familiar had come out shortly after Marco's escape, but not Kimberly, and he'd gone straight to the elevator after stopping to talk to Billy, who chatted with him for a moment while he finished tinkering with the ice machine. Housekeeping was now cleaning up the ice, and all was quiet on the sixth floor. Still, Jenny wanted to keep watching the action, and now someone had the nerve to interrupt her by coming into the lobby.

Jenny spotted the culprit heading for the elevator—an Asian woman that she'd seen come down from the sixth floor earlier, but the camera's rotation had missed which room the woman had come from. Jenny watched as she hit the elevator button, hoping the woman would go away quickly without asking Jenny for anything.

When the doors opened, they revealed the guy who'd left Tommy's room, who looked startled at the woman's appearance. "Trini!"

"Zack. What are you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing?"

"It's a long story."

"Me, too." Zack stepped out of the elevator, letting the doors close behind him. Jenny groaned. Now she'd have to wait until they decided if they wanted to talk to the receptionist or not.

"Have you seen Kimberly?"

"No. Have you seen Tommy or Jason?"

"Yeah. Tommy, at least. He said he had a nightmare, got locked out of his room and crawled into my bed, of all the crazy things to do."

_Well, that explains where he went, at least,_ Jenny thought, shaking her head.

"Billy said he might be out of it. Apparently that aq—" Zack glanced around, saw Jenny, and changed his tune. "Amish water causes side effects if you mix it with beer and then try to go to sleep. Adam's acting like a total crackpot, too. Kept going on and on about singing wildebeests and I think he might've somehow ordered a male stripper."

"A _what?"_

"A male stripper. I heard this noise and I woke up and there was this stripper dressed like a cop in the room. He said he had the wrong room, thought that since our door was open we must be the right place, but with Adam acting like he was on ecstasy, the stripper dude might've just freaked out and bolted."

Jenny covered her mouth to muffled her laughter. _That's awesome!_ she thought gleefully.

"Well, now, _that's_ interesting," Trini said dryly.

"I'll say. Anyway, I thought I'd look around for Tommy and Jason, make sure they're not completely wacko, but if Tommy's in your room…"

"Then we just need to find Kimberly and my darling husband," Trini finished.

Jenny's eyes widened as her body filled with dread. That was Jason's wife! Oh, god, no way was she telling them where Jason was—at least, not while Carrie was near Jason. Both Trini and Zack looked a little too… athletic.

_Calm down, I'll just lie and say I don't know where they went. There's no way they'd suspect me of… oh, crap, Ethan! He was here when I told Carrie to put Jason on the phone!_

Jenny rushed around to the other side of the desk, braced her hands on Ethan's cot, and shoved, watching Trini and Zack over her shoulder the whole time. All she had to do was get him behind the desk; it was too high for them to see the cot over it, especially from all the way across the lobby…

She got him behind the counter without any incident, but there was no way she'd get him into the back room; the doorway was too narrow. Jenny darted into the back, grabbed and armload of sheets and towels, and dumped them on top of Ethan until every visible part of him was covered.

"…I checked the truck, the Escalade, the Jeep, the Mercedes and the Mustang, but they were all empty and exactly where we'd left them," Trini was saying as Jenny leaned against the counter as nonchalantly as she could, watching them warily. "Maybe Kim and Jason went out for a walk or something."

"Did you check the pool?"

"Yeah, that was the first place I looked. And the restaurant, and the bar, and the arcade… I even checked out some of the vending areas, since the ice machine on our floor was busted."

"Billy said he hadn't seen Kimberly or Tommy; I asked."

"Maybe the girl at the front desk has seen them."

Zack squinted at Jenny, who did her best to pretend she didn't notice. "I don't think that's the crazy girl with the crush on me. I think that's the one who asked me and Conner not to eat Play-Doh in the lobby. She was real polite about it, though. You wanna ask?"

_Ah, so THAT'S where I've seen him before,_ Jenny thought. _Jeez, is EVERYONE that Jason guy knows a total whack job?_

Trini approached the desk, Zack keeping his distance. Jenny pasted on her best fake smile. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I…" Trini trailed off, noticing the cot covered in blankets, sheets and towels. "Huh. You guys really _are_ all booked up, eh?"

"Oh, um… that's my… long story."

"Everything always is. Anyway, have you seen a brunette girl come through here, about this tall, wearing a big green button-down shirt? Or a guy with short dark hair, about this tall, wearing red or black?"

"I think she knows who Jason is," Zack called before Jenny could answer. "She was here this morning—or yesterday morning, whatever—so I think she's Carrie's friend."

_Crap,_ Jenny groaned to herself. Great. Now she couldn't just lie her ass off and hope that it didn't get back to these people that she'd lied about seeing Jason or Kimberly.

"Oh, hello," Trini said, looking startled by this information. She gave Jenny the once-over. "You're the one who did a few… _favors_ for Carrie, on behalf of Tommy Oliver, then?"

Jenny nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

"You deleted a few… choice… names off the registry, right?"

"Tommy Oliver, Kimberly Hart and Zack Taylor, yeah," Jenny said cautiously. "A little while ago, Kimberly came down and asked for a key to 618, but I didn't give her one, since that wasn't her room. Jason came by and said the candy machine ate his dollar." Jenny stopped. Now she'd just have to wait for Trini to say something else, and then she could say that she told the partial truth if it ever came back on her.

"So Kim was trying to bust into our room," Zack said. "That explains where she went."

"And Jason's out for candy," Trini added. "He probably decided to walk to the corner store or something. Mystery solved. Well, let's go get some sleep, Zack." She smiled brightly at Jenny. "Hey, are you a Tanya Sloan fan?"

Jenny stared at her for a moment. "Yeah."

"Well, I believe your friend Carrie has Jason's number. If you ever want to go to a concert of hers, have Carrie get in touch with Jason. We can get tickets to anything she does. Backstage passes, too. Completely free. Our way of saying thank you for what you did for Tommy."

"Oh. Um, thanks."

Trini and Zack said their goodbyes and disappeared into the elevator. "Well that's just great," Jenny muttered to herself. "I agree to put even more of my neck on the block, and the dude's wife offers me the same thing he did without the extra favors. That's just swell."

Jenny went to Ethan's cot, unburied him, and woke him up. "Sorry, kid. You just became a liability."

Ethan looked up at her in confusion. "I'm really good with secrets."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. But you're gonna have to find a new place to crash."

Ethan sighed, rolled off his cot, folded it up and wheeled it to the elevator without another word. The moment he was inside, Jenny dialed Carrie.

"I want to talk to Jason."

"Okay, but I'm beginning to think you like him more than me," Carrie joked before handing the phone over.

"Hello?"

"You need to get back in here."

"Why?"

"Your wife was out looking for you. I told her you came down about a candy machine stealing a dollar, and she left. Thought you were out getting snacks somewhere."

"Damn. Did you say anything else?"

"Told her Kimberly asked for a room key, but I didn't give her one. Oh, and she said she'd get me Tanya Sloan tickets just for deleting Tommy Oliver's name."

"And you said what?"

"I thanked her. Especially since she didn't ask me to ignore twenty _other_ things that could get me fired."

"You just thanked her? You didn't say 'oh my god, that's awesome' or 'really, how do you know Tanya' or anything?"

"No…"

"What else did she say?"

"Well, she was with this guy named Zack—good-looking, eats Play-Doh—"

"You saw him eating Play-Doh?"

"Yeah. The other night. Why, is that important?"

"Only if you've had a traumatic childhood experience involving Zack eating your red Play-Doh. Anyway, never mind that. Tell me what else happened."

Jenny related the entirety of what had occurred—on the tapes, with Ethan, and with Trini and Zack—since she'd last talked to Jason. "So you need to get back in here, because something tells me your wife is the type who might get a little annoyed that you snuck off with my best friend in the middle of the night."

"Are you crazy? The _last_ thing I need to do is come back in there."

"What? Why's that?"

"There are too many clues. Trini will figure it out by morning. Depending on how awake she is and how many things she's got going through her head, she'll realize that you were a little too casual about the thought of Tanya Sloan tickets. She'll also realize that the door to our room was open for the stripper to get through, but Tommy was already in her room because he was locked out. And if Tommy got locked out of his room, it was probably because I had his key, meaning I left before he did. Add that to Zack saying Billy, technology genius extraordinaire, was in the hall, and… well, there's a big, confusing mess right there. Trini's gonna figure something out very, very soon. If I walk back into that building before she's asleep, I'm a dead man. She'll put two and two together and—"

The stairwell door banged open. Trini emerged, looking livid. Zack was chasing after her, obviously worried. Trini fixed her gaze on Jenny and began storming across the lobby.

"Gotta go," Jenny told Jason, hastily turning off her cell phone.

"Okay," Trini growled as she stormed up to the counter, "what was on the cot?"

"Huh? I don't know what—"

"Listen, lady, I've been winning martial arts contests since I was five years old. Tell me where my husband is."

"I don't know!" Jenny exclaimed, beyond glad that that was, in fact, the truth. "I told you, he came downstairs, said the candy machine ate his dollar, and left!"

"He offered you Tanya Sloan tickets, didn't he."

"I… no…"

"You didn't even blink when I told you I knew her! It was Jason, wasn't it?"

Struck by divine inspiration, Jenny shook her head wildly. "I saw Adam Park come into this hotel. Went into Tommy Oliver's room. I've met him several times; Tanya stays here a lot. So I watched to see where he was going, because I figured Park and Oliver are pretty close in the alphabet and I should have noticed him on the registry when I went through it for Carrie. I watched the elevator numbers once he got in so I'd know what floor he was going to, then watched the monitor for the sixth floor. So I was all like, 'wow, that crazy not-a-Power-Ranger guy knows Adam Park, and Carrie told me that yeah, Adam and Tommy are old friends. So I figured you knew her too, because I kept hearing that guy—" she pointed at Zack, who looked like a deer out for a nighttime stroll who found himself standing in the middle of an eight-lane freeway full of speeding semi trucks— "mention Tommy the other night when he was eating Play-Doh, and the kid with him kept saying 'Dr. O' and 'Dr. Oliver' until I kicked them out, and I remembered wondering if it was the same guy."

"So you didn't just delete Tommy's name. You know what he looks like," Trini said slowly.

"Are you kidding? I was watching a news report on him and he shows up half-naked and asks me for a spare key! That's not the sort of thing you just forget. Especially not when two whack jobs—no offense," she added to Zack.

"We're cool," Zack told her dismissively.

"Especially not when two whack jobs run out of the elevator three minutes later as if being chased by a Yeti and start snacking on Play-Doh," Jenny finished.

Trini stared at her thoughtfully for a long moment. "Then what was up with the cot, and where is it now?"

"I don't know where he went, but it was this kid, Ethan. He said he got kicked out of his room and asked if he could crash down here."

"And you let him?" Trini demanded. Jenny shrugged and nodded. "Why'd you move it behind the desk when Zack and I were talking?"

_Damn. She IS observant._ "I thought I saw my boss's car pull up out front. Was trying to hide it."

Trini thought that over. Then she smiled brightly and clapped Jenny on the shoulder. "You're good. Not good enough to save Jason from his fate, but good enough to save your own ass. I admire that."

"What?" Jenny asked blankly.

Trini turned and walked away. Zack sighed heavily and gave Jenny an apologetic look. "Seriously, any concert you want," he told her, then chased after Trini. _"Every_ concert you want!" he called over his shoulder as he and Trini disappeared into the stairwell.

Jenny took a deep, shuddering breath. She found herself randomly thinking of that time she'd fallen out of a tree when she was twelve, then realized her life had just flashed before her eyes and she's been too busy panicking to notice. Once again, she dialed Carrie.

Jason picked up. "Are you okay?"

"I take back any comment I ever made about you and Carrie. _No one_ would be stupid enough to cheat on _that."_

* * *

"Okay, so what just happened?" Zack demanded as Trini charged up the stairs.

"Not much. I'd assume Jason's chatting up that Carrie girl right now. The nerve of him! Not trusting me to be cool with that!"

_"What?_ How do you get 'Jason's chatting up Carrie' from 'he wanted some candy?' I mean, yeah, euphemism, but still—"

"I don't think he's, you know, 'getting candy' from her," Trini said, rolling her eyes. "I think they're probably off somewhere talking."

"And you got there _how?"_

"Carrie's good pal at the front desk is lying. We know for a fact that she doesn't know Jason that well, and she doesn't mind risking her job for Carrie. I'd guess Carrie and Jason met up in the lobby and wandered off somewhere so they could talk about him being the first Red without worrying about eavesdroppers, and Jenny, being a good friend, is covering for both of them. Jason's probably been talking to her for a while now. Long before Tommy came to me; when he was ranting about his dream he said 'Jason vanished.' I thought it was just part of his whacked-out dream sequence, but now I'm pretty sure it meant that Jason left before Tommy did, so he's been gone pretty much since we all went to sleep."

"And you picked this all out because that girl wasn't shocked that you knew Tanya Sloan? How do you know she wasn't telling the truth about Adam?"

"Because she wasn't at the front desk when Jason, Billy and I got here. We came in a little before midnight, and Adam got here before we did. Given how busy the place is, and the fact that she worked night shift and was still there after breakfast yesterday, I'd guess they're having her work midnight to noon, since checkout time is one and check-in time is three."

"Sounds about right. I know that creepy Harriet chick doesn't show up until at least noon." Zack shook his head. "You really are scary observant."

"Thank you."

"So. Is Jason gonna be dead come morning?"

"Nah. I'll probably just smack him around a little. I like making him sweat."

"Too much information."

"Shut up, Zack," Trini said affectionately as they emerged from the stairwell on the sixth floor. "See you in the morning?"

"Provided Adam doesn't try to sacrifice me to the god of wildebeests or something, yeah," Zack replied dryly.

"I'll try to send Tommy back into your room. Kimberly's going to kill me if she gets back to the room and finds Tommy in our bed."

"Good luck convincing Tommy what color he is."

"It's always hardest with Tommy," Trini joked. Zack laughed and headed on down the hall, while Trini unlocked her door and went inside.

She kicked off her shoes and changed back into her nightgown, then headed for her bed, wondering where Kimberly was. She was almost to the edge of the bed when she uncovered Kimberly's whereabouts—she was currently lying in the bed, curled up with Tommy.

Trini gaped at the two of them for several minutes straight before turning and diving for her purse, rummaging through it wildly. When she failed to find what she was looking for, she rushed at Kira and shook her awake.

"Wha?" Kira groaned.

"Kira, wake up. It's very important."

"What?"

"I need a camera. _Now."_

* * *

_End Notes:_ Freyja's currently weathering the storms in Kansas, and I am awaiting a new court date, so everything should be fine. For a while, anyway. For the record, I have no idea where the wildebeests came from, and I'm not sure I wanna know. 


	71. Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise

**Chapter Seventy-one**

_Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise_

Jason stayed in the woods with Carrie, talking about everything and nothing, until well after the sun came up. By the time he could bring himself to look at his watch, it was after nine o'clock. "Aw, damn. I've got to go."

"What time is it?"

"A couple minutes after nine. We have to be at the mall at eleven; Billy's getting some new glasses, maybe a haircut, some new clothes. So everyone should be waking up soon. I need to get back in there."

"Yeah, I should probably be going, too. I have to interview the mayor at noon."

"The mayor?" Jason asked as they started back through the woods.

"Yeah. About Power Rangers Day. They tend to give me the Power-Ranger-related assignments, thanks to you."

"You're not one of those crazy reporters who've almost gotten themselves killed for getting a little too close to the action, are you?"

"…Maybe once or twice. I did get hit by a Blade Blaster once, but that was during that whole thing with the evil clone Rangers. I was still in the sports department."

"Ooh, remind me to tell you the story behind that some time," Jason said. "The background was great."

"Will do," Carrie told him.

They walked back into the hotel. Jenny was sitting behind the desk, sleepy and annoyed. "Nothing new," she reported before Jason could ask. "Go away."

Jason smiled at her and headed for the elevator. Carrie stood with him while he waited for it to come down from the twelfth floor. "Well, it's been fun."

"Yeah. Give me a call after Power Rangers Day, okay? I don't think I'm gonna be staying here again tonight. Go home to my nice safe house where there are no ice machines or male strippers."

Carrie laughed. "Well, good luck with that. I'll—what the…"

The elevator doors had opened, revealing Ethan, curled up on the floor with his thumb in his mouth and one arm hooked around the leg of his rollaway cot. "Isn't that Ethan James?" Carrie asked slowly.

"Yep. Ladies and gentlemen, the Blue Dino Thunder Power Ranger."

"…Why's he in the elevator? Shouldn't he have gone back to his room?"

"Who knows?" Jason said with a shrug. Carrie stared at him, wondering if he really didn't find this strange or was just putting up a front. "Anyway, I'll see you when I see you, eh? Later."

"Yeah. Bye."

Jason let the doors close behind him before crouching down to wake up Ethan. "Ethan, man, it's morning time."

Ethan groaned. "Do you think it's karma if you get run over by a luggage cart less than twenty-four hours after you jumped some bellhops?"

"No, I think it's a damned good reason not to sleep on the floor of the elevator. Now, come on. The trauma's over with. Why didn't you just go back to your room when Jenny made you leave, anyway?"

"Cuz I didn't want to get dumped out into the hall by Kimberly and a male stripper again," Ethan replied, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Ugh. Is this vacation over yet?"

"It's only Thursday. Power Rangers Day isn't until the day after tomorrow."

"…That's a no, right?"

"Yeah, Ethan. That's a no."

* * *

Kimberly awoke slowly the next morning. When she finally opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Tommy.

"Gah!"

Kimberly recoiled. What the hell did she _do_ last night?

…Nothing. Nothing at all. She certainly hadn't drunk anything, and she couldn't remember anything about Tommy coming into her room. She hadn't woken up after reclaiming her clothing from Tommy. She didn't remember anything else happening, and she wasn't hung over—she didn't even have that dry-throat feeling that came after drinking alcohol. So why _the hell_ was he in her… wait.

It suddenly occurred to her that Tommy's head was propped up not on a pillow, but on a leg… and a magazine was resting against his head. She followed the magazine upward, only to realize that Tommy was curled around Trini's legs. She was sitting up, her back against the headboard, reading calmly.

"Trini?"

"G'morning, Kim," Trini said absently, still reading.

"Trini?"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to ask you this very carefully," Kimberly said, fighting off a grin. She had now realized that this wasn't an odd moment regarding her ex, but rather just one more moment of randomness. "What is Tommy doing in our bed?"

"Sleeping."

"Why?"

"Because he's tired," Trini said plainly, as though it should be obvious. She had the look and tone of one who is ignoring something profusely.

"Yes, but how did he _get_ in our bed?" Kimberly asked, exasperated.

"He crawled right in. Said he had a bad dream."

Kimberly raised an eyebrow. "No, really, why's he in here?"

"Oh, I'm being _dead_ serious. He had a bad dream and came to _me_ for comfort." A twinge of annoyance was beginning to creep into Trini's voice.

"Uh-huh. So the truth is that you had wild passionate sex with Tommy without bothering to wake me up and ask me to move?" Kimberly joked dryly.

Trini couldn't even dignify that with a response, still staring at her magazine. "Did you know he talks in his sleep? Yes, _you_ probably did—"

"Hey!" Kimberly said, gaping at Trini.

_"All night,_ Kim. Woke me up after a beautiful dream wherein Jason was asking me to steal another boat and—"

"Don't you dare go stealing boats with Jason again! It'll be a lot harder to teleport you to a boat full of Greek fishermen without the Command Center."

_"Superstitious_ Greek fishermen! They were superstitious, damn it! They thought we were demons! You ever try explaining that you fell off an airplane to a bunch of crazy fishermen when you only speak a few words of Greek?"

"Sorry, sorry. Back to Tommy?"

"That's pretty much it. He went to sleep and then I couldn't get back to sleep because the little whack job decided to babble all night."

"About what?" Kimberly asked.

"I could only catch random words, when I wasn't trying to block him out or suffocate him," Trini replied with a sigh. "'Orange,' that was a recurring one. 'Die,' 'Conner,' 'help,' 'destroy you,' 'never give up,' 'make me,' 'please don't fire me,' 'Ring Pop,' 'I didn't do it, Hayley,' 'hate sharks,' and oh, my personal favorite—" Trini looked Kimberly dead in the eye, making it easier for Kimberly to see the evil gleam Trini was sporting. _"'I'll save you, Kim.'"_

Kimberly stared at her for a moment, then let out a giggle. "Gee, where have I heard _that_ before?"

Kimberly's amusement seemed to annoy Trini even more. "That was the last thing he said," Trini growled. "About twenty minutes ago. Hasn't spoken since. So now I'm just waiting for Jason to show up."

"Um… correct me if I'm wrong, but that's probably going to be a _bad_ thing."

"No, no. See, I figure Jason will see Tommy, and Jason will attack. Because I'm pretty sure that Jason doesn't know about Tommy's little nightmare. I might have to hug Tommy the moment I hear the door opening, but that's fine by me. Anything to make Tommy _die."_

"Violent, much?"

"You know this is the _second night in a row_ he's woken me up out of a killer dream? I _told_ him not to do this yesterday. Now he deserves what he gets. So I'm waiting for Jason to kill him for me. _I'm_ not going to kill him. Tommy wouldn't get the _point_ if _I_ kill him. Besides, I'm planning to kill Jason shortly after he's finished killing Tommy, which should make for a great defense if I'm caught—you know, I killed Jason to save Tommy, and was too late. And I think it's rather nice of me to let Jason go out fighting."

"You've put a lot of thought into this, I see," Kimberly said, shaking her head. "Although it might work better if you were naked or something."

"Oh, no _way_ am I going _that_ far. I'm just going to say, 'Oh, god, Jason! I can _explain'_ in as girly a voice as I can manage. Should do the trick. Although it might help if, when we hear Jason coming, you lock yourself into the bathroom and start sobbing."

Kimberly let out an offended noise. "I would _not_ be sobbing in the bathroom if you had sex with Tommy!"

"Oh, you _so_ would. You'd be hysterical."

"I would not!"

"Yes you would. It would kill you if I did it with Tommy."

"It would not! I don't care if you have sex with Tommy!"

"…Are we actually having this conversation?"

"Hmm. Good point. Something you're trying to tell me, Trini?"

"Oh, shut up, Kim."

"Look, could you wake him up and make him leave now? I'd really rather prefer a lack of awkward in the morning."

"Well, as much as I'd like to keep the number of people Tommy annoys today down to just me, no. I'm waiting for Jason to kill him. I want him to _bleed._ I want girly screams and pleas for help as Jason eviscerates him. I want his _blood staining the sheets._ I. Want. _Death."_

"You know, you're really scary when you're like this."

"Thank you. Now be quiet. I don't want him waking up before Jason kills him. Or at least, not too soon before. Jason kills Tommy, I kill Jason, we dispose of the bodies, we go buy Billy new overalls. We're all happy."

"What did Jason do to deserve you k—?"

Both girls jumped as Tommy's cell phone started ringing suddenly. "Shh! Answer it!" Kimberly hissed.

"What? No! _You_ answer it!"

"I'm not answering it! What if it's someone who doesn't know who I am? Or someone who only knows a little bit about who I am? _You_ have to answer it! I'm his ex! You've been his friend since the 90s!"

"Why don't we just let it ring?"

"Because it might wake him up, and then Jason won't get to kill him," Kimberly said desperately. "Besides, Kira doesn't do too well in situations like this."

Trini looked over at the sleeping Kira as though just remembering her presence. Grimacing, she reached for the blanket covering Tommy. "It had better be in plain sight," she grumbled, throwing back the blanket. No way in hell was she digging for it. Relieved, she saw it was clipped to the waistband of his shorts.

Not bothering to check the number on the ID—either she'd know the person or not, and she was trying to hurry before Tommy woke up—Trini flipped the phone open and hit the send button. "Hello?"

"…Dr. O?"

"Er, no. He's asleep."

"…Ah. I see." There was the sound of an embarrassed cough, then a slightly hopeful, "Kim?"

"No. Trini."

"Trini? But… but what about _Jason?"_

"He's not here yet. Who is this?"

"Conner. What do you mean, he's not there… _yet?"_

"Just what I said. He's not here yet. Do you want to talk to Tommy?"

"No, no, let him sleep. Probably needs his rest. Being old and all." Trini frowned, getting the idea that he was smirking, though she couldn't think why. "So, um, where's Kim?"

"Um, she's right here," Trini said, struggling to think, but she was sleep-deprived and annoyed and she was starting to think Tommy might drool in his sleep, and as his head was on her lap that would not be a good thing.

"She… what?"

"She's right here."

"With you and Dr. O."

"Yes."

"Is she sleeping, too?"

"…Not anymore, no…"

"Ah. I see. Um… hang on a second." Conner took the cell phone away from his mouth, possibly holding his hand over the receiver, but the yell was still so loud that Trini had to yank the phone away from her ear.

"Trent! Trent! _Dr. O finally got laid!"_

Tommy stirred slightly in his sleep, but slumbered on as Kimberly and Trini stared at each other in horror. Amidst the sounds of Conner's gleeful shouts and Trent's rather disgusted exclamations, an evil grin spread slowly on Trini's face, and was soon mirrored on Kimberly's.

"By Trini _and_ Kim," Conner was now telling Trent, almost sounding proud. "Who knew the old guy could actually get a girl, let alone two? At once?"

"Conner, I don't care what you say. There's no way Kim _and_ Trini slept with Dr. O!" Trent said firmly.

"Yeah? Then why is Trini answering Dr. O's phone when he's asleep with Kim in the room? How come Zack said he must have slipped out in the middle of the night? He's got to be sleeping in Kim's room. And Trini just told me she and Dr. O and Kim were _together!"_

Trini snorted, trying very hard not to laugh as Kimberly sat up, trying to hear better. "Put it on speakerphone," Kimberly whispered.

"No, that'll wake him up."

Kimberly smiled wickedly. "Oh, yeah. That would be _bad."_ She giggled.

There was the sound of a scuffle, and then Trent's voice came on the line. "Hello? Trini? Is that you?"

"Yes, it is," Trini said as calmly as she could.

"Er… is Dr. O with you?"

"Yes. Has been since about four in the morning," Trini said truthfully.

"Oh… … …Really?"

"Mm-hmm. Snuck in through the balcony."

"I see," Trent said in a strangled voice. He cleared his throat. "Could I talk to him?"

"I'm afraid I don't want to wake him, Trent. He's absolutely _exhausted, _you understand."

"You're horrible!" Kimberly mouthed with a smile, biting her lip to keep from laughing. Trini winked back. This was almost a better revenge than letting Jason kill Tommy. Which she was still going to let him do, of course.

"Oh… um… but… it's kinda important," Trent said desperately. Trini guessed—correctly—that he wouldn't be able bring himself to out-and-out ask Kimberly or Trini if Conner was telling the truth… he'd just try to guess, or else carefully ask Tommy later. In other words, he'd only figure it out if Trini wanted him to. And right now, she was having fun; Tommy had cost her a good night's sleep in addition to all the other chaos of the past week, and she had no qualms about getting him back for it.

"I'm sorry, but he's completely dead. I haven't seen anyone that tired since… well, never mind," Trini said brightly. "He didn't even get to go to sleep until about an hour ago. I'll pass along a message for you, if you'd like…"

_"Trini,"_ Kimberly said in a distinctly breathy voice, not wanting to be left out of the newest game of Torturing Tommy. "Hang up the phone already."

There was a gasp and a dull clatter. "Dude!" came Conner's distant, muffled voice. "Don't drop my phone! Watch what you're doing!"

"It's _true!"_ Trent wailed in the background, making several loud gagging noises. "It's really, really true! The images in my head, they burn! Ugh!"

"Keep it down over there!" called Rocky. "Some of us are trying to sleep."

"You're one to talk, Mr. Teapot," Conner retorted. A moment later, he was back on phone. "Hello?"

"Hi," Trini said. "Listen, do me a favor?"

"What _kind_ of favor?" Conner said eagerly.

Trini rolled her eyes. "If you see Jason, tell him I need a _little_ more sleep and to chill in Zack's room and wait for me, okay?"

"Sure, Trini," Conner said serenely. "I'll tell him for you."

Completely forgetting about Tommy, Trini snapped the phone closed and promptly burst out laughing, along with Kimberly. Unfortunately, they were both laughing practically right in Tommy's ear.

Tommy jolted awake, took a few moments to get his bearings, and rolled off of Trini's legs and out of the bed. His eyes widened in horror as he caught sight of his phone in Trini's hand.

"What did you _do?"_ Tommy hissed.

"Nothing, nothing," Trini gasped out, clutching her side.

"G'morning, Tommy," Kimberly said, giving him a little wave. A distinctly _evil_ wave, he was sure of it.

"Yeah, good morning. Not as good as Conner thinks your morning was, but still…" Trini trailed off into a burst of laughter.

"You _didn't,"_ Tommy whispered, not quite certain what had happened but knowing it wasn't good. Nothing involving Conner and Tommy's phone ever was.

"You're the one who jumped into my sandbox and started kicking sand in my face," Kimberly told him smugly. "I think you deserve a little—"

_"Give me the phone,"_ Tommy snarled.

Kimberly grinned. "No. I seem to recall making it perfectly clear that your cell phone was on the list of things to retaliate with." She took the phone from Trini and tucked it in the chest pocket of her shirt. Of _Tommy's_ shirt.

Tommy stood there for a moment, staring at her, breathing heavily. Then—

"That's _it!"_

With a yell of outrage, Tommy leaped straight at Kimberly.

* * *

"Seriously, I'm telling you, it's true," Conner insisted as he, Billy, Rocky and Trent came out into the hall.

"It really isn't," Billy said firmly, though the level of Conner's conviction was starting to make him wonder just _what_ the truth was. "Tell him, Rocky. It wouldn't happen."

Rocky shrugged. "We'll just go ask them ourselves, Billy. All I know is I'm craving some tea."

"The images _burn,"_ Trent moaned sulkily.

"What images burn?"

Conner whirled to face Ethan, who was stumbling down the hallway with his cot. "Ethan! Guess what! Dr. O got laid!"

Ethan glared at him. "Conner… _why would you tell me that?"_

"Images," Trent grumbled. "Science teacher images. Burn."

"Well, he did! And not just by Kim. Trini slept with him too! I called his phone and Trini answered and was all 'if you see Jason, stall him for me,' and—"

_"Excuse_ me?"

Conner froze as Jason stepped out from behind Ethan. Ethan and the cot had been blocking most of him from view. Jason crossed his arms over his chest and stared expectantly at Conner with a no-nonsense expression that was somehow also deeply amused.

"Whoa, hey, as much fun as finding out what's really going down sounded three seconds ago, I'm gonna go find me some tea," Rocky said hastily. "See you, Conner."

"Bye," Billy added, practically chasing Rocky down the hall past Jason to the elevator.

"Rocky! Billy! You _traitors!"_ Conner yelled.

"Don't think of it as betrayal," Jason said with a smirk. "Think of it as self-preservation. Now. What was this about stalling me so Tommy could have sex with my wife?"

"Um… it's a new off-Broadway play?" Conner said hopefully.

Jason took a step towards him. "Conner… do you have _any_ idea just _what_ I'm capable of?"

Conner suddenly dove behind Trent, grabbed him by the shoulders, and swung him in between Conner and Jason, using him as a human shield. "If you want me, you'll have to go through Trent!" Conner shouted.

"And to think, you actually asked why I preferred to sleep in the elevator," Ethan said to Jason, shaking his head in amazement.

"Conner, let _go!"_ Trent growled.

"Don't hurt me! I'm just the messenger!" Conner wailed.

Jason cracked up. "Don't worry, man. I'm just messing with you. I might have occasional jealous tendencies, but I'm not an idiot. Like _that_ would ever happen? _Please."_

Jason moved past them down the hall. Just in case Jason was preparing a sneak attack, Conner turned Trent accordingly, keeping Trent between Jason and Conner at all times. It was only when Jason was several feet away that Conner relaxed.

"You know," Trent said slowly, "I didn't believe it either at first. I'm not like Conner. But if she could convince a nice, normal, smart guy like me…"

"I gotta see this," Ethan announced with a grin, rushing off down the hall after Jason. Exchanging nervous glances, Conner and Trent followed.

* * *

Kira emerged from the bathroom, already dressed and groomed, and sighed when she saw that Trini, Kimberly and Tommy were in fact still at it. The only thing that had changed since she'd slipped into the bathroom was that someone was knocking on the door.

Kira crossed to the door and pulled it open, revealing Jason, Conner, Ethan and Trent. "Oh, good," she said in relief. "Someone's here to stop the madness. You have no idea how disconcerting it is to wake up to find your science teacher and his ex-girlfriend sparring. On your bed."

Jason pushed past her, staring incredulously at the scene on Kira's bed. Trini was flat on her back, arms stretched above her head, cell phone clasped in one hand, legs kicking like mad. Tommy was holding her wrists, struggling to get both of them into one hand, which wasn't working out so well. He was straddling Trini, though his right leg was extended wildly out to the side so that he could keep his foot firmly planted firmly on a struggling Kimberly's behind.

As Jason watched in horrified fascination, Kimberly twisted around beneath Tommy's foot and managed to sink her teeth into his ankle. Tommy howled in pain but refused to release Trini's wrists. Grimacing, Kimberly pulled back and sighted down another section of Tommy's leg. She reared back like a cobra and was about to strike when she spotted the new additions to their audience.

"Jason," Kimberly gasped.

Tommy and Trini both froze and twisted to look at him. They stared at him for a long, frozen moment before Trini exclaimed, "Oh god, Jason! I can _explain!"_

This jolted Tommy into action; he rolled off of Trini and disappeared under Trini and Kimberly's bed so fast that he might as well have teleported. Jason looked at the bed curiously, confused at Tommy's choice to hide—but, then, he couldn't very well run. Jason was blocking one exit, and Tommy couldn't use the balconies anytime soon, not after his stint as a suicidal ninja stripper.

Jason slowly approached the bed, dimly aware that Kimberly was trying to say something and Trini was telling her to be quiet. Jason, however, couldn't be bothered to listen to either of them. He needed to concentrate. He needed to concentrate on not laughing himself sick until after he'd had a little more fun with Tommy. He crouched by the side of the bed and pulled up the bed skirt. Tommy's head whipped around to look at him warily.

Jason took a moment to savor Tommy's expression, then searched for The Line, that one perfect phrase that he could repeat in years to come and instantly remind Tommy of that one moment when, for rather vague reasons, Tommy felt it was necessary to hide under the bed. _From Jason._

Most unfortunately, Tommy beat him to the last word. "I know you were gone all night," Tommy whispered. "One wrong move, and I'll tell Trini all about waking up to find out you were gone before you can get your hands around my throat."

Jason sighed in disappointment. Then he dropped the bed skirt, stood up, and faced the others. Trini and Kimberly were both staring at him with wide eyes. Conner was now back behind Trent. Ethan and Kira just looked somewhat expectant, waiting patiently for the explanation.

"Okay," Jason said brightly. "Let's go to the mall."

* * *

"I like malls. Honest, I do. I'm just saying, we'd probably have a lot more productive day if we all just stayed in bed and didn't move," Ethan insisted as Tommy, Jason, Conner, Ethan and Trent left the girls' room.

"This from the guy who was only able to get a good night's rest by hiding out in the elevator," Jason pointed out.

Tommy yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes without releasing his newly-reclaimed cell phone. "Why were you sleeping in the elevator, Ethan?"

"Between Kimberly and Rocky, who could actually sleep in the room?" Ethan replied.

"Hey, at least _you_ didn't have to bunk with Conner. He smacked me at least seventeen times," Trent grumbled.

"Sorry," Conner said absently. "So, just to be clear, Dr. O—you actually _didn't_ have sex with Kimberly or Trini?"

"Of course not! Where do you _get_ this stuff?" Tommy demanded.

"Kimberly and Trini."

Tommy sighed. "Guys, please—stay out of my personal life."

"What I want to know," Trent said loudly, obviously trying to move the conversation along, "is if you were singing about teapots all night, too."

"Who was singing about teapots?" Tommy asked.

"Rocky. Billy says the Aquitian water probably messed him up in the head a bit, because he tried to enter a REM cycle and got interrupted. He was shouting about teapots for a while. Billy said he'd wait for it to pass and we all managed to get to sleep in between fits of screaming," Trent explained.

"The Aquitian water?" Tommy repeated, stopping in his tracks.

"The Aquitian water combined with alcohol," Ethan clarified. "Apparently it caused some sort of subconscious delirium in Rocky because he combined the two and then tried to go into REM sleep. It's all one berserk altered state of consciousness or something."

"Speaking of altered states of consciousness," Zack called, emerging from 618, "Adam's stopped worshipping wildebeests."

"That explains why I was so out of it last night," Tommy said, breathing a sigh of relief. "It was all just a bit of—wait. Wildebeests?"

Zack nodded. "The guy went off his rocker last night. He even ordered a male stripper."

"What's up with all the strippers?" Ethan asked. "That bit with Kimberly, and in the hallway we could hear Dr. O yelling about—"

"That's part of my personal life," Tommy interrupted hastily. He spun around nervously, suddenly jumpy as he peered down the hallway at room 628. "Well, I'm gonna go get dressed. Bye!" With that, Tommy bolted into the safety of his room.

"Strippers are part of his personal life?" Conner repeated. "Well. I guess—"

"Conner, if you say _one more word_ about Dr. O involving sex, I'm going to remove your voice box," Trent interrupted darkly.

"Well, _somebody's_ reverting back to evil form in the mornings," Conner retorted.

"Hey, don't make fun of the previously evil," Jason chided. "It happens to the best of us."

_"You_ went evil once?" Trent asked in surprise.

"Yep. Me and Kim beat up the Turbo Rangers their first day out. I almost threw Tommy into a lava pit. Moral of the story? Scuba diving—not always a good idea."

"Am I glad I had to cancel on _that_ trip at the last second," Zack said, shaking his head.

Jason and Zack left the three Dino Rangers in the hall and went into 618. Conner frowned after them, then turned to Trent and Ethan. "Did he explain what scuba diving had to do with it and I just, you know, missed it?"

"Nah, we're confused too," Ethan assured him.


	72. Best Man for the Job

**Chapter Seventy-two**

_Best Man for the Job_

Tommy hurried through his morning grooming rituals and then began pestering Jason, Zack and Adam with numerous questions about when they'd finally get to leave, anxious to escape the hotel until after Taylor, Brandy and their friends had checked out.

"Chill, man, we're leaving," Adam said in exasperation after the fifth time Tommy asked if he was ready. "I gotta be at the airport by ten-thirty, but maybe I can grab breakfast with you guys."

"Where are you going?" Jason asked.

"Back to L.A. Have a meeting about a new film, remember? Rocky's supposed to come with, but maybe he'll want to hang with you guys. Zack, want me to name drop?"

"Always," Zack told him. He and Adam had gotten to work together on several films.

"You're flying back to L.A.?" Tommy asked.

"Of course. It's a two hour drive, plus traffic, and I'll probably be coming back right around evening rush hour. Figured I'd just take the helicopter, leave the Mercedes at the airport."

"Must be nice, having a helicopter and all."

"It's Tanya's," Adam said. "Hey, you know, you guys are welcome to come if you want. Don't know if I could fit all of you in the helicopter, but—"

"Kimberly's planning on dragging Billy to the mall," Jason told him apologetically. "We were all supposed to go."

"Hey, you could take Kim," Tommy said quickly, his tone clearly threatening to shake Adam by the shoulders and beg him to take Kimberly away if necessary. "That way she wouldn't totally overwhelm Billy at the mall."

"Kim doesn't like flying in privately-owned aircraft, remember?" Adam reminded him.

"Why? Because of that thing with her uncle's plane?" Tommy asked. Kimberly being forced to land her uncle Steve's plane had happened before Tommy had moved to Angel Grove, but she'd told him all about it. However, they'd gone flying in private planes to go sky-diving a couple of times after the incident, and she'd never mentioned being scared before.

"No, that just made her leery of it. That thing with Jake cemented it," Adam replied.

Tommy stiffened. Jason and Zack both shot Adam death glares. "What?" Adam asked blankly.

"You guys really _didn't_ tell me anything about Kimberly over the past eight years," Tommy said darkly.

"Well," Zack said, injecting a falsely bright, joking tone into his voice, "if we'd known we just had to get you two in the same town for a few days and you'd be stealing her panties—"

"Who's Jake?"

An extremely ugly silence descended over them. Tommy looked from one to the other, waiting with rapidly diminishing patience.

"I need to go find Rocky," Adam said suddenly. He slung his duffel bag on his shoulder and bolted for the door, not even bothering to close the door behind him as he rushed off down the hall.

"Who's. Jake?" Tommy repeated to Zack and Jason.

Jason and Zack looked at each other, then, by some unspoken agreement, entered into a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Zack won and darted out the door before Tommy could blink.

Jason sighed heavily. "Her ex. Picked him up in March of 1999, kept him until June of 2000. They were pretty serious. Almost got, you know…" Jason coughed. "Married."

"She named her bear after him," Tommy said quietly. "The big pink bear that _I_ won her. She named it _Jake."_

"Yeah, well that's actually kind of a private joke," Jason said. "See, a bear was part of the reason she dumped him."

Tommy frowned. "How…?"

"They were canoeing somewhere in Oregon and they got attacked by a bear. Kimberly had to save them. Jake actually wet himself in terror."

"…Kimberly… fought off a bear."

"Yeah. Well, sort of. She threw a rock at it, led it away from Jake, used that ninja streak thing to lure it a couple miles into the woods. Then she ran back to campsite, packed their things, and threw her wussy little boyfriend in the canoe. After that, Kimberly realized Jake just wasn't for her."

"Because he peed his pants at the sight of a bear?"

"Pretty much. Well, I think it was more about needing someone stronger, someone who was a fighter, blah, blah, blah, insert girly romantic speak. It wasn't the first time he'd freaked out on her. She tried to take him sky-diving, he clung to her the whole way down and almost got them both killed. She tried to take him windsurfing, he nearly drowned. She tried to surprise him with plans to go rock-climbing, he refused to go. He wasn't adventurous, wasn't athletic, wasn't brave."

"And yet she named _my_ bear after _him."_

Jason looked at him oddly. "Bro, you're taking it a little personal. Me, I think it's kind of funny. Kimberly dumps you, dumps him, starts chatting you up again, you win her something cutesy, she calls it Jake. Like she's trying to remind herself of the better side of her ex-boyfriends. Or, in another context, since you seem so adamant about playing the symbolism game with a stupid pink bear, the big strong man wins her a sweet wittle bear in some sort of contest, she names it after the sniveling little wimp. Probably some strange way of reminding herself that you, unlike Jake, wouldn't wet your pants. You'd wrestle a bear for Kim if you had to, and she knows it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll try to make a break for it, too."

Jason grinned, then adopted a panicked expression akin to the ones Zack and Adam had been wearing and ran out of the room, waving his hands in mock-terror. Tommy cracked up. "God, my friends are weird," he muttered, then gathered his things and left the room himself.

He went to knock on the girls' door, which was opened by Kimberly. Today, she was wearing a miniskirt and a tank top—under _his shirt._

"Are you ever going to stop wearing that thing?" Tommy asked, trying to sound as if he could care less.

"Maybe. But I figured, hey, since I had to wash it last night anyway…"

"Nice skirt," Tommy commented, pushing past her. He smirked the moment his face was out of her line of sight, complimenting himself on a barb well-sent. She might have stolen her clothes back, but it wasn't like Tommy didn't want to see her in a miniskirt, and those two simple words implied that he couldn't care less about her victory. He glanced around; he assumed Trini was in the bathroom or already downstairs, but Kira was trying to ignore him, focusing on cleaning the lipstick message he'd written last night off the mirror. Tommy chuckled as she sighed and threw away another paper towel; she hadn't even removed half of the message yet. "By the way, I set Conner straight for you. I know you didn't mean to confuse him for, oh, what was it? Three minutes? Two and a half?"

"I give up," Kira muttered, rolling her eyes and heading for the door. "I'll be hanging with Conner, Ethan and Trent. Come get me when the level of ick goes back down."

"Sure thing," Tommy told her calmly. "Bye!"

"What do you want, Tommy?" Kimberly asked. "To hide under the bed again?"

"Gonna bite me again if I do?"

Kimberly opened her mouth to retort, then closed it. She smiled at him. "You know what, Tommy? Yesterday, when you sent Kira after me—yeah, I figured it was your idea—I realized something. The whole reason you're getting under my skin is because of the fight. I could care less about your agenda; I just want to kick your ass. Well, now I've got a better plan. No more fighting. I'm done, Tommy boy. I quit. I'm giving up. Try to goad me all you want, I'm not gonna take the bait. From this point on, I could care less about kicking your ass. So you can kiss mine."

Tommy snorted. "That's a nice speech, Kim. But it's complete and utter bull. You know you can't back down. If you could, you wouldn't need to show off the fact that you still have my shirt."

"I'm not."

"Right. You're just wearing the same thing two days in a row for the first time in, let's think… oh yeah, ever. Because it's such a comfy shirt. With its ripped sleeve the fact that it's six sizes too big. You wouldn't be wearing a skirt you just stole back from me, either."

Kimberly rolled her eyes. "There you go again. Trying to goad me. Into giving back your shirt, no less. Well, it's _my_ shirt now, and it's not going anywhere. And by the way, stop with the little pseudo wannabe-evil crap. It doesn't make you any more enticing."

"No big deal. I think I'm already enticing enough." He grinned at her. "Newsflash, Kimberly… giving up is just gonna make it easier for me."

The bathroom door opened. Trini came out, toweling off her hair. She stopped when she saw them staring each other down. "Am I interrupting?"

"Nah. You're kind of inconsequential at the moment." Tommy took a moment to savor the affronted look on Trini's face at that little remark, then turned and headed for the door. He looked back over his shoulder at Kimberly. "You have been warned," he told her, and waltzed out of the room.

"Yeah, well, that line was a lot scarier ten years ago!" Kimberly shouted, hands balled into fists. Ignoring her newfound resolve to let his little games roll off her back, she stomped over to the door and yelled after him as he walked casually down the hall. "And by the way, that thing with the ice machine was totally lame!"

Tommy didn't even dignify her with a response. Kimberly went back inside and slammed the door. "You okay?" Trini asked, wincing at the loud sound of the door banging shut.

Kimberly glared at her. "This is all _your_ fault."

"How? And _what_ is all my fault?" Trini demanded.

"Never mind, Trini. Just never mind." Kimberly sighed. "Dear god, I need a vacation."

* * *

"Seriously, how was I supposed to know the Tommy/Kim rules?" Adam demanded. Jason, Billy, Zack, Rocky and Adam were lounging in chairs out in the lobby, avoiding Tommy and Kimberly for the time being.

"Yeah, well, we didn't think you'd be stupid enough to mention Jake," Zack grumbled, glaring at him. "I think my life flashed before my eyes."

"I wish I could have seen the look on his face," Rocky said with a snicker.

"I sure don't," Billy said fervently.

"Still, to just run off like that," Rocky continued, shaking his head. "All you did was say the guy's name."

"You're one to talk. I was glaring at _Conner_ and _you_ ran like a bitch," Jason pointed out with a smirk.

"Yeah, well, there's bravery, and then there's survival instinct," Rocky joked.

"So how did Tommy react to your explanation, Jason?" Billy asked.

As if on cue, Tommy appeared in their midst, grinned, and announced, "I kick ass."

"Not ours, right?" Zack asked. Everyone looked at him. "What? Just checking."

"No, not yours, Zack. Kimberly's," Tommy clarified, dropping into an empty armchair with a self-satisfied smirk. "I've got her ready to gouge my eyes out."

"Either I've fallen far behind in terms of modern Earth customs, or that's supposed to be a _bad_ thing," Billy said dryly.

Tommy waved his hand dismissively. "She's mine. She's going down."

"How come when we hooked up with those axe-murderers yesterday, it sounded a whole lot less violent than you and Kimberly lately?" Rocky asked.

Tommy shrugged. "Guess you just weren't doing it right."

"Or you're just incredibly weird," Rocky retorted.

"So, just so I can have a _hope_ of lessening _some_ of the confusion, what _is_ up with you and Kimberly?" Adam inquired.

"It's simple. I'm going to get her back. She's going to put up a good fight. It's going to be fun."

"I'm starting to think that all of us are losing our abilities to handle a problem with conventional methods," Billy commented.

"Says the guy living on an alien planet," Rocky teased.

"By the way, are you going with Adam, or coming to the mall with us?" Tommy asked.

"I think I'm gonna stick with Adam. He just got a new waterslide on his pool; wanted to give it a go. Not to mention there's a great tea shop in Chinatown I wanna hit."

"Could you please stop mentioning tea?" Billy groaned. "Between your negative reaction to the water and beer and Kimberly and the male stripper, I—"

"What?" Tommy cut in.

"Nothing," Billy said quickly.

"You mean Kimberly had something to do with the male stripper?" Zack demanded. "I thought that was all Adam."

Billy sighed. "Shortly before I repaired the ice machine—"

"What was wrong with the ice machine, anyway?" Tommy asked. "I think Kimberly thought it was my fault."

"Yeah, she mentioned that," Billy said. "I tried to point out that you would have been expecting an attack from the other side of the hall—"

Jason cleared his throat. "The ice machine was my bad."

"You? Why would you booby-trap the ice machine?" Billy asked.

"I didn't _booby-trap_ it, I—"

"Hey, guys!" called Trini, strolling up with Kimberly and the four teenagers. She pecked Jason on the cheek and smiled at him. "So. Before we head out, Jason, I was hoping you could tell me where you were last night."

Jason winced, then glared around at the guys. "All right, who squealed?"

"They didn't have to. You happened to marry an intelligent woman," Trini told him.

"Now who's failing to be brave?" Rocky said with a smirk.

"Can it, Teapot Boy," Jason retorted.

"I'm waiting, Jason," Trini said sternly.

Jason took a deep breath and opened his mouth to reply, but just then a bunch of college-aged kids wandered by. One of them saw Jason and pointed him out to the others.

"Look! It's Random Heroic Dude!"

As one, the six kids thrust their fists in the air. "Random Heroic Dude!" they all cheered.

Jason raised his fist to them. They called out a few more words of praise before going on about their business. Jason turned back to a startled Trini. "It's a long story."

"So let's hear it, Jase," Tommy said in amusement.

Before Jason could say anything, he heard someone passing by behind him say, "So then I told the idiots to stop yelling about the suicidal ninja stripper, and I look down, and there's three dollar bills crumpled on the balcony. I guess they must have fallen down from another balcony or something."

Tommy cringed. "On second thought, let's just focus on getting the hell out of here."

"I was actually kind of thinking of grabbing breakfast here, so I wouldn't have to stop on the way to the airport," Adam said.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Conner said. "I'm starved."

Tommy was about to make a case for getting out of the hotel when the elevator doors slid open and he glimpsed Taylor and Brandy exiting. "I'll go see how long the wait to get seated is!" Tommy half-shouted, bolting out of his chair and running flat-out for the restaurant.

"What was _that_ all about?" Ethan asked, just as Taylor and Brandy walked by, squinting at Tommy's retreating form.

"Was that the suicidal ninja stripper?" Brandy asked.

"Who cares? Good riddance," Taylor replied.

_"I_ care. He owes me two dollars," Brandy insisted.

"You should really complain to whoever you called to hire them. The first one jumps off the balcony, the second one is late… thank god you only ordered the two. The third one might have been a serial killer or something."

"I told you, I only ordered _one!_ I have no idea why we got two!"

The girls passed them by. "Um… what was _that_ all about?" Zack asked.

"Tommy's decided to get a summer job," Jason quipped. Trini snorted, trying not to laugh. The others looked at them in confusion.

"Tell me there's a logical explanation for that," Billy begged.

"I don't know about logical, but I'll fill you in later, yeah," Jason said.

"Did he try to pay you for a hug with dollars from his waistband, too?" Trini asked Jason.

Jason stared at her, slightly horrified. "Um, _no._ I heard it from a friend of a friend. Dollars in his…?"

Trini nodded. "When he woke me up from my wonderful little dream about you and me stealing a boat and—"

"Trini, please do not illegally acquire another boat," Billy said. "I imagine that, in the event of a shipwreck, it would be far more difficult to transport you to a fully-functional sea-faring vessel without the teleportation capabilities of the Command Center."

_"SUPERSTITIOUS_ GREEK FISHERMEN!" Trini shouted.

Kira pulled her notepad out of her pocket. "And we're adding _that_ one to the list of things to make them tell us about later."

"And why does everyone keep saying it'll be harder?" Trini ranted. "Why the hell won't it be _impossible?"_

"Nothing is impossible," Billy replied. "Theoretically, all the necessary components for achieving teleportation capabilities would be easily acquired. It's simply a matter of finding the right power source, which would take a little longer without one readily available."

"Well, that's good to know," Zack said cheerfully. "Getting shipwrecked on a deserted island is the sort of thing you should only do once."

"There goes _that_ fantasy," Trini muttered.

"Um, not to interrupt, but can we get back to the part wherein Tommy tried to pay Trini for a hug with money he earned as a stripper?" Rocky asked hopefully.

"Reefside High definitely hires some weird-ass people," Conner said. "I mean, first Principal Randall was a crazy evil villain, and Mesogog himself was our substitute teacher, and Dr. O's a Power Ranger and now a stripper. What do you think the _other_ teachers are doing once the bell rings? Wrestling alligators and selling cocaine?"

"I'd rather not think about it," Kira told him dryly.

* * *

Marco looked up in surprise as a guy approached the restaurant counter and collapsed in the stool next to him. "Whew. Seriously. Bachelorette parties really should be made illegal," the guy complained.

"Tell me about it," Marco agreed. "Women are insane."

"Every last one," the guy agreed heartily.

"Why are you anti-bachelorette, by the way?" Marco asked.

"Oh, just… bad experience. You?"

"They're the bane of my existence, is all."

The guy laughed. "I think they just became the bane of mine."

"You have girl troubles or something?"

"You could say that," he said dryly.

Marco smiled. He'd seen a lot of this sort of thing in his line of work—pre-wedding jitters often started with the parties, when the bride and groom spent a lot of time alone with their closest friends, got drunk, and started poring their hearts out. Marco had always felt a lot of sympathy for the guys whose engagements went sour after the bachelorette party. More so than he did for the guys who blamed their fiancé's cold feet on the stripper and tried to give Marco a black eye. "That bad, huh."

"Yeah. I think it's fixable, though. I mean, all couples have problems, right?"

"I guess."

"Just part of being in love."

"If you say so. Personally, I think being single is the way to go. All of the benefits, none of the hassles."

He shook his head. "You have to pay for dinner more."

"Nah, _you_ just have to find girls with that 'I can provide for myself, I don't need a man' thing going on," Marco joked.

"Marco!" a girl called.

Marco turned. "Kimberly! Hi!"

"Hey! I'm so sorry we didn't get to talk last night before we got separated. And I'm _really_ sorry about nailing you in the forehead with Zack's cell phone. I just didn't want to get discovered."

"No big," Marco told her. He was just glad to see her again. Hot, strong-willed, smart, crazy, and glad to see him. What could go wrong?

Kimberly squeezed in between Marco and the guy he'd been talking to, smiling brightly at him. "Thank you _so much_ for helping me one-up my _evil_ ex-boyfriend. Tommy can be such a _jerk_ sometimes!"

"Any time," Marco told her. "Asshole ex-boyfriends are my specialty."

Kimberly grinned at him. "By the way, I just love that shirt. It looks _so_ good on you."

Marco thanked whatever god had given him the foresight to go out to his car and change out of that stupid cop uniform before coming into the restaurant for a bite to eat. "Thanks. You look great yourself. But then, you probably knew that."

Kimberly giggled. "Hey, you know, I kind of have to go, got plans with some friends, but if you ever want to get together some time and, you know, not commit breaking-and-entering to… steal my clothing…"

Wow, she was flirty today. Even more than last night. "Sounds like fun," he told her. He grabbed the receipt for his meal. "Got a pen?"

Kimberly glanced around for a moment, then leaned across the guy on the next stool to grab a ink pen lying on the countertop. "Here."

Marco wrote down his number and handed Kimberly the receipt. "Call me sometime."

She took the pen from him, tore the receipt in half and scrawled down her own phone number. "Or you can call me," she replied, giving him the sort of smile that made him wish every hotel room in Angel Grove wasn't currently booked. "And thanks again. See ya."

"Yeah, see ya," Marco called happily.

"You know her?" the guy next to him asked in an oddly strangled tone.

"Not as well as I'm hoping to," Marco replied with a smirk.

The guy frowned at him for a moment, then said, "By the way, my name is Tommy."

"I'm…" Marco trailed off, a sinking feeling fit for the Titanic washing over him. Tommy. As in Kimberly's idiot ex-boyfriend Tommy. Who already hated bachelorette parties. Probably because of the stripper.

Without another word, Marco dove off the stool and sprinted for the exit. He made the mistake of glancing over his shoulder to see if he was being followed and realized two things—yes, he _was_ being followed, and he shouldn't have wanted to know in the first place.

"Hey! It's the stripper!"

Marco looked around and saw the angry guy who'd caught him last night, standing by the door with his crack head friend, the blond guy who'd busted into the room, the kid from the cot, and a gaggle of other people. Including Kimberly.

"Save the stripper," a guy in red called, and the moment Marco passed by them they leaped behind him to block Tommy's way. There were several pained thuds and one snarl of rage, in addition to a maniacal cackle that might have come from Kimberly. Marco didn't bother to look back as he raced through the restaurant door and kept going, resolving to never, ever even _think_ about Kimberly again.


	73. Climb Every Fountain

**Chapter Seventy-three**

_Climb Every Fountain_

Once they had gotten Tommy calmed down, he began to firmly pretend that nothing had happened. The twelve of them ate breakfast at the back of the restaurant, sorting out the details of last night's multiple fiascos until everyone was on the same page. Tommy stayed silent for the entire meal, refusing to answer any questions about Marco, the ice machine, or the suicidal ninja stripper rumors; Jason filled in the blanks with bits that Jenny had told him.

At ten-thirty they made their way out into the parking lot and said goodbye to Rocky and Adam, who promised to call the others when they got back from Los Angeles. The group split up into Dino Rangers and originals and headed for the mall.

"The mall," Kimberly breathed happily as they reconvened in the parking lot. "One million, two hundred and seventy-six thousand square feet of perfection."

"Why am I not surprised that you know the exact square footage of this place when you haven't even lived in the city since 1996?" Zack asked, shaking his head.

"You know, with as much fun as this vacation has been, it feels good to be doing something normal for the day," Conner said. "I mean, it's a mall. How crazy could it get?"

"Conner! You're going to jinx us!" Ethan complained.

"Don't worry, Ethan," Kimberly said. _"This_ is the Angel Grove Mall. It's a safe haven. Completely weirdness-free. Even with all the incredible shopping opportunities L.A. has to offer, I just can't stop coming back. It was like my second home as a kid."

"More like your first," Jason teased.

"Get back to the part where this place is weirdness-free?" Ethan said hopefully.

"Oh, forget that. Let's move on to introducing you to my friends at EB Games," Trini told him. "George is a total urban legends nut; you'll love him."

"Video game store is after Billy's appointments," Kimberly said sternly. "He's got the eye doctor at eleven and the salon at noon—"

"Salon?" Billy repeated in alarm.

"Yes. I told you about that. Weren't you listening?"

"You didn't say salon. You said we should be finished with the appointments by two o'clock at the latest, at which point we could move on to purchasing computers and video games before moving on to clothes! Why do I need to go to a _salon?"_

"For a haircut."

"I can get a haircut at Fantastic Sam's before I depart," Billy said desperately.

"Fantastic Sam's? I don't think so. Besides, salons are a much better plan. And we should get you a few good hair care products, maybe even highlights—"

Billy looked beseechingly at the others. "Help."

"You're on your own," Zack said quickly.

Trini smiled encouragingly at Billy. "Come on, Billy. Let Kimberly fix you up. She wouldn't steer you wrong."

"I don't wish to be steered at all!"

Kimberly grabbed Billy's arm and looked him in the eye. "Billy. You can fight this if you want. But we both know you're not going to win. Save me the trouble, eh?" Billy's shoulders sagged in defeat. Kimberly smiled brightly at him and turned to the others. "Now. I figured I'd go to the eye doctor with him—"

"Trini's coming too, right?" Billy asked, figuring he needed someone along who was good at talking Kimberly down.

"Yeah, she's coming too. But all ten of us don't have to sit in the waiting area. What say we meet up in the food court about one-thirty? We should be done with the appointments by then."

"Good luck," Zack said, clapping Billy on the back before turning to Kira. "I want to show you Meso Atomic. Best record store in Angel Grove."

"Sounds like fun," Kira said. They started across the parking lot for the main entrance.

"Jase and I were going to check out the Penalty Box," Tommy said. "Sports memorabilia," he added for the Dino Rangers' benefit.

"Conner, you in?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, definitely," Conner replied eagerly, his tone clearly saying he'd accompany Jason for a swim with piranhas if Jason invited him.

"I'll come with you guys," Trent said. "Ethan, you coming?"  
"Nah, I want to go to the record store, too. The special-edition soundtrack for _Asteroid Conquest_ just came out."

The front entrance opened into an atrium, with a large fountain in its center. A fountain carved into the likeness of the Red, Yellow, Blue, Pink, Black and White Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in battle poses, with the water gushing out of the tips of each Ranger's Power Weapon. Shallow steps led down to the fountain, which was surrounded by wooden benches in various Ranger colors. A few people were milling around aimlessly or lounging on benches, waiting for the stores to open at eleven.

"Wow," Conner said, staring at the fountain. "How come _we_ never got a fountain?"

"Councilwoman Sanchez is actually lobbying for statues downtown," Tommy told him. "Monuments, perhaps even color-coded ones."

"Yeah, but you guys got a _fountain,"_ Conner complained. Tommy rolled his eyes.

"It's a little gaudy," Kimberly said as she skipped down the steps to the mall directory in front of the fountain, "but who am I to argue with an homage?"

"I thought you said you knew this place by heart," Kira said as Kimberly peered intently at the directory.

"I do. But I want to make sure nothing's changed. Hmm… looks like they moved Fashion Bug down by Sears… and they put in a Hot Topic… hey! They put it in where Unicorn Utopia used to be!"

"Kim, they only sold unicorn figurines. How long were they really going to last?" Jason pointed out.

"Unicorn Utopia is no longer in business?" Billy demanded, rushing over to look at the directory.

"You like unicorns?" Ethan asked incredulously.

"My Thunderzord was a unicorn," Billy replied absently. "My father became quite unnerved at my sudden fascination with unicorns when we acquired the Thunderzords. Ah, well, at least I was able to explain my actions on Tuesday."

"I think they might've relocated," Trini said. "I could have sworn I saw a sign for Unicorn Utopia on Jones Street."

"Who puts a Hot Topic in a storefront once owned by something called _Unicorn Utopia?"_ Kira demanded.

"I knew it," Ethan muttered. "This place isn't a safe haven. It's as weird as the rest of the universe."

"Hey, it's a wishing well kinda deal," Conner called, leaning over the fountain's rim to peer into the water. "There's a ton of coins in here."

"Says here that the proceeds go to the Victims of Rita and Zedd Foundation," Trent said, pointing out a plaque on the fountain's side. "What's that?"

"People who lost something in a zord battle or evil scheme," Tommy explained. "Cars that were crunched, buildings that were destroyed, belongings that were stolen or damaged, hospital bills for injuries. Of course, most of that's stopped accruing, but there were a few people with long-term injuries from monsters and some people are still in crisis counseling for, you know, freaking out from being kidnapped or whatever."

"You sound really blasé about kidnapping, Dr. O," Kira commented.

"Hey, you were kidnapped what, once? I was kidnapped once a _month_ in high school. It's not really scary after the first few times."

"How do you tell which is which without the colors?" Conner asked, tilting his head to the side and staring up at the fountain. "Is this one Kimberly or Trini?"

"That's Kim," Trini explained. "I didn't have a skirt, for some reason. You can tell the others by the weapon and the helmet."

"The water is moving pretty fast for a fountain," Trent commented.

"They thought it was more Power-Ranger-esque," Tommy explained, staring up at the White Ranger. He sighed. "They got Saba totally wrong. The angel of the curve of the blade is off."

Ethan stared down at the plaque, which read "Make a Wish on Our City's Heroes." Well. What better way to stave off the weirdness than to make a wish on the original Power Rangers?

Ethan pulled a quarter out of his pocket and closed his eyes. _Please, whoever's listening, let today go smoothly,_ he thought, then hurled the coin in the general direction of the fountain with all his might.

"OW!"

Ethan's eyes snapped open. Ethan's quarter was bouncing across the atrium. Conner was clutching the side of his head. He spun to glare at Ethan, opened his mouth to say something, and suddenly he was toppling backwards off-balance as if pushed by the hand of some invisible god.

Ethan stared in horror. No way. No way Conner lost his balance like that. Not Conner, leader of the Dino Thunder Power Rangers. Not Conner, soccer prodigy. Not Conner. No. _No._

Conner fell back towards the fountain as if in slow motion. His arms began to flail for something to stop his fall. Then one hand seized hold of the shaft of the Pink Ranger's arrow, just before the arrowhead. Conner tried to use it for leverage, to swing himself out of the gushing water, and succeeded. He twisted to the side, rolled away. Safe. Safe, and not in the fountain.

Ethan was all set to breathe a sigh of relief when he realized that somehow the arrowhead had come off in Conner's hand. There was a crack, a hiss, and then an explosion of water shot out, bursting undirected from the broken arrow.

"You broke it!" Kimberly screamed. "You broke the mall! You broke the mall! You broke _me!"_

"I didn't _mean_ to!" Conner insisted, throwing the arrowhead into the fountain in a panic.

For some strange reason—whether it be the arrowhead lodging in a drain, a malfunction with the fountain itself, or just a higher power going "Mwahaha!"—the fountain suddenly stopped draining. The high-pressure water spouts continued to pour. In moments, it was going to overflow.

There were fifteen civilians standing or sitting around the fountain. They stared up at the fountain silently, waiting with baited breath. Then, almost in perfect unison, they spurred into action.

If this had happened in any other city in America, even a city that had once had its own set of Power Rangers like Reefside or Blue Bay Harbor, there would have been instant chaos. Running, screaming, and panic, or at the very least a hasty retreat. However, these people weren't your everyday civilians.

These civilians were from Angel Grove.

A man dove for the fountain, plunging his head into it and fishing around for whatever was clogging the drain even as water began sloshing over the side. A girl kicked off her sandals, hopped into the fountain and tried to stem the flow of water from the broken arrow. Another man ran to a nearby trash can and yanked the bag out of it, then rushed back to the fountain with the can and filled it with water. A woman copied his example.

"Get to higher ground!" shouted a middle-aged man with a militant look about him. A teenaged boy picked up his elderly grandmother and rushed up the stairs with her. "Form a brigade; we'll have to bail the water out!"

The remaining civilians formed a line to the front entrance. The man with the trashcan passed it down the line. The elderly woman and her grandson headed for the door; the woman held the door open, and the teenager dumped the bucket and began passing it back in. The woman with the trashcan filled hers and passed it down the line to be dumped as the empty can came back.

The man with his head in the fountain popped back up. "No good! It's wedged tight!"

"You!" the middle-aged man barked, pointing at Conner. Conner looked up at him in terror. "Go on, get out of here! We all know it was an accident, but it won't be easy to convince mall security of that! Beat it! We'll make something up for you!"

"You heard him!" Jason yelled. "Go! Go! Go!"

"Shouldn't some of us help with the brigade?" Ethan asked, mortified at the effects of his wish for normality.

"They can handle it," Tommy said tersely as the ten of them rushed up the stairs and down the corridor.

"You broke the mall!" Kimberly wailed. _"You broke the mall!"_

"Shh!" Jason hissed grimly as they rushed away from the fountain.

"Slow down!" Zack called. "Running is suspicious!"

They skidded to a halt, then began walking as calmly and inconspicuously as they could, considering half of Conner's shirt was soaked and Kimberly was moaning about the broken statue.

"Eye doctor, to the right," Trini said. Billy and Trini veered off, dragging Kimberly with them.

"Record store's upstairs," Zack said, pointing out an escalator. Zack, Ethan and Kira headed for it.

"Don't go making any more wishes with your eyes closed, Ethan!" Trent called after them.

Tommy, Jason, Conner and Trent continued on towards the Penalty Box. Conner grimaced as a pair of security guards went running by. "Safe haven, my ass," Conner muttered, shaking out his wet sleeve.

* * *

Despite their rough start, the next two and a half hours went fairly smoothly. Ethan, Kira and Zack had a blast in the music store and Tommy, Jason, Conner and Trent found some equilibrium in the Penalty Box. The seven of them met up at the food court promptly at one-thirty and sat down to wait. And wait. And wait some more.

"It's almost two o'clock," Zack complained. "Where are they?"

"Think Billy will come out with a Mohawk or something?" Jason asked.

"Nah. Kimberly would never let something like that happen on her watch," Zack replied.

"Things are looking good on the fountain," Conner reported. Their table was right up against a railing, beyond which was a twenty-foot drop down to the atrium. "They got it shut off, anyway." The fountain had flooded over the first two stairs all around, despite the best efforts of the bucket brigade, all of whom were still there, pants rolled up, the line fortified by two dozen more people.

"There they are!" Kira called. "At least, I think… whoa. He looks like something you'd see on one of those makeover shows."

Trini, Billy and Kimberly marched over, Kimberly glowing with pride and Billy looking reluctantly pleased. Billy was still clothed in his Wal-Mart jeans and an old shirt of Ethan's, but his glasses were gone and his shaggy hair was now short, tousled, gelled, and a lighter shade of blond.

"Well?" Kimberly demanded, gesturing at him as if she was showing off the prize on a game show.

There was a general murmur of "Good," "Great," and "Nice," which didn't quiet any of Billy's reservations about Kimberly's makeover. Kira rolled her eyes at the lack of enthusiasm from the guys. "You look good, Billy," she assured him. "Hot."

"Yeah, way hot," Zack added in a high-pitched, breathy tone. "OW!" he complained as Kira's foot connected with his shin.

"Thank you," Billy said dryly, sitting down and attempting to run a hand over his gelled hair, but Kimberly smacked his hand away. "Here's hoping I'm not deemed an imposter upon my return to Aquitar."

"You get new glasses, too?" Jason asked.

"They'll be in within a week," Billy replied. "They're incredible. Flexible wire frame, scratch-resistant lenses…"

"Where are the old glasses?" Trent asked.

"In my pocket," Billy said firmly, giving Kimberly a sidelong glance, as if she'd tried to convince him to toss them out. "The doctor happened to have a trial pair of contact lenses in my prescription. Apparently my vision has been approving with the assistance of Aquitian water—"

"Please, don't mention that stuff," Ethan groaned. "I had to sleep in the elevator because of it, for crying out loud."

"You got off easy," Tommy told him. "Hey, Billy, there's something I don't get. From what I understand, the effects were from mixing the water with beer, right?"

"Affirmative, but one also had to enter a disrupted REM cycle. Jason didn't sleep, so he escaped the adverse effects, but Rocky was awoken by Conner—"

"And I woke up from a nightmare. What I don't get is that I woke up Adam _and_ Zack. Rocky was singing about teapots, Adam was worshipping wildebeests, and I was, well, a little _off—"_

"You call pretending to be a stripper a _little_ off? Because if that's the case, I'd hate to see you when you're a lot off," Conner joked.

"Come to think of it, how come I didn't go all wildebeest cult?" Zack mused. "I did the same thing Adam and Rocky did."

"It's possible you hadn't entered REM sleep when you were awakened," Billy said. "However, I would imagine the degree of the loss of cognitive reasoning ability and general lucidity was personalized given a variety of vectors, primarily the duration of time one spent in an altered state of consciousness on a regular basis and the individual's ties to the subconscious. It really is a fascinating phenomenon worthy of prolonged study. Then, too, there is individual exposure to brainwave altercations, such as hypnotic—"

"You lost me somewhere near 'cognitive,'" Zack interrupted.

"It depends on how in touch you are with your subconscious," Trini said. "What about the morphing grid, Billy?"

"Yes, one might presume that the individual ties to the morphing grid are directly proportional to the lapse of mental stability, because they all had varying degrees of exposure to different powers."

"Zack was one Ranger, Rocky two, Adam three, Tommy five," Trini agreed. "It'd be a lot of fun to examine the effects on a long-term basis, especially if one varied the degrees of alcohol and Aquitian water—although I suppose there would be a problem with determining whether or not they were building up a tolerance—"

"Personally, I'd love to test the Dino Rangers," Billy said, looking at them the way a mad scientist might gaze at specimen jars. "They were all exposed to only one power, and that power is now dormant—"

"And Trent!" Trini added. "God, wouldn't he be _fun?_ An altered Dino Gem that warped his personality until it was completely rewired…"

"I wouldn't be fun," Trent said firmly.

"Can we talk about something else now?" Conner asked.

"Yeah, that got kind of creepy kind of _way_ too fast," Ethan agreed.

"Never let Billy mess with your brain," Kimberly joked. "You might end up wandering around in his shoes."

"Those _weren't_ my shoes. You bought me a whole new wardrobe," Billy retorted.

"Yeah, well, _you_ covered my entire head in lipstick," Kimberly shot back, sticking out her tongue. "Billy switched our brains once," she added to the teens.

"Technically, Rita made my devise malfunction," Billy pointed out. "It was actually her."

"All the same, _no one touches my brain,"_ Trent repeated emphatically.

"Relax. I couldn't experiment on you even if you were willing to participate; at least, not within the current parameters of the law," Billy told him. "However, if you change your mind once you turn twenty-one…"

"Billy, please don't try to convince teenagers in my care to play Frankenstein with you," Tommy said.

Kira randomly burst out laughing. Everyone turned to look at her. "Oh, sorry," she said sheepishly. "Adam said something really funny yesterday about Billy and Frankenstein."

"What'd he say?" Trent asked.

"Mm… kinda sworn to secrecy," Kira said apologetically. She grimaced. "Ooh, okay, Adam's story and current conversation? Not blending well. New subject time."

"So where are we going now?" Conner asked.

"Video games?" Billy asked hopefully.

"I was hoping we could get you some clothes first," Kimberly said. "So you wouldn't have to wander around dressed like that."

"I don't mind being dressed like this. Please, Kimberly?"

Kimberly sighed. "You're _way_ better at the puppy dog eyes without the glasses, you know."

"Thank you!" Billy stood up. "Anyone other than Trini and Ethan coming?"

"Um," Ethan said tentatively, "just so we're clear, if I still come, there's not going to be any experimenting on my brain, right?"

"Of course not," Billy said, almost managing to sound offended at the suggestion.

Trini pulled Ethan's chair back from the table. "Come on. I think we could use you on the creative team for our next evil plan."

Ethan perked up. "Really? Oh, I am _so_ in. Bye, guys!"

The others stared after them for a moment. Then Zack pointed in the direction they'd gone. "Not going to end well," he proclaimed.

"Duh," Tommy, Jason and Kimberly replied simultaneously.

"I wanna help with the evil plan," Conner said, pouting.

"Not me. I've done of enough of them," Trent said.

"Well," Kimberly said, pushing herself up from the table, "I think it's time to get down to business. I'm going shopping. Kira, you in?"

"Guess a few more hours of pretending to be a girl won't kill me," Kira agreed.

"Let's meet at EB in, say, an hour and a half?" Jason suggested. "Trini, Ethan and Billy will probably still be there."

The girls nodded and headed out. Jason looked around at the remaining group. "Where to now?"

"I kind of wanted to check out that T-shirt shop we passed on the way here," Trent said.

"Me, too," Conner said.

"Can't. I've been banned," Zack told them apologetically. "Had a fling with the girlfriend of the guy who works there. Not that I knew she was taken. Until I almost lost an ear."

"…An ear?" Conner repeated incredulously.

"Long story."

"You two can go alone if you want," Tommy told Conner and Trent. "Just don't cause any chaos. Meet us at EB. Check the directories if you get lost and call me if you get into trouble."

"Dude, it's a _mall,"_ Conner told him as he and Trent stood up. "It's not like we're strangers to the mall atmosphere. We're not going to burn the place down."

"Especially not after all that preemptive flooding," Zack joked.

Tommy sighed. "Go, before my common sense gets back from its lunch break."

The two boys bolted. "Well then," Jason said, tilting his chair back and lacing his fingers behind his head. "Been a while since the three of us caused our own personal brand of chaos. Any ideas?"

Normally, the idea of more chaos would have made Tommy groan. But not now, when it was just him and his two best friends… and his ex-girlfriend was loose in the mall.

"A few," Tommy said with a purely evil grin.

* * *

_End Notes:_ Update time might slow down for a bit, as we have a lot to prepare if we actually want to drive out to Los Angeles for Power Morphicon—shopping, cleaning, reserving the rental car, etc. But we'll try to shell out a few more chapters before then, especially considering that we probably won't be able to update between June 19 and June 27, or read our reviews or anything. It's a six-day round-trip drive, minimum, plus three days for the convention itself, and we're not sure if we're going to be able to acquire a laptop to take on the trip or not. Even if we do, Interstate 70 doesn't have Internet access, and we'll probably be busy once we're at the convention itself. 


	74. Do I Know You?

**Chapter Seventy-four**

_Do I Know You?_

"See, now this is what a vacation should be about," Kimberly said happily. "A trip to the mall with a friend and a credit card. None of that psychotic nonsense. Just endless items up for purchase and someone who's never heard all of Tommy's most embarrassing secrets."

"So that's why you brought me along?" Kira asked.

"Of course not! I brought you along so we could hang. Embarrassing Tommy is just a bonus."

"So," Kira said hopefully, "does that mean you're finally going to tell me the story about Dr. O being called Cinnamon Buns?"

Kimberly burst into a fit of giggles. "Of course," she said, grinning evilly. "But only if you promise to use it to torment him with the memory every so often."

"Not a problem," Kira said eagerly.

"It's not exactly the best story, given its context," Kimberly said slowly. "I mean, it's kind of a… well, it's all about how great a boyfriend Tommy was."

Kira grimaced. "Do I still want to know?"

Kimberly shrugged. "He was really sweet, is all. A little _too_ sweet sometimes. You see… when Tommy and I finally became a couple, I called him a pet name this one time and… well… the guys made fun of him for it like nothing else."

"Cinnamon Buns was a _pet_ name for him?"

"Yes, but the first one I used was Cupcake." Kimberly chuckled. "Then it just sort of stuck. I called him that a few more times. Finally Billy took pity on him and told me that the guys were cracking on Tommy for it, and I thought… well…"

"Yeah?"

"I thought Tommy was an absolute _sweetheart_ for not asking me to quit it even though it was embarrassing the hell out of him. I thought it was _cute,"_ she continued. "So I decided to have a little fun with him, see if I could get him to crack and finally be honest with me about the fact that he didn't want me to call him cheesy nicknames. At least, not one as cheesy as 'Cupcake.'"

"Did he?" Kira asked.

"He tried," Kimberly said. "Only… when he did… I couldn't bring myself to give up the charade. It was too much _fun."_

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

"Um, Kimberly? I… I really… it's not that I don't appreciate how nice it was of you to come up with a pet name for me," Tommy said carefully, "but… um…"

"…You don't like being called Cupcake?" Kimberly asked with an innocently mild frown. Tommy nodded guiltily. "Well, then, I'll stop using it."

"Thanks," Tommy said in relief, glad she was taking it so well.

"I'll just find a new name for you," Kimberly continued. Tommy's eyes widened, but before he could complain, Kimberly started throwing out nicknames. "Hmm… Sweetie? Cutie Pie? Love Muffin? Love Biscuit? Sugar Bear? Pumpkin? …Oh! I know! I'll call you _Cinnamon Buns!"_

Tommy stared at her, his mouth slightly open in horror and shock. The words _"Hell no!"_ were on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't want to upset her. He didn't want her to keep thinking, either. "Oh… that's… that's…" He tried to say "excellent," or even "good," but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. "…fine," he finished lamely.

"What are you going to call me?" Kimberly asked, looking up at him expectantly.

"Um… let me think about it," he said, shifting uncomfortably. Seeing her frown, he quickly added, "It has to be the perfect name for you. I don't want to just pull one out of a hat. You're too good for just _any_ name."

"That's so _sweet!"_ Kimberly cooed.

* * *

_End Flashback_

* * *

Kimberly shook her head and waited for Kira to stop laughing. "I don't know why I was so determined to make him say 'I don't want a pet name.' He just couldn't do it. He couldn't disappoint me. So I refused to let up."

"Oh, that's great," Kira wheezed, clutching her side.

"Then Bulk and Skull got wind of it," Kimberly continued. "Next thing he knew, Tommy couldn't go three feet without being called Cinnamon Buns. And then, eventually, Tommy… _snapped."_

"How?" Kira choked out through her laughter. Cinnamon Buns… what a god-awful nickname. Though Kira had occasionally thought Dr. O was a bit of a fogy sometimes—like during class lectures—she hadn't ever realized that… "Dr. O was such a _dork!"_ Kira cackled.

"Ah, corruption of Tommy's protégé. Mission accomplished," Kimberly said cheerfully. "Anyway, one day Zack decided to tag Tommy's locker… and it all went downhill from there."

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

Tommy stared at the words on his locker door. "Cinamon Bun's locker." Or possibly "Cinaman Bun's locker;" the handwriting was shaky, as if the person who'd scrawled the words hadn't been able to stop laughing long enough to paint them properly. Tommy wasn't the best at language arts, but he knew that it was spelled "cinnamon," and that the apostrophe should go after the _s,_ not before it. In fact, since it was a name, he was pretty certain that it should read "Buns's," as "Buns" was not a plural noun in this case but part of a singular proper noun that happened to end in _s,_ just like the name "James," the proper possessive form being "James's," not _James',_ and certainly not _Jame's._

Point was, whoever wrote this was an idiot.

"Hey, Cinnamon Buns," jibed the voice of none other than Bulk. Tommy was too busy staring at the writing on his locker door to look at him, but he could see Bulk leaning against the locker bank next to him out of the corner of his eye. "That's a nice way to make sure everyone knows your nickname. Why don't you get T-shirts printed up too?"

"T-shirts, that's a good one," Skull crowed, letting loose with his trademark laugh.

Tommy blinked, connecting the dots between "idiot wrote on locker" and "idiot now heckling me." Then, without warning, he turned and lunged at Bulk, his fingers groping for Bulk's throat with intent to strangle.

Bulk, however, was used to this sort of thing; he was, after all, Bulk, and, while he wasn't as fast or flexible as, say, a thin person, he was strong enough to hold nerds upside-down with their heads in the toilet bowl, he was agile enough to avoid most flying objects thrown at his head (provided he saw them coming first) and, when it came to frontal assaults, he was very good at ducking.

Bulk dropped and Tommy's fingers scrabbled uselessly at the wall. Bulk, who had a good sense for these sorts of situations, knew that if he didn't find a good way to deter Tommy, running would be useless; Tommy would chase him, and Tommy would catch him, and despite the fact that Skull was a dimwit he _was_ Bulk's best friend and Bulk didn't want to use him as bait, at least not this time. Knowing he only had one shot to save himself, Bulk, football player extraordinaire, threw his shoulder against Tommy's knees. Tommy collapsed on top of him and Bulk jumped up, causing Tommy to roll to the side. Skull was already screaming in preparation for the coming mad scramble for their lives.

They ran for it. They ran, and they ran, and they ran… and when they checked behind them to see if Tommy was chasing them (yep), they ran right into a door that had just been opened by none other than Principal Caplan. Not that they had time to notice it was Mr. Caplan before they bounced off, Bulk landing headfirst in a nearby trashcan. As Skull fell, he accidentally kicked the trashcan over. Bulk expected this to free him, as it usually did… but instead, it merely pushed him down the hall, straight at Tommy.

"AAAHHHHH!" Bulk screamed as he rolled down the hall, his legs flailing as he tried to find something, anything, to stop him before he hit the wall.

"I'm coming, Bulky!" Skull yelled, rushing off after the speeding trashcan.

"You numbskull!" Bulk roared, sure this was Skull's fault.

Meanwhile, Mr. Caplan looked at Tommy, who'd been forced to halt his pursuit and leap over the trashcan. Mr. Caplan was too used to things like Bulk rolling down the hall in a trashcan to bother paying much attention, but the addition of a pissed-off Tommy glaring after them was fairly rare.

"Something wrong, Mr. Oliver?" Mr. Caplan demanded.

Tommy paused. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked.

Tommy looked at him mournfully. "For not calling me 'Cinnamon Buns,'" he replied, and went to go find the janitor to figure out how to scrub off his locker.

* * *

_End Flashback_

* * *

"Oh, man," Kira moaned, shaking her head. "I just can't see it. I've seen him lay into Zeltrax, but whenever _we_ make him mad he just glares or growls or says something. He does _not _chase. Except for that one time, but that was _Conner,_ and he didn't chase him far, just until Conner made it out of the house…"

"He has his moments," Kimberly said. "We all do, really. But then, who doesn't?" She chuckled. "We still haven't told him it was Zack who tagged his locker. Zack's not all that great with possessives, and he claims the spelling of 'cinnamon' was more a misprint than anything else. Tommy told us how he just couldn't stop staring at it and thinking of all the grammar and spelling mistakes 'Bulk' had made."

Kira continued to cackle at Tommy's expense. "So was that when you finally stopped calling him Cinnamon Buns?"

"Nope," Kimberly admitted sheepishly. "It was about an hour after that, when I said 'hi' to Tommy, and he muttered something and wandered off, and then Skull comes up to me and says—" Kimberly shuddered violently— "'You know, _I_ can be your Cinnamon Buns.'" She pointed a finger down her throat and grimaced. "I mean, Skull was _always_ doing things like that—he had this huge crush on me, it was _so_ annoying, you don't even _know_—"

"Skull was the skinny one who took us on the tour of Angel Grove, right?" Kimberly nodded. "He didn't seem _that_ bad. A sucky driver, but—"

"Well, he's matured over the years. We kept in touch after I went off to Florida. We became really good friends, even. He's still hopelessly in love with me, but he's learned to handle the fact that I just don't feel that way about him. Back then, he was just a punk. Totally annoying and totally rude. Him and Bulk. Now, well—they might still be total whack jobs, but if it weren't for them the Power Rangers would have lost some key battles, and they were instrumental in defeating Astronema. But anyway, Skull had this huge crush on me so I was used to him saying things like that, but I was so horrified that he used my pet name for Tommy like that—I mean, ew! So I finally came clean and told Tommy that I'd been doing it just to bug him all along."

"How'd he take it?" Kira asked. Kimberly winced and gave Kira a sheepish smile.

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

"You mean to tell me that all this time you've been humiliating me_ just for the sake of humiliating me?"_ Tommy roared. Jason, Zack, Trini and Billy, who were watching from a safe distance, cringed and retreated to the hallway outside the Youth Center.

_Uh-oh,_ Kimberly thought, mentally preparing herself to burst into tears if need be. For now, she'd try to pull the adorable trick. She tilted her head to the side, gave him a properly ashamed expression, and pouted slightly. "I'm sorry?"

He glared at her. "Why. Would. You. Do. That?" he growled.

Kimberly let her lips quirk up just a bit. "Because you're really _cute_ when you're mortified."

Tommy stared at her for a second. Then, predictably, he cracked and smiled back. "Kim…"

"Well, you _are,"_ she persisted defensively. "You go all shy and you stammer and you always try to make a hasty exit and… and it's _cute."_ Tommy grinned, embarrassed but pleased. "Are you mad?" Kimberly asked.

Tommy shook his head. "Know what?"

"What?"

"I know what I'll call you."

"You do?"

He nodded. "I'll call you 'Beautiful.'"

_"Aww,"_ she cooed, feeling an overwhelming rush of affection for him.

"It's the only thing that fits you." Tommy paused. "Just don't _ever_ call me 'Cinnamon Buns' again."

"Agreed."

* * *

_End Flashback_

* * *

Kira shook her head, still chuckling. "That was _low."_ She was definitely leaving that part out when she repeated this story to the guys. Conner would say something chauvinistic, and then Kira would have to hit him.

"Never underestimate the power of being a girl," Kimberly said dryly.

"So… is Dr. O, like, a romantic or something?" Kira asked.

Kimberly frowned. She should have known better than to start with the Cinnamon Buns story; it led back to her and Tommy as a happy couple. Kimberly didn't want to go there—she just wanted to bond with Kira and embarrass the crap out of him. "Why do you ask? I thought you weren't part of the Dr. O fan club."

"I'm really, _really_ not," Kira replied with a deep shudder. "But… well, I'm just curious. This one time, when Dr. O was invisible—long story—Ethan was out on a date with this girl named Cassidy and he was just completely _tanking._ So Dr. O snuck over there and totally saved Ethan's butt. Lit some candles, got some flowers… and it kind of made me realize that we don't really have any idea what Dr. O's _like._ I mean, we know he's forgetful, and we know he's chronically late, and he's smart and tries to be responsible and he's noble, but we don't know all that much about his personality and his little quirks and all the stuff I know about Conner, Ethan and Trent. I don't even know his _hobbies._ Plus, the whole saving-Ethan thing was weird. Creepy, even. I didn't think guys actually knew that sort of thing. That's why Conner tends to date airheads, Ethan's still clueless, and Trent's romantic moments are a tad… well, let's just say they're either too conventional or completely unconventional."

Kimberly smiled at her slightly and sighed, suddenly feeling sorry for the Dino Rangers. The age barrier must have been a bit of a problem for them, and she knew that it had probably bugged Tommy to be a Ranger in a way he had never been before—he was their teammate, and yet not their friend. Either he was taking his role as mentor a tad too seriously… or he was a lot less open about himself than he'd been in the past. Both were pretty plausible, but she got the feeling the second one was more likely, and she couldn't help but wonder if Kimberly had something to do with this change. Regardless, she felt Kira should know Tommy as well as the old team had.

"Well, my information is several years old," she said slowly, "but as for his hobbies, he's a real gear head and he likes football and sports in general. Oh, and music. He likes singing. He doesn't sing around other people much but if you attempt to eavesdrop on him sometimes you'll hear him busting out some random song or other. He especially does it in the car and the shower."

"Heard him sing on the way here," Kira said, nodding. "He's… well…"

"Not too great?" Kimberly giggled. "Yeah, I know. Jason once started to mention something about a spell and Tanya giving him lessons, but it was one of those moments when he hurriedly changed the subject because he'd just realized he was talking to Tommy's ex. Anyway, Tommy dances quite a bit, too. Jason and Zack were always trying to help him improve."

Kira giggled. "I can't see Dr. O dancing."

"I went to a lot of dances with him," Kimberly said dryly. "Sometimes, _I_ can't see him dancing. He's also the most competitive guy I've ever met, excepting perhaps Jason. He got over some of it—being a Ranger teaches that pretty quickly—but he's still one of those people always in the game to win or die trying. And he nearly has died several times over. He's not really a sore loser, though. But… as for whether or not he's a romantic…" She sighed and looked away, trying to force away the needles this subject was digging into her chest. "Very. Almost to a creepy extent, according to some of our friends. Flowers, chocolates, fancy dinners, dances, picnics… I never had a complaint. He would always buy me cute little gifts and ask how I was and say the sweetest things. To be perfectly honest, I never found a guy half as romantic as Tommy."

"Do you… do you want to… you know… give it another shot?" Kira asked. Kimberly didn't reply. "I mean, you said you still loved him and all… if I'm out of line, just say so, you don't have to—"

Kimberly smiled at her. "You don't just stop loving people, Kira. I learned that long before I met Tommy. My parents are divorced—they just weren't getting along at all, always fighting, lost all the spice they'd had when they first got married. I was so shocked when I asked my mother why she didn't love my father anymore, and she told me that she did. That she would always love him… but sometimes love isn't enough, you know?"

"I hope I don't," Kira said apologetically, "but I get what you're saying."

Kimberly nodded. "Love doesn't just evaporate—at least, not in my opinion. I could no sooner stop loving Jason, Trini, Zack or Billy than Tommy. He'll always be part of me, just like they will. But it just wasn't meant to be."

"I'm sorry," Kira said softly.

"Don't be," Kimberly told her firmly.

"Why not?" Kira asked.

"Because that's the way it _had_ to be, when you think about it. Before we broke up, Tommy had no idea what to do with his life. Last time I saw him, he was on his way to being a racecar driver. Now, he's a freaking _paleontologist_—I'd love to know just exactly how _that_ happened—not to mention a teacher and a completely new Ranger. And me, well… we probably wouldn't have broken up if I hadn't left Angel Grove and gone on to be a gymnast. I wouldn't have made it to the Olympics or started my own gymnastics center. I might have even ended up a housewife, watching daytime soaps and raising babies. I'm happy things worked out this way, Kira. If Tommy and I hadn't broken up, we wouldn't be the people we are today."

"Well yeah, but… who are you supposed to be ten years from now?" Kira asked.

Kimberly shrugged. "Personally, I could care less. Now let's go buy some shoes."

* * *

"Oh, _ugh,"_ Trent complained.

"What?" Conner asked, following Trent's gaze to a black T-shirt with the words "Dance Mania!" in bold white letters on the front. "You don't like dancing?"

"That's the same shirt Dr. O was wearing when he interrupted my pancakes with Kira. Guess this is where he got it."

"Ah." Conner shrugged and headed over to a circular rack of clearance shirts, flipping through them aimlessly. "Never figured Dr. O would be in—ACK! What the _hell?"_

Trent rushed over to Conner's side, while the clearance rack hissed, "SHH!" in a panicked sort of way.

Trent pushed the shirts aside and stared incredulously into the rack. "Dr. O?"

"Shh! Don't give me away!"

Conner and Trent stared at him. There was something odd about him right now, something playful and carefree and somehow… _immature._ Of course, it could have just been the fact that he was hiding in a rack full of T-shirts covered with cartoon characters, but Conner and Trent preferred to believe they were being insightful.

"What are you _doing?"_ Trent demanded.

"Having fun. Why? What does it look like?"

"Fun? Okay, you _seriously_ need to get out more," Conner told him.

"Be _quiet!_ You'll give me away. It's almost go time."

At the rack across the aisle from theirs, a shirt squeaked along the railing, seemingly of its own accord. Tommy grabbed a shirt and scraped it back and forth, obviously signaling a co-conspirator. Tommy then took hold of the bar at the top of the rack and gave it a short spin.

"This isn't going to end well, is it," Trent said dryly.

_"Shh,"_ Tommy hissed.

"What are you planning?" Conner asked.

"Nothing. We're just messing with the guy who works here," Tommy whispered. "He can't stand the fact that he might be able to ban Zack from this store, but he can't ban him from the entire mall just because Zack stole his girlfriend. Now stop talking to me, would you? I'm in the middle of a secret operation here. Go away."

Trent jerked his head at the entrance. "Come on, Conner. Let's go stand away from the line of fire."

Jason came walking through the entrance as they approached it. He grinned at the two of them, then went to the rack across from Tommy's and began rummaging through the shirts. Then he turned towards the counter. "Hey, man?" he called to the guy at the register. "You got any more of these in a smaller size? My girl would love this."

The guy came out from behind the counter and headed for Jason. He reached out to take the shirt in question from Jason—and suddenly Zack popped up out of the rack, knocking a sale sign across the room in the process.

"Hi, honey, did you miss me?" Zack asked, batting his eyelashes and grinning his head off.

_"You!"_ the guy growled.

"Your girlfriend says hi," Zack said cheerfully.

The guy took a swipe at him. Zack ducked into the rack and rolled out from underneath. The guy made to rush him, but Jason "accidentally" tripped him and he landed flat on his back.

"Ooh, sorry," Jason said in concern, offering him a hand up. The guy ignored it and jumped to his feet, but by then Zack was gone.

Just then, Tommy began pushing his rack across the floor. The guy snarled and lunged at it, but before he was halfway to Tommy another rack started rolling in the opposite direction. He stood indecisive for a moment, then rushed at Zack's rack. By the time he reached it and began shoving the clothes aside, Zack had ditched it and hidden inside another. Jason, meanwhile, had disappeared, so now three racks were moving aimlessly around the store. Before long, the guy was chasing one, then another, like a little kid who really, really sucked at playing tag.

"This is… this is… there aren't words for this," Trent muttered. "Tell me that's not really our science teacher in there."

"Should we help?" Conner whispered.

Trent gave him a disbelieving look. "Um, I'm thinking… _no."_

It went on for ages. At one point, Jason was almost caught, but just as the guy shoved the shirts apart, Jason rolled out of the bottom, jumped on the counter, vaulted over the guy's head and disappeared. After just a few minutes, every rack was nowhere near its original location and most of the signs that had been on top of them had been switched or knocked away. It was going to take forever for the guy to figure out how to re-label the racks, especially since Jason, Tommy and Zack kept taking clothes with them when they switched hiding spots so that hundred-dollar jackets were on the bargain T-shirt rack and vice-versa. Then, just when Tommy, Jason and Zack had him surrounded and the guy looked ready to scream in frustration, the spinning racks stopped. The guy froze for a long moment, then slowly, cautiously, yanked apart two shirts on the closest rack and discovered it was empty.

Suddenly three more racks slammed into the gaps between the ones surrounding him, and a few moments later three more followed. Before he knew it, the guy was stuck in the center of a tight circle of eighteen racks of mismatched, mislabeled clothing, several of which were wedged against walls or permanent displays to keep them from being easily moved.

Only then did Tommy, Jason and Zack pop up, grinning evilly at the poor shop clerk. "So," Jason drawled, "do you have any more of that T-shirt, or not?"

"Yeah, how about some service?" Tommy added.

With a snarl of fury, the guy dropped from view and began crawling through the racks. By the time he surfaced, Tommy, Jason and Zack were safely out of the store, congratulating each other as they casually walked away, not even doing the clerk the dignity of a backwards glance.

"Wow," Conner breathed.

"Yeah," Trent agreed.

"Seriously. Wrestling alligators and selling cocaine. It can't just be him. It has to be something in the faculty lounge's water cooler or something."

"Let's hope so," Trent said, shaking his head. Figuring the clerk wouldn't be available to ring up a sale anytime soon, he and Conner tossed their prospective purchases on a shelf and wandered away, wondering just what their mature, respectable science teacher would get himself into next.

* * *

_End Notes:_ I'm fairly certain this will be the last update until we get back from Power Morphicon. Here's hoping we'll see some of you there! 


	75. A Brush with Destiny

**Chapter Seventy-five**

_A Brush with Destiny_

"My boys!" Trini called, dancing into the video game store and giving the guys behind the counter a little wave.

"Trini!" the three guys exclaimed, waving enthusiastically at her. "Where you been?" one of them asked.

"Had to take video games off the budget for the next few weeks if Jason and I wanted to take our vacations this week," Trini told them. "Jason's vacation isn't paid."

"If you're on vacation, what are you doing in the Grove?" a guy asked. "Don't you usually go do some crazy athletic thing?"

"Just because you don't scuba dive doesn't mean it's a crazy thing to do," Trini said firmly. "Guys, this is Billy—my best friend and a total god when it comes to anything electronic—and Ethan, gamer and hacker extraordinaire and urban legends junkie."

"I'm George."

"Phil."

"John."

"So you're not buying anything today?" George asked Trini. "Because I finally found a copy of that game you wanted…"

"I'm not, but Billy is. Billy here has been living in, um, Amish country for the past few years and doesn't have a single video game. We need the best of everything."

They stared at her in shock for a moment. "As in games or systems?" Phil asked slowly.

"As in everything. He needs a complete gaming library. Every good thing to hit the shelves in the past, say, six years?"

They continued to stare, as if Trini, Billy and Ethan were bathed in golden light and surrounded by angels playing one of Mozart's symphonies on harps. "Budget?" John whispered.

"Not currently applicable," Billy told him. "Although I assume I will be limiting myself at some point, I don't wish to impose any restrictions ahead of time. Oh, and add two copies of whatever that game Trini wanted to my tab."

The three clerks scattered for the shelves, chattering excitedly about the merits of each system and arguing about game after game. Trini and Ethan each added to their input, advising Billy of the pros and cons of each individual game and system.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ethan murmured as the clerks started a third pile on the counter. "I mean, spending all your money in one place…"

"Informing Kimberly that I went over-budget on video games will prevent her from going too over-budget on clothing," Billy replied. "Besides, I plan to invest a good deal of my remaining money, with Trini's help."

"Yeah, but, you don't even know if you'll be able to use these back on Aquitar."

"I'll find a way. That's what I'm good at. If I can't… well, hopefully Trini will return them for me, because if I had to do it… I imagine these guys might sob if all of these items had to be refunded."

"Well, make sure you don't open more games than you have to until you've made sure you can make it work, or you're going to be out a few thousand dollars."

"Why?"

"You can't refund games if you open them."

"What? Why not?"

Ethan stared at him. "Dude… you _do_ know what piracy is, don't you?"

"Yes…"

"But to Billy it still conjures up images of a boat in the Caribbean," Trini explained. "Napster wasn't even all that well-known until… what was it? 1999? 2000?"

"What _happened_ to this planet?" Billy demanded.

Ethan shrugged. "It's a long story."

"What about PC games?" Phil called from a far corner of the store.

"No, no, only video games," Trini replied.

"Why not get him a computer?" Ethan asked.

"No point, really. It's not like he could link up to our Internet," Trini explained. "Everything he'd need a computer for, he has on Aquitar, except for games, and he can get them through video game consoles. I don't think we should spend four or five hundred dollars on a computer just to play a few more games, especially since most of the good ones are on less expensive systems anyway."

"I miss conventional keyboards," Billy said with a distant look in his eye. "The way the keys feel when your fingers come down on them…"

"The click of a mouse…" Ethan added.

"The hum of a monitor…" Trini continued.

The three trailed off into silence, staring into space with reminiscent expressions on their faces. Then Billy sighed heavily. "I really should come back. I'm sure I could find employment if I did…"

"Why don't you?" Ethan asked curiously.

Billy smiled. "I have a life on Aquitar. I've got friends that I care about and I do a lot of good across the galaxy, mediating disputes, bailing out planets in trouble… sometimes I even get to fly a spaceship to protect a planet from invaders. I interfere in _intergalactic wars_ now. It's not something I want to give up. Not to mention Cestria, who I love… sometimes it sounds crazy, to think of returning to Earth and being a civilian, tinkering away in my garage and playing video games or basketball… but sometimes it's what I want."

"Billy," Trini said softly, "we're not getting any younger. They might not age on Aquitar, but we all will. We all have careers now, and soon we'll probably all have families. We're running out of youth, out of time to enjoy each other's company the way we used to. If you want to stay, we'll understand, but life here isn't meaningless. Friends, family, us… it might not be rescuing aliens from dictators in an intergalactic war, but it isn't meaningless. If you don't want to leave Aquitar, don't let it be because you're afraid of letting people down. They'll understand, and there will always be someone to carry the torch for you. Ethan here is proof of that."

Ethan smiled, figuring he might as well try to lighten the mood. "Besides… we have video games."

* * *

_"Seriously?"_ Kira asked incredulously.

"Yep. Dozens of little bitty braids," Kimberly confirmed. "He had to sit still for hours while I braided. Of course, I didn't have enough rubber bands to do all those braids… but I did have a big spool of pink ribbon."

"So _that's_ how his hair got full of bows."

"Yep. I mean, I could have just knotted them, but bows were just… I couldn't resist."

"So he was really mortified when he found out what you'd done to his hair?"

"Oh, no. Well, yeah, a little bit, but the real horror came when everyone else found out. See, I was just teasing him about how cute he looked when our communicators went off."

Kira winced. "Oh, no."

"Uh-huh. We were the first ones to get there and of course the Putty Patrol is chasing these little kids all over the playground. So, get this—Tommy runs in, pulls one of them off a little boy, and tells the kid to run. And the kid responds with—'Thanks, _lady!'"_

Kira burst out laughing. "Oh, my god! That's great!"

Kimberly nodded, snickering. "Tommy stared at him, all offended, and then a Putty kicked him into a tire swing. After that, Tommy forgot all about his hair while the two of us kicked some butt. By the time the others showed up, we'd already morphed. So we kicked the monster's ass in, like, three seconds flat, which freed all the kids trapped in its box thingy, and then we killed it again in our zords, and then we all went back to the park and demorphed. And there's Tommy, surrounded by his four best friends, staring at him, and for the longest time he can't figure out why, and I'm trying not to laugh…"

"What'd he do when he remembered?"

"Flung his shirt over his head. Bad move, really. We might've been able to keep from laughing if he hadn't done that. The White Ranger, leader of the Power Rangers, with his hair full of pink bows and the improvisational equivalent of a bag over his head. We laughed ourselves sick. Tommy eventually had to just wander off. Of course, he left the shirt over his head and bashed into a tree four seconds later…"

"I don't think I'll ever look at Dr. O the same way again if you keep this up," Kira groaned, clutching her stomach. "It's so hard to think of him as a goofy teenager, let alone with bows in his hair."

"Don't worry, Kira, I've got plenty of imagery to go around," Kimberly told her. "Anyway, I was never allowed to touch Tommy's hair after that. At least, not with the intention of styling it. From what I understand, he saves that for people who've gone to cosmetology school. Well, except for that bit with Hayley… but, well, that was because of the whole fire and tomato sauce thing…"

"Do what now?"

Kimberly's face lit up. "You haven't heard that story, either?"

"No. I told you, Dr. O doesn't tell us a whole lot about his past. I knew more than Conner, Trent or Ethan, from sorting through Dr. O's personal files to help him do inventory and asking questions about random things, but all I really knew was that he used to work for Trent's dad and that he raced stock cars, things like that. General stuff. I think I would remember hair, fire and tomato sauce."

Kimberly grinned. "Oh, Kira, by the time I'm through, you'll know everything there is to know about Tommy. Starting with the most embarrassing stuff I can think of and working down to the sappiest."

"You're evil," Kira told her. "So… go ahead. Spill."

* * *

"So where to next?" Zack asked. Tommy, Jason and Zack were riding the escalator to the second floor, still glowing from their bit of revenge on the T-shirt store clerk.

"I need to knock Kimberly around," Tommy said as they leaped one by one off the escalator's platform.

"Aw, come on," Zack complained. "This is _us._ The three of us. In the mall. You can do that anytime."

"I've got until Sunday, Zack," Tommy pointed out. "And we'll be spending Saturday dealing with… other things."

"We really should figure out what we're going to do tomorrow," Jason said idly. "Not to mention tonight. I mean, even Kimberly has to leave the mall when it closes."

"We should probably write those speeches," Tommy said. "And maybe swing by the park and check out the setup for Power Rangers Day. And it'd be nice to go to the lake, just hang out and stuff…"

"And try to put the moves on Kimberly," Zack teased.

"The thought _had_ crossed my mind," Tommy admitted with an unrepentant grin. "So. Come on. I have to hit her with _something._ Any ideas?"

_"You're_ the evil mastermind," Jason told him.

"You know, _you_ were the last one of us to go evil," Tommy pointed out dryly.

"For less than a half hour," Jason shot back. "And all _I_ did was try to throw you in a lava pit and strangle you a bit and beat up your friends. You wrecked the Command Center, gave Alpha a virus, tried to beat us up _several_ times—"

"Guys, guys, don't fight!" Zack cut in, adopting an overly dramatic tone. "Honest, guys, you're _both_ evil in my book! Can't we all just be _friends?"_

"Shut up, Zack," Jason and Tommy said in unison, both of them grinning and shaking their heads.

"Okay," Tommy said reluctantly. "I guess I'll hit Kimberly later or—"

"Heads up," Jason muttered quietly, nodding slightly at something behind Tommy. Tommy turned. Kira and Kimberly were exiting a nearby accessory store, Kimberly's arms full of shopping bags and Kira clutching a grand total of two bags. They were laughing loudly; Kimberly had a mischievous look about her, while Kira's expression was more incredulous. Tommy's instincts began to shout that something was very horribly wrong. Had he the option of conversing with his instincts, he would have replied with, "Duh."

"Oh, hi," Kimberly said, her voice sickeningly cheerful and her lips quirking into a smirk at the sight of Tommy, Jason and Zack. "How's it going?"

"Fine," Tommy replied cautiously. "You two having fun?"

"Lots of fun," Kira gasped out, struggling to rein in her laughter. "Everything's great—Cinnamon Buns."

Icy tendrils of dread shot through Tommy faster than a growing monster. She knew. Kira _knew._ Kimberly _told_ her. Despite the numerous threats, Tommy had never really thought that his friends would stoop so low as to inform his students of the less than admirable parts of his past.

"Bye, guys," Kimberly said, waving at him triumphantly before ushering Kira towards an escalator. Tommy could have sworn he heard the words "Tomato sauce" and "Hayley" before they disappeared from view.

Eyes narrowing in fury, he turned back to Jason and Zack. Both had their fists over their mouths, though their hands couldn't quite disguise their grins. They were looking at the floor in opposite directions, obviously knowing better than to look at him or each other just then, or they'd burst out laughing and get maimed by Tommy. Tommy took a deep, shuddering, calming breath, ignoring the slight tremors going through his best friends' shoulders as they struggled to gain control of their mirth.

"I am going to get her. Somehow. _Now."_

"We're with you," Jason muttered with difficulty, voice muffled by his fist.

"All the way," Zack agreed, a snort of suppressed laughter escaping in spite of himself.

* * *

"Aww, aren't you cute. You're a big killer dog, aren't you? Yes you are!"

Trent rolled his eyes. He didn't know what had possessed him to allow Conner to drag him into the pet store. Apparently Conner hadn't been able to own a pet ever since that time he and Eric had fed their neighbor's dog a seven-layer chocolate cake, but he had a fondness for cats and, even though he wasn't a dog person, he seemed to enjoy puppies. And hamsters, and ferrets, and parakeets…

Trent moved to a circular display, which was divided into sections with plastic barriers. In each section was a different brand of rodent—guinea pig, gerbil, mouse, hamster. He stared at the hamsters, watching them wander around, nibbling and sniffing. He wondered what it would be like to be a hamster, stuck in a cage all day, hanging with other hamsters, waiting for some faceless giant to decide the hamster's destiny and if it lived out the rest of its days in a too-small, unclean cage with just a wheel and a water bottle or if it got a whole hamster habitat with tubes and colors and maybe even one of those ball thingies so it could go explore the whole house…

"Hey!" Conner called to the girl behind the counter. "Can I hold one of these gerbils?"

Trent glanced up at the sign on the display, which said one had to ask permission _and _be eighteen to handle the animals, but as the disinterested shopkeeper called out a vague affirmative without paying attention to Conner at all, Trent decided not to bother saying anything and went back to staring at the hamsters.

People were a lot like hamsters, really. Mindlessly living out their lives, running in their wheels, finding nourishment, making more hamsters without any real regard for whether or not the little hamsters would be born into the right environment. Then someone came along, some higher power, plucked the hamster from obscurity and gave it a new life, slightly different from the pet store but not enough that the hamster would really notice because if it just got the small, dirty cage it had bigger problems to worry about and if it got the cool habitat and the ball thingy it was too busy living it up to notice if—

Wait. Conner wanted to hold the gerbils. But Conner was not near the gerbil display. Where was Conner, and _how did he get a gerbil?_

Trent's head snapped up. The first thing he saw was the girl at the counter, reading a magazine, not paying the slightest attention to Conner… who was cuddling a gerbil while standing in front of a row of cages. One of which was open. And no longer containing gerbils.

Trent looked down. A gerbil zoomed by his foot and disappeared around the corner. Trent stared at the blank spot where it had once been, unable to accept the fact that once again, they'd managed to have one of those moments that Should Not Happen to Normal People.

He looked back up at Conner in fury for causing this mess… and discovered that Conner now had not one but two creatures in his hands and another cage was rapidly emptying of hamsters.

"Okay, Mr. Mongolian Gerbil," Conner said happily, "meet Ms. Syrian Hamster!"

Trent's facial expression had previously only appeared on cartoon characters. He knew he needed to intervene before Mr. Gerbil and Ms. Hamster joined their escaped friends, but he just couldn't bring himself to move. Moving would make this all real. And it _couldn't_ be real. This didn't happen to _Trent._ Trent was _normal._

Trent realized now that he was sitting in that too-small, unclean cage, the water bottle a little too high and the wheel a little too squeaky and that kid never played with him and every time they put him in that ball thingy he always ended up rolling down the stairs and getting lost in the basement for three weeks or at the very least chased around by the vicious family Doberman. Whatever higher power had invested in Trent's destiny, they weren't willing to spring for a habitat with colored tubes. But they _were_ willing to spring for a couple more hamsters. Hamsters who thought it was fun to antagonize the Doberman and that the basement was an adventure when all Trent really wanted was to curl up in the corner of his cage and wait until his hamster existence ended because surely the next incarnation would be a whole lot better and he'd get to be some sort of faceless giant himself, one who would put all its hamsters in cool habitats with colored tubes and clean the cages regularly and make sure little kids played with them but didn't squeeze too tight and there were no basement stairs…

Suddenly Trent couldn't take it anymore. Trent couldn't accept the fact that faceless giants had shipped him off to the too-small cage with nothing to look forward to but the basement stairs. Trent couldn't let the horrible process of hamster-destiny-purchasing continue. The hero in him simply wouldn't allow it.

Trent wheeled around and grabbed hold of the piece of plastic separating his fellow hamsters from creating their own destiny. With one loud snap, the divider came off in his hands, and Trent whisked it through the air with a flourish.

"To _freedom,_ my brethren!" Trent screamed. "To freedom, and a destiny that you alone create!"

He stood there for a long moment, divider clutched tightly in his hand, held high above the hamsters… who continued to mindlessly wander around their habitat, climbing around on each other, sleeping in little balls, nibbling their pellets…

Trent frowned. Then he glared. "I said _to freedom,_ my brethren!" Trent shouted, and began grabbing them one by one and putting them on the floor, glowering at the ones who'd been curled into balls and clearly would prefer to sleep than rush out into the world on their own.

Someone coughed behind him. Trent glanced over his shoulder. The girl at the register was still engrossed in her magazine, used to people making dumb jokes about freedom to animals stuck in cages. A glance over the other shoulder revealed Conner, staring at him in confusion, the gerbil and hamster still in his hands.

If there is one thing on the planet that will bring a person back from the brink of insanity, it is someone like Conner staring at said person as if they're insane. For when a Conner-type—someone not too bright unless they put their mind to it, with a healthy dose of insanity wired into their very being—has a good, logical reason for staring at someone as if they're insane, that someone knows it's way _past_ time to worry about their own mental health.

Trent looked down at the sleepy hamster in his hands, who was thoroughly nonplussed that the stupid giant had woken him up. Then he looked back up at the cages Conner had opened and left unattended, both of which were now completely devoid of life. Finally, he turned to the shopkeeper… who probably wasn't going to remain oblivious for long.

"We need to get out of here," Trent whispered, carefully depositing the poor sleepy hamster back in the broken display.

"Gee, do you _think?"_ Conner hissed, giving Trent a reprimanding glare that later would strike Trent as ludicrous, though right now a little thing like Conner glaring at him for purposefully committing Conner's accidental crime on a smaller scale couldn't quite make the ludicrous meter.

Trent swallowed and slowly stood up. Gerbils and hamsters alike were racing all over the place. A few were darting purposefully for the exit, but most were wandering around, probably trying to find the water bottle.

"Step. Carefully," Trent whispered. Conner nodded and the two began cautiously heading for the door, on the other side of the shelves from the shopkeeper, putting as little of their shoes down with each step as possible. They still had twelve feet to go when a little girl and her mother approached the shop and stopped dead at the sight of the rodent-covered floor.

"Look, Mommy—rats!"

The mother screamed. The clerk looked up at them, then tossed her magazine to the side and jumped to her feet—lazy she might be, but people screaming because of rats while still standing safely outside the store and looking in with expressions of horror and awe was cause for instant alarm.

She leaned over the counter, eyes widening at the sight of the escaped rodents now running wildly throughout the store. Then her head jerked up, and her eyes landed on Conner and Trent.

_"You,"_ she snarled.

"RUN!" Trent bellowed, but Conner was already a step ahead of him.

Unfortunately, they really couldn't run on a floor covered in gerbils and hamsters, not unless they wanted to squish a cute, furry creature with their shoes. They took to careful but frantic hops to relatively clear spots, almost landing on a hamster here, almost overbalancing there, the mother screaming in horror and clutching her daughter to her, the shopkeeper screaming for security and dialing her manager on the phone.

"Conner! How did I let you get me into this?" Trent complained as they finally jumped out of the store, where the rodent population was a lot less dense, allowing them to run flat-out down the corridor.

"Me? _Me?_ What about you? Does sending your brethren to create their destiny ring a bell?"

Trent was all set to fire off a snappy comeback when he saw the only thing that could make things worse.

Jason. Zack.

And _Dr. O._

As Conner and Trent approached, Jason, Zack and Tommy, the three of them looked behind the two hamster liberators, saw the rodents skittering across the floor and the now-numerous screaming mall-crawlers and the store clerk shouting after Conner and Trent and waving a cordless phone at their retreating backs. It wasn't hard to connect the dots.

"No you _did_ not," was all Tommy had time to say before Conner and Trent blew past, now scared of both being caught for freeing the gerbils and hamsters and of what their science teacher would do to them for said crime. It wasn't like their records were exactly clean as it was.

"We're so screwed," Trent moaned.

"Maybe that fountain thing cursed us or something," Conner mused.

They were halfway to the food court before their communicators went off. Conner looked at Trent and gestured with Mr. Mongolian Gerbil and Ms. Syrian Hamster. "Could you get that? My hands are full."

Trent sighed and figured he might as well face the music. He lifted his wrist to his mouth and hit the button on the former morphing bracelet. "Um, Dr. O, I swear I can… almost sort of explain—"

"Don't talk. Just listen. Both of you. First of all, stop running; it's suspicious." Trent and Conner instantly ground to a halt, then started walking casually, their eyes darting around for incoming mall security. "Second, Conner—ditch the guinea pigs. Dead giveaway." Conner frowned, looked reluctantly down at his two new friends, then stuffed them into his pockets. "Next, go down to the first floor. Don't come back in this wing, and try to avoid the second floor if at all possible." They obeyed, hurrying to a nearby escalator. "Now, go buy yourselves some hats, new shirts, sunglasses—anything that could muddle your description for security. Buy them, tear the tags off, and wear them. If someone tries to question you, tell them you didn't set the guinea pigs free, you just got freaked out when they escaped and you ran out of the store. Wasn't you. That's your story. Stick to it."

"Yes, Dr. O," Conner and Trent chorused.

"If you get taken into the security office, beep me. I know where it is; I'll be there as fast as I can. Don't try to speak into the communicator if you're caught, though. Just beep me. Oh, and one more thing."

"Yeah?" Trent asked cautiously.

"Stop. Causing. _CHAOS!"_

"We didn't do it on _purpose,"_ Conner began, but Trent cut him off.

"Dr. O, I figured it out. I'm not the hamster who gets bought by some average god and sent to live in a small dirty cage. I'm the hamster who was just curled up in a little ball when the God of Normality came into the pet store with the God of Chaos and the God of Normality just couldn't process the chain of events when the God of Chaos accidentally set loose a bunch of gerbils so the God of Normality broke open my cage and tried to send me and my friends on the path of destiny only we didn't want to go so the God of Normality flung us all out of the cage but when he got to me he realized he was freaking out and he put me back and now I'm all alone on the pile of sawdust and if I want to I can escape my meaningless life and get picked up by some other average god and maybe I'll even get sent to the place with the colored tubes but there's still a chance I'll get the basement stairs but in the end it's my choice if I let either of those happen because now that the cage is busted I have the option, I can jump out of the display and run off and try to forge my own destiny but I know it'll be a long drop and I know that someone has plans for me and maybe just maybe they have colored tubes for me because surely I wouldn't be in the display if I was meant for the too-small cage but then maybe too-small cages aren't what the gods had in mind, they just sort of happen when one buys a hamster and if I leave now I won't be bought, I'll have to survive on my own in the mall and avoid the exterminators and shoppers and forage food for myself with no more water bottle and—"

"Trent. _Cope."_

Trent blinked. The short, imperious order could probably be considered rude, even out-of-line. Certainly it wasn't very compassionate. But it was the most helpful thing Tommy could have said right then, and it snapped Trent right out of his indecisive hamster viewpoint and back to a functioning level. Not because Trent was ready to cope, or because he didn't have a right to be freaked out, but simply because when all was said and done the thing Trent was best at, the most highly-developed skill he possessed, was coping, with anything and everything—even with life as a hamster.

"Okay," Trent said. With that, he dropped his wrist, squared his shoulders, and led the way into the nearest men's clothing store.

Conner followed, shaking his head. He always knew Trent would lose it some day. At least this way Conner had gotten a couple of free pets out of the deal. Of course, they were going to need cages. And water bottles and food pellets…

Really, though, he should probably go all out and get them one of those habitats with the colored tubes. And maybe a ball thingy.

After all, that's what Conner would want, if he were a hamster.

* * *

"Kira?" Kimberly called uncertainly. "Kira, where'd you go?"

Kimberly's instincts were on high alert. Kira had vanished in the midst of the clothing department while Kimberly was trying on a top. She'd been waiting outside Kimberly's dressing room, waiting to give her opinion on the shirt, and then suddenly she'd stopped chatting to Kimberly through the door. Kimberly could have sworn she'd heard Kira yelp, but she hadn't responded to Kimberly's calls since then. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

She moved slowly, deliberately, through the racks of clothing, struggling not to raise her fists. Something was off. What could have happened to Kira?

Kimberly had already abandoned her shopping bags near the dressing room, wanting to have her hands free, even though part of her, the "ex" part in "ex-Ranger," kept saying she was being stupid, this wasn't anything strange, Kira had just wandered off, she needed to stop letting this happen, every few weeks there was a new moment that she blew out of proportion because the fighter in her just refused to believe that there wasn't danger around every corner…

Kimberly cautiously headed back for the dressing rooms; with any luck, Kira was waiting for her there. She reached the end of the racks and turned towards the dressing rooms… and there, in front of her, was Kira. She was struggling like mad—against Jason.

Jason had one arm around her chest and a hand over her mouth. Given the fact that Kimberly had passed the spot where he was standing several times in her search for Kira, he must have been dragging Kira around to keep her out of sight. His eyes met Kimberly's and he grinned at her, as if he'd been waiting for her to find them…

But if he'd been dragging Kira around, he hadn't wanted her to find them… until now… which meant…

He'd led her here, back to the dressing rooms. But why? If he wanted her here, why lead her away, then back?

"Good to see you, Kimberly," Jason said cheerfully.

The answer to her question came a split-second later when a dressing room door banged open and Zack sprang out, jumping behind her and grabbing her arms and pinning them to her sides before she could react, holding her much the same way Kira was being contained, only without bothering to cover her mouth. Jason had apparently lured Kimberly away to give Zack time to hide and spring out later, while simultaneously keeping Kira from warning her that they were up to something.

That knowledge went through her in a split-second and then she was deciding how best to break Zack's hold, irritated beyond belief at both of them for playing this retarded game—

And then Tommy stepped into view, grinning wickedly, smug victory in his eyes as he approached. Kimberly waited for him to come within range, planning on kicking him until he cried.

"Hello, Kimberly," Tommy said pleasantly, and before she could respond he leaped forward and put something furry against her collarbone. Then he let it drop down into her tight tank top.

Kimberly's eyes widened in fury. No he didn't. No he _didn't._ He did _not_ just send Jason and Zack to hold her and Kira down while he threw things in Kimberly's shirt. He just _didn't._

Then the worst thing possible happened.

The furry item in her shirt _moved._

Kimberly froze—which she realized was a mistake when Tommy tossed two more balls of fur down into her tank top before Jason, Zack and Tommy bolted, leaving an infuriated Kira to stumble and try to regain her balance.

Kira desperately looked like she wanted to chase them, but given the stricken look on Kimberly's face she thought better of it. "Kim! Are you okay? What did they do?"

"Rats," Kimberly whispered as the three creatures began crawling around, trapped between her skin and the tight material of her shirt. _"Rats."_

Kira knitted her brow; she'd been too busy struggling futilely against Jason to pay much attention to Tommy, and with Tommy's back to her she hadn't had much of a view anyway. Thus Kira had yet to notice the additions to Kimberly's wardrobe, and mistook "rats" as a mild curse, something akin to "darn," rather than actual rodents.

"What did he—?" Kira began, then broke off in horror as she noticed the wiggling lumps in Kimberly's shirt. Kira yelped, and any composure Kimberly had managed to maintain shattered. Both of them were screaming in fear and disgust and panic, Kimberly yelling for help and Kira unable to muster up the courage to reach into Kimberly's shirt and grab an unknown rodent. Shop clerks began rushing over to see what the problem was but neither girl was coherent enough to explain. Kimberly flung her arms straight up and screamed at Kira to get them out, hopping in place simply because the skin-crawling sensation wouldn't allow her to hold still and she knew that running would be useless.

At last, Kira screwed up her resolve and stuck her hand under the hem of Kimberly's shirt. Eventually she managed to seize one of the gerbils and yank it back out the bottom, at which point she hurriedly flung it away. Over in the lingerie section, someone else started screaming as the gerbil fell from the sky. Neither Kira nor Kimberly noticed. Grimacing, Kira prepared to extricate the next gerbil.

Thirty feet away, mostly hidden by a shelf of men's shoes, Tommy, Jason and Zack watched the aftermath of their handiwork with relish.

"You can't pay for entertainment like this," Zack breathed.

"If you could, we couldn't afford it," Jason said, grinning like mad.

Tommy let out a sigh of satisfaction. This had gone even better than he thought. Finally, for once, the chaos had worked in his favor.

"Trent picked a great day to have some sort of hamster identity crisis," Zack commented.

"You were right about hitting Kimberly," Jason told Tommy. "So, how are we going to get her next?"

Tommy smiled. "You know what? I think I'm done. For the moment."

* * *

_End Notes:_ Okay, I lied. Seventy-four was _supposed_ to be the last chapter before Power Morphicon, and then I sat down to write the hamster scene and simply couldn't leave it saved to my hard drive for two weeks. The bit about the bows—one of our oldest flashback ideas—simply wouldn't work in actual flashback form, no matter how hard I tried, so sorry about that. Hope the hamsters made up for it. 


	76. High Five

_Author's Notes:_ We're finally back (and relatively unscathed) from Power Morphicon. It was absolutely awesome, especially the part where Austin St. John bent over while standing six inches in front of me and the part where Firass Dirani asked me to psychically predict what color panties he was wearing, even if we did almost get wrongfully arrested for smuggling in Oklahoma (never going _there_ again). The story of my version of what happened—titled "How Austin St. John Almost Got Me Arrested (Twice)"—will soon be found on deabryn, and I'll put the link in my profile when it's ready. I have to say, it's really different to write PR fics now that I've met the real versions of Jason, Zack, Rocky, Adam, Bulk, Skull, Kira and Anton, not to mention Eric Myers, Nick, Madison, Xander, Boom, Phineas, Norg, Sky, Bridge, Z, Sydney, Mack, Will, Dax, Ronny, Rose and Miratrix (most of whom we plan on featuring in OLaB or its sequels at some point). Despite the surreal feeling that now comes with trying to capture the characters' essence thanks to the actors' personalities, we're full of new inspiration and plot bunnies, and I'm sure we'll be back in the flow before long. And my apologies for how long this took to post; our Internet connection took a dive bomb shortly after our return from California.

* * *

**Chapter Seventy-six**

_High Five_

"So that's everything?" Billy asked, looking the packages over with a critical eye. He was out several thousand dollars, and the shelves of the store were rather empty, save for random spots where games like _Barbie Horseback Riding_ and _Extreme Bass Fishing_ were still fully stocked, stacks of them jutting out forlornly.

"No idea how you'll carry them all," said George. He, Phil and John had been forced to start an assembly line. The cases on the shelves did not contain the actual game disks and cartridges, in an attempt to prevent theft, so the amount of games Billy had bought took quite a long time to package. Phil was ringing up the sale, John was finding the disks, and George was putting the games in their boxes. Ethan was doing the bagging.

"Oh, don't worry," Trini said lightly. "We've got friends."

Just then a blur of green and pink shot towards Trini and slammed against her, almost knocking her over. It took her a moment to realize that Kimberly had just flung herself at Trini, wrapping her arms around Trini's neck and burying her face in Trini's shoulder.

"Trini! _Rats!"_ Kimberly wailed. "Gerbils! Hamsters! Guinea pigs! Rats! _Rodents,_ Trini, rodents!"

Bewildered, Trini put her arms around Kimberly consolingly. Looking up, she realized George, Phil, John and Ethan were staring at the scene in shock. "Um, in fact, here's one of our friends right now," Trini joked with a nervous laugh.

"Kim, what happened?" Billy asked, hurrying over to them.

"Rats! _Rats in my shirt!_ How could he, Trini? How _could_ he?"

"Is she crying?" Billy mouthed to Trini as Kimberly dissolved into nonsensical muttering.

"Not yet," Trini mouthed back, as she was unable to feel any damp spots starting on the shoulder Kimberly's face was nestled against. Billy worriedly began rubbing Kimberly's back while Trini held her tightly.

Kira came into the shop just then, a black expression on her face and dozens of shopping bags clutched in her hands. She stomped over to Ethan. "Hold these," she commanded, holding out the bags to him. Ethan set down the game he was holding and took them. Kira looked over at Trini and Billy. "You guys got her for the moment?"

"Yeah, but what—?" Trini began.

"I'll be back," Kira said darkly, and marched out of the store.

* * *

Tommy, Jason and Zack's lust for adventure had been sated for the moment, and the three were currently browsing through camping gear at a store that had given them supplies for many of their forays into the wilderness. Joking and laughing about Zack's inability to get along well with vultures and moose for reasons unknown, they failed to notice Kira's approach until Tommy suddenly went flying into a shelf of sleeping bags. 

"Ow," Tommy complained, more startled than hurt. Jason and Zack watched in surprise as a blur of black and yellow rushed at him, shoving him back against the shelves just as he'd started to right himself.

_"Never_ again!" Kira roared, absolutely livid. "How _could_ you?"

Tommy stared at her in disbelief. Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent never went straight at him like this. They were all well-aware of the fact that not only was he an authority figure, he was also a very experienced martial artist and fighter, not to mention a legendary Power Ranger. Kira's failure to defer to him made the situation far more serious than being shoved into a shelf would ordinarily be.

"Don't you _ever_ pull a stunt like that again!" Kira screamed. _"Gerbils?_ My god, you're an adult! Act like it!"

Tommy had often compared Kira to the other Yellows he knew well—Trini, Aisha, Tanya, Ashley. Her personality, her hobbies, and her attitude had reminded him of one of his Yellow friends at one point or another. Yet she had never seemed more Yellow than she did right now, facing him down without fear, shouting at him, berating at him, waving a finger in his face and making some long-dead part of him—a part that could most accurately be dubbed his "fear response"—awaken and urge him to run for it, even though logically he knew there was absolutely no cause to do so; she might be infuriated, but if push came to shove she wouldn't be shoving him far.

Tommy knew that. Kira knew that. Jason and Zack knew that. Yet that knowledge was not enough to stop the screaming.

"Seriously! You _do not_ pull stunts like that! You _do not_ order me to be held down and dragged around a clothing store! And for what? Just so you can pretend you've got the emotional maturity level of _Conner!_ If you _ever_ pull a stunt like that again I will make you bleed from arteries you didn't know you had! I just spent the last hour coddling and comforting and sticking my hand up your little lover girl's shirt and _I swear to god,_ no matter how long it takes, _I will make you pay for that!"_

"I'm sorry," Tommy blurted out, his tone dripping sincerity. "I am _so_ sorry that I upset you. That I upset Kim. You're right. It was stupid, it was immature, it was wrong… I don't know what came over me. I'm so sorry. I promise, Kira, I'll make it up to you. To you _and_ Kim. Please, don't judge me from one moment of stupidity. Just… I'm _really_ sorry."

Kira glared at him for a long moment. "Never again," she hissed.

"I _promise._ Never. You have _no_ idea how much I regret it. How much I was already regretting it when you came in here."

She continued to glower blackly at him. "You _owe_ me. You _so_ owe me. _Gerbils,_ damn it, gerbils!"

"I know. It was just… Conner and Trent somehow set them loose all over the second floor and Zack—"

"Hey!" Zack complained, from a safe distance of about thirty feet.

"—had this dumb idea and Jason and I went along with it and I'm really, _really_ sorry. I really am. Please, Kira… it won't happen again. I swear it won't."

Kira stared him down for a long, tense moment. Then she sighed and flounced away without a word.

Jason and Zack waited until she was safely out of the store, then moved to stand beside Tommy, staring after her. All three of them silently watched her disappear into the crowded mall. Then, as one, they burst out laughing.

"That was great," Jason cackled as the three of them slapped palms and shoulders, congratulating themselves on a diabolical plot well-executed.

"Can't believe you tried to blame it on _me,"_ Zack complained jokingly.

"Oh, I take _full_ responsibility," Tommy said mock-seriously before cracking up once again. "Yes, I'm a bad, _bad_ man."

"Yes, you are," Jason agreed, shaking his head. "Did you see her face? She was _furious!"_

"Kim's probably a wreck!" Zack added gleefully.

"She's _so_ going down," Tommy announced smugly. "I kicked her _ass._ I so totally did."

"Think she'll ever forgive you for the gerbil thing, though?" Zack asked thoughtfully.

"Oh, of _course,"_ Tommy said, adopting a solemn expression and tone, though his face twitched occasionally, giving away the fact that he found the whole thing as amusing as hell. "See, now that Kira's bitch-slapped me, I've seen the error of my ways. I've realized how immature and rude I was being. Me and Kim, we really do just need to take things slow. I've just been so stuck in the past and confused that I wanted to rush things, and all I really did was make things more difficult. I can see that now, Kim. And I'm _really_ sorry. Please forgive me. Please let me try to make things right between us, because after all, all I really want is your _friendship."_

"You are _evil,"_ Zack said with a grin. "Seriously evil."

"No, Zack," Tommy told him, "I'm just a guy with a mission."

* * *

By the time Kira returned to EB, Kimberly was far more coherent and muttering angrily, which in Kira's opinion was a vast improvement over the whimpering in horror. "Everything okay?" Ethan asked Kira worriedly. While Kimberly was coherent as far as Kira was concerned, she still wasn't making much sense to Trini, Billy, Ethan or the shop clerks. 

"Fine," Kira said. "I just totally read Dr. O the riot act."

"Good," Kimberly announced. "I can't _believe_ him. Can you believe him?"

Kira sighed. That sounded a little too much like what Kimberly had been saying yesterday about Tommy trying to seduce her at the carnival. "I know, Kim. I know. I had to remove the damned gerbils, remember?"

"Thank you, by the way," Kimberly said. "I don't think I've said that yet."

"It's okay," Kira told her. "I know you were upset. And I was glad to do it. We're friends, right?"

"Of _course!"_ Kimberly agreed, then sighed heavily. "God. I just… ugh."

"I know. But, let's not dwell, okay?" Kira said as she went to take Kimberly's shopping bags back from Ethan. "I mean, I think he's learned his lesson. I scared him pretty badly. Might have even given him a few bruises."

Kimberly took a long, deep, shuddering breath to calm herself. "You're right. I don't want to think about it, anyway. But before I let it drop, there's one thing I have to do first."

* * *

Tommy, Jason and Zack were walking along the lower level, joking and laughing about their newest victory, preparing to head to EB and pick up Billy, Trini and Ethan, when they heard Kira shout, "Hey, Dr. O!" 

They paused and looked around, but failed to spot Kira. Finally she called, "Up here!"

Tommy looked up, and without warning a giant cinnamon roll fell from the sky and hit him full in the face, icing-side first.

Jason and Zack scattered as Tommy wiped the icing out of his eye area. He saw the bun rolling away out of the corner of his eye before fixing his gaze on the second floor's balcony, where Kira and Kimberly were laughing uproariously and giving each other high-fives. "See you around, Cinnamon Buns!" Kimberly yelled, before the two disappeared from view.

Tommy turned to find Jason and Zack, who were standing safely underneath the second-floor balcony, out of the line of fire from the upper level. Tommy smiled through the mess of icing coating his face. "See? What did I tell you?" he said cheerfully. "I've got her right where I want her."

"If you say so, bro," Jason said, cracking up at the picture Tommy made.

"Hey, Tommy?" Zack said, struggling to keep a straight face.

"Hmm?"

"You got a little something on your face, bro." With that, Zack dissolved into hysterical laughter.

* * *

Kira and Kimberly hung out on a bench outside EB while waiting for the others, sharing the tale of the rodent attack and the cinnamon bun counterattack with Trini, Billy and Ethan. Conner and Trent arrived first, both in completely new outfits and wearing dark sunglasses and hats pulled low over their eyes. Trent had some small amount of success in pulling off the look, but Conner looked like a wannabe gang member. 

"How's it going?" Conner asked.

"Good, except for the rodent thing," Kira replied.

Trent winced and stomped on Conner's foot, hoping that if he could keep Conner quiet then whatever Kira's bad experience with rodents was, it wouldn't be traced back to them. Conner yelped and glared at him. "Dude, I _need_ that foot," he complained. "Soccer star, remember?"

"But I suppose you know all about the rodent thing," Kira continued. "Dr. O said you and Conner set them all loose."

_"Conner_ set them loose," Trent said firmly.

_"Hey!"_ Conner complained incredulously. "I seem to recall _someone_ breaking a display case and tossing hamsters all over the place."

"That was maybe twenty hamsters! Thirty, tops. You freed like a hundred in hamsters alone. Not to mention the gerbils."

"That was an accident! Not an attempt to give them all destinies!"

"So I guess I have you two to thank for three gerbils ending up in my shirt?" Kimberly asked coolly.

Conner's eyes widened in horror and he gaped at Trent. "Dude, you threw gerbils _down Kimberly's shirt?"_

"Of course not!"

"No, that would be me." The group turned to see Tommy, Jason and Zack arriving. Tommy still had icing stuck in his hair, but he'd managed to get his face clean.

"Hi, guys," Zack said cheerfully.

"Hey," Jason said, throwing an arm around Trini's shoulder. "How's the evil plan coming?"

"Not as evil as _some_ people's," Trini said, failing to return his smile. She held up a bag full of electronics for him. Jason took it without complaint, realizing Trini was, in her own way, yelling at him. "So, I guess we should go drop these off at the car."

"Won't be any room for us in the cars if we do," Zack said, staring in disbelief at the mountain of packages surrounding them. "Damn, Billy, what all did you get?"

"Pretty much one of everything," Billy said sheepishly. "Kimberly, I'm afraid my clothing budget might have been drastically diminished during—"

"Save it, Billy," she interrupted sternly. "You're buying what I _say_ you're buying. After the day I've had, I could really go for some power shopping."

"Power shopping?" Billy repeated faintly. Kimberly nodded. Billy sighed and glared at Tommy. "Thanks a _lot."_

"Sorry," Tommy said sincerely, cringing in horror as his memories of power-shopping resurfaced. "Couldn't resist."

Billy grumbled something in extreme techno-speak. Trini burst out laughing. Ethan looked a little startled, maybe even nervous. Tommy made a mental note to look up what Billy had said at the first available opportunity.

It took all ten of them to carry their purchases to the car; most of them had only bought an item here or there, but between Conner and Trent's clothes, Kimberly's numerous bags and Billy's complete electronic library they were lucky they managed to make it in only one trip. It took some careful planning to get the packages back into the Escalade and Jeep while still leaving room for everyone to sit on the return trip. Finally, they headed back into the mall.

"Hey, Billy," Tommy called, figuring he owed Billy an apology. "I'm really _sorry_ about upsetting Kimberly."

"Sure you are," Billy said irritably.

"No, really. I remember what power-shopping was _like."_ Tommy shuddered. "Let me talk to her, okay?"

"Yes, because _that_ will cheer her up," Billy scoffed.

"No, Billy, let him," Trini said, with a meaningful glance at Billy. "Maybe if he apologizes she'll be a little less focused on your wardrobe selection. You never know."

"Fine," Billy said, sighing.

Tommy smiled at them. It struck him as funny that after the past few days of constantly being herded and tricked by his friends, he'd almost forgotten they had an agenda at all. Well, let them try. Tommy could use a little assistance; nothing like a team's support to make sure the battle was won. He dropped back to walk beside the Dino Rangers, who were still trying to sort out how each other's actions in the rodent wars had affected the others.

They went back in through the main entrance, and discovered that the fountain situation had worsened. Apparently maintenance had restarted the fountain in an attempt to fix its issues, because while water had stopped pouring from the Power Sword, Power Axe, Power Lance and Power Daggers, Saba had somehow been broken as well, and both the saber and the Power Bow were blasting out high-pressure streams into an overflowing pool. The sunken atrium floor was now roughly two feet under water. One manager was arguing with a maintenance guy, who was heatedly explaining that the fountain's control panel was now submerged and he wasn't going to use a snorkel to try and fix it. Another maintenance man was apparently on the phone with the company that had built the fountain, and explaining that if he opened the control panel the electronics would be ruined by the large amount of water all over the place and he'd probably electrocute several people, himself included.

The bucket brigade of concerned citizens was still working doggedly. Everyone was slightly damp, and they had all removed their shoes and rolled their pants up, just in case the flood got any worse. Eight people were standing knee-deep in the water at the start of the line; every time the trash cans (there were now five in use) went past they'd pause and roll up their jeans, shorts or Capri pants a little more. One woman in a long T-shirt had even taken her pants off entirely. A manager was passing gift cards out to the fifty or so people who were helping and one of the stores had donated large quantities of Gatorade set up on a table for those involved in the effort. A few supremely soggy people were resting on folding chairs on the sidelines, sipping their Gatorade and catching their breath. The atrium had been roped off and security guards lined it, warning people to skirt around the edges and continue on about their business.

"Have you ever seen anything more depressing in your life?" Kimberly asked plaintively with a gusty sigh. Jason gripped her shoulder in comfort, while simultaneously rolling his eyes at the strong companionship Kimberly felt with the mall. They carefully moved around the atrium and headed down the hall, Conner keeping his head down and Ethan looking apologetic.

Tommy cleared his throat. "Hey, um, Kim? Can I talk to you in private for a second?"

Kimberly thought it over. "Yes. You can."

Kira frowned. "Kim? Do you think that's such a good—?"

"Yes," Kimberly interrupted firmly. "If I talk to him alone, he's bound to eventually make me angry. And after everything that's happened today, if he makes me angry I'll just hit him with a large heavy object. So I'll feel a whole lot better whether he tries to make things right or tries to make things worse."

"Um… heh," Tommy said, not quite sure what to make of that.

Kimberly jerked her head at the nearest store, which happened to be a Spencer's. Tommy nodded and headed for it. Kimberly glared around at the others. "Now. I'll be right back. You will _not_ eavesdrop. You will _not_ unleash gerbils or damage any sculpture in my likeness. You will _not_ try to help Billy escape to freedom. In fact, you will all hold as still as possible. Because I have decided that _anyone_ who _vaguely_ annoys me _at all_ for the rest of the day will _also_ be hit with a large heavy object. Understand?"

There was a chorus of affirmative responses. Kimberly glared at them each in turn for good measure and then stomped off into the Spencer's. She and Tommy moved towards the back of the store so they would be out of sight as well as earshot.

Trini clasped her hands together. "Evil plan time. Jason, Zack, you guys in?"

"Sure," Jason said with a shrug.

"Always," Zack replied eagerly.

"Ooh, can I help? Please? I _never_ get to be the evil one!" Conner exclaimed.

"Of course. Trent, Kira, you in?"

"I'm hanging back. Plausible deniability," Trent replied.

"Oh, good. Take Mr. Mongolian Gerbil and Ms. Syrian Hamster for me, will you?" Conner said, pulling his two furry friends from his pockets. "I don't want them to get hurt. Could you maybe go get them a drink from the fountain or something?" Trent took them resignedly. The others stared at Conner in disbelief. "What?" he asked.

"…You kept two of the gerbils?" Ethan asked.

"No. One's a hamster. I'm still trying to think up names. I want to get them this really cool habitat and one of those ball thingies, too. Can we go to a pet store after this? I don't think I should go back to that one and I already got them some shredded lettuce from the Taco Bell in the food court but they might need food pellets pretty soon and—"

"Okay, okay, not now," Trini said. "There's a limited time window here."

"What are you guys planning?" Kira demanded. "Are you going to upset Kim again?"

"Kira, honey, trust me," Trini said soothingly. "I know what I'm doing. I know you feel protective of Kimberly but you have to understand that she's my best friend and I only have her best interests at heart—"

"No. No, no, no. I'm _not_ going to let you guys—"

"Kira, do I have to restrain you again?" Jason asked with a sigh, managing to sound resigned and even paternal about it, as if warning her that if she didn't clean her room right this second he was going to have to ground her, as if it was her fault he'd restrained her the first time around.

Kira glared at him. "You know, if I had my Dino Gem I'd—"

_"Kira!"_ Conner hissed, stepping in front of her to block her view of Jason. He put a finger to his lips and gave her a horrified look. "You're threatening a _superhero."_

"Conner, _I'm_ a superhero," she reminded him, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, okay, true, but you're _former._ Not only does he still have powers, he's the original Red Ranger. The guy's got power and experience and like twenty years of martial arts experience. _Sit down."_

Kira glared up into Conner's somewhat panicky face for a long moment, then accepted the fact that he was right and flung herself down on a bench next to Trent. Trent stuffed Conner's new pets into his hoody pockets and put his arm around Kira's shoulders while schooling his features into a compassionate expression.

Jason, Trini, Billy, Zack, Conner and Ethan moved a few yards away and huddled together, whispering. Then they split up. Trini and Billy moved to either side of the entrance. The other four fanned out in front of the store and began stopping random mall-crawlers as they passed by. Zack and Conner targeted a pair of girls, while Jason stepped in front of a large group of teenagers and began asking for directions to the new Unicorn Utopia location and Ethan struck up a conversation with a trio of guys regarding the _Asteroid Conquest_ T-shirt one of them was wearing. Before long, Kira and Trent could see neither Trini nor Billy.

"What are they doing?" Kira wondered aloud.

"Blocking our view," Trent said. "And the view of anyone walking by. There's no line of sight from the cameras now to Trini or Billy and the security guards at the atrium can't see them."

Kira raised an eyebrow at him. "What _were_ you doing when you were evil?" she asked suspiciously.

Trent smiled at her. "I'm just guessing, of course."

Kira turned back to look at the store, just in time to see a metal gate come down in front of the store. It slammed against the floor a moment later, barricading the store's entrance with an utterly final _clang._

"Now I'm guessing 'uh-oh,'" Trent said with a wince.

"They didn't. They _didn't._ Trent, tell me they _didn't."_

"They didn't," Trent lied. Kira glared at him. "Come on, she'll be okay—"

"You weren't there, Trent. You didn't hear her ranting about how the mall should be safe and Tommy and his people had broken it and filled it with water and rodents. You didn't nearly get kicked out of a carnival for injuring a goat. Trent… they trapped her in a store _with Dr. O."_

Trent didn't reply. Instead, he pulled Ms. Syrian Hamster from his hoody and held her up so that he could look her in the eye.

"Your lot in life is gonna suck, little hamster," he told it apologetically. "Sure, you'll get the colored tubes and the cage will always be cleaned and Conner won't own a Doberman. But you know what? It's not all about the colored tubes. Normal hamsters get a choice, you see. Tubes or dirty cage. You, my friend, you will always get something else. Something special. You are the hamster that the faceless giants will _experiment_ on. You are truly the hamster with a predetermined path through the chaos. You—"

Kira slapped his arm. "Would you stop waxing poetic about hamster destinies and help me figure out a way to get Kim out of there?"

Trent gave her a mournful look. "No. But I can do you one better."

Kira rolled her eyes. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I can tell you that no matter what you do, it'll never be enough. You might help her, might cheer her up, but in the end Kimberly knows her place in this world and she knows how to deal with it and she's okay with it. She'll rant and scream and rave and fight it, but she knows. Deep down, she knows."

"Her place in the world?" Kira repeated incredulously.

"Mm-hmm. See, Kira, Kimberly knows that she doesn't get colored tubes or a dirty cage. She doesn't even get tossed to freedom or deposited back in a broken display case with a choice in front of her. Kira… what I'm trying to say is…"

"Yeah?"

"Kimberly… gets Conner's pocket."


	77. Another Brick in the Wall

**Chapter Seventy-seven**

_Another Brick in the Wall_

"So. Talk," Kimberly said flatly, staring up at Tommy without looking either annoyed or interested. Apathy seemed to have taken her over, and Tommy was fairly certain that she wouldn't even bat an eye if she did manage to hit him with a large, heavy object.

Tommy opened his mouth, then realized exactly where they were standing—in an aisle showcasing lewd greeting cards, gag gifts that made rude noises, and sexually-themed board games. Not exactly the mood he was going for.

"Um… maybe we should move out of earshot of the…"

"Whatever." Kimberly grabbed his forearm and steered him to the back of the shop, which was dark and filled with neon posters, glow-in-the-dark bead curtains and wall stickers, and odd objects setting off electric lights that gave it all a vague feel of horror movies on acid trips. Like a really, really demented version of the Command Center.

Tommy wasn't sure the atmosphere was ideal, but it was better than lewd greeting cards and it wasn't like there were very many places for meaningful conversation in a Spencer's. The corner of day-glo and nightmare would have to do.

"Listen, Kimberly… I just want to say that I'm sorry."

Kimberly nodded, still completely dispassionate. "Uh-huh. That's nice." She turned to go.

"Kim, wait," Tommy said hastily. "I… kind of wanted to talk."

"So talk."

Tommy cleared his throat. "Could you, you know, stop being zombie girl for a second?"

"Sorry," Kimberly said dryly, "but I wasted most of my emotions for the day when some asshole threw a bunch of gerbils down my shirt."

Tommy winced, but he took the emotion creeping into her words as a good sign. "I can't apologize enough."

"Agreed."

"I guess I just… Kira really made me realize how immature and rude I've been acting."

"Nothing like being yelled at by a seventeen-year-old girl to make you realize how immature you are."

Tommy decided to ignore that. "It's just… everyone kept trying to get me to go after you and eventually I… well… Jason said something that really set me off."

Kimberly's eyebrows shot up, her interest piqued. _"Jason?"_

Tommy nodded and looked away. "Yesterday, on the merry-go-round… he pointed out that… well, that I gave up on you. And that's why, you know, we aren't together. Because, for the first time in my life… I quit. I gave up."

Kimberly took a deep breath and exhaled long and slowly, shaking her head slightly. "And that's why you've—"

"Declared war, yeah. It was stupid of me. I just… I couldn't take knowing that I gave up. That I just let go of something. Especially something as important to me… as you."

Kimberly looked away, but he could see how much his words meant to her, how touched she was, how she was already starting to forgive him now that she understood why he'd been acting so gung ho.

"I've just been so… so _confused_ and stuck in the past that I wanted to rush things, repair things, reclaim the past, and that just made everything more difficult. We have a real shot, Kim—a shot to be friends again, to be what we were before… before everything. Before the letter, before that newspaper article that told you about Coach Schmidt, before Rita kidnapped me. We can go back to that, but we have to take things slow. I can see that now, Kim. And I'm really sorry. Please forgive me. Let me try to make things right between us. Let's start over, and try to have what both of us really want—a friendship."

Kimberly sighed and drew her hand across her face wearily. "Tommy… I need to slow down. I need to sort this out. See, before Jason showed up on my doorstep and told me about Power Rangers Day, it had been a long time since I thought about any of this. I'd just sort of… _suppressed_ you. I went on with my life, yeah, but you were always there in the back of my head, in some little cage behind everything else. You and everything that ever bothered me about leaving Angel Grove—wondering if I could have kept the power from getting destroyed, if Zordon would still be alive, if the others secretly hated me for going off to Florida, if it was wrong of me to follow a dream that didn't include being Pink. And then Jason showed up on my porch and then you crashed into me with an ice bucket and now I'm finally starting to deal with it all. Visiting the Command Center again and seeing you again and… you're not the only thing that's bothering me right now. I'm trying to resolve a dozen different things and _I can't do that_ if you're bouncing around being Psycho Ex-boyfriend."

Kimberly looked up at him for his reaction to this and was startled to see the compassionate and apologetic expression deepen, somehow becoming far more _real_ than it had been before her speech. She didn't know what that meant, but she took it as a positive thing.

"I don't know what I want from you anymore, Tommy. I've never known. Not since I got on that stupid plane trip to Miami. But I _do_ know that if we keep going like this—gerbils and carnivals and cinnamon buns and Kira asking me if you're a romantic—"

Tommy looked mortified. "Oh, god, what did you tell her?"

Kimberly ignored him. "—then it's not going to happen, Tommy. I'll stick you back in that little cage and go back to L.A. and if I have to I'll change my phone number and maybe even move until there's no way for you to find me, until you only exist in the back of my head. And I might not know what I want from you, but I know I don't want that. I don't want to be secretly glad that I didn't make my best friend's wedding because you were going to be there. I don't want to consider not showing up at a celebration in my honor just because it's in your honor, too. I don't want to come up with lame excuses for not going to a get-together with the gang because you'll be there. I don't want to be unsurprised that I didn't receive an invitation to your graduation. I don't know what we can be or what I want, but I know that I _do_ want you around again."

"Kimberly," Tommy said slowly, "I swear to you, no matter what happens, I'll make sure that you never stick me back in that cage again."

Kimberly smiled up at him. She knew it wasn't a promise so much as a threat. She knew that he wasn't going to lie down and wait for her to get her head together. Yet strangely, the fact that he wasn't going to drop it, the fact that he wasn't going to give up on her a second time, made her feel better than she had all week. It was the exact same thing the guy she'd known ten years ago would have said. It was sweet and somehow combative at the same damn time. It was so incredibly Tommy. _Her_ Tommy, not this new Tommy with short hair and a fondness for black and the nickname Dr. O.

Kimberly opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything a loud CLANG reverberated throughout the store. She saw Tommy's eyes widen in horror and spun around to see a large metal gate had descended and barricaded the entrance.

"What the _hell?"_ Tommy shouted, rushing forward.

"Don't worry; it can't lock without the key," called an employee, picking up a ring of keys and moving for the gate. "I'll have it back up in a second.

"So, what—we just have to worry about it falling back down on our heads when we try to leave?" Kimberly asked crossly.

The employee now looked worried. "Um, we'll… prop it up."

Tommy slammed into the gate, grabbed hold, and pulled. The gate didn't budge.

"It's locked!" Tommy called angrily.

"It can't lock," the employee insisted, approaching the gate. Another coworker hurried over, as well as Kimberly and four teenaged customers in rather contrived punk outfits.

The employee reached the gate, bent down, and began to lift. The gate didn't even shudder. As one, Kimberly, Tommy, and the four punk kids seized hold of the gate and began yanking with all their might. Nothing happened.

"KIM!" someone screamed from beyond the crowd of gawking onlookers. "KIM! TOMMY!"

Jason, Trini, Zack and Billy were shoving their way through the crowd, all of them looking worried. "Are you guys okay?" Trini asked.

"No! We're trapped!" Kimberly shouted, straining to lift the metal.

Jason, Zack and Trini all grabbed it from the other side and began to help. Billy, however, backed up and examined the gate with a critical eye. The employee began fumbling with his keys.

"It's not locked!" the employee shouted.

"Like hell it isn't!" snapped one of the punk kids.

"It's not! My key turns fine!"

"The mechanism appears to be damaged," Billy called. "One would assume that—"

"Damaged?" Kimberly demanded furiously. "How did it get _damaged?"_

"Everyone back away!" Tommy shouted. No one really listened to him, save Kimberly, who moved back against a shelf. A few seconds later, Tommy's foot hit the gate not far above the crouching employee's head.

"HEY! HEY!" he yelped. "You can't just jump-kick the—"

"Watch me," Tommy said darkly, and backed up to start again.

"Tommy, don't!" Trini yelled. "It's not worth it! Look, I'll go get a maintenance guy, okay?" Trini ran off.

"Yes, because they were doing such a bang up job with the fountain!" Tommy shouted after her angrily.

"Billy, can you fix it?" Jason asked.

Billy shifted uncomfortably. "It's a security gate, Jason," he said in a low voice. "I can try, but…"

"Bull! You got into Tommy's room last night!" Kimberly yelled.

Tommy whipped his head around to look at her. "He did?"

Kimberly winced. "I—"

"Of course I can fix it. I think. All I meant was that it's a little suspicious, and given the week we've been having…" Billy let the sentence hang.

"Look, guys, don't freak," Zack said. "So the gate's broken. I'm sure they'll fix it and get you out of there eventually. Just hang tight and—"

Tommy and Kimberly both went very still. Simultaneously realization dawned on both of them, and their expressions went from angry, determined and anxious to angry, determined and deadly.

"And that's our exit," Jason said hastily, grabbing Billy and Zack's arms and yanking them backward as Tommy and Kimberly took a few steps back, then jump-kicked the gate in eerily perfect synchronization, causing it to rattle violently, a metallic clang sounding throughout the mall, as if a few million tuning forks had just been set off.

"Stop! Stop!" wailed the employee as he turned his keys fruitlessly in the lock, cowering beneath the spot where Tommy and Kimberly's feet had smacked. The four teenagers were now glaring at them and holding their ears.

"I'm gonna kill them," Kimberly growled.

"Not if I get there first," Tommy said shortly.

"I'll kill you too if I have to," Kimberly retorted, with the tone of one who'd like to be given a reason.

"I'd like to see you try," Tommy shot back.

"People, please," the employee called feebly. "Maintenance will be here any moment to remove the gate and if they can't manage it it's not like there isn't another exit—"

"There's another exit?" demanded one of the teenaged punks.

"Of course there is, but it's employees only, can't let you use it without managerial approval, unless there's a fire or something, so I'm sure in a few moments someone will be along to fix this—"

"Oh, please!" Tommy snapped. "Every last member of the maintenance crew in this place is either trying to fix the flood in the atrium or rounding up gerbils and hamsters! And if the gate's jammed, you can bet the back exit will… will…"

Tommy trailed off in horror and looked at Kimberly. Her expression mirrored his as they put two and two together. Jason, Trini, Zack and Billy had been outside by the gate… they probably hadn't thought to block the employee door, if they even knew it existed…

"This way," Kimberly said, and they bolted for the back room. As a frequent shopper and a generally likable girl, Kimberly had used the service hall on several occasions. It ran all along the mall, connecting the backs of the shops, allowing stores to receive shipments without delivery men having to bring products through the throngs of customers and letting employees move throughout the mall without getting hassled by customers. Friends of Kimberly who'd worked in the stores had met her in it on several occasions, store clerks who counted Kimberly among their favorites had sometimes let her go through the hall straight to the parking lot so she wouldn't have too far to walk with all her purchases, and her first kiss had actually been behind Unicorn Utopia back in sixth grade with Henry Jessup, whose mother owned a novelty tea shop up on the second floor. She'd even stolen some time with Tommy in the service hall when they'd gone shopping with their friends and they'd wanted to steal a few moments to themselves.

The Spencer's employee called angrily after them as they burst into the back room. They darted through narrow aisles of boxes, past another Spencer's employee who'd been making out with his girlfriend until Tommy and Kimberly's entrance made them jump guiltily apart. Kimberly got to the door first, seized the handle, yanked…

Nothing happened.

"DAMN!" she screamed, smacking the heel of her hand against the door in frustration.

"The Dino Rangers," Tommy growled, putting two and two together even as he threw his shoulder into the door, but it refused to budge. "Only Jason, Trini, Billy and Zack came to the gate. The others must have rushed into the service hall once everyone was staring at the gate and wondering why it came down. The Dino Rangers blocked it off."

"Kira wouldn't do that to me!" Kimberly insisted, scandalized.

"No, but Conner and Ethan would probably think it was funny. You heard what Trini said to Ethan—'We could use you on the creative team for our next evil plan.' She's recruiting _my_ team for her harebrained scheme!"

Tommy was absolutely outraged at this revelation. Kimberly didn't know why it bothered him so much; it had been obvious to her that it was bound to happen at some point, what with Kira staying in their room and Ethan spending so much time with Billy and Conner beginning to idolize not just Jason but Zack as well…

"You have _any_ idea how hard it is to get those four to do _anything?"_ Tommy demanded of Kimberly, though she got the feeling he wasn't so much asking as ranting, and she was only being ranted to so that Tommy would feel slightly less insane, as ranting to one's self was far less socially acceptable than ranting to someone else. "Do your homework. Don't drink my fruit punch. Please knock before you enter my home. Conner never listens, and the others only listen when they're trying to pretend they're not annoying teenage whack jobs like Conner who think it's _okay_ to make out in my lab, who think it's _okay_ to turn in their homework late when it's _my_ class, who think it's _okay_ to _lock me in a Spencer's with my ex-girlfriend!"_

Tommy stood there for a moment, breathing so heavily he might as well have been an angry bull who couldn't quite figure out how to gore the matador, his fingers twitching as if he longed to put them around someone's throat. Kimberly waited for a few seconds for him to start up again, but he didn't.

"You through?" she asked, a little surprised at how quickly he'd finished.

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Um, you're not supposed to be back here," said the confused employee, who was still standing with his girlfriend in the corner.

Kimberly ignored him. "Now then, let's figure out how to get out of here."

"Right," Tommy said, perfectly composed. "Could kick it open."

"They're probably ready for that."

Tommy nodded in agreement. "Unfortunately, yeah."

"They probably would have jammed this door even harder than the gate, figuring that since the exit's back here—"

"We could get them out of the back room and use a few more… _extravagant_ methods," Tommy finished.

"Too risky. Could be people in the hallway who'd see us. Way too much of a risk."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Um, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the employee tried again.

"So that leaves the gate," Kimberly mused.

"Yeah, but I'm sure Billy and Trini will have figured out how to jam the mechanism beyond anything we could fix."

"Jam _what_ mechanism?" the employee asked suspiciously.

"Well, I'm not waiting for maintenance. They can't even fix a fountain."

"We could just wait," Tommy suggested hopefully. "I mean, they're obviously locking us in here because they want us to talk, hang out, get closer. So if we wait here, and we come out exactly the same as we were when they locked us in, then they'll know they can't—"

"We tried that when they locked us in the trunk together," Kimberly pointed out.

"Someone locked you in a trunk together?" the Spencer's employee asked incredulously.

"The gang won't give up," Kimberly continued. "It's just not going to happen. They probably thought we played right into their hands. We need to bust out of here, get revenge, and then split up."

"Look, do you two _mind?"_ the employee's girlfriend burst out suddenly. "It's not like his break lasts forever! We're _busy!"_

"Terribly sorry," Tommy said dryly, and he ushered Kimberly out. "We'll have better luck in the store anyway. Merchandise might give us some ideas." He glanced around at the shelves, but all he saw were a few pairs of fuzzy handcuffs in various colors and a wall displaying T-shirts emblazoned with symbols of anarchy and sarcastic phrases.

The employee was on the phone, demanding to know how every maintenance worker in the entire mall could be busy fixing a flooding fountain or rounding up rodents. Tommy stepped up to the counter and waited for the call to end, but it just seemed to go on and on. Finally, the employee sulkily agreed to hold.

Tommy glanced at his nametag. "Excuse me, Ian?"

"Yeah?" the employee asked vaguely.

Tommy smiled at him pleasantly. "Just thought you should know," he said nonchalantly, "the back door's jammed too."

Ian's eyes bugged out in horror. "But… but… it's a fire door! It can't just _jam!_ It's the _emergency_ exit! It's _important!_ What are we gonna _do?"_

Tommy shrugged. "Wait, and hope for no more emergencies."

"At least, that's what _you're_ going to do," Kimberly muttered, raking her gaze over everything in sight.

Tommy glanced around as well. The four wannabe punks were standing sullenly by the gate, tugging on it absently and mumbling insults and idle threats directed at the mall staff. Ian began wandering around the store with the phone, pacing back and forth. Tommy's eyes searched the merchandise without much interest—he doubted posters of Insane Clown Posse and action figures of horror movie villains were going to be much help.

"Huh," Kimberly said, holding up something for him to see. It was a T-shirt with the Sharpie Graffiti Girls' logo on it. "Guess they're only part-time axe murderers."

Tommy chuckled and rolled his eyes at the ceiling, then froze. The ceiling. The ceiling. The _tiled_ ceiling!

"I've got a plan," he hissed, grabbing Kimberly's elbow and steering her over to the counter. He pointed up.

"…Are you _really_ thinking what I think you're thinking?" Kimberly asked, frowning.

"Why not? We won't have to go far. Just into the next store. Drop down into whatever's one shop over—"

"Fashion Bug or Claire's," Kimberly supplied automatically.

"—run out of there without buying anything," Tommy continued hastily, "and then go find the guys. They've probably split up by now; it'd be pretty funny if each of us just wandered over and said 'hi' to a different group."

"You don't think we'll get in trouble, do you?" she asked uncertainly.

"For escaping a locked-down store? Nah. If Conner can survive breaking a fountain and releasing a couple hundred hamsters, surely we can crawl through a ceiling. Especially since they can't ban _you_ from the mall without twelve stores going out of business."

"Ha, ha," Kimberly said, rolling her eyes. "All right. I'll go first."

"Maybe I should—"

"No. If it's not strong enough to hold me, you've got a shot of catching me. I doubt _I'll_ be able to catch _you."_

"But I could pull you up—"

"Gymnast, remember? I'm perfectly capable of getting up there on my own, so _I'm_ going first. Besides, I can lead the way."

"You can navigate the _ceiling_ of the mall?"

"No, but if there's one place I'd never get lost, it's the Angel Grove Mall. Come on."

Kimberly hopped up on the counter. No one noticed as she stood up on it and reached for the tiles, which were too far above her head to remove without jumping. "Come on up; it'll hold," she told Tommy. "I'm going to need a boost."

Tommy clambered up next to her, balancing precariously; the counter was barely wider than his feet and the wood creaked ominously under their combined weight. He bent down a bit; Kimberly put her hands on his shoulders and boosted herself up. Tommy caught her around the knees, holding her legs against his chest.

"Little to the left," Kimberly called. Tommy, who was currently busy thanking whatever deity had made Kimberly wear a miniskirt today, didn't hear her at first, and Kimberly swatted at his head. "Hey!"

"Hmm?"

"Move a little to the left, would you?"

Tommy looked up at her incredulously. "You're not _serious,_ are you?"

"I need to be under the center of the tile to move it. I can't reach from here; if I try, I might send us both flying. Just do it, would you?"

Tommy slowly, cautiously took a step to the left. "No, no! Your other left!" Kimberly exclaimed.

"I only have one left!"

"My left! _My_ left!"

"What are you _doing?"_ demanded Ian, running over. He shook the phone up at them. "Get down from there!"

"Not now," Kimberly told him impatiently. "Left, Tommy!" Tommy sighed and carefully inched towards Kimberly's left. "Little more."

"That's what you said the first time!"

"Yeah, when you went right, not left! We're back where we started!"

"I mean it, get down! You're going to break the counter!"

"Do you _mind?"_ Tommy demanded angrily. "This isn't as easy as it looks!"

Ian spluttered indignantly as Tommy inched to his right. Finally, Kimberly called for him to halt.

Tommy watched as she pushed up on the tile, because watching Kimberly move it was less distracting than thinking about Kimberly's miniskirt and something told him this wasn't a good time to be distracted. She carefully pushed the tile up and to Tommy's left, sliding it on top of another tile.

"Okay, let me down," Kimberly called.

"Let you down? _How?"_

"Just drop me."

"No!"

"I'll land just fine, Tommy—I do this sort of thing for a _living."_

"You climb into ceilings for a living?" Ian asked.

"I'm not dropping you! You could get hurt! Besides, why would I drop you just so you could get back up?"  
"Fine! I need you to turn to the side."

"Which side?"

"The left."

"…Could you be more specific?"

"Face the gate."

Tommy slowly, carefully turned until he was facing the store's entrance. "Okay, now move backward. No, no, no, _my_ backward!"

After a lot of shouted direction, muttered curses and near falls, Tommy managed to get Kimberly in position. She grabbed a support beam and disappeared easily into the ceiling.

"You okay?" Tommy called, moving as quickly as he dared to peer up into the hole in the ceiling.

"Fine," Kimberly called back. "Seems sturdy enough. Hey, why don't you stay here? I'll go check the back door and see if I can get it open."

"Oh, no. I'm coming with."

"Fine, but be careful. The tiles are kind of flimsy. Wait for me to get out of the way, okay?"

"All right, hurry up."

Tommy waited impatiently until Kimberly's distant yell of "Okay!" came down to him. "Look out above!" Tommy shouted, and leaped up, seizing the support beam and hauling himself upwards—until his head cracked on something above him.

"OW!"

"Tommy!"

Tommy suddenly found himself dangling from the ceiling, groaning. "I'm okay!" he shouted groggily. "I swear, I'm gonna _kill_ Trini!"

His grip started to slip; he let himself drop down onto the counter and wiped his palms on his pants before starting over, this time ducking his head down as he pushed his upper body through the opening. This left him in a bit of a predicament; Kimberly had been gone so fast that he hadn't realized she'd pulled some tricky sort of maneuver to get herself into the ceiling without putting too much pressure on the tile directly in front of the opening. Unwilling to admit to Kimberly that he was having a bit of a problem-solving issue, but unable to come up with anything foolproof—thanks to his new head injury—he settled for angling his upper body forward and pulling his legs up, then pushing them back. Now he was on his hands and knees with a square, three-foot hole directly under his stomach. Sighing, Tommy swung one foot around and tested the beam alongside the hole to make sure it would hold. Satisfied with its strength, he braced his toes on either side of the opening. With difficulty, he managed to crab-walk over the hole, ignoring the plaintive wails of "Come back here!" from below.

When he was finally able to pull his legs back beneath him and resume the crawling position, he looked up to see Kimberly sitting cross-legged five feet away, pretending to examine her nails in the dim lighting and giving a fake yawn. She smirked at him. "Problems, Mr. Helpful?"

Tommy scowled playfully at her. "That's _Dr._ Helpful, thank you very much. Would you mind moving it along? This tile's starting to buckle."

Kimberly twisted around onto her hands and knees, the motion so fluid it was hard to follow, and began to crawl. Tommy was jealous of her flexibility for about a half-second before deciding it would be more fun to focus on the view instead.

Kimberly had a much easier time than Tommy did; there were wires hanging from overhead and the crawlspace wasn't very large and he was, after all, distracted. She was almost ten feet ahead of him when she stopped.

"End of the line," Kimberly called. "Hopefully we've reached the service hall."

"I thought we were going into the next store," Tommy said.

"Less people in the service hall. Don't want to land on a little old lady trying to buy a blouse. Come here and help me get this out; it's harder to move these stupid tiles from this side."

Tommy crawled over onto the tiles next to her and helped her pry up a corner. They almost had it when the tile under Tommy let out a sharp _crack!_

"Tommy!" Kimberly shrieked, clutching at him as he began to fall. He flung himself at her in a last-ditch attempt to keep from falling, one leg on the still-intact tile next to the one that had failed. Kimberly gave his arm a hard yank to pull him out of harm's way and the tile beneath her legs snapped under the strain. Kimberly's lower half fell through the wreckage before they knew what was happening.

_"KIMBERLY!"_ Tommy bellowed, throwing his arms around her and trying to pull her back up, but one of his legs was still suspended over nothing, all of his weight on the leg that still had a tile under it, but then that tile snapped too. With no other available options, he kicked off of it as the tile fell, his foot smacking against the ceiling before following his other foot through the first shattered tile. Now he and Kimberly were hugging for dear life over a corner of a flimsy crossbar, their legs scrabbling for a foothold beneath them, only the fact that they were holding each other keeping them from falling.

Kimberly gave Tommy a wretched look. "This isn't going to end well," she said dryly, wincing as the bar bit into her ribs.

"Any ideas?" Tommy asked.

"Let me go and hold on to the bar. I'll land and help you down."

"No way."

"Tommy—"

"You don't know what's down there! It could be sharp or… or lumpy or…"

_"Lumpy?"_

"You know what I mean! You could get hurt!"

"Well, we can't stay here forev—"

There was a horrible ripping sound, like a Doberman shredding a dictionary. The next thing they knew they were falling, still clutching each other, the now-broken bar between them.

Tommy landed hard on his back, Kimberly falling on top of him and driving the air from his lungs. They'd landed on something somewhat firm that let out an ominous crunch and sank a few inches under their weight. Tommy didn't have time to ponder what it might be; the ceiling still had a few more issues to throw at them, this time literally. He rolled over, taking Kimberly with him, and flung his arms over his head, shielding Kimberly with his body and wondering how, exactly, he kept getting into these situations. At least this one didn't involve fire, though. The ones that involved fire always sucked the most. Although he supposed there was still time; there hadn't been fire back on the island until right before he'd jumped.

Plaster dust and miscellaneous debris poured down on them for a few moments, nothing too painful landing on him, his lungs protesting angrily about the screaming, Kimberly landing on him, and now the plaster dust. Tommy held perfectly still, hoping that if he played dead he might avoid provoking the ceiling into continuing its assault.

"—Forever," Kimberly finished wryly.

Tommy chuckled and cautiously looked up. They were lying on some boxes in the storeroom of Spencer's, as evidenced by the dust-covered employee and his girlfriend; he looked shocked, but she looked livid.

"What is _wrong_ with you people?" she shouted. "He gets a half hour lunch break. HALF HOUR lunch break!"

"My bad," Tommy said sardonically, rolling off Kimberly. "Well. Looks like we're back where we started from."

Kimberly sat up. "Damn. I guess the ceiling in the service hall is higher than the stores or something."

"Just our luck," Tommy said, turning to glare resentfully at the fire door—

Just as it popped open.

"Whoa," said a skinny guy in an EB Games uniform as he surveyed the wreckage of the storeroom. "You guys really _are_ having a bad day."

"You did it, George!" came Ian's voice from the entrance to the storefront. "Thank _god!_ What was wrong with it?"

"Someone wedged it shut. Go get your customers; I'll lead them back into the mall on my way to come take a look at the gate. I still can't believe it got stuck; Phil and John and I were just telling our friend Trini about the time our gate broke. Hey!" George had caught sight of Kimberly. "Aren't you one of Trini's friends? The rat girl?"

"'Friend' might be too strong a word at the moment," Kimberly growled, hopping down off the slightly-crunched boxes. "Come on, Tommy—let's get out of here."

"With pleasure," Tommy said. He was almost to freedom when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. He turned to see Ian glaring up at him as menacingly as a pudgy, five-foot-six, acne-covered nineteen-year-old boy could do.

"Tell you what," Ian said dangerously. "I won't call security about the panicky customers who tried and failed to escape through the ceiling. I won't tell them that my buddy George told your buddy about how a gate at EB got broken. If, and _only_ if, you pay for the hundreds of dollars of merchandise you landed on."

"Hundreds of dollars?" Kimberly repeated, wincing. She looked down at the dented and sagging boxes. "Great. Why couldn't we fall through a ceiling _before_ I went power-shopping?"

"Don't worry, Kim," Tommy reassured her, smiling. He pulled Anton's credit card out of his wallet. "Thankfully, a billionaire owes me a favor. Or two. Or three."

* * *

"Thank you so much, Anton," Hayley said, watching Anton's temporary employees in amazement. They worked with a militant precision—hell, better than militant. Not one thing had been broken or spilled and not only were they efficient, they were polite and self-motivated.

"No problem, Hayley," Anton told her pleasantly. "I'm only too happy to help."

"They're frighteningly disciplined," said Elsa, slightly disappointed she was happiest when making people fall into line, which didn't work if everyone was already in line.

"Come on," Hayley said. "There's one more thing I want to show you."

They squeezed into the back room, then into the office. "What's this?" Anton asked, looking at the computer with interest.

"Remote alarm for Tommy's house and the lab—what's left of it, anyway," Hayley said. "Anyone tries to break in to anything that might lead to the lab, it'll go off. It'll give you options for how you want to set the security features. I suggest you choose 'detain' and 'incapacitate.' Call Tommy and let him know if someone's busted in. He might have an idea of who it is and why they've shown up."

Hayley sat down at the desk and began walking them through the computer options. "That's amazing," Elsa breathed. "Why on earth didn't Zeltrax set it off?"

"He did. We just weren't around to hear it; we were out of range of any of our alarms, in the Invisiportal. Anyway, you shouldn't have any incidents, but you're the only ones who will know what this means if it goes off while I'm gone. I know you guys aren't going to be here all the time, so keep the office door locked and instruct the temps to call you if they hear beeping from the office."

"Of course," Anton said.

"Didn't I tell you?" Elsa said, nudging Anton. "It _definitely_ would have worked."

"Yes, because our _other_ plans always did," Anton teased.

_"What_ would have worked?" Hayley asked suspiciously.

"Oh, I wanted to kidnap you," Elsa said nonchalantly. "I figured we could use you to lure Tommy into a trap while depriving him of his technological genius, but Anton—that is, Mesogog—always said that you'd be more trouble than you were worth and you weren't the only technology buff Tommy knew."

Hayley stared at her. "Gee, Elsa, on the list of things I could have died without knowing…" Hayley said, but she wasn't truly annoyed. She knew the difference between that Elsa and this one.

Anton chuckled. "Don't worry, Hayley, I'm sure Tommy would have rescued you."

"Yes, good old Tommy," Hayley said dryly. She didn't find it comforting to hear that Tommy would have rescued her when she had spent the previous day rescuing him and was now about to go help him sort out his relationship issues.

Anton's cell phone rang, and he pulled it from his pocket and looked at the caller ID. "Speaking of Tommy," he said, raising his eyebrows.

"That's not Tommy's number," Elsa said, leaning over to look at the phone.

"No. It's the credit card company. They've been keeping me informed of his purchases on the card I loaned him. The unusual ones, anyway—here's hoping my son isn't ordering pornography again…"

Anton put the phone to his ear and hit the send button. "Dr. Anton Mercer."

"Good afternoon, Dr. Mercer. We were just calling to let you know that there's been some more… unusual… activity on your account."

"What is it _this_ time?"

"Well, we have forty-nine pairs of handcuffs, ten pole-dancing kits—"

"I'm sorry—did you just say _pole-dancing_ kits?" Anton demanded incredulously.

Hayley burst out laughing. "Good old Tommy. He just _loves_ to keep you guessing."

* * *

_End Notes:_ My version of Power Morphicon is now up on deabryn; link is in my profile, for those that want to read it. 


	78. Transmission Impossible

**Chapter Seventy-eight**

_Transmission Impossible_

"I'm going to kill them," Tommy said for the sixteenth time as he and Kimberly finally exited through the door to the service hall, dragging two garbage bags full of Spencer's merchandise each.

"I'm going to get there first," Kimberly insisted.

"Are not."

"Am too."

"Are not."

They'd had this same argument over and over ever since Ian had started ringing up their unintentional purchases. Eight hundred and seventy-six dollars and forty-three cents later, the amusement was starting to seep into their tones just like the plaster dust had seeped into their hair and clothing.

"Look on the bright side, Tommy," Kimberly said. "We'll never have to buy fuzzy handcuffs again."

"Yes, because I've had to buy a new pair every week," Tommy joked dryly.

"In that case, you've got almost a year's worth. Hey, can I have the leopard-print ones, too?"

"I'm already giving you the pink ones. How many people are you planning to handcuff?" Tommy demanded.

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know," she teased, hefting her trash bags over her shoulder like Santa Claus with his sack.

They exited out into the mall, where George the EB employee was removing what looked like a wire coat hanger from the gate. They passed him without comment.

"So where to now?" Kimberly asked.

"Food court. I could go for a slice of pizza."

"Shouldn't we go put this stuff in the car?"

"Nah. I kind of want to hit Trini upside the head with a pole-dancing kit."

"That's not fair. They were _all_ in on it."

"Yeah, but I'm figuring Zack should get hit with a Sharpie Girl book, and Jason should get hit with a newlywed board game, and Billy gets a pair of handcuffs, and the Dino Rangers get a nice, long lecture. Maybe even a rant."

Kimberly laughed. "All right, then. Lead on."

They headed for the nearest escalator, which happened to be in full view of the still-flooding fountain; Tommy and Kimberly looked pointedly away as they rode up to the second floor, dived out of the way of a maintenance worker with a net and a few gerbil claw marks on his face, and headed towards the food court. They were nearly there when they spotted Trini, who was coming out of an art store with Trent. Tommy hastily dropped one of his bags, pulled it open, dug out a pole-dancing kit, and snuck up behind her, Kimberly following with the bags.

"I'm more into painting than sketching," Trini was saying to Trent as they walked.

"Painting's all right, but something about drawing… pencil lead all over your hand…"

"I feel the same way about keyboards, which I guess explains why I'm not into drawing with pencils and—"

_WHAP!_

"OW! What the—?"

"That," Tommy proclaimed, raising the box threateningly, "is what you get for locking me in a Spencer's."

"You can't prove a thing," Trini said loftily, rubbing the back of her head. She frowned at the box. "Tell me you bought a pole-dancing kit just to hit me with, because if you're starting to seriously consider becoming a full-time stripper—"

"Ha, ha," Tommy interrupted. He narrowed his eyes at Trent. "Now. I want an honest answer, Trent—"

"Kira and I didn't do a thing," Trent said hastily. "Conner and Ethan just provided a distraction and blocked the back exit. Trini and Billy jammed the gate. Jason and Zack helped with the distraction."

"Thank you," Tommy said.

"You spineless little traitor!" Trini exclaimed in mock-indignation.

"Have a pair of handcuffs," Kimberly said cheerfully, extending a pair to Trent.

Trent looked down at them, then back up at Kimberly, then over at his science teacher. He made no move to take the box from her. "Um, no offense, but I have this… thing… about accepting handcuffs from people…"

"Suit yourself. Trini, you want a pair?"

"Ooh," Trini said, taking the box from her. "Ugh, blue. Got any yellow ones?"

"No, but I think we've got red…"

"Hey! No, no, no," Tommy said, shooing Trini away with the pole-dancing kit. "Trini doesn't get to benefit from her crimes."

"Whatever. Hey, if you're all done bashing Trini, could you take a couple of these bags back?"

Tommy nodded, then frowned and raised the box again.

"OW! _Tommy!"_

"Sorry, but it's very satisfying," Tommy told her apologetically. He raised the box again, but before it could collide with Trini's head, Jason's hand came out of nowhere and closed over the box.

"Hey, what have I told you about hitting on my wife?" Jason joked, wresting the box from his grasp. He stared at it, then hastily handed it back. "I don't _even_ want to know."

"Hi, Dr. O," Conner said meekly, taking care to stand on the other side of Jason from Tommy.

"Soon as I get a moment to think up something good, you're in for a hell of a stern talking-to," Tommy told him darkly.

Conner sighed. "Well, better than getting hit with a box."

"I haven't ruled that out, either. Where are the others?"

"Billy and Ethan are off somewhere being Blue," Jason said with a shrug, "and Zack and Kira went to check out that guitar shop downstairs. We were on our way to meet them for some grub when I saw you accosting Trini."

"Ah. Oh, Jase, by the way—" Tommy fished about in one of the bags Kimberly was holding, extricated a board game, and made to hit him with it. Jason held still good-naturedly, then snatched it out of his hands once Tommy had smacked him with it.

"Hmm," he said, flipping it over to read the back before stuffing it into one of his shopping bags from Footlocker. "Thanks, man."  
"What all did you buy?" Trini asked, eyeing the bags with interest.

"And why do you guys look like you took a nosedive into a bag of flour?" Trent asked.

Tommy sighed. "Let's wait until we meet up with the others; I don't want to tell the story twice."

They found Zack, Kira, Billy and Ethan already sitting in the food court. After they'd all acquired food, Tommy and Kimberly began to tell the story of their daring almost-escape from Spencer's.

"So they made us buy all the stuff we landed on," Tommy finished. "Almost nine hundred dollars worth of this crap."

"Where'd you get nine hundred dollars?" Trent asked suspiciously.

"Your father. Where else?" Tommy replied. "I'm a freaking _teacher,_ Trent."

"You know, normal people would have waited for help to come," Ethan said idly. Tommy and Kimberly glared at him. "What? I'm just _saying…"_

_"Normal_ people don't have friends who jam both of the doors," Tommy growled.

Ethan was about to reply when Conner, who was rummaging through the bags, sat up and exclaimed, "Check it out!" He was waving a ski mask very similar to the one he'd been wearing yesterday. "Zack, Dr. O's got a box of Sharpie Graffiti Girls stuff."

"No kidding," Zack said, and he and Conner set about digging through the box. Tommy rolled his eyes as Conner pulled an orange T-shirt with their logo over his brand-new, long-sleeved white shirt.

"We should save some of this stuff for Rocky," Conner said.

"Yeah. You don't mind, do you Tommy?" Zack asked.

"That you're taking the merchandise I had to buy because you locked me in a Spencer's and I ended up crushing a ton of boxes while trying to escape through the ceiling?"

"…Is that a yes, or a no?" Zack asked uncertainly.

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Take your pick. It's eight hundred seventy-six dollars and forty-three cents worth of fuzzy handcuffs; what am I going to do with all this crap?"

"I wonder," Jason muttered under his breath. Zack snickered.

"I don't _even_ wanna know," Kira grumbled.

Despite Tommy's exasperation, the mood at the table remained light. Somehow it was hard to stay angry with them. After all, the ordeal had been a step in the right direction as far as Kimberly was concerned, and even Tommy had to (grudgingly) admit it was funny. Just the look on the faces of the couple in the storeroom when Tommy and Kimberly had landed was worth it, never mind poor Ethan, the stranded punk kids…

Tommy took another bite of pizza, watching Conner hold Ms. Syrian Hamster and Mr. Mongolian Gerbil over a glass of water and urge them to drink. All in all, the day hadn't really been that bad…

And then his phone rang.

_Please don't be chaos, please don't be chaos…_ Tommy prayed, but his spirits sank at the sight of the caller ID: Dr. Anton Mercer.

"Quiet!" Tommy yelped. "It's Trent's dad!" Silence fell over the table as Tommy answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Tommy! How's it going?"

There was something in Anton's tone that made Tommy automatically say, "You've reached the voicemail of Dr. Tommy Oliver. I'm not able to answer your call right now, but if you leave a message I'll call you back. Honest."

"Nice try," Anton said dryly. "So, here I am, making sure Hayley has capable employees while she's away, when my phone rings. Can you guess who it was?"

"Telemarketer?" Tommy asked hopefully.

"Not quite. It was my credit card company. Now, Tommy, I completely understand that you can't watch my son every minute, and that sometimes he gets up to things he shouldn't be. Boys will be boys. However, I have to draw the line _somewhere._ Ms. Andrews?"

"Who?" Tommy said blankly.

"Yes?" said a feminine voice.

"Please read that list again," Anton said pleasantly.

"Forty-nine pairs of handcuffs, ten pole-dancing kits, seven board games, six candleholders, four T-shirts—"

"I was there," Tommy interrupted, letting his head thump onto the tabletop. "I don't need a list, Anton."

"I see. So you _did_ buy these things? The card wasn't stolen?"

"Nope."

"And it wasn't Trent?"

"No. It was me."

"I see. Thank you, Ms. Andrews." There was a click as the woman hung up, turning the three-way call into two. The strong desire to laugh was clearly evident in Anton's tone; Tommy also thought he could hear muffled giggles in the background. "Now, Tommy, your private life is your business, but when you're buying pole-dancing kits while my son is in your care—"

"Anton, how much longer are you planning on heckling me? Ballpark figure?"

"I don't know. You have to admit, you're giving me some great material."

"Anton…"

"Come on, it's not _every_ day my former protégé and arch nemesis decides to take my son on vacation and buy him some pole-dancing kits and handcuffs."

"Anton," Tommy said wretchedly, "all I wanted to do was go to the mall. Now the first floor's covered in water, the second floor's covered in gerbils, and I'm covered in plaster dust."

"Only _you,_ Tommy," came the voice of Elsa, much to Tommy's horror.

"Not _only_ me. There are nine other people here," Tommy retorted.

"Only _them,"_ agreed Hayley.

Tommy sighed. "How many people are you with, Anton?"

"Just Elsa and Hayley. We were trying to have a nice, normal day, training up the temps from my cafeteria, learning the inner workings of Hayley's café, and naturally that all went out the window once we got the Tommy News Update. By the way, Hayley was wondering how to reset the booby trap with the net; she's not sure if you still want it to function the same way."

Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose. "This isn't my life. It just isn't. This is all a horrible nightmare. I'm really a nice, normal guy who ate too much seafood before bed."

That statement was met—naturally—with cackling, not only from Anton, Elsa and Hayley but Jason, Trini, Zack, Kimberly and even Billy. Even the Dino Rangers were snickering.

"Look, Anton, I'll pay you back for the Spencer's merchandise, I swear—"

"You'll do nothing of the sort," Anton interrupted sternly. "I gave you that card to take care of your expenses. Granted, I'm not sure how handcuffs became part of your expenses, but—"

"CONNER! Get your gerbil out of my pizza!"

Tommy jumped. "Was that Kira?" Anton asked hesitantly.

"Sorry! And by the way, _that_ is Ms. Syrian Hamster."

"Yeah," Tommy said with a sigh. "Conner somehow got a gerbil and a hamster during the incident at the pet store."

"You let _Conner_ loose in a pet store?" Hayley demanded in shock. "Are you _insane?"_

"I was _busy,"_ Tommy said defensively. "Hey, you've dealt with _one_ of me. Try dealing with _ten."_

There was a long pause, then a chorus of disgusted, mortified noises from Anton, Elsa and Hayley. "Maybe we should stay here after all," Elsa said. Tommy could practically hear the three of them shuddering.

"I'm not missing Power Rangers Day," Anton said firmly. "I can't wait to meet some of the other Rangers—imagine the technological secrets—"

"You're coming, too?" Tommy asked.

"Of course. I've reserved the presidential suite at the Ritz-Carlton for Friday and Saturday evening. Didn't I mention that?"

Tommy frowned thoughtfully. "Um…"

"That's a 'probably,'" Hayley said in a tone of affectionate exasperation. "So, I guess there's only one question left, Tommy."

"What's that?" he asked suspiciously.

"What on earth are you going to do with ten pole-dancing kits and forty-nine pairs of handcuffs?"

_"Goodbye,_ Hayley."

Anton, Elsa and Hayley said a round of amused goodbyes as Tommy flipped his phone closed. "Well," Tommy said, _"that_ was a total nightmare."

"Was he mad?" Trent asked.

"No, just wondering why I wanted took his son out to buy pole-dancing kits and handcuffs. Oh, and he said he's coming in for Power Rangers Day, too."

"I know," Trent said, frowning. "He told me that before I left. Didn't he tell you?"

"Possibly," Tommy replied, a little defensively. "Anyway, I guess we'll see him at the ceremony."

"Remind me to call Andros and let him know," Jason said. "Karone's been looking forward to meeting them."

"Do we know who all's coming on Saturday?" Ethan asked. "Past Ranger teams, I mean?"

"The Aquitian Rangers probably won't make it," Billy said.

"Problems with the teleportation system?" Trini asked.

"No, problems with some upstart named Gruumm who's been trying to invade Aquitar."

"Is it serious?" Jason asked.

"No—we sent him running. Unfortunately, we didn't destroy him, and when I contacted Aquitar on Tuesday night to say that I was extending my vacation, Cestria told me that he managed to spring a few highly dangerous criminals out of a prison on Xybria. Unfortunately, Xybria and Inquiris had just signed a peace treaty, but one of the criminals—a woman named Morgana—was on Inquiris's most wanted list, so Inquiris is very disgruntled and blaming Xybria, who's blaming Aquitar, but they can't be openly hostile towards Aquitar—because Aquitar is one of the few planets currently friendly to them and it's not extremely intelligent to be hostile towards a planet with its own Power Rangers—so Xybria is taking it out on Inquiris, claiming that Gruumm's top priority is Morgana and Inquiris allowed Morgana to escape the authorities on Inquiris, making it Inquiris's fault she was on Xybria in the first place. Cestria's spending most of her time trying to mediate between the two planets and we've had to double the amount of troops we sent to both planets as per the agreement in the treaty. Not to mention the teleportation problems."

Jason frowned. "I thought the teleportation thing was working fine."

"Well, sort of. It's designed for Aquitian DNA, not human. Transporting me takes a lot more energy. Not to mention the fact that it's interplanetary travel, and without the Command Center there's no grid on Earth for them to connect to so they have to power the teleportation entirely on their own. By eliminating all recreational teleportation on Aquitar the _kathos_—transportation department—was able to find enough energy to send me to Earth and back and allow the Aquitian Rangers and Cestria to come in for a short while on Saturday, the same as we did for Jason and Trini's wedding. If I extend my vacation long enough, there may still be enough energy to do so, but if the Rangers are forced to engage the teleportation device repeatedly to handle conflict in the Aquitian solar system, there's a chance that they'll exhaust the reserves necessary for my return and I'll be forced to remain on Earth until the components are strengthened. Given the numerous and complicated duties I perform for the Aquitian government, we're mildly concerned that I won't be able to employ near-instant travel to return in an emergency. Ordinarily, the Aquitians utilize spacecraft to travel between worlds, but most ships have to be held in reserve given the dangerous nature of the individuals who escaped and joined Gruumm, and the security status has been upgraded so that every Aquitian has access to the teleportation system in case of emergency. A lot of Aquitians are abusing it, which is very problematic given all the interplanetary travel the Rangers have to do without available ships. However, Cestria did say that the Lost Galaxy Rangers plan to come; apparently they contacted Aquitar to ask if the Aquitians were coming."

"Shouldn't they be helping the Aquitians?" Trini asked.

"Well, Mirinoi and Aquitar aren't very close, and the Lost Galaxy Rangers are already en route to Earth. Besides, the Aquitians _do_ have the situation under control at the moment. It's only the matter of my return trip that's troubling."

"So… let me get this straight," Ethan said slowly. "There's a chance you're going to be stranded on Earth because some guy's starting an interplanetary war in your other galaxy?"

"Oh, I won't be stranded. I'll hitch a ride with the Lost Galaxy Rangers, or I'll ask Andros for a lift. It'll take a much longer time to get me to Aquitar without teleporting, but I'll still get there."

"Knowing Billy, he could make the RADBUG space-worthy in a month," Jason remarked. Trini and Billy's heads whipped around to look at each other with identical feverish gleams in their eyes.

"Look what you did," Zack joked.

"It's too impractical," Billy said reluctantly. "I'd have to make it completely airtight, and it _is_ an extremely old car… I would have to replace half of its parts with homemade inventions…"

"Still, it's something to think about," Trini said. "A project for a rainy day."

"Can I help?" Ethan asked eagerly.

"If we go forward, I'd value your input greatly," Billy told him. Ethan grinned so broadly that he didn't even bother admonishing Conner when Mr. Mongolian Gerbil started nibbling on the remains of Ethan's burger.

"So the Lost Galaxy Rangers… who are they?" Kira asked.

"They were onboard Terra Venture when it left Earth," Jason said. "They settled on Mirinoi and they've rarely returned—only diehard Power Ranger fans know much about them. Karone, Andros's sister—"

"The one who used to be Astronema, the evil villainess?" Ethan interrupted.

"Yeah, her, she took over as their Pink Ranger for a while, but Kendrix returned to the team and Karone came back to Earth."

"Who's the Red on that team?" Conner asked.

"Leo Corbett. His brother Mike was on the team as the Magna Defender—not quite sure what that means," Jason replied. "Blue was Kai Chen, Green was Damon Henderson, Yellow was Maya—not sure if she has a last name—and Pink was Kendrix Morgan."

"Who else?" Kira asked.

"Cole said he was coming, but I haven't talked to anyone else from Wild Force," Jason said.

"Taylor's coming with Eric and Wes," Trini said. "I assume the rest of Time Force won't make it."

"Why not?" Ethan asked, disappointed.

"They're in the year 3000," Trini explained. "Or… whatever year they went back to. They were from 3000."

"Of course, Rocky, Adam, Aisha and Tanya are coming," Kimberly said.

Tommy cleared his throat. "Has anyone heard from Kat?"

The tension and reluctance to discuss Kat was as clear as if everyone had spit at Tommy for mentioning her. Tommy winced inwardly. He assumed everyone thought he'd brought her up to try to mess with Kimberly, but in reality he was just curious. He and Kat weren't best pals, but she was still a friend and a former teammate and not only did he loathe avoiding the subject but he wasn't used to doing so—until he and Kimberly had gotten back within earshot of each other, they'd talked about Kat as readily as they'd talked about any other former Ranger.

"Come to think of it, I'm not even sure she knows," Jason said, his tone expressing a desire to smack Tommy upside the head. "I'll call her later."

The conversation dead-ended. Everyone sat in silence, darting little glances at each other but none of them speaking. Tommy sighed inwardly, wishing—not for the first time—that there wasn't so much awkwardness and implied rules and that he could say whatever the hell he wanted without fearing gasps, blushes or people saying "Shut up, you idiot!"

"Um, I really need to go get a water bottle," Conner said finally. "They're not drinking much."

"Are we splitting up again?" Ethan asked.

"Probably," Kimberly replied, "because it's time for me to go get Billy new clothes."

Billy grimaced. "Do we _have_ to?"

"Yes. Coming, Trini?"

"Okay, but we need to stop by Picture Perfect on the way. I took some great photos last night that I want to get developed." Kira suppressed a laugh.

"Why don't you come with us, Kira?" Kimberly asked. "So I won't have to listen to stuff about computers and spaceships that I won't understand all day?"

"Sure."

"I'm with you guys," Ethan said.

"No!" Conner exclaimed. "You said you'd go into the pet store for me and Trent!"

"But… but… spaceship cars and…"

"I'm sure most of our conversations will revolve around clothing anyway," Trini told him.

"You also said you wanted to check out the arcade with us, Ethan," Trent pointed out.

"Don't worry; I was convinced back at 'revolve around clothing,'" Ethan said.

"I don't think you three should go wandering off alone anymore," Tommy said dryly.

Conner, Ethan and Trent began protesting simultaneously.

"We'll be fine—"

"I need food pellets—"

"We've done all the damage we can for one day—"

"I'll watch out for them—"

"And a water bottle—"

"Clothes shopping isn't my—"

"Fine, fine," Tommy interrupted wearily. "But if you have _one more freak accident,_ I'm putting you on the first bus out of Angel Grove, and I don't care whether it's headed to Reefside or Chicago. Meet back here at seven."

"Thank you!" they chorused, hastily standing up and preparing to bolt before Tommy could change his mind. Then Trent paused. "Hey, Kimberly? Can I have a pair of those handcuffs after all?" Everyone stared at him. "What? I've been hanging out with Conner all day. It'd be nice to have a backup plan for once."

Kimberly fished in the bag and produced a box of fuzzy red handcuffs for him. Trent took them out of the box and stuffed them into his hoody as he left with Conner and Ethan.

"Please don't let them get caught by security with hamsters and handcuffs," Tommy prayed aloud. The others laughed. Tommy sighed and stood up. "Let's make another run to the cars," he said to Jason and Zack. "Put this stuff away."

"If it will fit," Zack said. "See you, guys. Good luck, Billy."

"Thanks," Billy said glumly as they left.

"Well, let's get going, Billy," Kimberly said. "It's time to make you the most fashionable human Aquitar has ever seen."

"Figures," Billy joked dryly. "I finally move to a planet that places brains above looks, and I _still_ need a makeover."

* * *

"Devin," Cassidy said slowly, "I think we need a plan."

Devin sighed inwardly. This was the fourth time she'd interrupted _Miscellaneous Power Ranger Footage Salvaged from the Viewing Globe Archives, Part I, _which Hayley had let them borrow, under the conditions that they didn't leave it lying around and watched it behind locked doors when they could be assured of their privacy. Devin wanted to get through it quickly, before his mom came home (and before Hayley's liver processed the copious amounts of Jack Daniels that had influenced her decision and she came looking for them), but Cassidy wasn't as interested as he was and kept talking over some of the best parts.

"A plan for what, Cassidy?" he asked wearily, hitting pause on the VCR.

"A plan to get our jobs back."

"Cassidy, we've talked about this. You said we should just give up and look for new ones and since we're going off to college in the fall anyway—"

"I know, I know. I was just thinking. About Hayley and Dr. Mercer and Principal Randall."

"Yeah, and?"

"Well, what if we did a documentary on the villains who fought against the Dino Thunder Rangers, including an interview with Elsa and Mesogog?"

Devin's face lit up. "Do you think Randall would give us one?"

"Maybe. I mean, we did a really good thing for them," Cassidy said. "But I was actually thinking about Dr. Mercer."

"How? No one knows he was Mesogog, except us, and Randall and Hayley and Dr. Oliver and Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent."

"I know, I know. He probably won't want to go on camera, but Randall might, so we could disguise his identity and interview her to give us credibility. Maybe we could even use Hayley as 'an anonymous source close to the Power Rangers!'"

"That would be the most awesome documentary _ever!"_ Devin exclaimed, awed.

"Tell me about it! Forget Mr. Cormier, it could make us _famous!"_

"You think?" Devin asked hopefully.

"Only one way to find out," Cassidy said determinedly, standing up. "Come on, Devin. Let's go see a couple of evildoers."

* * *

"Shopping is an art."

"Yes, Kim."

"An _art,_ Billy."

"I'm a man of science, Kim."

"Oh, please. You have to be creative, or you wouldn't be able to come up with all those inventions."

"Kim—"

"You see, Billy, shopping is a lot like building an invention."

"Somehow I cannot fathom that there might possibly be a connection."

"See, that's because you think you just put on a shirt and a pair of pants and go on about your business. You don't."

"Why not?"

"Because every article of clothing has to work together in order to form an _outfit,_ the same way an engine has to work together with a… a fuel pump and a… wiper blade—"

"Can't I just go wait in the dressing room while you bring me stuff?"

"No, Billy, you can't. I am going to teach you how to do this for yourself."

"Kim, I don't really need to learn! Aquitar doesn't have clothing stores. They don't even have stores. They have guilds that produce wares which are in turn distributed to the people as per the people's needs without exchanging any form of currency. Each member of Aquitar belongs to a guild and does their part to feed, clothe, shelter and serve the population as a whole."

"Billy… I think you just described a communist regime."

"What I described was an alien culture that never got around to inventing the concept of money! They do not have clothes shopping, the same way they don't have marriage or the concept of fame or animals trained for manual labor or telephones and I really don't need to look fashionable when—"

"Oh, yes you do. I mean it, Billy, this is long overdue. It's not like you're incapable of memorizing the rules of fashion. You've memorized every cultural and technological aspect found on not only Earth but a whole other planet; surely you can figure out why it's not a good idea to wear brown with black!"

"Yes, because that will help me locate an alternate energy source for interplanetary travel and allow me to devise a strategy to end the feud between Xybria and Inquiris without committing the entirety of the Aquitian armed forces to keeping the peace on other planets and leaving our own vulnerable to attack."

"Billy?"

"Hmm?"  
"Do you prefer tan or beige?"

"Tan or… what?"

"Beige."

"Tan or beige?"

"Yeah. Which one?"

"Aren't they the same thing?"

"…This is going to take a while."

"Tan. Tan. Honest. Tan. I prefer tan."

* * *

"Come on, guys—is this really necessary?"

"You've been outvoted. Ethan goes into the pet store to buy supplies, I keep lookout, _you wait here."_

"But we're nowhere _near_ the pet store. We're on the first floor!"

"Exactly. According to the trigonometry equation, we can't get any farther from the pet store without going inside a store or out of the mall."

"Come on, guys, it's not like I'm going to—"

"To what? To vandalize a fountain? To release hundreds of rodents? To enrage me until I snap and go completely psycho?"

"What if there's an emergency, and I can't escape because I'm handcuffed to a bench?"

"Take the bench with you."

"And remember that in any other circumstances, running off with the bench is considered stealing and it's not like the mall's going to be very forgiving on a day like today."

"Guys, seriously, this is completely unnecessary."

"Conner, _put your wrist on the bench."_

* * *

"No, seriously. I'm saying—"

"It won't work."

"Yes it will! We'll put Kimberly on Billy's lap, and Trini on Jason's lap, and Ethan on Conner's lap—"

"Doubling everyone up means we need six places to sit. We can only fit four people in both cars."

"What if we tie Kimberly's stuff to the luggage rack?"

"And risk it getting stolen and Kimberly making new clothes out of our skin?"

"I hear wearing the skin of your enemies is in right now."

"What if we tie the Spencer's crap to the luggage rack?"

"And risk leaving a trail of handcuffs from here to the hotel?"

"You know what the sad part is?"

"There's something sadder than two vehicles with twelve seats and ample trunk space being packed tighter than a can of sardines with enough junk to open up a very bizarre shop and leaving us unable to get home?"

"Yeah. The sad part is we're not even done shopping."

* * *

_End Notes:_ Running dry on titles; it was the best I could do. And you know, I had fully intended to write Anton as disturbed and worried by the news of Tommy's purchases, but it just didn't work. I tell myself that it's because Anton knew Tommy and surely understood Tommy's penchant for chaos, but I can't help but blame Latham Gaines for being incredibly cool and funny when I met him at PMC. Oh, did some minor editing to the last chapter, just a couple lines here and there and some grammar changes. Almost done editing a few chapters involving a mistake I made regarding the RADBUG's trunk; will be updating with the improved version soon. 


	79. Dark Warrior

**Chapter Seventy-nine**

_Dark Warrior_

"Would you _look_ at this place?" Cassidy sighed as she and Devin climbed off of Devin's scooter in front of the enormous porch of Anton Mercer's mansion. "I wish Dr. Mercer would adopt me!"

"I thought you liked your parents," Devin said blankly.

"So not the point," Cassidy replied, rolling her eyes. Together, they made their way across the porch. Cassidy made to hit the doorbell, but the door opened before she could get close.

"Yes?" asked a tall, thin old man with a suspicious look on his face.

"Hi, remember us?" Devin asked cheerfully.

"The two idiot children who I threw off the property for claiming they were friends of Trent's in order to hassle Dr. Mercer for an interview about the Greenleaf Award?" the butler asked dryly.

"Yeah! And then we snuck back onto the property and into the greenhouses and we started to interview Dr. Mercer but then he got nauseous so Trent—"

"Devin, shut _up!"_ Cassidy hissed. "We're here to see—"

"Trent is vacationing with some friends," the butler interrupted. "You two have the worst timing when trying to use your supposed friendship with Trent to gain admittance. Granted, not knowing he's on vacation sounds slightly better than not knowing he'd moved out of the house for several months—"

"Yeah, that's nice," Cassidy cut in impatiently. "We want to see Dr. Mercer. And Principal Randall, if she's here."

"They are not here, either."

Cassidy stamped her foot. "Well, where are they?"

"I'm afraid Dr. Mercer has asked that I don't share his whereabouts with everyone who drops by," the butler drawled.

Cassidy glared at him. "Listen, Jeeves—"

"My name is Bob, actually. Now, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, and not come back, lest the police be called. Goodbye." With that, he shut the door in their faces.

"Ugh! How rude!" Cassidy exclaimed.

"Maybe they're at the cyber café," Devin suggested.

"Why would they be at the cyber café?" Cassidy demanded.

"Well, they're friends with Dr. O and Hayley. And Dr. Mercer came in there sometimes when Trent was working. And—"

"Devin, I am _not_ giving up! Come on. If we can get back into the greenhouse they'll probably be a door leading to the house. We'll just slip in and go wait for them. _If_ they're _really_ not home. I'm going to have a talk with Dr. Mercer about his butler."

They headed around the house to the greenhouse where Anton had housed most of his biological and botanical research… and stopped, staring up at the boarded-up greenhouse. Cassidy gaped at it. "What happened?" she breathed.

"Trent told me that after he kicked us out that day we came by for the Greenleaf interview, Dr. Mercer turned into Mesogog and kind of smashed the place to smithereens," Devin said. "Trent said his dad's waiting to repair it, because there's been a lot of damage to the house—Dr. Mercer destroying the greenhouse, Trent fighting the White Ranger Clone on the lawn, Trent practicing his moves when he was evil—and he wants to repair everything slowly and secretly so people don't think they were too involved with the Dino Rangers." Devin pointed across the lawn. "Trent said if you look close enough you can see the new grass over there somewhere, from when Dr. Mercer had to replace a giant scorch mark left when Trent blew up the White Ranger Clone."

"Wow," Cassidy breathed. "I _told_ you this would be a great story!"

"You were right. But how are we going to get into the house?"

Cassidy turned away from the greenhouse and began glancing around. "Well, maybe—what is _that?"_

Devin followed Cassidy's gaze and saw a sparking green ball of energy hovering in midair above the path that led off along the lawn. "I don't know," he said, staring at it in awe. Cautiously, he and Cassidy approached. It was about the size of a melon with short tendrils of electricity extending from it in random directions. "Cool," Devin breathed, reaching out his hand to touch it.

"Devin, don't!" Cassidy hissed, clutching his arm. "It could be dangerous!"

"I don't think so," Devin said slowly. "I think Dr. Mercer got rid of most of the dangerous stuff once the Dino Rangers defeated Mesogog."

"Devin, I mean it, don't touch it—"

Devin wasn't listening; the science geek in him was too entranced by the ball of light bouncing above the path. He tentatively reached out his hand, index finger extended, and touched the ball of light.

It was as if he'd just been sucked into a giant vacuum cleaner. Everything went dark, and the only sensation was Cassidy gripping his arm painfully tight and the incredibly powerful suction drawing him inexplicably forward. There was no air, he couldn't breathe, couldn't scream, though not for lack of trying—

Then suddenly Devin was crumpling on a hard, rough surface, Cassidy falling against him and rolling away to the side. They were both screaming incoherently, panicking, curling up in the fetal position as if to protect themselves from falling objects. It was several long minutes before the screaming died down.

"What the _hell?"_ Cassidy complained, still curled up with her hands over her face. "What was that? Devin, what did you _do?"_

"I don't know," Devin whimpered, cautiously looking around at their surroundings. They appeared to be in some sort of half-demolished building. It was dimly lit by sunlight poring in through the cracks in the tiles overhead. Support beams and wires hung forlornly from the ceiling. Debris was scattered randomly and the place smelled of charred wood and chemicals, reminding Devin strongly of formaldehyde.

Slowly, tentatively, Devin rolled over and began to stand. He was almost fully upright when he caught sight of something nearby and screamed once more, backpedaling, tripping over Cassidy and landing on a pile of shredded insulation.

"What? What?" Cassidy demanded fearfully, helping him up and then hiding behind him.

"Severed arm! Severed arm!" Devin wailed, pointing at the limb in horror.

Cassidy couldn't resist a peek at it. She frowned. "That's not a severed arm, Devin, it's part of a Tyrannodrone," she pointed out.

"It's a severed Tyrannodrone arm!" Devin exclaimed in horror, but the fear had drained from Cassidy. Dead monsters were the best kind in her book, and while they might be gross they definitely weren't frightening. She glowered at it disdainfully, then slowly turned around in a circle, taking in their surroundings with interest.

"Where do you think we are?" she asked thoughtfully.

Devin shrugged uneasily, his eyes squinted shut. "I don't know… probably in Mesogog's laboratory."

Cassidy's eyes lit up. "Are you _serious?"_

"Trent said it got destroyed and all. He and Dr. Mercer barely got out alive, that they went through something called an invisiportal at the last second. That's probably what the green thing was."

"Devin, get your camera," Cassidy ordered. "We're inside the secret hideout of Reefside's most dangerous villain! This will be the scoop of the century!"

"Should we really film it without Dr. Mercer's permiss—?"

"Devin, _get the camera already!"_

Devin jumped and reached for his shoulder bag… only to discover it was no longer there. "Um, Cass… I think I might've… you know… dropped it when we got sucked into the portal."

Cassidy stamped her foot. "Dev-_in!_ We get sucked through a green ball of light, wind up next to an evil creature's severed arm in a villain's secret lair, and you _dropped_ the _camera?"_

"We were getting sucked into a ball of light!" Devin whined, trying to scrunch up and look small, as he often did when Cassidy was screaming at him.

"That's just _great!_ Great!"

"Well, um, not to further dampen the mood here, but, uh, Cassidy?"

"What?"

"Shouldn't we focus on how we're going to get home? From what I remember, Mesogog's fortress was on an island."

Cassidy glanced around in horror at the demolished lab, her stomach sinking into the heels of her designer sandals. There were no obvious exits, and even if there were, an island meant there was a body of water between Reefside and Cassidy, and a body of water meant goodbye to her three-hundred-dollar halter top. To make matters worse, the ball of green light had vanished.

"Devin?"

"Yeah, Cass?"

"If we don't find a way out of here, I'm going to kill you and eat you for food."

* * *

Conner was bored. Conner was extremely bored. Ethan and Trent had been gone _forever._ Maybe even five whole minutes.

He'd tried people-watching at first, but the mall didn't have a whole lot of interesting people in it. In fact, the mall itself was pretty slow at the moment; Dr. O had said something about how Angel Grove citizens knew when impending doom was at hand, and most anyone who walked in and saw the fountain mess would probably walk right back out again or just join the brigade. Plus a lot of people had probably been scared away by the hamsters and gerbils… he hoped Ethan remembered to get him two ball thingies, because he wasn't sure if Ms. Syrian Hamster and Mr. Mongolian Gerbil liked to share just yet. Maybe he should try putting them in the same pocket—

A girl sat down on the bench next to him. Conner hastily yanked his sleeve down to cover the handcuff on his right wrist; he knew enough about girls to know any girl would probably find it weird to handcuff oneself to a bench and let one's friends wander off with the key. He hoped Ethan and Trent got back soon… the fur was starting to itch…

Enough about the handcuffs, though; he had a pretty girl sitting next to him. At least, he assumed she was pretty—she had her back turned to him, but he could see a curtain of mousy brown hair and a thin figure. Granted, she wasn't very fashionable; she was wearing white gloves on her hands, a black-and-white striped short-sleeved shirt and tight black pants, with an odd hat on top of her less-than-chic hair. Something about the hat was familiar. He didn't know much about hats, but he started running through a list in his head anyway, trying to come up with where he'd seen the hat before. Cowboy hat, police hat, fireman hat, baseball cap, knit cap… that was pretty much all he could think of, but none of them matched the hat… bowler hat, maybe?

Well, anyway, she was slim and just a little weird and even if her hair wasn't shiny or styled she probably wasn't all that bad looking and it's not like he was looking to have six kids with her or anything, so he'd just get her to turn around and if she was ugly or thirty or something he'd just ask her for the time and then be very disinterested until Trent and Ethan came back to uncuff him. _If_ they came back. Uh-oh…

Praying the girl was hot and that Trent and Ethan would eventually return for him, Conner said, "Excuse me."

The girl turned. Only she wasn't a girl.

She was a mime.

Conner's eyes widened in horror at the white makeup all over her face and the creepy blank expression. Oh, god. He was sitting next to a mime! A _MIME!_

Conner had a history with mimes. He knew what they truly were. They weren't like clowns. Clowns were either scary or nice, and most were nice. Sure, he'd run across an evil clown gang yesterday, but those were rare. Most clowns tried to make a person laugh, and he liked people who made a living off humor. Clowns were funny and had cool skills like juggling fiery objects and throwing knives. Mimes… mimes were terrorists. They were always trapping people in invisible boxes and staring with their wide vacant eyes, just like that mime at the circus on his third grade field trip that had scared Conner so badly he'd had to go home for a change of shorts. But that was different. Back then he and Eric had still been as close as if they'd been Siamese twins, always going everywhere together, best buds to the end. Eric had been the one to tackle the mime so it couldn't finish its invisible box of doom. Eric had been the one to threaten those classmates who dared to laugh at Conner's plight. Eric had been the one to make mean Mrs. Flanders let them both go home when their mom came to pick Conner up. He'd even cheered Conner up by saying things like "Anyone would have wet themselves after three large root beers and a mime," and "Know why mimes trap people in invisible boxes? So they can't escape."

But now, now, Conner was _alone._ Alone with an evil mime girl who'd tried to pass herself off as something worthy of a pickup line. Ethan and Trent were off buying hamster balls and Eric was off in Blue Bay Harbor and Conner was _alone with a mime._

"Get away from me!" Conner yelped. "I know martial arts! Honest I do!"

The mime stood up in a jerky sort of fashion and then put up her hands. Oh, god. The box. The suffocating box of doom.

"HELP!" Conner screamed as the mime began to feel out the box around him. "Help! Somebody! Help!"

Everyone in the vicinity looked around with the alertness of threatened squirrels. Yet nobody came to help him. A few shuddered and mumbled something insulting towards mimes, but most laughed, obviously thinking that a kid thrashing about and screaming while handcuffed to a bench and being encased in an invisible box was some sort of odd mall entertainment.

Panicking now, Conner kicked out at her, but she was taking care to set the boundaries of the box out of range of his legs. "I mean it! Stay away from me! Help!" Conner shouted.

No one rushed to his side. No one believed Conner was in danger. But it was a _mime!_ How could he _not_ be in danger? Didn't these people know how evil mimes were? Didn't they know that Conner had upset a large portion of the White Makeup Mafia by smacking down whole bunches of mean clowns just twenty-four hours ago? Oh, god, was this payback for yesterday? Had the bruised clown gang contacted their mime brethren and put out a hit on Conner? Was this vengeance for daring to take on some of the psychotic creatures who made it their business to scare little children?

"HELP!" Conner screamed. "Get away! I know karate _and _kung fu!"

No one came for him. He was all alone, handcuffed to the spot, at the mercy of a mime who had the gall to masquerade as a possibly attractive girl.

"I'm a Power Ranger, you know!" he roared, throwing caution to the winds. "I'm a Red Ranger! Let me go! Let me go!"

She didn't even pause. The box was almost complete. Wait… if he could get out before she finished, if he could run away with the bench…

Conner stood up as best he could when one hand had to stay against the bench. He seized the slats of the bench in both hands and heaved, preparing to run for it.

Until he discovered the bench was bolted to the floor.

Conner sank onto the bench, trembling. Was this how it ended? Would he, Conner McKnight, leader of the Dino Thunder Power Rangers, be condemned to suffocate inside an invisible force field? What would Trent and Ethan and Kira and Dr. O and Hayley say when they found out he'd fallen? What would they say when they realized he'd never again drink Hayley's smoothies or give Ethan dating advice or tease Dr. O about his love life or annoy Kira until she let out a Ptera-scream at him to shut him up or beat Trent in a race just to prove he could or play cheery tunes on the communicators—

_The communicators!_

Conner lifted his left wrist to his mouth… and realized he needed two hands to activate the communicator.

Growling in angry desperation, he slammed his left wrist against the bench to activate frequency that would contact Ethan and Trent. He held his wrist up to his mouth, praying they answered in time… sometimes it took them a moment to get somewhere where it wouldn't look suspicious to use the communicator…

Conner waited as the mime began tapping on the invisible wall of the box. Conner couldn't breathe. He was _dead,_ dead dead dead…

"Conner?"

"Trent! Ethan! HELP! MIME!" Conner shouted into his wrist.

"We're on our way!" Ethan yelled, and within thirty seconds Conner could see them, running flat-out, dodging through the mall-crawlers, all determination and worry, like any two great best friends who happened to be ex-superheroes. In that moment, as they rushed to his aide, Conner almost completely forgave them for handcuffing him to a bench.

They broke through the invisible wall of the mime's fortress-box and came to a stop in front of Conner, facing the mime, both in martial arts stances, daring the mime to make a move.

"Back up, _clown,"_ Trent said in a voice that had hints of his evil White Ranger tone.

The mime's eyes widened. She looked livid. Trent had just delivered the Ultimate Mime Insult.

The mime put up her fists and slowly pantomimed a few punches. Ethan and Trent looked at each other, wondering if this was some sort of karmic thing for missing the clown fight. Then, in perfect unison, they did what Power Rangers do best.

They posed.

Conner forgot his fear for a moment as he watched them do something few Rangers did without the uniform. The quick, jerky motions, the demonstration of power and fearlessness, the almost creepily flawless synchronization…

Then it was over, and they were back in their stances, glaring at the mime once more. The mime looked a little worried and pressed her finger to her chin in a mock-thoughtful expression, but she did not run away.

Ethan and Trent exchanged another glance, this one slightly annoyed, and then they simultaneously went into a routine, showing off all their best moves, spinning and kicking and punching and rolling and Conner forgot all about the mime and watched, both impressed and certain that he could take either one of them with one hand handcuffed to a bench.

When at last they straightened up to scattered applause from the onlookers a few minutes later, the mime decided she'd had enough. She made a few posturing gestures and then half-skipped, half-ran away, down the hall and out the doors to the parking lot.

"Oh, thank _god,"_ Conner moaned as she vanished out into the sunlight. "That was terrifying. I thought I was dead!" He reached out, seized Trent by the back of the shirt, and hauled him down onto the bench for the tightest one-armed hug he could muster now that all his limbs felt like jelly from panic. Trent shoved him away and nearly fell off the bench.

"You called us all the way back here for a _mime?"_ Ethan asked, shaking his head, as if now that it was over he wasn't quite sure it had happened at all.

"You saw her. She was gonna kill me, man," Conner insisted, shuddering. "Don't you remember third grade? The circus?"

Ethan frowned. "Didn't we go on a field trip or something?"

"Yeah! And this mime tried to lock me in a box and I wet my pants and Eric had to tackle her and Eric wasn't here and I'm so glad you came!" he finished in a wail, snatching Ethan's forearm and hauling him down for a hug as well.

Ethan cleared his throat. "Conner… people are staring."

Conner sniffled a bit, trying to gain control over in his relief and the last remnants of terror and adrenaline. He was starting to feel kind of stupid. Sure, it had been an evil mime and he'd been handcuffed to a bench, but he wasn't a scared little third grader anymore. He was an athlete, a martial artist, and a Power Ranger. He could have taken her. In fact, if he ever saw her again… when he wasn't handcuffed to an immovable object… she'd just taken him by surprise, was all. He could handle her. He totally could have.

He sighed shakily and released Ethan. "All right. Did you get everything? Did you get two balls?"

"Conner, we were gone all of three minutes," Trent pointed out, standing up and brushing off the fur Conner's hug had transferred to Trent's shirt. "We hadn't even made it to the pet store when you rang."

Conner sighed. "Okay, well, uncuff me and I'll just keep lookout with Trent outside the pet store."

"Are you _kidding?_ No way!" Trent exclaimed. "Just hang here."

Conner's mime fear resurfaced with a vengeance. "I can't stay _here!_ The mime might come back!"

"The mime won't come back. You'll be fine," Trent said firmly.

"Don't worry about her, Conner, I think you can take her," Ethan said, giving Conner a patronizing pat on the head.

"Besides, you've got your communicator. We'll come running if she does," Trent continued.

"And anyway, we'll be back in twenty minutes, tops," Ethan added.

"Yeah, right. You guys just handcuffed me to this bench so you could ditch me and go have a chaos-free existence while I get eaten by a mime," Conner said sulkily.

"Uh-huh. Yeah. That was our plan," Trent scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"We came back for you, didn't we? We'll come back again, promise," Ethan said reasonably. "As soon as we swing by the pet store."

"Come on, guys, don't leave me here…"

"Conner, you'll be fine," Ethan said sternly.

"And I really need a few minutes of peace to realign my equilibrium," Trent added. "It's not easy being The Normal One, you know."

"Not when you hang out with us," Ethan joked, clapping Trent on the shoulder. "We'll be back in twenty minutes," he added to Conner, and he and Trent began heading back down the corridor.

"An hour, tops!" Trent called hastily. As they vanished behind a vendor's stall, Conner thought he heard them mention the arcade.

Conner sighed heavily. They weren't coming back. Not for a while. Just like that time Dr. O had told Conner he just had to run to the store for paperclips and came back six hours later smelling of women's perfume. Just like that time Ethan had told him he'd help Conner with his algebra as soon as he beat Zelda on his Game Boy and hadn't mentioned he wasn't even halfway through the game. Just like that time Kira had told him Kylee Styles was going to set him up with one of her backup dancers and had later told him she was just being sarcastic. Conner knew his friends loved him and enjoyed his company… but he also knew that sometimes they liked their solitude, and he was getting marginally better at spotting one of those moments when his charming presence wasn't appreciated.

Conner sighed and took Mr. Mongolian Gerbil out of his pocket. "At least I've still got you, buddy," he said fondly. "And you," he called to Ms. Syrian Hamster, whom he couldn't remove from his pocket thanks to the cuffs.

He put the gerbil back in its temporary home, where it resumed nibbling on Conner's wallet. Darn handcuffs, they were starting to itch. Idly he scratched at his right wrist with his left hand while glancing around the mall for a distraction—

_Clink thunk._

The red fur surrounding Conner's wrist suddenly vanished. He looked down in surprise and realized the cuff had somehow fallen off. He was free!

Conner scooted along the bench and leaned down to examine the cuffs. A thin bit of metal sticking out of the open cuff was now leaning the other way. He was delighted to realize he'd discovered a safety latch.

Conner grabbed the other cuff and fumbled with it for a moment until it, too, unlocked. Grinning, he stuffed the handcuffs in with Ms. Syrian Hamster. An idea had just occurred to him.

Conner strode purposefully towards the glass doors. With any luck, the evil mime hadn't gotten far.

* * *

"That's the last of the Spencer's crap," Jason said heavily as he dropped the final bag in the middle of Tommy and Zack's hotel room floor. "I have no idea how you'll fit this all in your Jeep with the Dino Rangers on the ride back to Reefside, Tommy."

"I'll probably let you guys sort through it later," Tommy said. "See what all they want. And since Hayley's coming in tonight, I can have her take some of it back. Or maybe some of the Dino Rangers back," he added hopefully.

"Plus the Mesogog guy is coming, right?" Zack asked.

"Yeah, but I'm not going to ask _him_ to take my new supply of handcuffs home," Tommy replied. "The guy was my mentor. My employer. Not to mention Trent's father."

"And any good Ranger knows better than to give an ex-evil villain a supply of handcuffs," Jason joked.

Tommy shook his head. He had endured numerous jokes about his unwanted purchases, most involving Kimberly, since the three of them had left the mall to drop off Billy's electronics and the Spencer's merchandise. They were now planning to head back to the mall with the Jeep and Escalade now nearly empty, in addition to Jason's truck, even though they doubted they'd have too many packages for two vehicles again—but it was better to be prepared, especially now that Kimberly was clothes shopping.

They had just turned to leave when Tommy's phone rang. He groaned loudly as he pulled it from his pocket, wondering what god had decided to throw sharp objects at him now, but the caller turned out to be Adam. Adam he could handle. Adam was generally more resistant to chaos than the others. He was the original Trent.

"Hold up, guys, it's Adam," Tommy called, sitting down at the table in the corner and opening his phone. Jason shut the door, more out of habit than because he thought they'd end up discussing anything that needed to be kept secret; all Rangers had an unshakable routine of watching out for eavesdroppers when a group of all Rangers got together.

"Cool," Zack said, flopping back on his bed and closing his eyes, wondering if it was safe to sleep or if he'd end up worshipping wildebeests or craving tea. This was turning out to be one of the most tiring vacations he'd ever had.

"Hey, Adam," Tommy said. "You guys back in town yet?"

"No, actually. Rocky had just left for the teashop when I got home, according to Carmen." Carmen was Adam and Tanya's maid and the only staff member they employed fulltime. "He apparently spent a long time in the pool. I called him and he said he'd be a while. That was almost an hour ago."

"I didn't even know he liked tea," Tommy said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, well, you know Rocky. He's about as predictable as an alien invasion. Anyway, I talked to Tanya. She and Aisha will be here about five o'clock on Friday. I told her I'd pick them up at the airport and we were hoping you guys would come, too."

"Yeah, sure. Haven't seen Tanya since the coma thing. And I don't think I've seen Aisha since Jason and Trini got married."

"Great; I'll let her know. Oh, and she apparently got in touch with T.J. He wants to organize a big Ranger shindig the night before Power Rangers Day. That way we can all sit down, discuss a few things—"

"And have a kegger."

Zack jolted out of his catnap. "What was that about a kegger?"

Adam laughed. "T.J. said the same thing."

"After the week I've had, I could _use_ a kegger. Or three."

"When's the kegger?" Zack demanded.

"Yeah, when's the kegger?" Jason asked with interest. Tommy waved at them to be quiet.

"And who won't love seeing the original Rangers back in uniform and all hung over come Saturday morning?" Adam joked. "I know _I'll_ be taking lots of pictures."

Tommy chuckled. "Who all has T.J. invited?"

"Well, he says he's having trouble getting in touch with those ninja guys who lost their powers last year. I told him you might have their number—you met them, right?"

"Yeah. Met, fought against, hung out at a motocross rally, the usual. I don't think I have any of their numbers programmed in my phone, but I'll call Hayley; she chats up their tech genius, Cam, a lot."

"You won't forget, will you?"

"Of course not. So who else will be there?"

"Well, we're not sure about Lost Galaxy. T.J. contacted Andros, Ashley and Zhane on the Megaship and Andros said he'd get in touch with them, though. Lightspeed already said they'd show and Wes and Eric are bringing Taylor. She's calling up the rest of Wild Force. Justin may or may not make it, something about finals at MIT, but Cassie and Carlos are coming."

"What about Kat? No one wants to mention her for fear Kimberly's head will explode or something." Tommy glowered at Jason and Zack, who both suddenly appeared extremely disinterested in Tommy and Adam's conversation.

Adam grimaced. As far as he knew, Kimberly and Kat hadn't been in the same room for years, and Kat had told him once that Kimberly had stopped writing letters to her after the incident with Divatox. He seriously doubted there would be any animosity whatsoever between the two girls were they to meet again—after all, Tommy and Kimberly's breakup had had nothing to do with Kat—but he was slightly nervous about reuniting them, especially when Kimberly and Tommy had just started hanging out again. Still, that didn't mean he wanted to forego seeing Kat; she was still extremely close to Adam, Tanya and Rocky, and relatively close to Jason. "Um, well, I tried calling, but I didn't get an answer, and when I went to email her I got a note from her saying that her dance partner, Julian, got bit by some sort of poisonous snake—"

"Jeez, seriously? Is he okay?"

"Well, from what I hear, yeah, but she's spending a lot of time in the hospital with him and if she's in the hospital—"

"She'll probably turn off her cell and she won't be answering the house phone or email. Did it say if she was coming to Power Rangers Day?"

"No, but it was a group email; she sent it to all of us and a bunch of non-Rangers, including her family. Maybe she didn't want to mention it. Or maybe she doesn't even know. But if he's still hospitalized, she'll probably want to stay with him…"

"Yeah. That would suck. Would be nice to see Kat again."

"I sent her an email telling her about Power Rangers Day. If she gets it, I bet you anything she'll show. She won't miss seeing Billy and everyone."

"Yeah. Hey, maybe one of us should try beeping her. She might be wearing the old communicator."

"Worth a shot. I'll go do that now."

"All right. I'll talk to you when you get into town. Oh, hey, where are we having the party?"

"Well, T.J. was thinking of his place, but I pointed out that it'd be less suspicious to do it here. A bunch of people showing up the night before Power Rangers Day at the home of an unmasked Ranger…"

"Good thinking. And it's not like you don't have space to spare."

"Yeah. Carmen's already made some calls, ordering food and whatnot. I think she thinks we're having some sort of gay pride party; she asked about decorating and I said it would be too much work, this short of notice, to include 'every color in the rainbow.'"

Tommy laughed. "Nothing wrong with being liberal."

"True. Well, see you in a few hours."

They said their goodbyes and Tommy flipped his phone closed, at which point Jason and Zack simultaneously asked, "When's the kegger?"

"Friday. T.J. suggested a Rangers-only party. Adam and Tanya are hosting." He filled them in on the details of the conversation as they headed out the door and into the elevator.

"Sucks about Kat," Zack said. He had always liked Kat; though he wasn't as close to her as Jason, Rocky, Adam and Tanya, he still emailed and called her often and he'd danced with her for hours at Jason and Trini's wedding, glad to have someone around who not only knew how to dance but harbored a passion for it. Granted, Kat preferred ballet, but she had learned a lot of other styles and enjoyed clubbing almost as much as he did.

"She might come. She and Billy were close," Jason pointed out.

"Adam said he'd call her on the communicator; we'll know for sure in a few hours," Tommy said. "Meanwhile, let's get back to the mall before the others manage to blow it up."

"Oh, come on. None of us would blow up the mall. Kimberly would kill us," Zack joked.

"Just the same, I'd like to get back there before one of the teenagers I'm responsible for decides to do something stupid."

* * *

Conner sighed heavily as he glanced up and down the busy street. He hadn't been able to spot the mime anywhere… and now, he could no longer spot the mall, either.

He wasn't quite sure how it had happened. One minute he was marching determinedly through the parking lot, one hand on his handcuffs and the other balled into a fist, and the next minute he was on the corner of Main Street and Seventh Avenue. He'd turned around and headed back in the direction he'd came from, but three miles later he was still nowhere near the mall. Here he was, all alone, just him and his gerbil and hamster, wandering around an unknown city and unable to find one stupid evil mime or to find his way back.

Dr. O was going to kill him.


	80. Rally Ranger

**Chapter Eighty**

_Rally Ranger_

Kat sighed heavily as she stared down at the unconscious form of Julian, her dance partner for almost three years. Their chemistry onstage had been amazing from minute one. He was one of the best dancers she'd come across and they were perfectly suited to each other. They had starred in numerous productions, were making a name for themselves… and then he'd gone and fallen off a cliff.

More like a short hill, really, but still. He'd broken his left ankle and his wrist… and he'd had the misfortune to land upon a tiger snake. Thankfully he'd been hanging out with some friends who knew what to do in the event of a poisonous snakebite, and he was expected to fully recover from both broken bones and venom, but she was worried and stressed all the same. The ankle injury was enough to kill his career if it didn't heal properly, never mind the extremely dangerous snake he'd inadvertently annoyed. The doctors insisted that Julian would be fine, and their ballet company was already talking about physical therapists and personal trainers and so on, but she couldn't help worrying.

She knew it wasn't just Julian's injuries, though. She knew most of her turmoil had nothing to do with his ability to recover—it was mostly just the fact that he was opening an old wound. She had seen dancers' careers destroyed by injury before—a broken bone that was never quite the same, the months of inactivity taking their toll on the physique, the depression that tended to set in when someone who truly loved to dance couldn't walk for even a short while. Yet what really bothered Kat was a seven-year-old vision of Rocky being taken away on a stretcher, stuck in a hospital bed with a neck brace, barely able to move, forced to pass on his powers. It had been the ultimate end to something that had been more than a career for him—morphing had been like oxygen to Rocky, to all of them, and after one little accident he'd never gotten to morph again. She knew he had dealt with it, far better than most would have, but it had changed things for him and for all of them. It had been the reason they'd decided to move on to other things and pass on their powers—better to move on before it was permanently taken away. Better to accept change before change came for them in the form of catastrophe.

Rocky had made a full recovery himself, but he'd never again entered a tournament and there was something slightly reserved about him when he sparred and taught his classes. It had changed Rocky, in a way that was hard to place or notice. He was still funny and strong and generous and he still loved to fight, but there was something cautious about him now. Rocky was one of the few Rangers who no longer believed himself immortal. While they all knew, deep down, that the power couldn't always protect them, Rocky had been forced to face the fact that he was not invincible. On some subconscious level, they all felt as if the power had betrayed Rocky, and they'd left it behind before it could betray anyone else. It wasn't fair, it wasn't rational, but that didn't stop them from feeling it.

"Hello, Kat."

Kat glanced up from her vigil over Julian's bed. "Hi, Lenny."

Lenny had been Julian's best friend since they were three, and as one couldn't spend a lot of time around Julian without running across Lenny he'd become close to Kat as well. He came to stand beside her, gazing at her intently, as if each one of her emotions was written on her forehead. She wished, not for the first time, that he wasn't so damned observant. "How you holding up?" he asked.

"I…" Kat trailed off. She just couldn't bring herself to say, "Fine." Before she knew what she was doing, she blurted out, "I don't want to dance anymore."

Lenny's eyebrows shot up and he hastily laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Kat. Don't talk like that. You're just scared, thinking of all the things that could go wrong because Julian—"

"I'm not scared," Kat said firmly, and that was perfectly true. She had lost a lot of her fear response during her days as a Ranger. They all had—what was scarier than evil monsters? "I… I really don't want to dance anymore, Lenny. Not like this. It's fun and it's a part of me but there's so much else I want to do with my life. I'm not that three-year-old girl who always wanted to be a ballerina and eventually got her wish. It was just a hobby that I wanted to take a little further. I needed to move on and it was somewhere to move on _to._ I don't know what I'm doing; I really don't. I shouldn't be here. Australia isn't home anymore. It stopped being home the day I had my diving accident. I came back here to prove something, to show my own country I was still special, and it was foolish of me. I don't need to prove anything to anyone—I know I'm special. What does it matter if others acknowledge me?"

Lenny swallowed. "Kat, please, it's okay—"

"What am I _doing,_ Lenny? I'm… I'm… I'm a _ballerina!"_

And with that, Kat burst into loud, disbelieving laughter. It was suddenly so funny. Here she was, back in Australia, living and dying with her career when she'd left the Rangers under the pretense of needing more time and energy to devote to things that weren't a matter of life and death. Now she never seemed to have enough time for the other things she enjoyed and injury threatened to destroy her team yet again.

"Kat, listen to me. I know you're going through something. I know you're worried about your future and Julian's future but he's going to be just fine and he'll be back in tights in no time. You can't live your life scared that what you have will be taken away. Don't try to tell me you don't love dancing—"

"Of course I do. I love dancing. I love lots of things. I love spaghetti, but you don't see me reordering my life so I can spend more time with spaghetti, do you? No. No, Lenny, I need to move on. Not because Julian's hurt or because way back when Rocky got hurt but because I'm twenty-four and I'm not ready to dedicate my life to anything and I swore to myself I wouldn't live and breathe for one reason and one reason only and I've just now realized I don't live and breathe for ballet. I'm just pretending to."

Lenny took a deep breath. "Look, Kat, I hate to be the bad guy. You know I want to be there for you, but… you can't do this. Not now. You can't tell Julian you want out while he's lying flat on his back in a hospital bed. He's going to need you and deep down you need him. You guys have to pull through this together."

Kat shook her head. "I know. I won't abandon him, Lenny, if I can help it. I just… I can't watch this again."

"Julian isn't whatever you're comparing him to in your head," Lenny said sternly. "He might have opened an old wound for you, but you can't fault him for it. He'll get better and you guys will be back onstage in no time."

"I don't want to be 'back onstage,' Lenny. It's… it's a substitute, is what it is. Just like Tommy racing cars or Adam doing stunts. It's an adrenaline rush and a pretty costume." She chuckled and shook her head, staring down at Julian as he slept. "I can't believe I didn't see it before. This is why Tommy's a paleontologist and Trini works in computers and Jason, Rocky and Kimberly teach. The thrill isn't enough; it's just a distraction."

Kat sighed heavily. Part of her felt stupid for telling this to Lenny, of all people—her dance partner's best friend, the guy who would pat Julian on the shoulder when Kat told him she was leaving. And she _was_ leaving. Soon. As soon as she could without crushing Julian. She'd chased a dream, lived it, and now it was over. Time to wake up.

Then, as if the gods themselves were sending her a sign that she was on the right track, a series of cheery beeps sounded from the old communicator still strapped to her wrist.

Kat froze, then grinned. "Excuse me, Lenny. I have to take this."

Lenny frowned. "Take what?"

"Phone call," she clarified, moving to go around him and out into the hall.

"What are you talking about? Your phone got run over yesterday and—"

"I borrowed my mother's phone for the day, since Julian is hurt and I'm spending so much time here," Kat replied, and the fib came out fabulously easy. She hadn't had to make an excuse to leave suddenly in a very long time, and even though the pang of guilt for lying was still there, it felt good to do something so familiar again. With that, she sauntered out into the hall.

She wasn't sure what had brought on this moment of clarity but it felt incredible to slip out into the hall, casually glance around for people who might overhear, and begin scanning the place for somewhere she could talk without being interrupted. Though she probably could have picked out a number of places, Kat chose to duck into a janitor's closet.

Kat lifted her wrist to her mouth. She and Aisha wore their communicators almost nonstop, as they were the only ones who weren't still in North America, save those who didn't live on the planet. The gang usually called her cell first to check if she was alone before calling the communicator, but unfortunately when Lenny had called to tell her Julian was hurt her cell phone had fallen out of her car window and smashed against the pavement. Three vehicles had rolled over it before she could process its absence, and she hadn't gotten a chance to replace it yet.

"Kat here," she whispered into the communicator.

"Hey, Kat. You alone?" It was Adam, and automatically she noted that there was no trace of impending bad news in his tone.

"Sure." She sat down on an overturned five-gallon bucket and shifted a mop out of the way so she could stretch out her legs. "How've you been?"

"Great, great. Missing Tanya a bit, but she's coming home tomorrow. How's Julian doing?"

Kat frowned, puzzled. "He's going to be fine, but… I thought Tanya said she'd be in Africa until next month."

"That was before Billy came back to Earth."

Kat leaped to her feet, slammed the top of her head into a shelf, and failed to notice even as the sharp pain went through her skull and bottles of cleaning products began falling like foul-smelling grenades. _"Billy's_ back?"

"Yup. Got into town a few days ago. Apparently there was a little miscommunication and we didn't all find out until yesterday. Thank god for that thing with the purse snatcher and the media or we might not have figured it out until Saturday—"

"Purse snatcher? Media? Billy?"

"Long story."

"Shorten it for me, please?"

"Well, apparently Billy went back to Angel Grove last Saturday at the same time as Kimberly and Zack, and Tommy rolled into town with his new team, and there's been nonstop chaos ever since. They hit the beach and sparred and went up to the Power Chamber ruins and somehow some guy we went to high school with tried to steal Kimberly's purse and Tommy decked him, so they had Billy use Zack's morpher to turn the mugger into the cops but the mugger saw Tommy and there was this huge thing on the news about Tommy being the first Black Ranger—"

Kat giggled. "Irony sneaks up on you."

"Yeah," Adam agreed. "T.J. and an old reporter friend of Jason's helped us straighten it out though. Anyway, Rocky and I called them yesterday and found out so we all met up, went to a carnival. Rocky and Zack and the new Red, Conner, hooked up with some axe murderers after we all got kicked out for getting in a knock-down drag-out fight with some clowns and then last night there was this thing with Aquitian water mixing with beer and all I really remember is wildebeests but Tommy somehow ended up posing as a ninja stripper—"

"Adam? You lost me at 'axe murderers,' never mind wildebeests and strippers."

"You wanted me to shorten it."

"I should have known better. But enough about clowns and ninjas, tell me about Billy! How is he? Is he good?"

"He's great, Kat. It was so nice to have him back. Like the old days, before things got… complicated. Before the Zeo Powers and Aquitar. I don't know how long he's staying but I think we might sit on him and tie him up if he tries to leave again. It's so funny to see them back—you know, Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly, Zack, Tommy, how they were before Jason, Trini and Zack went to the Conference. They really are a team, you know? Like we were with Sha before she left."

Kat smiled, a little sadly. She had never known what the six of them were like together—the six of them had never been in the same room after she'd joined up, but she had always been aware that within the team there were other groups. The original five, Rocky/Adam/Aisha, the gang and Tommy. It had always felt strange to be reminded that she'd come late to the party, be it through some funny story of Aisha's about childhood with Rocky and Adam or the way Billy used to talk about Trini, Zack and Kimberly. The Rangers had always accepted her at face value, always made her feel like she'd been a part of them her whole life. It had been the best part of being a Ranger, far better than weapons and power and even zords.

Adam cleared his throat, probably wondering if he was making her uncomfortable. "Uh, anyway, the reason Billy's back in town… they're having another Power Rangers Day in Angel Grove Park on Saturday."

Kat's eyebrows rose. "I thought they stopped doing that after the entire town got kidnapped."

"They did. The mayor decided bringing back the old Rangers would boost tourism, give the town some publicity—all the new teams popping up, people are starting to forget Angel Grove a bit. I'm sure he has a million reasons, but when it comes down to it, the city is expecting the Red, Yellow, Blue, Pink, Black and White Mighty Morphin Rangers to show up in the park on Saturday. So Trini convinced Billy to come back and T.J. wants to organize a major party tomorrow evening; we're inviting every team we can get in touch with. Tanya and Aisha are flying in tomorrow. I was kind of hoping you would, too. We all were."

Kat opened her mouth, then closed it. She would feel kind of guilty about leaving Julian alone, but he was fine, really, would probably be released soon… it might be hard to get a flight… but Billy was back. She hadn't seen him in ages, only for a few minutes at Jason and Trini's wedding, but they talked as often as they could over her Aqua-phone…

"I'll try my best," Kat told him. "Seeing you guys again… it sounds like exactly what I need right now."

"If you can't get a flight, let me know. Tanya could maybe get you a private plane."

"I will. I can't wait to come home."

Home. Kat hadn't called it that in a long time, but somehow calling it that made it truer than it had ever been.

"Okay. …Um, hey, Kat?"

"Yes?"

"It's… it's not going to be weird for you, is it?"

"Weird? Why would it be?"

"Well, you know, Tommy and Kimberly are going to be there and they're kind of… chummy…"

"So they're together again?"

There was a long, almost-panicky pause. "Um, no. N-not that I know of."

"So they're friends again?"

"In… in a weird way, yeah. Kind of trying to… forgive and forget."

"Good for them," Kat said sincerely. She'd felt very badly for Tommy after Kimberly had dumped him, and she and Kimberly hadn't really talked since. They'd exchanged a few tentative letters at first, but the letters had been practically impersonal, just dry bits about their individual lives, the sort of thing one might put in a thank-you note to a distant relative. Then the incident with Divatox had come up, after which Kat had never been able to contact Kimberly. She'd tried, numerous times, but she hadn't known how to approach the Tommy subject, and every time she tried to put her thoughts to paper that Kat knew what it was like to turn against one's friends it always came out as if she was asking for an apology for Kimberly's actions. Kimberly, likewise, had stopped writing afterwards, and as the weeks went by not only did Kat keep failing to verbalize her thoughts but she couldn't figure out how to apologize for not writing in so long. Before she knew it, a couple years had passed and she hadn't heard anything about Kimberly, wasn't even sure the address was still valid.

Still, she hadn't really held a grudge against Kimberly on Tommy's behalf—none of them had. Kimberly was well within her rights to break up with him, and the only thing her friends could do about it was try to cheer Tommy up. It wasn't an ideal situation, but it wasn't Kimberly's fault she'd met someone else and moved on. People broke up all the time. The only upsetting thing about it that had affected Kat was that Tommy no longer wanted a long-distance relationship with anyone, and Kat couldn't pretend it hadn't been for the best in the end. Kat certainly didn't have time to call someone every day, or even every week, and Tommy had moved on with his own life, graduating from college, becoming a teacher, starting his own Ranger team. It had bothered her at the time, but Kat had come to see Kimberly's effect on Tommy as more of a blessing than a curse.

"So it won't upset you to see Tommy and Kimberly again?"

Kat was startled. "Of course not, Adam. Why would it? It might be awkward, yes, but certainly not debilitating enough to keep me from coming back and seeing Billy if at all possible. Not to mention everyone else. And I'd love to meet Tommy's new team—I suppose everyone else has already made all the good jokes by now, but I'd love to take a shot at him for picking up a new color. Remember the days he'd have when he'd come to school dressed in all green and mutter something about trying to assure himself that the white wasn't taking over?"

Adam laughed. "Yeah. He keeps wearing two or three of his colors at a time—doubt he could pull off all four at once."

"I imagine he's gotten creative about how to do it, though."

"Probably. Well, listen, I'm going to try and get in touch with Hayley—"

"Hayley, Tommy's friend? The one who knows about us?"

"Yeah, her. Tommy said she'll have the number of the Ninja Storm Rangers. I'm kind of interested to meet them—a secret ninja academy sounds like my kind of place. He said he'd have her call, but, you know, Tommy's memory…"

"Ah. Well, I suppose I should get back to Julian and try to find a flight out to—"

The door to the closet opened. A fifty-something janitor blinked at her in surprise, then inspected the cramped closet, as if wondering where her companion was.

"Hello," Kat said cheerfully. "Can I help you?"

"Need mop," he muttered uncertainly.

"Here you are, sir," Kat told him, handing him the bedraggled floor mop. "Have a lovely day."

He took the mop, stared at her in confusion, and started to say something. Kat smiled at him and pulled the door closed. "Everything okay?" Adam whispered.

"Yes. I'm in the custodian's closet, and the janitor needed a mop. Makes one miss the hallway outside the Youth Center."

Adam chuckled. "Well, I'll see you when and if you get here."

"I'll beep you to let you know I'm on my way. By the way, my cell phone had a freeway accident, so I've only got the communicator at the moment."

"Okay. I'll let the guys know."

"Thanks, Adam. See you soon."

Kat dropped her wrist and exited the closet, ignoring the suspicious custodian mopping a few yards down the hall. She moved purposefully towards Julian's room; she'd let Lenny know what was going on and then head home to make travel plans. With any luck, she'd be able to find a flight that would let her arrive in time for the party; if not, she'd just have to settle for showing up for Power Rangers Day.

* * *

She smiled benignly at the clerk as he checked her identification, matching her face to the photograph on the cheap piece of plastic. He nodded, handed her license back, and ran her credit card.

It was amazing, really. Blending in on Earth had been _much_ easier than she'd imagined. Maybe someday soon she'd be able to convince Doggie to join her; they could do some good on this planet. He was still fighting the Troobians—his entire planet had been decimated five years ago, one of the first to fall to Gruumm, and he wasn't ready to give up dreams of revenge just yet. He was helping the Aquitians realize just how dangerous Gruumm could be—the destruction of Sirius and of the Space Patrol Delta organization had gone unnoticed by many solar systems, and Doggie was having a hard time rallying support against Gruumm, who for all intents and purposes appeared to be one upstart in a dilapidated ship. The armies, the fleet, the allies—Gruumm was keeping them in reserve, bringing them out only when he planned to completely destroy an entire planet, making sure no one knew how large his forces were. No one really took Doggie's wild claims of huge armies and endless resources seriously, but maybe now that all those criminals had escaped detainment on Xybria…

_Don't,_ she told herself sharply. _It's not your problem anymore._

It really wasn't. She had relocated to Earth four months ago, and had been amazed that for all their Power Rangers, all their space travel, all the attacks from mutants and aliens, their technology was incredibly primitive, which made it easier to blend in. Creating an identity had taken a few short hours, and suddenly she had money, an apartment, and a history as a human woman named Dr. Katherine Manx.

The name had come from Doggie. When they'd first met, fighting together in the ground forces of a ragged Space Patrol Delta force on the dying planet of Heuno, she and Doggie had regarded each other with the natural animosity of their races. She'd called him "Doggie," he'd called her "Cat." As their camaraderie grew, the names became terms of endearment, and other members of their unit had used them as well, until she began to think of herself more as "Cat" than "Manx," her given name. She supposed there was some subconscious indicator in there, something about the fact that nearly every member of her race was dead now so she wanted to remind herself of where she came from and who she was, but she didn't want to dwell on it much. Doggie had chuckled when he'd heard she was "Dr. Katherine Manx" now. He'd only asked why she'd changed the spelling, and she'd explained that her native language only had fourteen letters and "C" wasn't one of them; as such, she kept forgetting which way the letter "C" faced. As she was well-known for her vast intellect, she hadn't wanted to risk forgetting how to write her own name.

"Sign here, please."

The clerk put a slip of paper down in front of her. Katherine Manx, she wrote, and tried not to laugh.

She handed the slip back and glanced out the window again. He was still there. A guy with short, spiky dark hair, dressed in fashionable street clothes and fancy sunglasses. He had been following her for at least three blocks before she'd made it to the corner market, at which point he'd stood across the street and watched, assuming she couldn't see that far, didn't notice him. He was apparently unaware of how good her vision was, which would work to her advantage.

"You know what?" she told the clerk. "I've changed my mind. I'm going to need plastic, not paper."

The clerk glowered at her a bit but transferred her belongings to plastic bags. She didn't have much—milk, cheese, bread, butter, and some Meow Mix for snack food. The stuff was _addictive._ One of Earth's better accomplishments.

She thanked the clerk and hefted the bags carefully, already coming up with plans for all worst-case scenarios. She hoped the boy who was following her wasn't going to start something. She was quite hungry and wouldn't appreciate any delays.

She started down the sidewalk in the opposite direction of her apartment. Then she cut down an alleyway and ducked behind a dumpster. A moment later, hurried footsteps sounded and a male voice whispered, "Damn."

Kat carefully hefted the bag with the Meow Mix, praying it didn't burst in the coming fight and cursing herself for leaving the house without a weapon. She was always trying to minimize her own suspicion—hat over the ears, makeup and hairstyle designed to cover the markings on her face. She knew that if she was apprehended by Earth's authorities, being an alien would have been bad enough without worrying about a concealed weapon, and her hand-to-hand skills were sound—but the guy moved like he had training, and he was doing fairly well at stalking her. If it hadn't been for her eyesight, she wouldn't have figured it out.

Kat carefully filtered out the less-than-pleasant odors of the alleyway and focused on those pertaining to the young man. He had that too-clean smell of a human who cared too much about their appearance. The gel in his hair, the perfume of his soap, the cologne clinging to strategic bits of his skin, the detergent and fabric softener and shoe polish… she imagined a human woman would think he smelled nice, but to Kat his scent was cloying, almost overpoweringly so.

She started to focus on the other scents clinging to him—the ones that he'd picked up in his home and favorite hangouts, all the places he'd been. A few of them seemed rather foreign, as if he came from a very bizarre place that few Earthlings went… but before she could place anything else, a series of beeps sounded, and a woman's voice crackled over some sort of electronic device. "Yeah?"  
"It's me. I lost her. I'm in an alley four blocks south of the—argh!"

Kat had meant to do a slightly better job of ambushing him, but she couldn't risk him giving his position to reinforcements. Letting out a hiss, Kat swung the bag of Meow Mix into his face.

He stumbled back but didn't fall. Bad sign—it meant he was used to fighting, to taking and receiving heavy blows. Kat released the bag, letting it slam against the dumpster and fall to the ground. Refusing to be distracted by thoughts of lost Meow Mix, Kat hissed again and moved into a fighting stance.

"Um, hello," he said cautiously. "I'm Lucas. What's your name?"

Kat sprang at him. Even though she'd startled him, Lucas was unbelievably fast. He darted to her right and she sailed by harmlessly, but Kat hadn't won the Unlariandran Hunting Award three years running for nothing. She landed on her hands and launched herself back and to the side, straight at Lucas's chest, but she collided with the dumpster with a resounding clang. She'd lost sight of him, but she didn't have time to find him; she was flying forward now, and it took some quick agility to twist in the air and land on her feet.

"Wow," Lucas remarked from a good twenty feet away. "They weren't kidding about the cat-people thing."

Kat's eyes narrowed and she leaped at him, fighting, clawing, kicking. He landed a few good hits but whatever his orders had been, hurting her didn't appear to be among them and he didn't do much but deflect her blows. A few dizzying moments later, Lucas was flat on his back and Kat was kneeling on his forearms, squatting over his chest and staring down into his eyes. He didn't look scared, just… on guard. Cautious. Also a bad sign.

"Who do you work for?" Kat demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he insisted.

"Right," she snorted. "Why do they never talk until _after_ you make them bloody?"

His eyes widened. "There's no need to make me bloody. I just want to talk."

Kat bared her teeth in the frightening smile that warriors of her race prided themselves on. "It was a rhetorical question."

Kat lifted her hand, sharpest fingernail extended, and slowly began lowering it to his face. She was only a couple inches from Lucas's cheek and fighting the urge to snicker at the rising panic in his eyes when a woman's voice shouted, "Hold it!"

Kat looked up. A brunette girl was leveling some sort of weapon at Kat's head. She was athletic, no older than twenty-five, but she had a commanding presence. And she was wearing pink.

Three others were standing behind her—a man in red, a girl in yellow, and a guy with green hair that could have passed for Asian, but Kat recognized him instantly as a Xybrian.

Color-coded.

She glanced back down at Lucas. His shirt was blue. Kat rolled her eyes.

"Let him go," the pink girl ordered.

Kat climbed off of him quickly. "You're Rangers."

The girl lowered the weapon, surprised. "Yes. We are."

"Which ones?"

"Time Force. We're from the year 3003."

Kat cocked her head to the side. "I recognize you now. You fought in the year 2001, correct? Against Ransik?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "I'm Jen. This is Katie, Trip and Marcus." She nodded at the girl, the Xybrian and the man wearing red in turn. Then she jerked her head at Lucas, who was carefully feeling his face for disfiguring scratches. "I believe you've already met Lucas Kendall."

Kat nodded and picked up her bag of Meow Mix, inspecting it critically. Still intact. Good. "So. What do you want?"

"We're on a very top-secret mission," Marcus said importantly. "And we need your help."

Kat rolled her eyes. This was just what she didn't need. She was alone, safe, living out her life on a planet that had other warriors to fight the wars. She had television. She had Meow Mix.

She picked up her bag of groceries, extricated the large carton of milk, and opened the flaps and took a swig. This planet had really good milk. The preservatives and the varieties… not to mention things like yogurt and half-and-half. This was a beautiful planet and she wasn't going anywhere. There were plenty of people out there in the universe to go on top-secret missions. They didn't need her.

"I hate to break it to you," Kat said slowly, taking an almost possessive swig of her milk, "but I don't do missions anymore. I got tired of all the little nuances like being shot with laser cannons and my entire unit being wiped out by Troobians while the rest of the universe insists that Gruumm isn't a serious threat."

"This isn't that kind of mission," said Jen, shooting a warning look at Marcus. He nodded and fell silent, deferring to her.

"Regardless, I think it's time to move on with my life," Kat said firmly. "I'm already a hundred and twenty-seven in Earth years. It's time I started enjoying my life."

Trip frowned. "That makes you twelve in Xybrian years, doesn't it?" Katie looked questioningly at him. "Twenty-two or so, human years," he translated.

Kat made a dismissive hand motion and took another swig of milk, wishing she was at home where she could drink it properly, with a saucer or at least a bowl. "It doesn't matter. I'm through fighting."

"This mission doesn't involve fighting," Jen said firmly. "We're actually more interested in—Lucas, would you put the stupid mirror down?"

Kat turned to see Lucas holding a small mirror, inspecting his face. "What?" he demanded defensively. "She went for the _face."_

"Anyway," Jen said loudly, "this isn't about fighting. We need your expertise."

"As what?" Kat asked wearily.

"A scientist," Trip supplied.

Kat perked up before she could stop herself. Science. She'd graduated top of her class at a premier galactic science academy… but that had been ages ago. Her planet had been attacked by the Lurans, and every able-bodied citizen was called to join the military. By the time the Lurans were beaten back, the planet's defenses were so weak that Gruumm had had no trouble swooping in and wiping them out, and suddenly Kat was just a refugee from a dead world, hitching rides from planet to planet and taking whatever work she could. No one cared about her science degree, her brilliance—including her. She'd been busy just finding food and shelter, until she'd been stranded on Heuno and the Troobians attacked. Doggie had led the resistance, mostly ex-members of S.P.D. before it had fallen. She'd joined him, and they'd come very close to winning, until Gruumm had gotten the bright idea to fire blasts into the sea until tidal waves and floods threatened the people into surrender. She'd left the planet with Doggie, fighting with him, but it had never been about much more than revenge. She wasn't a warrior. She was a scientist.

"In case you haven't noticed," Kat said slowly, "I've never held a single position in the scientific field. My background's all military."

"But you have a brilliant scientific mind," Trip said eagerly.

"A mind that we're going to need," Jen added in a tone that brooked no argument and brought to mind the five of them strapping Kat down, leaning over her with scalpels and a jar in which to put Kat's soon-to-be-pickled brain.

"We know all about your background," Trip said cheerfully. "And your future. We're Time Force, remember?"

Kat stiffened. Time Force. The year 3003? Nine hundred ninety-nine years in the future. They could tell her a lot. They could tell her how to beat the Troobians, or if her planet would ever be rebuilt, or—

"Smile," Marcus joked, "you have a destiny!"

"Great," Kat muttered. "What exactly do you want?"

"We want you to help us begin the Earth division of Space Patrol Delta," Katie told her.

Kat frowned. "S.P.D. is dead. The separate bases have all been wiped out and—"

Jen shook her head. "Not all of it is gone. A few key members are left, rebuilding the organization in another galaxy, gathering what resources they can and hoping to reclaim their status as law enforcement of the galaxy. In about fifteen years, they'll have the Earth division up and running, using the research and technology you will have developed to better the planet and assist in the colonization of Earth by numerous alien refugees. And you and Anubis Cruger—"

"Doggie?" Kat interrupted, startled.

"Yes. You and he are going to begin work on a new stage in S.P.D.'s evolution. By the year 2025, you and Cruger will be in command of Space Patrol Delta's Earth headquarters. Your research will change this planet. And, by the year 3000, Space Patrol Delta will have evolved into Time Force."

Kat digested this, staring hard at Jen. From what she could gather, Jen was being truthful. Jen was determined to win her over… and if Jen was right, Kat would soon be able to put her talent and passion for science to good use. But it sounded too good to be true. Why would they share that much of the future with her? Wasn't that dangerous? Or had they been told to do this? Was this moment in the alley, with Kat drinking from a carton of milk and leaning against a dumpster while the Blue Time Force Ranger checked his face for scratches and the Red Time Force Ranger hummed a cheery tune, was _this_ part of history?

"Well, then," Kat said slowly. "You say I'm supposed to found Space Patrol Delta's Earth division. So let's pretend I believe you and accept your bizarre little mission. What, exactly, does your little mission entail?"

"Well," Jen began carefully, "first, we begin to gather a team. Of modern-day Rangers, mostly. Those involved in the technology behind Power Ranger capabilities. Those who know about the morphing grid, and the physiology and sociology of Power Rangers. Then we begin the research."

"A team? How large is a team?"

"Fifteen people, including us," Jen replied, in a careful tone that made Kat suspect Jen was omitting something important.

"And how, exactly, are we going to gather up nine Earth Rangers?" Kat demanded. "That could take ages. No one has seen most of the teams in years. T.J. Johnson claims—publicly, anyway—that Rangers rarely reside in the city in which they fought once their powers have been passed on. Tracking them all down would be exhausting and beyond time-consuming—"

"Oh, don't worry about that," said Marcus. "We've got it covered."

Kat raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"Just about every single Power Ranger to date is going to gather in the same place," Katie explained. "All the ones on Earth and most of the ones who aren't."

Kat stared at her in surprise and worry. "Really? Why? Is there going to be an invasion?"

"Better," Lucas told her. "There's going to be a Power Rangers Day."

* * *

_End Notes:_ This chapter was kind of weird, because the plot that we usually hide under copious layers of freak accidents broke through to the surface and presented itself. Coming up, though, we've got lost Conner, more Bulk and Skull, and a monkey, so hopefully that will make up for us being cruel enough to spend a chapter focusing on plot. Review!


	81. A Chimp in Charge

**Chapter Eighty-one**  
_A Chimp in Charge_

"Whoa."

Cassidy peered cautiously around Devin. He stood transfixed in the doorway, preventing her from seeing much besides walls of dark stone. "What is it?" she hissed.

"Mesogog's private chambers," Devin breathed.

Cassidy rolled her eyes. They'd been wandering aimlessly over the gigantic demolished complex for what felt like days—Cassidy had no way of telling how long it had been, as she didn't wear a watch and Devin's had been fried by the trip through the Invisiportal. Cassidy's interest in the laboratory had long since waned, and she was getting dangerously tired of Devin oohing and aahing every time he recognized something from descriptions given to them by Mercer, Elsa and the Rangers or else from his own sci-fi fantasies.

"Devin, come on," Cassidy complained, exasperated. "Poking around Mesogog's bedroom isn't going to get us anywhere."

"Yeah," Devin said reluctantly, sweeping his gaze around the room anyway. It was designed to mimic a cave, complete with a small stream that still trickled through the center of the room. A door at the opposite end hung shattered on its hinges, giving them a glimpse of the jungle-like terrain outside the damaged complex.

Cassidy tugged at his arm, pulling him back into the hallway. A lot of the doors in the place were automatic and wouldn't open, though some were stuck half-closed, like the one to the Tyrannodrone storage bay, which was full of row after row of dormant minions and had nearly scared Cassidy and Devin witless before they realized the Tyrannodrones weren't aware. Not far past that had been a fully-closed door labeled "Triptoid Storage," behind which were loud bangs and sounds of frantic movements; that had not only been unnerving but somewhat sickening, to think of dozens or even hundreds of mindless creatures doomed to live out their meaningless lives trapped in a locked box.

They'd already found what appeared to be a cafeteria, a training room for hand-to-hand combat, a repair bay for heavy machinery, and a room filled with dancing green laser beams that Devin mused was designed to test the reflexes. Most unsettling had been Zeltrax's personal quarters, the walls of which were plastered with pictures of Dr. O, a throwing knife stuck in every last one, and a secret shrine to Elsa in the closet, à la Helga G. Pataki in _Hey Arnold!,_ complete with an intricate wig on a mannequin and a badly-drawn black heart on the wall. They'd tried to remove some of the knives from the walls, just in case they needed a weapon at some point, but they were stuck so deep that neither of them could budge a single one. They'd spent a while studying all the pictures, some of which were startling—most of them involved Dr. O during college, doing all sorts of things neither of them had ever tried to imagine Dr. O doing, like singing karaoke, hanging out in a bar, dancing, and dressed in various Halloween costumes. Elsa's room hadn't been half as unnerving—it was rather cliché, in fact, filled with lots of black furniture and medieval weapons and torture devices. It looked a lot more like a villain's lair than Zeltrax's science-teacher montage and principal shrine, and they'd both felt better after liberating a couple of weapons from the hooks on Elsa's walls. Devin had chosen something that Cassidy didn't recognize, which he called a morning star, and Cassidy had gone with a sword that had gotten really heavy really fast, so she'd made Devin carry it, though she left the cool belt and empty scabbard hanging around her waist.

Cassidy let go of Devin's arm when they reached the end of the hall and turned left. He followed obediently at first, then stopped dead in his tracks. Cassidy sighed and spun around. "What now?"

"A fuse box," Devin breathed, staring at a box mounted on the wall. "At least, I think that's what it is."

"So?"

"So, if I flip a few switches in here, we might could get the power back on!"

"We don't exactly need to sit down and watch TV, Devin," Cassidy snapped. "We _need_ to get out of here."

"I know, but if we had power, we could probably operate some of their computer systems," Devin explained. "The ones that control the network of portals, for instance, or ones that would allow us to contact someone for help."

Cassidy's face lit up. "Well, what are you waiting for? Pop it open and light it up!"

"Um, well…"

"What?"

"If I turn on the power, it could, you know… what with the severed cables… shattered lights… automatic doors…"

"What?"

"I could blow us up or unleash the Triptoids. Or something worse."

Cassidy stared at him, then frowned, thinking it over. "Well… we're obviously not getting anywhere. Even if we find a boat we'd have to find the shore in order to actually, you know, survive. We can't even find the front door. This place is huge and falling apart and I for one don't want to be here any longer than I have to. We can't even find another portal, let alone guarantee that it'll take us to Reefside and not China. We have to do _something."_ Cassidy held out her hand for Elsa's sword. Devin gave it back to her and hefted his morning star a little higher, glancing around nervously before opening the fuse box.

Devin sighed. "It's not labeled."

"So?" Cassidy asked.

"So I don't know which switch does what," Devin said, opening the door wider to show her the double rows of switches. Cassidy glowered at them, wondering why all the bad things always happened to her. Then, deciding that she simply wasn't going to put up with any more nonsense from this place, she reached out and flipped a switch at random.

"Cassidy, no!" Devin shrieked, crouching and clutching his morning star for dear life. Cassidy swallowed as a low whirring noise echoed throughout the complex. What few lights that hadn't been shattered suddenly flickered on, startling them so badly Devin nearly put his morning star through the wall.

A computerized female voice filtered through a speaker system. "Auxiliary power online."

They waited a few moments, twisting their heads around warily, waiting for some sort of monster to pop around the corner and eat them. When none arrived, Cassidy shrugged and turned back to the box. "Well, that went well."

Devin nodded shakily. "We have lights, anyway. Now we won't have to worry about it getting dark."

"I want to be gone long before it gets dark, anyway," Cassidy said firmly. "Monsters aside, who knows what's in that jungle out there. Snakes, bugs… ew." She stared at the box critically. "So. If the auxiliary power was the top one in this row, what would the others be? Logically?"

"Um… well, it all depends."

She stamped her foot, annoyed to find herself wandering through science geek territory only to have her pet science geek fail her. "This is _your_ area, not mine, Devin. _You_ figure it out."

Devin nodded and stared at the switches while Cassidy glanced around. He tried to remember what the switches in the fuse box of his own basement did—upstairs lights, downstairs lights, basement lights, furnace and water heater… somehow he doubted Mesogog's fuse box was the same. For starters, Devin's box didn't have anything called "auxiliary power." Frowning, he decided his best bet was to do what Cassidy had done—flip a switch and hope whatever higher power was watching them happened to be in a good mood.

He flipped another switch. A new whirring sound started, accompanied by distant booms of heavy things colliding. "Defense systems armed," the voice said, making them jump again.

"Well, that's probably good," Cassidy said brightly. Devin decided against pointing out that the defense systems might think they were intruders and attack them. Instead, he shakily flipped again.

"Invisiportal network reconnecting with main grid."

"YES!" Devin exclaimed.

"What does that mean?" Cassidy asked excitedly.

"It means… it means… well, I'm not sure, but if it's 'reconnecting,' that means the portals were supposed to be connected already, so it's fixing something, which means… which means the portal will be better on the way home."

"Oh. Good. Keep flipping."

Devin did, pausing after each flip for the voice to explain what he'd done before moving on to the next switch. "Laboratory power online." "Vehicle Repair Bay power online." "Communication systems online."

"Did you hear that, Cassidy? The communication systems! All we have to do is find a… a terminal, or whatever… and we can get out of here!"

"Whew," Cassidy said. "Should you keep flipping?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I mean, it's possible that we'll need some of the stuff these switches control, and we _might_ get lost if we wander away from the box, but…"

"Devin?" Cassidy whispered, suddenly sounding strangled. "Did… did you hear that?"

Devin stopped, listening. His entire body abruptly filled with dread as he recognized the sound.

Slowly, cautiously, he turned and peeked around the corner. Triptoids were coming down the hall, moving in odd, jerky motions, each of them carrying a weapon. Devin fought the urge to faint as he jerked back out of sight. "Cassidy?" he whimpered.

"Yeah?" she asked, clutching her sword for dear life.

"We released the Triptoids."

They stared at each other in wide-eyed terror, taking a moment to digest this latest bit of bad news. Then they ran like hell.

* * *

Conner had been searching for ages for anything remotely familiar. He'd wandered over what felt like half of Angel Grove and had yet to find the park, the Youth Center, the hotel, Jason's house, or the mall. He'd asked at three gas stations for anyone who might remember a tricked-out VW Beetle and a break dancer, but all it got him were blank stares, although given that he'd been in the trunk the whole time he doubted he'd be able to find Billy's house even if he could find the gas station they'd stopped at in the RADBUG. Worse, he vaguely remembered something about Billy's father going out of town, so he didn't think finding the Cranston residence would be much help.

He'd eventually given in and started asking people for directions to the mall. To his surprise, he hadn't been hit with a cane or seduced by a wino; he'd just gotten more lost.

Finally, however, he did find something familiar—a shuttle bus emblazoned with the words "Club Bulkmeier, now offering tours of the fine City of Angel Grove." It was the same van Conner, Kira, Ethan, Trent and Tommy had toured the city in, only now it had streaks of orange paint all over it, as if someone had tried to give it tiger stripes.

Face lighting up, Conner hurried towards it, hoping Bulk and Skull would remember him and give him a ride back to the mall; after all, they were friends of Dr. O's, and apparently they liked to help people—during the tour they'd talked all about how they'd saved the Power Rangers' lives and been involved in all sorts of quests to help in the fight against Rita and Zedd. He found the two of them standing in front of the van, wearing orange-spattered coveralls and arguing quietly.

"Hey, guys, remember me?" Conner called.

To his surprise, the two jumped guiltily and turned around. It was only then that he realized that Bulk was holding a monkey in his arms—a large monkey with matted, bright orange fur.

Bulk, Skull, Conner and the monkey regarded each other in wary confusion for a moment. Then Conner asked slowly, "Why do you guys have a monkey?"

Bulk and Skull gave little jolts of surprise and looked at him innocently. "What monkey?" Bulk asked, trying unsuccessfully to detach the monkey from his shirt and shove it behind his back. The monkey let out an indignant chattering noise.

"Yeah, what monkey?" Skull repeated, eyes darting from side to side shiftily.

"That monkey," Conner said, pointing. His finger came a little too close to the monkey and they hopped back, yelping.

"Careful! He bites strangers!" Skull yelped, clutching an arm covered in Spongebob Band-Aids.

"Sorry," Conner said, hastily backing away and shoving his hands in his pockets, greatly startling Ms. Syrian Hamster and Mr. Mongolian Gerbil.

"What're you doing here anyways?" Bulk asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, what're you doing here, kid?" Skull demanded.

"I got lost," Conner replied, confused.

"A likely story!" Bulk said, Skull echoing him. "I'll bet you're _really_ here to SPY on us!"

"Yeah!"

"Who sent 'cha, huh? The zoo? The feds?"

"I'm not—I'm not a spy! I'm… remember Dr.—uh, Tommy? The guy I was with? Tall, muscles, spiky hair, kinda dorky?"

Bulk and Skull paused at this. Bulk shifted the monkey in his arms. "You were one of the kids with Tommy that day on the tour?"

"Yes."

"Yeah—yeah! I remember you!"

"Where's the hot one you were with?" Skull asked.

Conner furrowed his brow. "…Trent?"

Bulk and Skull looked at each other. "Trent? That's a weird name for a girl…"

"Wh—OH! You meant KIRA! Right, right, it's Kira."

"Which one was Trent?"

"Uh… the… kinda… attractive… guy wearing white—I'm sorry, _why_ do you have a monkey?"

Another pause followed Conner's subject change as Bulk and Skull looked at each other conspiratorially before motioning Conner closer. "Can you keep a secret?" Skull whispered.

"Sure."

Bulk and Skull looked at one another again, then proceeded to survey the area, craning their necks and shifting their eyes so rapidly that Conner felt a dizzying need to check over his own shoulder. They waited a moment while a man in a business suit wandered down the sidewalk and out of earshot, then checked the area again. Satisfied, they motioned him even closer.

"This," Bulk began, once the area was secure, "is Farcus Skullovich, and he… is our new mascot."

Conner blinked. "Ah. Why a live monkey?"

"You kidding? Stuffed monkeys are so passé!" Bulk said with a snort. "And by the way, he's a _chimpanzee,_ thank you very much."

"Why is he covered in orange paint?"

"An accident," Skull supplied. "We were trying to paint the bus, and Farky went berserk."

"No, Farky was trying to _help,"_ Bulk insisted with the air of one resuming an old argument.

"No, he was _trying—"_

"SHH!" Bulk interrupted. "Not in front of the spy!"

"Sorry, Bulky," Skull whispered. He looked at Conner expectantly, as if waiting for Conner to leave so Bulk and Skull could continue their conversation.

"Um," Conner said slowly, "I was kind of hoping you guys could tell me how to get to the Angel Grove Mall."

"It's that way," Skull said, pointing left.

"No, it's _that_ way," Bulk argued, pointing right.

"No, it's _that_ way," Skull shot back, pointing directly behind him.

"No, it's—"

"Ah," Conner interrupted, a sinking feeling settling into his stomach. "Well, um, thanks. I'll just be going."

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" Bulk demanded in a panic.

Conner frowned, confused. "Tell anyone what?"

"Oh, I see," Skull said, glaring at him. "The kid's trying to blackmail us, Bulky. He's threatening to tell everyone he sees that we've got an illegal chimpanzee if—"

"Illegal?" Conner repeated.

"Skull, you idiot!" Bulk exclaimed. "Now he knows we don't have a license for Farky!"

"You need a license for Farky?" Conner repeated.

"Yeah, why, do you have one?" Skull asked.

"A license for Farky?" They nodded. "Uh, no. No, I don't usually carry around monkey licenses. No matter what Kira says."

"Anyway," Bulk said loudly, "just because you know our secret doesn't mean you can blackmail _us,_ kid."

"It's Conner," Conner reminded him. "And I'm not trying to blackmail you; I wouldn't do that. I'm just trying to make it back to the mall before Dr. O—Tommy—finds out about the mime."

"Mime?" Skull asked, shuddering deeply. Conner and Bulk copied him.

"It was horrible," Conner said. "But, like I said, I'm not going to, you know, turn you in or anything, I just—"

"Oh, so now you're threatening to turn us in, eh?" Bulk demanded.

"No, no, no! Look, I—OW!" Conner broke off with a yelp, withdrawing his hands from his pocket; Ms. Syrian Hamster had just mistaken his finger for a food pellet. "Sorry," he added to Bulk and Skull. "Ms. Syrian Hamster—ooh, hey, that's it!" Conner reached back into his pockets and removed the two furry creatures. "Ta-da!"

"Aw, look how cute," Skull cooed, stroking Mr. Mongolian Gerbil's head.

"What exactly are we looking at?" Bulk asked suspiciously.

"Proof that I'm not going to try to blackmail you," Conner said proudly, pleased with his reasoning skills. "See, I accidentally set free a bunch of hamsters and gerbils at the mall and I got these little guys along the way."

"And that proves you're not trying to blackmail us… how?" Bulk asked, frowning.

"I've got illegal animals, too," Conner pointed out. "So we're all in the same boat."

"Ohhhhhh!" Bulk and Skull chorused. "Sorry for doubting you," Bulk said. "We're just a little nervous. At this point… well, we actually kind of have to return him, and…"

"Return him? Why?" Conner asked.

"Well, he _is_ illegal," Bulk said. "And kind of…" Bulk coughed. "Stolen."

"Stolen?"

"They weren't treating him right," Skull said defensively.

"We have a special bond with chimpanzees, you see," Bulk explained.

"We used to be chimpanzees," Skull added.

"Doubt us if you want, but stranger things have happened than being temporarily turned into chimpanzees," Bulk proclaimed.

"Oh, I know. I'm from Reefside. Home of the Dino Rangers," Conner said. "We have all sorts of strange things happen there."

"Really? Hey, did you ever meet the Power Rangers?" Skull asked eagerly.

Once again, Conner felt the urge to laugh, just as he had when Dee had asked him the same question the previous day. "Sure. Lots of times."

"So have we. Only _we_ met the _originals,"_ Bulk boasted.

"_And_ a bunch of the evil villains," Skull added.

The urge to laugh was growing. "Cool," Conner said. "Hey, listen, speaking of the original Power Rangers—only not really, because I'm not talking about them at all anymore," he corrected himself hastily, "would you guys mind giving me a lift back to the mall? I _really_ don't want D—Tommy to worry about me. He told me not to leave."

"Sure," Bulk said.

"It's just past the zoo," Skull said.

"So if you don't mind us making a quick stop first to return Farky here…"

"I'm gonna miss him," Skull said, sniffling.

"What happened to him being your mascot?" Conner asked.

"Well… taking care of a chimp is a lot more work than it seemed like when _we_ were chimps."

"And after the orange paint incident, we're thinking Farky isn't suited to life outside the cage," Skull added sadly, rubbing the Band-Aid patch on his arm.

"So we're going to sneak him back in," Bulk continued. "Shouldn't take long. Then we'll drop you off at the mall, okay?"

Conner nodded and looked down at Mr. Mongolian Gerbil and Ms. Syrian Hamster. He thought about how sad he'd feel if he had to give them up after forming such a strong emotional bond.

"Know what guys? I'll help. I know what it's like to care about an animal you're not supposed to have," Conner told them.

"Ha! You're an all right kid, kid," Bulk said, clapping his shoulder. Farky copied Bulk by smacking Conner's other shoulder, hard.

"It's Conner," he said. "You guys ready?"

"Sure, kid," Bulk said. "Should probably get out of here anyway, before someone complains about the orange paint all over the road." He nodded at a long smear of paint stretching across the asphalt from the van almost to the opposite curb.

"Hop in," Skull said cheerfully, climbing into the driver's seat and pulling the lever that opened the shuttle's door. "Time to send Farky off in style."

"Sounds like fun," Conner replied, replacing his pets in their respective pockets and following Bulk and Farky into the bus.

"It'll be more than fun," Bulk announced. "It'll be an adventure, won't it, Farky?" He ruffled the monkey's fur. "Yes, it will."

"I like adventures," Conner said as Skull shut the doors and started the bus.

"Oh, good," Skull said. "Then you'll _really_ like hanging out with us."


	82. Disappearing Act

**Chapter Eighty-two**

_Disappearing Act_

"Ethan, I hate to interrupt a guy when he's in his element, but it's been over three hours since we left Conner alone on that bench."

Ethan was so startled he forgot to hit the tag team button and for the first time since he'd begun playing _Tekken Tag_ the computer scored a K.O. against him. "Seriously? It feels like less than twenty minutes."

Trent held up his watch, which read seven-thirty. "Ethan, we've gone to six stores and you've beaten four games," Trent pointed out. They were in the arcade, which just so happened to be on the way back to Conner's bench. Honest.

"Really?"

"Yep."

"That usually takes longer than three hours. Maybe the time-space continuum has broken down."

"Yeah. It tends to do that when you're playing video games."

"Happens to you, too?"

"No, but when _you're_ playing video games I swear you have your own time zone. You're probably the only guy I know who could drink fourteen smoothies without needing to go to the bathroom as long as you're playing a video game."

"And proud of it." Ethan sighed and stepped away from the game, picking up the bags containing Conner's hamster supplies and following Trent out of the arcade.

"Ethan?"

"Yeah?"

"That's Conner's bench over there, right?"

Ethan and Trent froze, staring at the teal-green wooden bench straight ahead. The bench furthest from the pet store. The bench that Conner was _not_ sitting on.

"Where's Conner?" Ethan asked slowly.

"He's… he's…"

Trent and Ethan both began twisting back and forth, panicking as they desperately searched for any sign of Conner.

"Oh, no," Ethan whimpered. "He's gone. Trent, he's gone!"

"He can't be! He_can't_ be!"

"He is! He is!"

"Dr. O is going to_kill_ us!"

"Surely not. I mean, we've done a lot worse stuff before than set Conner free on an unsuspecting city."

"No we haven't, Ethan. We _really_ haven't!"

"It's not our_fault!_ We handcuffed him to a bench! We did everything we could!"

"This is the first—and obviously last—time Dr. O has ever been completely responsible for Conner, and we _lost_ him!"

"It was an accident!"

"We handcuffed him to a bench and ran off to play video games and go buy hamster wheels! How irresponsible could we _be?"_

"Oh, god, oh, god… I think I'm gonna faint…"

"Breathe. Breathe!"

"No, no, I want to faint. Dr. O will go easy on me if I'm unconscious, right?"

"You can't faint. If you faint I'll be too busy catching you and smacking you back into consciousness to faint myself!"

"TRENT!" Ethan seized Trent's shoulders and shook him. "What are we gonna do?"

"About what?"

Both boys jumped badly and turned to see Kira standing beside them, looking from one to the other curiously. "Nothing," they chorused in panic.

Kira quirked an eyebrow. "Oh-kay. Not asking."

"Thank god," Ethan muttered.

"What's going on?" Trent asked weakly, trying to muster a casual tone.

Kira shrugged. "Nothing. Jason called to say they ran and took all the stuff to the hotel and Jason's house, so there's room in the car for Billy's new wardrobe." Kira held up an armful of shopping bags. "The guy now has enough clothing to last him for a couple of decades. I haven't seen anyone shop like that since Kylie. Thankfully Jason said Adam finally managed to drag Rocky out of the tea shop and they're on their way back to Angel Grove. That got Kimberly to wrap it up and they sent me to find you guys. We're meeting up by the atrium; Trini wanted to take some pictures of the exploded fountain."

"Why?" Trent asked, frowning.

"Something about telling Kimberly's grandchildren," Kira replied. "Come on."

Ethan and Trent cautiously followed Kira back through the mall, expecting her to stop at any moment and demand to know where Conner was, but she didn't seem to notice. Crossing their fingers and practicing their apologetic expressions, they headed for the atrium. The fountain had gone from bad to worse; instead of water gushing steadily from the two broken Power Weapons, it was coming out in random spurts. First one weapon would spray, then another, then another, in no discernible pattern. The water had risen another foot and a half, and the bucket brigade's strength was seriously waning. Everyone looked distinctly bedraggled, and Billy's eye doctor was kneeling over someone who had apparently collapsed under the exertion. Tommy, Zack, Jason, Kimberly and Billy were watching forlornly, while Trini grimly snapped pictures.

"I'm thinking I should make up a scrapbook," Trini reflected. "I've got some nice shots of the damage done to Spencer's, and what with the pics from last night—"

"What pics from last night?" Kimberly asked.

"Oh, you know, just… stuff." Kimberly frowned, but didn't press the issue. Trini smiled at Kira, who grimaced a bit at the memory of being awoken in the middle of the night to help take pictures of Tommy and Kimberly accidentally curled up in the same bed.

"Are we ready to go, guys?" Tommy asked. "I think we've done enough damage for one day."

"Aw, come on. I'm sure there's a few things I missed the first time around," Kimberly said.

"I'm sure you're mistaken," Billy said firmly.

"I'd say so," Jason agreed, watching with a sort of amused guilt as the eye doctor tried to explain that he was an optometrist to the collapsed guy's family.

"Fine," Kimberly said with a gusty sigh. "There goes that sale at Victoria's Secret."

"Oh, yeah," Kira said, looking a tad disappointed herself.

Everyone stared at them for a moment.

"Heh… it'll still be there tomorrow," Kimberly said lamely.

"I didn't even want to go," Kira added, but she wasn't quite pulling it off.

Jason shook his head. "Maybe we can hit my place, get some take-out, hang around and stuff. Adam mentioned sparring again."

"Yeah, sounds like fun," Zack said. "Can we swing by the hotel first and grab Kira's guitar? Kira wanted to play me some of her songs."

"I'd actually like to grab the Spencer's stuff while we're there, let you all do some really bizarre shopping so I don't get stuck with all of it," Tommy agreed. "I… wait." Tommy frowned, staring around at them all. Then he put up his finger and pointed it at each of them as if doing a head count. "Someone's missing." His eyes widened. _"Where's Conner?"_

"I thought he was with _you,"_ Kira said to Jason.

_"I_ thought he was with _you,"_ Jason said to Trent and Ethan.

Ethan looked slightly worried; Trent gave him a downright panicky glance. _"We_ thought he was with _you!"_ Ethan half-shouted, pointing wildly at Kimberly.

Kimberly raised an eyebrow. _"Why_ would _he_ be with _me?"_

Tommy gave Ethan a suspicious glance. "Ethan?"

"What?" Ethan said, desperately trying to look innocent.

Tommy sighed and glared at Trent. _"Trent?"_

"I… well…" Ethan was giving him a significant look, but Trent quickly cracked anyway. "We handcuffed him to a bench and he escaped!" Trent confessed. "We don't know where he's gone!"

"He could have left the mall by now," Ethan said miserably.

Tommy gaped at him. "Conner's wandering around a strange city… _alone?!"_ he yelled. "Oh, _god!_ _I'm responsible for him!"_

"He couldn't have gotten far," Kimberly assured him.

"Yeah, he's probably still in the mall," Zack added.

"No, he probably isn't! You don't know Conner like I do. He's off getting into some freakish trouble… I'd better call the jail…"

"Chill, Tommy, we'll find him," Trini said soothingly. "We'll split up and search all over town."

"Where would he go?"

"What would he do?"

"Think Dr. O will kill him this time?"

"He's been missing for hours! By the time we find him, I probably won't have to!" Tommy suddenly lunged at Ethan, seized him by the shoulders and shook him. "Quick, Ethan! Do that thing you do to make people appear out of thin air!"

"What?" Ethan pushed Tommy away and frowned, trying to combat the dizziness Tommy had caused. "Oh! Right!" Ethan cleared his throat. "It's not like he's gonna fall out of the sky and land in front of us."

They all looked up expectantly, but all they saw was the mall's skylight.

"Oh, _god!_ Ethan's broken!"

"What are we gonna_do?"_

_Plunk!_

They all froze and looked around at the sound of a falling object hitting water. A few feet away, floating in the floodwaters, was a Red Dino Ranger action figure.

They stared at it suspiciously. Then they looked at Ethan.

"Surely not," Ethan said slowly. "I mean, no one's ever turned into an action figure when they fell out of the sky after I said that. They usually came out of thin air fully human, and—"

"Mommy! I dropped my Red Ranger!"

Several of them jumped as the high-pitched sound of a male toddler's voice floated down from above. A child on the verge of tears was pointing at the water while his mother glanced around for the nearest escalator.

A collective sigh of relief went up from the nine ex-Rangers, then everyone returned to blind panic (save Zack, who took a moment to toss the action figure back to its owners before joining the gang).

"I don't believe this. I don't _believe_ this!"

"Tommy, he'll be fine!"

"Yeah, he went running around the other night."

"He was with Ethan and Trent! Conner alone is much worse than Conner with _anyone_ else!" Tommy started to jog for the exit, pulling out his cell phone… and then he stopped, staring at the screen.

"What?" Billy asked urgently. "Did he call?"

"I have twenty-one new messages," Tommy said in confusion, hitting the button to call his voicemail. "I hope he's one of them." Tommy paused for a moment, frowning deeply. "What the…?"

Tommy listened for a good ten minutes without speaking until Ethan could no longer stand the suspense and snatched the phone away; Tommy made no move to stop him, staring straight ahead blankly as if trying to make sense of the situation. Ethan glued the phone to his ear, his eyes becoming wider and wider as the moments stretched until all of them were uneasy about the look of horror on his face. Finally, Kira stole the phone and hit the speaker button. "…New message number fourteen, received today at six-oh-two p.m.," said the recording before an all-too-familiar voice came on the line.

"Hi, Tommy, it's Skull again! Don't worry, that mess with the cops went fine. Well, they said something about a court date, but Lieutenant Stone always gets me and Bulk out of those, and they've let us go anyway. We're still working on that how to get him into the monkey habitat, but Bulk has a plan, so don't worry about us. We're taking good care of Conner! Bye!"

Kimberly dropped her multitude of shopping bags. Conner's hamster supplies clattered to the floor. Trini gripped Jason's shoulder for support.

"I don't believe it," Tommy said in a horrified, shocked whisper as the next message began. "He's somehow managed to team up with the _only two people_ on the planet who are _worse than Conner!"_

"I'm going to hell," Ethan whimpered.

"Yeah," Trent said fervently, "you really, really are."

"I just wanted a few Conner-free hours! I didn't think that…"

"Now's not the time to argue," Trini said in a tone she usually reserved for people who'd just gone through massive emotional upheaval. "Now is the time for action. We need to find them."

Jason immediately took charge. "Zack, you and Billy take Ethan and Trent. Head for the zoo and try to pick up their trail. Trini, you and Kim and Kira check that club Bulk owns and the park—places they might have gone. Tommy, you're with me; I'll drive. We'll swing by Bulk and Skull's houses and then hit the hotel. Tommy, keep listening for a clue as to where they are now. Anyone who has Conner's number, call it every few minutes and let the others know if you get an answer. Any questions?"

In the slight pause that ensued, they could hear Bulk over the phone saying, "Don't worry, we're fine. That giraffe was no match for me! We couldn't get Farky in, though, so we're working on a way to take off the orange paint."

"All right," Jason said, taking a deep, steadying breath. "Let's go."

* * *

Connie had no sooner put one foot inside the shower door when someone started pounding frantically on the front door. Sighing, she threw on a bathrobe and headed for the door, hoping her boyfriend hadn't managed to get himself in another bizarre scrape.

"I'm coming!" she shouted as she entered the living room and headed for the window. A glance outside revealed two big guys on the stoop, one in green and black and the other in red and black, both of them looking worried.

She went to the door and opened it, looking up at them expectantly. At the sight of her, both of them suddenly looked rather blank, their expressions quickly changing from anxious to confused.

"Yes?" she asked, glancing from one to the other.

The one in red shook himself slightly. "Um… does Bulk live here?"

"Yes, he does. What's he done now?" she asked wearily.

"Are… are you his sister or something?" the one in green asked.

"No… I'm his girlfriend," Connie explained. "Can I help you?"

They stared at her. "Er… we are talking about Farcus _Bulkmeier,_ right?" the one in red said hesitantly.

"Yes," she said suspiciously. This sort of thing had happened before—a lot of people who knew Bulk were startled to discover he had a girlfriend. They didn't see the sweet, passionate, brave man she saw; they only saw the bumbling goon on the surface.

The one in green coughed. "You, uh, you been with Bulk long?"

She nodded. "We met on the Junior Police Patrol. We've been together for about three years now."

"Ah." The green one cleared his throat. "Sorry, it's just… um… you're kinda…"

"Hot," the red one muttered.

Connie's eyes narrowed. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," the green one said hastily. "We just, ah, we didn't know Bulk was seeing anybody."

"Apparently things have _really_ changed since high school," the red one said, shaking his head.

"You went to high school with Bulk?"

"Yeah, um, him and Skull… are… out… with a friend of ours," the red one said.

She sighed. "Does this have anything to do with that damned monkey?"

"What monkey?" they both asked innocently.

Connie rolled her eyes. "Look, I don't know where he is."

"Listen, we really need to find him," the green one said desperately. "See, this kid, Conner, I'm responsible for him, and Bulk and Skull took him to the zoo or… something… and I really need to get the kid back."

"Why?" Connie asked, frowning.

"Well… because Bulk and Skull have him," he said, as if this should be enough.

"If you were that worried about their parental instincts, why did you let Bulk baby-sit him?" she asked.

"We didn't," he insisted.

"Yeah, we haven't sustained any massive head injuries recently," the red one added.

"That's the problem. Conner's my responsibility and I turned my back for a second and now he's out with Bulk and Skull and a monkey. Now,_please,_ tell us where they went?"

"I don't know where they went," Connie repeated. "Bulk called to say he wouldn't be home in time for dinner, but that was the last I heard."

"What do you know about the monkey?" the red one asked. "Any idea why it's orange or how it's illegal?"

She frowned. "It's orange and illegal?"

He sighed. "You didn't know?"

"No. It's orange and illegal?"

"Yeah, um… you know what? We should get going. If you hear from him or Skull, tell him Tommy and Jason are looking for him."

"Oh, you're Tommy?" Connie asked the red one.

"No, he is," he said, pointing at the green one. "I'm Jason."

"Oh. Yeah, he mentioned his old pal Tommy was in town with a bunch of kids. And there was something about him having to go to Reefside yesterday because you might be a Power Ranger…?"

"Oh, that," Tommy said, shifting uncomfortably. "Yeah, that was… a misunderstanding. A _huge_ one."

"I saw on the news that people thought you were the Black Ranger or something."

Tommy shook his head. "Yeah. Don't worry. I'm not the _original_ Black Ranger."

"Ah. Okay. Well, like I said, I don't know where Bulk is. He said he and Skull were going to go look at some baby carriages, and then they called to say they acquired a monkey somehow, and then they called to say something came up and they were going to be a while…"

"Sounds like a typical day with Bulk," Jason said ironically.

Tommy frowned. "Why does the monkey need a baby carriage?"

"It doesn't. They somehow got the monkey while out shopping for baby carriages."

The two guys looked at her with identical suspicious expressions. "Why were they looking for baby carriages?" Tommy asked.

"For me."

"Why do _you_ need a baby carriage?" Jason demanded, a note of panic in his voice.

"I'm pregnant," she replied. "Fourteen weeks. Just past the first trimester."

They'd both gone oddly still. "It's," Jason began in a strangled tone, "it's not _Bulk's,_ is it?"

"Of course it is. He is my boyfriend, after all."

They stared at her, stricken and horrified. Connie frowned, wondering what their deal was. "Bulk," Jason croaked, "is _reproducing."_

"This day just keeps getting worse," Tommy whimpered. "Never mind the fountain, the gerbils and the ceiling tiles. Bulk's got Conner and an unlawful monkey and _he's going to have a baby."_

"With a _girl,"_ Jason added, now slightly awed.

Connie glowered at them. "I'm not sure I see what's so shocking."

"Nothing," Tommy choked out. "Nothing. Just… you're… having a baby. _Bulk's_ baby. It's just kinda… sudden. A baby. You're… having Bulk's baby. I'm… sorry." Jason elbowed him. "I mean, uh, congratulations. Let's go, Jase."

With that, the two guys bolted back to the pickup truck parked at the curb and dove into it; Jason drove away before Tommy could even close his door. Connie shrugged and went back inside, wondering why Bulk always seemed to have the strangest friends.

* * *

Zack, Billy, Ethan and Trent stared in dismay at the monkey habitat—what was left of it, anyway. The large indoor structure had been… breached, for lack of a better term. Most of the cages stood open and the chimpanzees seemed especially agitated; according to the plaque beneath their cage that listed their names, ages and history, one of them was missing. A trio of spider monkeys was swinging from an overhead light fixture. A disgruntled gorilla was explaining something to a trainer in sign language. The orangutans were pelting a security guard with a seemingly endless supply of figurines from the gift shop. The four ex-Rangers tried not to listen to all the disturbing things about tranquilizing the giraffes and penguins in the dolphin tank and escaped boa constrictors they could hear coming through the guard's radio.

"Well," Zack said dryly, "I think we've found their trail."


	83. Teamwork

**Chapter Eighty-three**

_Teamwork_

"Well, now what?" Conner asked wearily. They'd narrowly escaped the zoo without getting caught, but most unfortunately they'd failed to sneak Farky back into the monkey habitat. Now they were hiding out at Club Bulkmeier, sitting in a storage shed and trying to plot out their next move.

"Now we might have to rethink the whole zoo option," Bulk said thoughtfully, absently petting Farky's orange-streaked head.

Conner cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Sorry about the whole thing with the giraffe. I just… panicked."

"Hey, that could have happened to anyone, kid," Bulk told him. "Believe me. I can tell you _stories."_

"Yeah, and that was a great idea, slipping the orangutans things to throw at the guards for a distraction," Skull said.

"Thanks, guys," Conner said gratefully. He frowned. "You don't think dolphins eat penguins, do you?"

"Not zoo dolphins," Bulk replied. "At least, I don't think they do."

"Oh. Good to know." Conner sighed. "Any ideas?"

"I think we better drop you off at the mall," Bulk said. "It's getting late. The mall closes soon."

Conner was affronted. "I can't back out on you guys now! I'm the whole reason we couldn't sneak Farky back in! If that gorilla hadn't captured Ms. Syrian Hamster—"

"Whew, I thought she was a goner for sure," Bulk said. "Good move on that one, Skull."

"Anytime," Skull replied cheerfully.

"My _point_ is," Conner said firmly, "I'm a part of this now. I can't leave you guys to hang."

"Well, what can we do? We can't sneak Farky back in, apparently," Skull said sadly.

"I'll have to take him back with me," Bulk sighed. "Connie's gonna be pissed."

Conner frowned thoughtfully. _Think, Conner, think,_ he urged himself. _You were the leader of the Dino Thunder Power Rangers. You can plan. You've had plenty of plans. Like that time with the Copy Otter. No, not like that time with the Copy Otter… um…_

Conner racked his brains. The trouble had started when the guard had seen that the monkey in Bulk's coveralls was orange. He had known that Farky was a stolen chimpanzee because the orange paint made him stand out. But if Farky looked like a normal chimp…

"I've got it!" Conner exclaimed. "How we can get Farky back to the zoo, and keep you guys from getting caught for monkey theft!"

"How?" Bulk and Skull demanded in unison.

"Simple. We'll just take off the orange paint. Then we'll go back to the zoo, sneak into one of the employee hallways behind the monkey cages, and drop him off. That way, they'll think Farky just escaped, and you can say that you were taking your own chimpanzee that you, I don't know, rescued from the park or something, to visit his friends and to try to see if your poor, lonely, came-out-of-nowhere chimp might like to go live at the zoo with the other chimps! And that when you saw that you couldn't just drop him off at the zoo, you… I don't know… set him free or something or snuck him into another zoo…"

"That's a great idea!" Bulk breathed, clapping Conner on the back so hard he nearly fell from his perch on a narrow shelf.

"Yeah, a great idea!" Skull echoed. "But, wait… how are we going to get this paint off him? It's kinda stuck-on, now…"

"Well…" Conner said slowly, glancing around the storage shed. There were plenty of things in the shed that might be useful, but their previous attempts to cleanse Farky had failed miserably.

Then, as if divine light had illuminated it to draw Conner's attention, his eyes fastened on a canister of paint. It had been used previously… and a trickle of brown was dripping down the side.

Conner beamed. "Don't worry, guys," he said proudly. "I've got a _plan."_

* * *

Adam and Rocky ducked instinctively as they walked beneath the helicopter's whirring blades. Despite the fact that neither of them were tall enough to lose a body part if they stood up straight, they were both a little too used to dodging dangerous objects.

"Finally," Adam said, waving goodbye to his pilot and leading the way to the Mercedes. "It's already eight thirty."

"Eh, the night is young," Rocky said, feeling a pang of guilt. It was in fact his fault that they hadn't returned earlier; he hadn't been able to tear himself away from the teashop, for reasons neither he nor Adam wanted to examine.

"I know," Adam said, sighing as he hit the remote on his keychain. "I just… I feel like we're on borrowed time, you know? Billy's back, Tommy and Kimberly are momentarily on speaking terms, and who knows how long we'll all be together?"  
"I know. But at the same time, it's like… I don't even feel like I should be glued to them. It's too much like old times, you know? The moment Billy comes back and those two start flirting it's like nothing's changed. I keep thinking—"

"That they'll be there tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that," Adam finished. "Yeah. It's weird, like we all just picked up where we left off. But we really should be spending more time with them. Billy has to go home soon, and Tommy and Kimberly's little truce might not last, and after all we barely know the new kids."

"Yeah." They slid into Adam's car and he started the engine. "So, do you want to call them, or should I?" Rocky asked.

"I will. You'll try to gloss over the tea obsession," Adam teased.

"Hey, that was_Billy's_ fault! _He's_ the one who drugged us all."

"Uh-huh. _Sure,_ Rocky." Adam got out his cell phone and dialed Tommy. "It's busy," he said, frowning. "Must be having a three-way call or accessing his voicemail or something."

"Here's hoping it's that simple," Rocky muttered.

Adam shrugged and started driving out of the airport, putting the phone on speaker and setting it in its dashboard holder. "I guess we'll try the others," he said, and hit the speed dial for Jason.

Jason answered on the third ring, an urgent tone in his voice. "Adam? Where are you?"

"Um… why?" Adam asked suspiciously.

"It's Conner. He left the mall and he got lost and apparently he's trying to help Bulk and Skull sneak an orange chimpanzee into the zoo or something."

"He's… what?" Adam asked blankly.

"He's trying to sneak an orange chimpanzee into the zoo. At least, he was. Zack and Billy say every monkey in the place has been released or traumatized and there's no sign of Bulk, Skull or Conner, so we're still looking for them. Nobody's home at Bulk and Skull's place—although, hey, did you know Bulk has a girlfriend? She was actually pretty hot. And—"

"Jason, buddy, I'm still stuck back on the orange chimp," Rocky interrupted faintly.

"Oh, yeah. We're not sure what's going on. It answers to 'Farky,' apparently, and we've been listening to Bulk and Skull's voicemails, but they were pretty old and none of them are answering their phones anymore, so mostly we've just been running into half-demolished buildings full of shaky employees who are trying to repress memories of three crazy guys and an orange chimp. Tommy's having a cow. Are you guys back in town yet? Do you think you can help look for them?"

Adam looked at Rocky.

Rocky looked at Adam.

As one, they turned to face forward; they'd come to a T-shaped intersection at the end of the airport. A sign directly across from them said "Angel Grove 3" with an arrow pointing left, and "Stone Canyon 15" with an arrow pointing right.

"That's what we were calling to tell you, Jase," Adam said slowly. "See, there's a problem with the flight plan. By the time I dragged Rocky out of the teashop it was way past the original departure time and so now we're having a few issues. Might be a few hours before we can get back. I'm going to give it another hour to get it resolved, and if they can't I'll just drive out there."

Jason swore. "All right. Well, we gotta get back to hunting these three down; we're about to reconvene at the hotel and search for them there. Call us when you get here, right?"

"Will do, Jase. Bye."

Jason ended the call. Adam breathed an only slightly guilty sigh of relief.

"So," Rocky said. "Wanna hit the movies?"

"Movies sound good," Adam agreed, turning right and heading determinedly for the relative safety of Stone Canyon.

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Conner?"

"I'm sure," Conner said firmly. For some reason, Bulk and Skull were reluctant to proceed. As if his plan was strange or something.

"I'd feel a lot better if we were doing this at Bulkmeier's," Bulk said stubbornly.

"Guys, I told you. After that thing at the zoo, they might be looking for you. And this is the only other place we have access too at the moment; we don't want to go to a public one or anything."

"All right," Bulk said reluctantly.

"Here's hoping we don't regret this," said Skull.

Conner hitched the length of rope a little higher up his shoulder and hefted the can of brown paint. "Don't worry, guys. Just act natural."

* * *

"Okay," Jarel said slowly. "Say that one more time?"

Steven sighed. This was the third time Jarel had asked him to repeat their latest assignment. "Three guys washing orange paint off a monkey in the pool at the Angel Grove Inn."

"Uh-huh." Jarel stared blankly out the windshield. Steven was driving. Jarel had left the car to go grab some coffee, and when he'd come back Steven had started trying to explain their next call. Somehow, it just wouldn't process.

They were supposed to have gotten off at four, but they'd been asked to pull some overtime; most of A.G.P.D. had been pulling double shifts all week and things weren't going so well in the city. Plenty of people were pulling random petty crimes, trying to flush the Power Rangers out of hiding, thanks to one of them showing up to stop a purse snatcher and then appearing again at the Angel Grove Inn yesterday to chase down some guy who'd jumped a couple of bellhops. Their morning had started out with a bogus call from a group of hung over girls who insisted their ninja stripper had jumped off their balcony in the middle of the night; they'd written it off as a direct result of too many margaritas. Then the mall had called them in to try and find some kid who'd somehow managed to vandalize the Power Rangers fountain, set loose an ungodly amount of rodents at the pet store, and damage a security gate at a Spencer's; they'd spent a while reviewing the tapes and prowling the mall with no result. Then a chimpanzee had been stolen from the Angel Grove Zoo, but the crooks had been long gone by the time Steven and Jarel got there. Just as they were heading to grab some dinner, the chimpanzee thieves had returned to the zoo, apparently trying to ditch the chimp, and nearly destroyed the place; Jarel had gotten kicked by an antagonized giraffe and he was pretty sure a gorilla had given him the finger. And now… now someone was washing a monkey in a hotel pool.

"Is it just me, or is it getting weirder?" Jarel asked faintly.

Steven shrugged. "Hope they let us go before midnight."

Jarel shook his head. Even more disconcerting than all the bizarre occurrences was the fact that, for all his ranting yesterday, Steven was taking everything without complaint. He was doing his job and completely unperturbed by things like violent giraffes and escaped hamsters and ninjas who moonlighted as strippers. The more freaked out Jarel got, the calmer Steven became, as if he'd never complained in the first place.

Jarel sighed. He had long since learned that the best way to handle a problem with Steven was to be blunt; Steven didn't talk much about what was bothering him unless prodded a bit and once he started talking he generally felt better and started fixing things. "All right, that's it," Jarel said. "What's up with you?"

"What do you mean?" Steven asked.

"You're all… all… _calm._ You were freaking out yesterday about how hellish and Twilight Zone this place was, and now we're here, and you're acting like it's no big deal. You haven't even said 'I told you so.'"

Steven smiled sardonically. "That's how it works here, Jarel."

"How _what_ works here?" Jared asked desperately.

"The weirdness."

Jarel shook his head, frustrated. "All I know about the weirdness so far is that you were right. Giraffes are one of the most docile creatures on the planet. That plaque at the zoo said so. And who teaches rude hand gestures to a gorilla? How can one kid cause so much chaos in a mall and not get caught? Who really steals a chimpanzee and accidentally puts penguins in the dolphin tank along the way?"

"People from Angel Grove."

"Why?" Jarel demanded.

"There is no why."

"Dude, stop with the cryptic wise man crap and throw me a line here. How can you be so… so…?"

"Unaffected?" Steven supplied.

"Yes!"

"It's easy," Steven said with a shrug. "Once you've got the practice. That's the thing. It's not easy at first. But pretty soon it's just second nature. Once the weirdness starts, there's only one thing you can do."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Hope it doesn't affect _you."_

Jarel frowned. "In case you haven't noticed, man, it _is_ affecting me. I got kicked _by a giraffe."_

Steven chuckled. "Yeah. Wonder if the zoo would give us a copy of _that_ security tape."

Jarel stared at him incredulously, offended. "You think this is _funny?"_

"A little. Mostly I try not to think about it. See, Jarel, you've been doing this for one _day._ I did it my whole life. Got worse when the Rangers showed up, as if they unbalanced something on some universal chaos scale, but it was always there, really. As if the weirdness needed an excuse to present itself. You want to make it through it, you just have to pay attention to the signs that it's time to duck and try not to attempt to reason with the madness."

"That's how you deal with it?"

"Better. That's how I _avoid_ it, man. Look," Steven said thoughtfully, "what was your first clue that our day was going to suck?"

"Well, you tried to warn me yesterday—"

"That wasn't a clue. That was a dire warning that you chose to ignore and later looked back upon and wondered why you didn't listen. What was your first _clue?"_

Jarel's frown deepened as he thought it over. "Well, our first call being a bunch of drunken girls talking about manic depressive ninja gigolos was a good start…"

"Ah, I see. You caught it too late."

"Excuse me?"

_"My_ first clue? We start talking about Angel Grove and we happen upon six people digging holes in a park, three of them wearing ski masks, all of them thinking running would be a good plan. Not only do we fail to catch them or find anything in the holes they dug, but a guy from my high school football team purposefully knocks me into a creek and then tags along on the foot pursuit."

"Wait—purposefully?" Jarel asked, confused.

"Thought it over later. The way he was standing when I hit him? Wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't an accident. We were on the football team together, remember? He braced for impact and moved into my path. Pretty sure he saw me coming."

"Why the hell didn't you say anything?"

"Not enough to go on. Don't have enough evidence on anyone to do any real damage, and whatever his reasons for knocking me into the creek, he wasn't part of the digging crew. Wrong height, build, clothes. Wasn't sweaty, so he hadn't been doing anything too strenuous."

"Maybe he knew who it was, though!" Jarel said angrily.

"Doubtful. I know the guy, like I said, and he's not much for getting into trouble with the law. Besides, there's nothing to go on. I can't even prove he meant to knock me into the creek. _I'm_ not even sure if he did. And if he did, it probably had nothing to do with the digging guys. He could've just seen that it was me and thought throwing me in would be funny—reminding me of the football team or something—and then when I was pissed off about landing in the creek, played it off like an accident." Steven rolled his eyes. "You don't really think I'd fail to follow up on a lead, do you?" Jarel shook his head and gave him an apologetic look. "But that's not the point. Point is we start talking about the weirdness of Angel Grove and things promptly get weird. Guys in ski masks asking dog walkers for the time and people digging holes and a guy I haven't seen in years popping up out of the blue to throw me in a creek. _That,_ my friend, is a _sign."_

"A sign," Jarel repeated dubiously. "I'm still not sure—"

"Sign number two," Steven continued, cutting him off. "We show up at the station this morning and everybody's really glad to see reinforcements."

"How is _that_ weird? If every day's like this one, I'd be calling in the Feds for an event like Power Rangers Day. Hell, I'd've had the National Guard up in here."

Steven ignored him. "Sign number three, there's a suicidal ninja in the Angel Grove Inn."

"So?" Jarel demanded, exasperated.

"So that's the same hotel the Black Ranger visited yesterday. The original Black Ranger, who, by the way, eventually became the Black Ninja Ranger."

Jarel stared at him. "But… but… those girls said his ninja costume was _white."_

"Yeah, they did. How many people do you know who own ninja costumes in white? Why not black or gray or purple or something a little more commonly found on the rack at Halloween USA?"

"I'm… not sure I'm following. Are you… are you suggesting the ninja guy _wasn't_ a product of margaritas?"

"Truth be told, Jarel, I'm not sure. But I'll tell you this—a white ninja in a hotel a Power Ranger was spotted in? Could be a bad costume. Could be a bunch of girls who can't hold their liquor. Could also be a Power Ranger."

"But… but… surely they would have recognized him, right?"  
"Maybe. Maybe not. After all this time, a lot of people forget little details like that; Ninja Rangers were only around a few months. It's just suspicious. I doubt we'll ever figure it out. If it _is_ a Power Ranger, I _know_ we won't figure it out; they're too good for that. But, for argument's sake, let's say that those girls were telling the truth. A ninja came into their room, danced for three minutes, dashed out onto the balcony, and vanished. If that _did_ happen, he either magically disappeared or jumped but didn't injure himself badly enough on the sixty-foot drop to be unable to walk away. Only people who can manage to do one or the other? Power Rangers."

"Okay, yeah, but… why would a Power Ranger be masquerading as a _stripper?"_

"Wouldn't be the weirdest thing to happen in this town. Although that question is exactly why I'm telling _you_ this little theory and _not_ writing it in the report." He chuckled. "The mayor would have us assassinated if a story like _that_ got out." He actually laughed. Jarel found this unsettling; Steven wasn't the sort to laugh at bizarre events.

Jarel rubbed a hand over his face wearily. "I'm getting pretty sick of this town. And… I think I lost the point of the conversation."

Steven snickered. "The point? Chaos will bitch-slap you if you don't watch out for the signs. You have to know it's coming."

"And if you _do_ know it's coming?"

"Well, then, at least you're expecting it."

Jarel digested this. "Is that really any better?"

"Way better. A slap is way better than a bitch-slap."

"How's that?"

"Knowing that it's coming makes it easier to brace yourself."

Jarel blinked. "Huh. That actually kind of makes sense."

Steven nodded. "Think of all those hotel workers and customers who were just minding their own business poolside when suddenly an orange chimpanzee landed in the shallow end and three guys poured in some bubble bath."

"There's going to be bubble bath?"

Steven shrugged. "I have no idea. My point is, I'd hate to run up in that hotel with no clue that I was about to find three guys scrubbing down a chimpanzee." He smiled. "At least _we_ get to brace for impact."

* * *

"He's not answering the communicator, either," Tommy said grimly as Jason's truck screeched to a halt in a parking space in front of the Angel Grove Inn.

"Great," Jason muttered, yanking his keys from the ignition. Just as he was about to pop the door handle, Zack's Escalade skidded into the parking space next to him. Tommy's Jeep, driven by Trini, pulled up on Tommy's side.

"Report," Jason called as they all scrambled out and began jogging towards the hotel's front doors.

"Zoo's in shambles, but they're long gone," Zack said.

"Searched the park's perimeter, nothing," Kimberly said.

"Trail went cold downtown; I think it's safe to assume they doubled back," Billy said.

"They picked up a bunch of odd supplies at Bulkmeier resort," Trini said. "Garden hose, soap, brown paint, towels."

"Bulk and Skull's houses were clear," Jason finished.

"And just for fun," Tommy added, "Bulk's having a baby with a rather good-looking girl."

Kimberly, Trini and Zack burst out laughing; even Billy chuckled. Their procession had to come to a halt; the three of them couldn't continue running while laughing so hard. "That's a good one, Tommy," Kimberly choked out.

"If only it were a joke," Jason said with a sigh. The amusement began to slowly fade into incredulity.

"Her name's Connie," Tommy explained. "Met him on the Junior Police Patrol—"

"He joined that junior year, right?" Billy asked, frowning.

Tommy nodded. "Him and Skull. Anyway, she said she was fourteen weeks along."

Zack, Kimberly, Billy and Trini gaped, while Kira, Ethan and Trent looked from one to the other, slightly confused.

"Is she… is he… are they _married?"_ Kimberly hissed.

Jason shook his head. "She referred to him as her boyfriend, not 'fiancé' or 'husband,' but we think they're living together. She said he called to say he wouldn't be home for dinner, and she answered his front door in her bathrobe, so…"

"Bulk's having sex," Zack said, sounding mystified. "On a somewhat regular basis."

A shudder went through the six older Rangers. "Thanks, Zack—we'd been repressing that logical conclusion since she opened the front door," Tommy said dryly.

"And in approximately five and a half months, a creature with half of Bulk's chromosomes will presumably become a member of society," Billy mused. "I find this highly disturbing."

"Um, speaking of disturbing," Kira called, "can we get back to Conner?"

"Oh, yeah. Him," Jason said.

They started jogging towards the entrance again. "Do you think I can blame Bulk having a baby on Conner?" Tommy wondered.

"Those two events are not logically entwined," Billy said.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't have found out if it weren't for Conner," Tommy pointed out.

"Ignorance is bliss," Jason agreed.

"So thanks for sharing," Trini said sourly.

"Sorry."

"Has anyone heard from Rocky or Adam?" Kimberly asked.

"Said they were still stuck in L.A., something about a flight plan," Jason said.

"Probably just didn't want to deal with hunting down Bulk, Skull, Conner and a monkey," Tommy muttered.

"Anyway," Jason said, "let's split up when we get in there. Zack, you take the girl at the front desk."

"Aw, but it's day shift! It's probably that crazy chick who keeps hitting on me."

"That's why you're talking to her. Kira, you scope out the restaurant, gift shops, and meeting rooms; Trent, Billy, you take the pool. Tommy and I will check out our floor; Trini, Ethan, take the elevator to the top and work your way down. Kimberly, go with Trini and Ethan, then head down the stairwell. If anyone finds him, send out a signal on the communicators."

They barreled through the front doors and glanced about the lobby. There was no sign of Conner. They moved as one unit across the lobby, Zack branching off halfway to head for the desk, which was currently unmanned. Everyone stopped at the elevators to wait, save Kira, Billy and Trent; Kira headed for the restaurant and Billy and Trent jogged for the pool.

Zack hit the bell on the front desk, tapping his foot impatiently even as he pasted a charming smile on his face. Kira paused to let an elderly couple exit the restaurant, holding the door for them and preparing to dart inside the moment they passed. An elevator door cracked open, but Jason held the others back at the last second, noticing that Billy and Trent hadn't entered the pool; they were standing stock-still and staring through the glass.

"Guys?" Billy called in a strangle tone.

"Billy?" Jason called back cautiously.

"I…" Billy began, then shook his head and tried again. "I… well, the good news is, I think we found them."

There was a long pause as the others let Billy's words sink in. "The good news." As in, "bad news soon to follow."

Suddenly the seven were rushing for the glass doors that led to the pool. Several of them had meant to go around Billy and Trent and straight out into the pool area, but none of them made it. As soon as they saw the scene through the glass, there was nothing left to do but stare in numb silence. And stare. And stare some more.

Ethan was the first to speak; when he did, his words came out as a dry croak. "Oh, god," he whimpered. "I really _am_ going to hell."


	84. Burning at Both Ends

_Author's Notes:_ A reminder, this story is set in June of 2004. If you want to get specific, we're using June 19, 2004 as the date for Power Rangers Day, so during this chapter it is currently in the middle of Thursday, June 17, 2004. OLaB began on June 5, and jumped to June 11 in chapter three, and eighty-one chapters later it's been almost six whole days.

Hard to believe, eh?

And as if that weren't scary enough, it has now been three whole years since we first posted OLaB. In that time, we've had a lot of fun, and according to you guys we've caused a lot of laughs and quite a few injuries. Here's hoping we can keep it up for many years to come.

* * *

**Chapter Eighty-four**

_Burning at Both Ends_

The pool patio was nothing short of chaos. It was a scene from a horror film—or at least a very bizarre parody. Conner was soaked, head to toe, standing in the three-foot-deep shallow end and determinedly washing a half-orange chimpanzee. Streaks of paint floated through the pool's once-blue water. All swimmers had abandoned the pool; the only living creatures in it were Conner, Farky, and Bulk, who was cradling a disgruntled Farky and cooing to him in baby talk while Conner scrubbed. Farky was thoroughly _not happy,_ and still half-orange, but he put up with Conner's efforts. Skull, also soaked straight through, handed Conner supplies while Harriet, the day-shift hotel clerk who was all smiles for Zack, screamed incoherently at him and occasionally threw whatever item happened to be closest to her clenched fist. Skull was standing firm, gesturing to Farky and himself and the sign on the pool's fence that listed the rules for the pool area. A small cluster of security clerks stood off to one side, arguing amongst themselves, while a large cluster of maids, bellhops and miscellaneous hotel staffers grouped near the door, pointing and laughing. The other day-shift clerk, an older man who appeared to be close to tears, was trying to calm a couple of angry customers, while other customers—primarily locals and former locals—watched in amusement and sometimes fetched an item that rolled out of Skull's reach or got kicked away by Harriet.

Then, naturally, things got worse. A police cruiser appeared on the other side of the wrought-iron fence, pulling as close as it could get to the pool without damaging the landscaping, its lights flashing as two young officers climbed out.

The nine ex-Rangers stared through the glass, unable to do anything but let the horror wash over them. Slowly, in small, disjointed movements, they began to try to cope. Kimberly moved to stand next to Tommy and rubbed his back in jerky, absent-minded but nonetheless soothing motions. Billy unconsciously shifted back behind the others, so that the security guards wouldn't see his face and recognize him as the man from the incident with the biker. Kira pinched Trent and Ethan for the crime of leaving Conner unattended, but neither of them reacted past a wince. Eventually, Zack cleared his throat and pointed vaguely in the direction of the approaching cops.

"Hey," he said. "Wasn't he on the football team with us?"

It was like flipping a switch. Despite the inane, useless comment, the others suddenly woke up, spurred into action. Billy darted behind Tommy and crouched down, making sure no one could see him. Trent and Ethan began scanning the exits and mentally reviewing avenues of escape. Tommy's expression went from dark to black. Jason took a deep breath and clapped his hands together.

"Okay. Kimberly, you take Steven; Trini, his partner."

Kimberly pouted. "How come _she_ gets the one with the hair?"

_"Kim,"_ Jason reprimanded. She jumped guiltily and nodded.

"Tommy, prepare to lecture. You'll serve as a good distraction. Billy, you still got some ninja power left, right?"

Billy nodded. "Enough."

"Okay. Zack, give your morpher to Trent."

Zack blinked. "Trent? Why?"

"Because I think he can think on his feet. I'm gonna need you to deal with the Harriet woman. Kira, Ethan, get in there and get as close to the pool as you can without letting on that you know Conner. When Trent shows up, grab Conner and run. Knock him unconscious and drag him if you have to."

"I like that plan," Kira said dryly.

"Trent, Billy's gonna take out the chimp. When he—"

"You're going to_assassinate_ the cute little monkey?" Kimberly demanded, horrified.

"What? _No!_ Billy's gonna grab it and take it back to the zoo. As soon as he's out of the pool area, Trent's gonna go in and tell them… something. Aliens, villains, evil spells, whatever. I don't care. You're creative, right, Trent?"

Trent was staring at Jason with a mixture of blind panic and determination. "Of course. I'm an artist," Trent said proudly, deciding not to mention that he was a sketch artist, not a writer. He took Zack's morpher. "How do I…?"

"Just hold it in front of you and say 'Mastodon,'" Zack told him.

"Okay," Jason continued. "Kimberly will play the role of hot chick from high school to Steven, Trini will throw logic at the other guy, Zack will calm down Harriet, Tommy will scream incoherently—"

"Conner _die,"_ Tommy growled.

"—Kira and Ethan will get Conner out of there, and I should probably stay out of sight of Steven and his partner, so I'll—"

_"YOU."_

They all turned. Marching towards them from the front entrance to the lobby was Jenny, Carrie's friend who worked night shift at the hotel. There were dark circles under her eyes, her hair was unstyled, her hotel uniform was rumpled and her expression was nothing short of livid. Her eyes locked on Jason like a targeting computer for a fighter plane.

"I'll stall her," Jason said, swallowing. "Go."

* * *

Hayley hummed to herself as she finished counting out the cash drawer. The café was doing brisk business—always did on school vacations—and this was the third time she'd felt it necessary to swap out the cash drawer already. With Anton's utterly efficient temps running around, she could sit in the office and count at her leisure; it was better than slow days with Trent on the schedule. Anton and Elsa had left to get some dinner; they'd promised to return at closing time to have a few last words with the temps and get any final instructions.

_Typical,_ Hayley thought. She'd noticed many times in the past that ever since she befriended Tommy, her life alternated between calm and psychotic in random intervals, but intervals all the same. Crazy time, calm time, crazy time. The day after he'd set his hair on fire had been one of the most peaceful of her life, and she'd enjoyed a pretty damned calm week before he'd gone and gotten himself kidnapped by Mesogog and come back the Black Ranger. _Might as well enjoy it while it lasts—I'm sure the minute I set foot in Angel Grove I'll be ready to pull my hair out._

Just as she'd started to return to humming, the office phone rang. She answered it automatically, forgetting that she had a well-oiled crew running around out on the floor.

"Hayley's Cyberspace."

"Hayley? Hayley, we've got a problem."

"Anton?" she asked, so startled she forgot to groan at the arrival of more chaos.

"Hayley, the laboratory's been breached."

"Tommy's lab?" Hayley hissed, bumping the mouse on the computer, preparing to power up the auxiliary command post for Tommy's lab. "The alarms aren't going off—"

"Not _Tommy's_ lab, Hayley," Anton said tersely. "Mine."

Hayley frowned, confused. "Yours? Someone broke into your house?"

"No, not _mine,_ mine… _Mesogog's._ Someone's on the island."

Hayley's jaw dropped. "Are you _sure?"_

"I'm positive. I have remote alarms systems, too. My butler called while we were at dinner, to inform me there was shrill beeping coming from the off-limits section of the house. I rushed home, but I can't connect to the island defenses—I assume they're offline, anyway."

"Why would anyone be on that island, though?" Hayley wondered. "It was destroyed, wasn't it?"

"Enough of it to my satisfaction, but I haven't been back to survey the damage. It's possible the Triptoids or similar things are running around loose. It's even possible a squirrel tripped a wire. Or it could be civilians, exploring—"

"Jeez, you have research on Tommy in that lab! On all of us!"

"Not to mention enough science experiments to make our lives rather miserable, should they fall into the wrong hands," Anton added grimly. "My fear is that it's another evildoer like Mesogog, come to gather resources. And without the Dino Rangers' powers—"

"We've got to go there, immediately," Hayley said, standing up and reaching for her purse.

"That's why I'm calling. Elsa and I are preparing to head straight there, via one of the remaining invisiportal conduits. If we're not back soon, please tell Tommy that—"

"I'm coming with you," Hayley interrupted.

"I don't believe that's wise. I know we're powerless now, but Elsa and I still remember how to fight—the basics of it, anyway. We spent a long time honing our skills while we were… well, evil."

"That's why I'm going and Elsa's staying here," Hayley said firmly. "She knows how to get to the island without the invisiportals; I don't, and who knows if Tommy would remember? If anything goes wrong, she can come after us, and she can lead the Rangers to us. You might need my technological skills, and I'm not exactly helpless. I might not have been a Ranger or a villain, but I haven't spent the last seven years with Tommy for nothing."

Anton hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Hayley insisted. "I'll be right over. I'll call Tommy and the others on the way, but I'm not sure I'll reach anybody—you heard the day they were having."

In spite of himself, Anton chuckled. "That's why I called you first. I figured involving Tommy would complicate matters, and I'm in a hurry. Besides, he'd probably try to tell me not to go and wait for Rangers to back me up, or some such precautionary measure."

"Good point," Hayley said dryly as she stuffed the half-counted cash drawer in her desk and locked it. "We'll let Elsa call him when we're on our way. I'm sure Tommy and his friends have other things to worry about."

* * *

The movie was really very good, but for Rocky and Adam it was far more unsettling than exciting. They'd chosen to go see _The Day After Tomorrow,_ which had seemed like a good idea at the time, given why they'd gone running to the movie theatre. However, now that they were watching the world end onscreen and the characters fighting to stay alive in a brand-new ice age, their guilt was becoming harder and harder to ignore, as were their instincts, which screamed desperately that something was about to happen.

"Well," Rocky whispered, holding the popcorn tub out so Adam could take a handful, "at least it's not as bad as _Independence Day_ was."

Adam shuddered at the memory of watching _Independence Day_ with Rocky, Tommy, Jason, Trini and Tanya. There was nothing quite as disturbing to a group of ex-superheroes as watching aliens invade and wipe out millions of people before being stopped.

"Don't remind me," he whispered back, tossing the popcorn into his mouth.

_"Shh!"_ came a loud hiss from the woman behind them. It was the eighth such time she'd hissed at them. They usually didn't talk so much during films—at least, Adam didn't—but making quiet jokes had kept them from thinking too deeply about abandoning Jason, Tommy and the others to search for Conner alone.

"You know," Adam whispered, more breathing in syllables rather than actually speaking, trying to be quiet, "I hope Conner doesn't end up, you know, in jail or anything. Illegal monkey and all."

Rocky grimaced. "Come on, man, don't remind me!"

"SHH!"

Adam rolled his eyes, trying to pretend he didn't care, but now he felt even guiltier, knowing that he was ruining the movie for the woman behind them on top of everything else. Just as he was considering asking Rocky if he'd like to leave and just play the ancient arcade games in the lobby for a couple of hours, a burning sensation, complete with intense pain, hit Adam in the butt.

Adam leaped up with a yelp, sure that the angry woman behind him had gotten her revenge by setting his chair on fire or something. He spun to face her, but the feeling of having his butt set on fire remained and the chair was still intact. She was staring at him in shock, and as he processed her genuine confusion through the agony movie patrons all around joined her in wondering just what was wrong with Adam, because his butt was lit up with sparkles of black, orange and white.

"Adam, what—" Rocky began, only to break off in horror as he realized what was going on.

The morpher in Adam's back pocket was apparently rather pissed off.

Adam realized it a second later, Rocky's wide-eyed panic tipping him off. Adam automatically reached into his pocket to remove his morpher and felt its energy singe the skin on his fingertips. Howling in pain, Adam yanked his hand back out.

"His butt's on fire!" one of the other movie-goers yelled belatedly.

"Put him out!"

"Rocky, help!"

"I don't know what to—argh!"

Rocky was suddenly diving out of the way. Adam had only a split-second to wonder why when the contents of a mostly-full large drink container emblazoned with the theatre's logo splashed against his back, soaking his jeans and creating an extremely bizarre blend of burning, cold and wet sensations.

"It didn't work!" someone shouted unnecessarily; lights were still flashing all over the place.

"It's okay, folks!" Rocky bellowed from the floor. "It's… it's a cell phone!"

"A prototype!" Adam yelled, grimacing and trying to choke back the pain. "It's malfunctioning!"

Rocky jumped up. "Come on, man, let's go!"

"Ow," Adam groaned, stumbling along the aisle, causing those sitting in the row below to lean forward with yelps of protest and those between Adam and the stairs to scramble out of the way.

"Enjoy the movie, folks!" Rocky called as he ushered Adam down the stairs, around the corner, down the ramp and through the door that led to the hallway connecting the individual screens.

"Jeez, is _this_ what I did to Zack?" Adam whined, hooking his thumb in his waistband and trying to pull his jeans away from his body, but the jeans were too tight to manage it. "No wonder he won't stop bitching about it after all these years!"

"Can you get it out?" Rocky demanded.

"Gee, why didn't _I_ think of that?" Adam said through gritted teeth. "I'll just take the morpher out and stop being in extreme agony!" Rocky gave him a blank look. _"No,_ you idiot! I can't get it out!"

"Is this really the time for sarcasm?" Rocky shot back.

"I don't care what time it is!" Adam turned his back to Rocky. "Get it out, man, get it out!"

Rocky stared incredulously at the back of Adam's head. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Rocky, get it out!"

"I am _not_ going there, man."

_"Rocky!"_

"Aw, man," Rocky complained. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he reached for Adam's back pocket. "OW!" he screamed a moment later, popping his fingertips in his mouth to try to alleviate the searing pain now coursing through them.

"Get it out! Get it out get it out _get it out!"_

"I'm _thinking!"_ Rocky bellowed. They were starting to attract a crowd of theatre employees, who'd wandered into the hall from the concessions area and were grouped together several yards away, but neither Rocky nor Adam noticed. Struck by inspiration, Rocky seized the bandana covering Adam's head and yanked it off. Wrapping the material around his fingers, Rocky reached for the pocket again while Adam whimpered long-sufferingly. Rocky made it a little closer to the morpher before the heat became too intense; grimacing, he jerked his hand away. "It's no good. I can't get it out!"

"Make it stop!"

"I don't know_how!"_

"Call Tommy! Call Zack!"

"Oh! Good idea!"

"Hurry!" Adam snatched the bandana back from Rocky and wrapped it over his own fist, biting down to keep from screaming.

Rocky dialed Zack, then Tommy, then Jason, to no avail. "Aw, damn! There's no answer! They must be dealing with—"

"I don't _care_ what they're dealing with! I'm going to have to explain to Tanya how I got third-degree burns on my ass!"

Rocky cringed. "Come on, man, don't make me _laugh!_ You're going to hit me if I laugh."

"Then _help me!"_

"I don't know _how!_ Can you make it to the bathroom? Maybe if we put you in a sink and turn the cold water on—"

"If a gallon of Mountain Dew couldn't put it out, I doubt cold water can!"

"It's worth a shot!"

"I don't think I can walk, bro," Adam said pathetically. "I can barely stand."

Rocky sighed. "Well… I don't know what… can't we just wait for it to be over?"

"NO!" Adam screamed. "Make it _stop!"_

"I can't! I don't—uh-oh."

"What? _What?"_

"Well, um, I've got… some bad news."

"So tell me already!"

"Bro, it's burning a hole in your jeans."

_"What?"_

"It's not all that noticeable yet… but maybe in ten or fifteen minutes it'll burn enough of the pocket away to fall out and then hopefully it'll fall out of the pants and not in and just leave you with a big hole in your pants—"

_"WHAT?"_

"Don't worry, I'm sure it'll fall away from you! It probably won't get a chance to burn any other part of you!"

_"Probably?"_  
"I…um… well… wait! Duh! Dude, take off your pants!"

Adam glared at him over his shoulder. "That's not funny."

"I'm _serious,_ man! Your _butt_ isn't on fire, your _jeans_ are!"

Adam stared at Rocky in disbelief for a moment before punching his fist into the wall, shooting a disgruntled look at the seven or eight employees watching them from the end of the hall, and kicking off his sandals. "I don't _believe_ this," he grumbled. "I'm gonna _kill_ Zack."

"He didn't kill_you,"_ Rocky pointed out.

Adam made a face and tugged on his belt buckle. "I was saving _lives,_ you know. _He's_ dealing with an illegal chimpanzee."

"Good point."

"Um, excuse me?" called a guy from the cluster of employees. He was about three years younger than Rocky and Adam, but wearing a silver manager's vest. "I don't know exactly what's going on here, but—"

"Handle it," Adam croaked pleadingly at Rocky.

"Hi," Rocky called, taking a few steps towards the employees and trying to look as non-threatening as possible. He smiled brightly. "I know this probably looks pretty strange and everything—"

"What's _wrong_ with that guy?" asked a short girl in the back, who was trying desperately to see Adam over her taller coworkers' shoulders.

"It's… a prototype cell phone," Rocky explained. "He's testing it, you see, and the phone just randomly started melting and apparently it's kind of painful, we're not sure what caused it, must be from putting it on silent during the movie or something, and now—"

"Hey," said a girl on the left, narrowing her eyes and squinting at Adam, who was now holding his jeans at arm's length and putting his sandals back on. "Isn't that Adam Park?"

"Tanya Sloan's boyfriend?" the short girl in the back asked eagerly. Adam was something of a local celebrity in his hometown of Stone Canyon, thanks to Tanya.

"Oh, _man,"_ Adam moaned.

"You know what? We gotta go," Rocky said hastily, turning around and rushing back towards Adam.

"Exit door," Adam said, jerking his head at the other end of the hallway. Still cringing in pain, Adam stumbled towards it.

Rocky caught up with him quickly; even without the morpher pressed against him, Adam was still in a lot of pain. Rocky grabbed his arm and hauled him along; they tried to ignore the excited chatter of the teenagers behind them.

"Any of them have cameras?" Adam whispered as they approached the exit.

Rocky glanced back the cluster of employees. "Not that I can see. Don't worry, man; Power Rangers Day will probably be dominating the news cycles."

"Here's hoping. Oh, god… _tell_ me it didn't burn a hole in my underwear."

"Dude," Rocky said firmly, "I am _not_ checking."

They reached the exit door and pushed it open. Adam glanced around hopefully, then sighed. "We parked on the other side of the building, didn't we." It wasn't a question.

"Yep," Rocky said apologetically. "End of the lot, too. Want me to go get the car?"

"Nah," Adam replied resignedly. "I'd probably attract more attention standing here on my own."

"Yeah, because walking around without pants is much less weird when your best friend's walking next to you," Rocky quipped, but he fell into step behind Adam, slowing his pace to accommodate for Adam's limping.

"I was thinking more along the lines of now I'll have someone to walk behind me if I see a reporter or a camera," Adam said dryly.

"Ah. I got your back, bro."

"Thanks." Adam sighed. "Well, at least we learned an important lesson today."

Rocky frowned. "…Never keep your morpher in your back pocket?"

Adam rolled his eyes. "Actually, I was thinking something to the effect of, 'Never abandon your friends.'" Adam glanced morosely at the wadded-up jeans in his hands, dripping pop and yet still warm to the touch, despite the fact that he'd wrapped the morpher up in as many layers of material as he could.

Adam shook his head, making a mental note to apologize profusely to Zack. He'd always thought Zack was being melodramatic whenever he complained about the double date in the French restaurant that Adam had ruined by attempting to go to Carlos's aid, especially since all Zack had lost was a potential one-night stand and a pair of pants. Even being forced to tell his cousin Curtis that he was an ex-Ranger was a blessing in disguise, allowing him to share his secret with a close friend. It amazed Adam that the sympathy he'd felt for Zack had been lost somewhere beneath the laughter.

Now, holding a pair of ruined jeans and limping around the movie theatre in his underwear while his best bud kept an eye out for reporters, Adam couldn't believe Zack hadn't even thrown a punch in retribution. Zack was one hell of a nice guy. Especially considering that Adam hadn't even needed the Mastodon morpher; he'd had a perfectly good Zeonizer at the time. Nostalgia had led him to take an unnecessary risk and Zack had paid for it.

Well, hopefully this little event would ease some of Adam's newfound guilt about the event. "Remind me to call Tanya's PR people when we get out of here," Adam said absently. He sighed. "They _hate_ it when I do things like this."

Rocky chuckled. "Well, I guess karma really is a bitch."

Adam snorted. _"You're_ telling _me."_ He sighed. "Maybe I should go buy Zack some flowers or something."

Rocky gave him an odd look, then shrugged. "Okay, but if I were you, I'd put some pants on first."


	85. Sowing the Seas of Evil

**Chapter Eighty-five**

_Sowing the Seas of Evil_

"Ready?" Billy whispered. He and Trent were hiding in between the rear wall of a dumpster and the restaurant.

"I just say 'Mastodon,' right?" Trent asked nervously.

Billy nodded. "Hold it like this." He demonstrated, and Trent copied him uncertainly. "Okay. It's Morphin Time!" Billy declared.

Trent waited, but Billy didn't do anything else. Finally Billy gave him a pointed look and Trent realized he was supposed to go first. Trent swallowed and cleared his throat. This was the most terrified he'd ever felt about morphing. This wasn't like saying "White Ranger, Dino Power" and running into battle. This was masquerading as another Ranger to rescue Conner from the cops via an insane improvisational story.

"Uh—Mastodon!" Trent exclaimed, trying to sound tough, commanding, heroic—anything to mask the panic.

"Ninja Ranger Power!" Billy called, his arms sweeping about in circular motions as best he could while cramped behind the dumpster, but Trent wasn't paying much attention anymore. Trent was _morphing._

He wondered idly if this was how it felt to Dr. O whenever Dr. O had switched colors. Even as the glorious strength engulfed his body, as the energy swelled within him, as he became awake and alert and enveloped in incredible _power,_ something inside him rebelled. Indignation and rejection battled against the contentment that came with the transformation—because this was _wrong._ This power was Black. Trent was _White._ White, white, white!

He glanced down at the uniform, dimly noting the suit's design and the unfamiliar weapons at his belt. Odd phrases that meant nothing to his memory and meant everything to his newfound power flitted through his mind. "Power Axe." "Power Blaster." "Dinozord Power." "Mastodon Lion Thunderzord Power." Images came to him of control panels for unknown zords and vehicles. He felt a strange, sudden kinship towards Billy—not just Billy anymore, teammate, _Blue…_

"You okay?" Billy whispered sympathetically; Trent recalled that Billy had done this the other day himself. Trent turned to look at him, surprised to see the billowing blue fabric that surrounded Billy now; he'd expected to see a suit similar to his own.

"I'm fine," Trent replied, even as his entire consciousness screamed "WHITE!"

"Give me to the count of a hundred to remove the chimp and get out of there. Then go in."

"Are you sure that's enough time?"

"Affirmative. It's been a while—but there's _nothing_ like a ninja streak."

Trent was about to ask what that meant, when Billy suddenly vanished in a blue blur. Trent blinked behind Zack's helmet.

"Well," Trent said shakily, "here goes nothing."

* * *

Cassidy and Devin raced down hallway after hallway, hopelessly lost, scared witless, the sound of pursuing Triptoids close behind them. Three times they'd looked back, the first to see empty hallway, the last two to see the bizarrely-colored monsters with their weird little staffs bopping down the hallway in neat little rows as if practicing for some strange dance competition.

They came to a T-shaped intersection. "Left!" Devin shouted.

"No, right!"

"Right's back towards the storage bays!"

"Oh! Left! Left!"

They hit the intersection, turned left, and kept running, but Devin slammed into an open door and lost his balance. Devin hit the ground, hard, his morning star flying out of his hand and making a harsh metallic screech as it skidded across the floor. "No! Devin, get up!" Cassidy shrieked.

She began rushing back towards him, but just then the Triptoids bounced around the corner. Cassidy screamed and hefted her sword in front of her like a baseball bat, squinting her eyes shut on instinct. Devin, realizing they were caught, flung his arms over his head and curled up into a ball.

They waited, waited for the killing blows, for the attacks to start, for the Triptoids to beat them to death. They waited. And waited. And waited some more.  
Slowly, cautiously, Devin lifted one hand from his face. Cassidy cracked an eye open.

The hallway was empty.

"Where'd they go?" Devin wondered.

"I… I don't…" Cassidy floundered for an explanation—could Triptoids teleport?—while Devin slowly sat up, wincing as a couple of bruises made their presence known. He glanced down the hall.

"Huh," Devin said blankly.

"What?" Cassidy turned. The Triptoids were about two hundred feet down the corridor. They'd apparently bounced right past, ignoring the cowering humans entirely. As she and Devin watched, they just kept going, disappearing around another corner and wandering away.

"Whew," Devin breathed, climbing to his feet. "They must have to be programmed to attack. Ordered, or something. Or maybe they _are_ following orders—patrolling the perimeter of the complex, or something."

Cassidy sagged as the relief coursed through her. She dropped the sword with a clang and flung her arms around Devin's neck, startling him and making him cringe as her arms hit places the floor had already smacked around. "Thank god," she mumbled.

"Yeah," Devin said. He exhaled sharply. "Well, I guess we'd better get back to working on getting out of here."

"Definitely," Cassidy agreed. She reclaimed her sword and glowered down the hallway to the Triptoids' last known location. "I swear. Mesogog was a _prick."_

"Look on the bright side, Cassidy," Devin said weakly. "This'll make one heck of a good story."

Cassidy grinned. "You're right about that. Although we're going to have to edit out some of the best stuff… but, that's okay." Her eyes narrowed. "I've got lots of _unedited_ things to tell Dr. Mercer instead."

* * *

"Whoa," Jarel breathed, staring through the windshield of the cruiser at the hotel patio. "And here I though the day couldn't get any worse."

"Never think that. The universe will _always_ prove you wrong," Steven told him sternly, putting down the radio. They'd just been informed that animal control was en route. Steven popped the door handle and climbed out; Jarel followed reluctantly.

It was nearly impossible to work their way through the crowd; few people could bother tearing their eyes away from the action to listen to their polite requests to let them pass. They were halfway through when Steven muttered, "I don't believe it."

"What _now?"_ Jarel complained.

"That's Kim Hart, from my high school. And… I think that's Trini Kwan. Or… well, I guess it'd be Trini Scott now. Jason said he'd married her yesterday."

"That Jason guy was getting married yesterday?" Jarel tried to see who Steven was talking about, but he wasn't as tall as Steven and couldn't see through the crowd as well.

"No, no—yesterday, he told me he married Trini. I think." Steven continued pushing through the onlookers, scanning the crowd for more familiar faces. "I think that's Zack Taylor, too… and Tommy Oliver… and… oh, my god." He groaned. "Those guys in the pool. It's Bulk and Skull!"

"Who?"

"The biggest whack jobs on the face of the planet. They could find chaos in a monastery."

"Oh, great. So they're just the sort of people we need in our lives right now." Sighing, Jarel finally managed to break through the crowd, only to find a woman blocking his path.

"Hi," she said calmly. "Can I ask what you're doing here?"

Jarel frowned up at her, startled. "Well, ma'am, I'm here about the monkey—"

"First of all, that isn't a monkey. It's a chimpanzee. Can I ask why the police were called? These gentlemen haven't broken any laws."

Jarel cleared his throat. "Actually—"

"This _should_ be a job for hotel security."

"Right, but, well—"

"I must say, I'm very disappointed in the level of service at this hotel. I think you should leave."

Jarel stared at her indignantly. "Now wait just a minute—"

"Calling in the police simply because the hotel doesn't want chimpanzees in its pool! This is discrimination at its worst!"

"Ma'am, we have reason to suspect that the chimpanzee is stolen," Jarel said firmly.

"Really? So you're going to frighten the poor thing half to death by yanking it away from its handlers because this hotel discriminates against animals? I can't wait until my friends at PETA hear about this." She glowered down at him in a most intimidating manner.

Jarel swallowed, at a loss. "Um… Steven?" he called desperately.

Steven, meanwhile, had managed to make it out of the crowd only to have Kimberly appear at his side and practically jump at him for a hug, which he returned, startled. "Steven, _hi!"_ she gushed. "Wow, it's been forever. What are you doing here?"

"I'm dealing with that," Steven told her, gesturing towards the pool.

"Oh, that?" she said. "Funny, isn't it. I mean, I don't see what the big deal is. So they've got a monkey and they're taking it for a swim. No big deal. This hotel allows pets and everything."

Steven stared at her. Not only was that line of thinking completely illogical, but from what he remembered of Kimberly she was the type to be disgusted by thoughts of a monkey in her pool water, or at the very least the type to think it was cute. Not the type to say it wasn't a big deal.

_She's stalling me,_ he realized, but before he could do anything about it, an angry bellow washed over him, so loud and furious that he reached for his gun on instinct.

_"CONNER!"_

Steven whipped his head towards the source of the noise. Tommy Oliver stood at the edge of the pool, glaring blackly down into the water. The unknown kid that had been scrubbing down the chimpanzee had abandoned Bulk and was cowering at the opposite end of the pool from Tommy.

"Kim, I really have to—" Steven began, but Kimberly cut him off.

"So what have you been up to since high school?" she asked, smiling up at him flirtatiously. "I mean, obviously, you're a cop now, but what else have you been doing? Are you still seeing… oh, what was her name…?"

"Amy," Steven supplied automatically. "And no, she left me for some guy that saved her life when that Astronema woman held the city hostage… but I really can't talk right now…"

"I can _explain!"_ the kid in the pool wailed.

_"Explain,_ Conner? _Explain?"_ Tommy roared. "You can _explain_ standing in a pool with almost-total strangers and a stolen chimpanzee? You can _explain_ a decimated zoo? You can _explain_ why you decided to leave the mall and join a monkey smuggling ring? GO AHEAD AND _TRY!"_

"Wow, looks like that Tommy guy became a total whack job after high school," Kimberly commented idly to Steven. She grinned up at him again. "Am I glad _that_ didn't work out."

Steven stared at her, confused. She was definitely flirting with him, though he couldn't figure out why. Was she really no longer involved with Tommy? Was she trying to stall him so that Tommy could get the Conner kid out of sight? If so, Tommy was doing a pitiful job of it. Maybe she was trying to earn sympathy for Tommy—if so, that was working. Tommy was a good guy; Steven had always been cool with him.

"By the way, I love what you've done with your hair," Kimberly said, and there was a desperate tone in her voice, as if she was fighting to come up with things to say.

"I really can't talk right now," Steven repeated, struggling to figure out just how badly it would screw over his old buddy from the football team if he took the Conner kid in for stealing a monkey. Of course, at this point, there were also a few other charges. He wondered how Tommy and the Conner kid were related; he didn't think Tommy had a kid brother, but obviously Tommy was responsible for the guy. Steven knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Tommy didn't have any connection to Bulk and Skull whatsoever; Jason's group had never managed to get along too well with Bulk and Skull, from what Steven remembered.

"Do you have _any_ idea what your parents are going to do to me if I have to tell them_you're in jail for monkey theft?"_ Tommy demanded.

"I didn't steal it! I… I'm _helping_ it!"

Steven started to step around Kimberly and head over to the pool to break it up when he caught sight of Jarel. Trini was blocking his view of the pool and talking animatedly; Steven couldn't hear much of what they were saying, but it was obvious from what he could get that Jarel was losing the argument. Steven clearly remembered that Trini was a difficult person to win an argument against… but what was she doing? Why argue with Jarel?

He glanced around, half-expecting to see Jason and Billy… but even though he didn't, it struck him as strange that the rest of their crowd was here—Trini, Kimberly, Zack and Tommy. His eyes sought out Zack in the crowd, and found him chatting up the female hotel worker who'd been previously pitching a hissy fit; he was startled to see that she was now smiling shyly up at Zack, giggling at his jokes as he grinned charmingly down at her. Scanning the rest of the patio, he spotted a boy and a girl crouched near the Conner kid, their posture tense, as if they were_waiting_ for something. Tommy was still shouting, Conner was still cowering… which was drawing most of the attention away from Bulk, who'd passed the chimp to Skull and was currently climbing out of the pool.

_Good god, they're PLANNING something,_ Steven realized, even as Kimberly quickly sidled in between him and the pool and smiled up at him again. _But what?_

Before Steven could find the answer to his question, Skull suddenly let out a shriek and tumbled head-first into the pool—_without_ the chimpanzee. "Skull!" Bulk roared in concern, diving back into the pool to pull Skull up by the coveralls. Skull spluttered incoherently. "What happened? Where's Farky?"

"Blue!" Skull choked out. "There was blue… and then Farky… I don't…"

Steven looked around wildly. The chimpanzee had vanished.

"Look!" Kimberly exclaimed. "It's the Black Ranger!"

Steven looked. The Black Ranger was running in from the parking lot. When he reached the iron fence he leaped, soaring through the air—and landing in the pool. _He misjudged the distance,_ Steven thought blankly as he waited for the Black Ranger to resurface from the deep end.

"Heh, you can tell he hasn't made a flying leap in a while," Kimberly commented.

"Why wouldn't he?" Steven wondered aloud. She didn't answer; the Black Ranger's helmet had popped up above the water and he waved sheepishly to the crowd.

"It's okay, folks!" he called, his voice a little muffled and sounding nothing like Steven remembered it. He smiled and waved as people cheered and called out to him.

"Whoa," Jarel said, appearing at Steven's side; he'd apparently extricated himself from Trini sometime after the Black Ranger's arrival. "So_that's_ what a Power Ranger looks like."

"Isn't it amazing?" Kimberly asked. "You're in the presence of a_superhero."_

"Yeah," Jarel said, looking slightly awestruck.

"What did Trini say to you?" Steven asked him.

"Who?" Jarel asked distractedly.

"Trini. That woman who was arguing with you…?"

"Oh, darn, look at the time," Kimberly said. "I have to go. Good seeing you, Steven!"

"Who was that?" Jarel asked.

"That was…" Steven trailed off. The boy and girl who'd been crouching beside the pool were attempting to drag Conner out of it; his shoe was caught in a drain on the side of the pool's wall. "So _that_ was why she was distracting me!" Steven breathed, looking up to find where Kimberly had gone—only to see her grab Tommy's arm and haul him through the glass doors leading back into the hotel. "Ha! 'Glad that's over,' my ass! She's trying to help the Conner kid escape!"

"What?" Jarel asked, confused.

"So sorry for the disturbance!" the Black Ranger called. He was doggie-paddling towards the shallow end of the enormous pool. "You see, folks, that chimpanzee… was… part of an evil scheme by… a… treacherous villain!"

"Oh, no," Steven groaned, forgetting Kimberly and the Conner kid at the Black Ranger's words.

"What?" Jarel demanded.

"Things just got worse," Steven muttered.

"How?"

"If the Power Rangers are involved in this monkey thing… there's going to be a lot of paperwork."

"You see, folks, an evil villain named… uh… Kuh… Zee… Argh… Kaziargh… he, um, he brainwashed those two—" the Black Ranger pointed at Bulk and Skull, who promptly looked startled— "into stealing that chimpanzee from the Angel Grove Zoo and covering it in a mystical orange paint that would… would… eventually turn the chimpanzee… into… uh… a member of its evil, evil army! If that kid—" he pointed at Conner, who had finally made it out of the pool, leaving the shoe behind— "hadn't recognized the signs of an evil spell at work and tricked these two hapless individuals—" he pointed at Bulk and Skull, who still looked utterly bewildered— "into cleansing the contaminating orange paint from its fur, they all would have been doomed!" The crowd gasped. "Not to worry, though! The Blue Ninja Ranger has taken the poor chimpanzee back to the zoo, and all three of them have been released from his evil spell, and… uh… the rest of the Power Rangers are… back at the… secret hideout… of… the evil villain… um… he's been destroyed, and they sent me to… well, explain things, and… to make sure that… no harm befalls these heroic individuals!" The Black Ranger had finally reached the shallow end and now stood up. "So… ah… I just wanted to let you know… and, um, make sure that you drain the pool… but don't worry, the paint only affects primates… so… yeah. I'll just be going now!" With that, the Black Ranger leaped up and out of the pool, showering water over half the people on the patio as he flew over their heads and landed somewhere out in the parking lot. Most of the crowd rushed to the gate, attempting to see where he'd gone.

"This has _got_ to be the weirdest day of my life," Jarel said, staring blankly after the Black Ranger.

"It's not mine," Steven muttered, and turned back to Bulk and Skull. They were both still standing in the pool, chattering excitedly about seeing a Power Ranger. Steven's eyes sought out the Conner kid next… only to see him limping along on one shoe with the boy and girl who'd helped him out of the water.

"Hey, you!" Steven shouted, and began running around the pool towards them, determined to stop them before they could escape into the hotel.

"Go!" the girl shrieked, pushing the soggy, one-shoed Conner and the other boy through the door, then turning back to face Steven with a look of terrified anticipation on her face.

"Come back here!" Steven shouted, rushing towards her—and then his shoes slipped out from under him and he was flying backward into the orange-streaked chlorinated water.

"Steven!" Jarel yelped as the water closed over Steven's head.

Strong arms grabbed Steven's shirt and hauled him upward; he found himself almost nose-to-nose with Bulk. "You alright, buddy?" Bulk asked.

"Jarel, get her!" Steven shouted, pointing wildly. "She helped him escape!"

"Her who?" Jarel demanded. Steven looked. The blond girl was gone.

"Hey," Bulk said, tilting his head to the side and regarding Steven thoughtfully. "Didn't we go to high school together?"

* * *

_End Notes:_ Sorry, running low on chapter titles. Almost done with the monkey bit. Then we have chainsaws. And maybe eventually we'll even have Power Rangers Day, you never know… 


	86. Bomber in the Summer

**Chapter Eighty-six**

_Bomber in the Summer_

It had been a long week for Jenny, working twelve-hour shifts every day on very little sleep and very large amounts of chaos. She hadn't gotten off work yesterday until three in the afternoon, thanks to the Black Ranger's impromptu arrival, so she'd spent all night last night dealing with Carrie's friends' chaos on half the necessary amount of sleep. Eating Carrie's share of the Chinese food hadn't helped matters—she definitely couldn't eat like a college kid anymore—and she hadn't been able to crawl into bed until almost two o'clock today, only to be awakened barely six hours later by a desperate phone call from the assistant day manager. Half the security guards were down at the police station in regards to yesterday's violent biker or the attacked bellhops and the day manager was busy being heckled by the mayor about the Black Ranger, and now there were three whack jobs washing an orange monkey off in the pool, and could she please come in early and help out because Harriet's having a panic attack and plenty of people are upset because they were swimming in that pool when the monkey landed and no one knows if it's a diseased monkey or not…

So Jenny had rolled out of bed, tossed on a smelly uniform, tied her hair back without brushing it and stumbled off to work. The assistant day manager, Hal, was sweet, but he was a little _too_ sweet sometimes and he didn't handle chaos very well; he hadn't even thought to call the police until she'd run down the crisis checklist with him over the phone. It also didn't help that they were currently extremely short-staffed; second shift had gotten into some major brawl over the extra shifts available for Power Rangers Day, which had cost them three workers, their second-shift manager and about fourteen customers, and two more people had quit on the spot once they saw how hectic life at the Inn was going to be until after Power Rangers Day.

Now Jenny's day had somehow managed to get worse. Because on top of orange monkeys and sleep deprivation and understaffed employees trying to run an overbooked inn and their third reason to call the cops in the last two days and curious tourists wondering when the Black Ranger was going to show up, on top of all the normal chaos that came with any good-sized hotel, Jason Scott was standing in the lobby looking_worried,_ apparently giving orders to a cluster of people.

Her eyes darted about Jason's posse, her brain automatically assigning traumatic events to them. Trini, the scary wife. Zack, the Play Doh eater. Kimberly, the stripper's special friend. Billy, the guy who could disable the electronic locks. Ethan, the kid from the cot. The boy and girl who'd been eating in the restaurant with Tommy Oliver when Carrie had come to get her exclusive. And then there was Tommy Oliver himself, better-dressed than she'd yet to see him, looking livid. As if _he_ had a right to complain when _her_ hotel was in shambles!

_"YOU!"_ Jenny bellowed.

Half of them turned to face her, a few grimaces and sighs erupting. Jason muttered something and to her surprise they all scattered, Billy and the unnamed boy into the restaurant, the rest into the pool, leaving Jason alone. She hadn't expected that; she wondered idly if Jason thought that by "you" she meant him, when in reality she was addressing the entire psychotic group as a whole, but she didn't bother to think much about it. She was tired, she was annoyed, and they had left their leader alone and unprotected; she was going to make him_ suffer._

"What have you_done?"_ Jenny demanded. _"Six hours_ of sleep, after ninja strippers and ice machines and breaking-and-entering and jealous wives! And now you've got a monkey and—"

"Jenny, I don't have a lot of time," Jason interrupted.

Jenny's entire mind went blank with fury. Jason seemed to realize he'd made a dangerous mistake and he took a step backwards, planting his feet. "You… _you_… you…" Jenny spluttered incoherently.

"I know martial arts," Jason announced. Jenny stared at him blankly. "Just… thought I'd throw that out there. Now seemed like a good time."

"What the hell are you _doing?"_ Jenny hissed. "An _orange monkey?_ An orange monkey _in my pool?"_

"It wasn't us. It was these two guys, Bulk and Skull. They've brainwashed Conner… great guy, but easily led… we didn't have anything to do with it."

"Really? And I'm just supposed to _believe_ that? You people caused more chaos in one night than I've seen all year! I'm not supposed to be dealing with chaos, do you understand me? I'm the _night manager!_ There's no chaos on the graveyard shift! _My_ biggest worry is supposed to be staying awake! And there are Power Rangers running all through my hotel and ninjas jumping off my balconies and strippers bypassing my electronic locks and now there are monkeys! _Monkeys in my pool!"_

"I don't—"

"And it's your fault! _Your fault!_ You crash around my hotel breaking vending machines and eating Play Doh and forget Tanya Sloan tickets, I want Tanya Sloan's _soul!"_

"Um—"

"You know what? You're out. All of you, you're _out!"_

"No!" Jason exclaimed, panicked. "No, you can't kick them out, you just_can't!"_

"Not them, you! _All_ of you!"

Jason cleared his throat. "Oh, I'm… not actually checked in here."

Jenny stared at him, mouthing agape, eyes bulging. Jason seized her shoulders, peered into her eyes, and began to plead desperately with her. "No, see, if you kick them out, they'll all end up staying in _my_ house, and that can't happen, not Tommy and Kimberly in the same house, not those four kids at the same time, you can't stick us all together, we won't survive, my home will end up a crater, you _can't_ just—"

Jenny wasn't listening. She was continuing to stare in disbelief. "You're not checked in here," she said suddenly, cutting him off.

"No, I'm not," Jason said impatiently. "Just Tommy, Zack, Kim and the four kids—"

"Oh, god," Jenny whimpered. "There's no escape. If I kick you out, you'll just… just… I can't _stop_ you…"

"I know how you feel," Jason told her sympathetically, patting her shoulder.

Jenny shrugged off his compassionate grip and glared at him. "How are you people even still _alive?"_ she demanded. "If _this_ is what happens to you on a Thursday afternoon, how did you make it this long?"

Jason's lips twitched as if he was fighting off a grin. "Well, you see… we have… hidden talents."

Despite the ungodly amount of idiotic ex-boyfriends that had graced Jenny's life, she had never wanted to smack anyone the way she wanted to smack Jason in that moment. She probably would have done it, too, if not for the momentary distraction of a loud, tuneful series of beeps. Jason jumped and put a hand over the clunky watch on his wrist, smiling apologetically at her.

"Tell you what," Jason said slowly. "I'll remove the monkey kid from the hotel. Okay? I'll take Conner out of here. That should take away a lot of the—"

"No," Jenny cut in. "I want Tommy Oliver gone."

"No you don't," Jason told her, though his tone was slightly desperate. "Conner's an instigator. Tommy's a voice of reason. I know you don't see a lot of that, but… if you leave Zack and those kids here unsupervised… and… please? I'll take Conner out of here, and that'll cut _way_ down on your level of chaos. I mean, we turned our backs on the kid for a second, and look what happened. He kidnapped a monkey and took it swimming." Jason gestured at the doors to the pool, just as they opened and Kimberly dragged an enraged Tommy through them.

"Well, I think it's going to work out for the best," Kimberly said brightly. "We managed to stall Steven and Jarel long enough, and—"

"Wait," Jenny interrupted. _"Kidnapped_ a monkey? You're telling me that's not just a monkey, it's a _stolen_ monkey?"

Jason cleared his throat. "Well…"

"Conner _die,"_ Tommy explained, trying and failing to extricate his arm from Kimberly's grip.

A few seconds later the Trini woman came in. "Hello," she said with a nod at Jenny. "Well, Jason, I think we should remove Conner from the hotel as soon as Kira and Ethan get him out of there. Maybe he can stay with us?"

Jason winced and Jenny rounded on him, fury washing over her again. "You bastard! You weren't trying to bargain with me! You were trying to get him out of here for your own reasons!"

"Well, I…" Jason sighed. "Okay. You don't want him to do something to upset security a third time, either, do you?"

"I—" Jenny stopped, frowning. "A _third_ time? Meaning this is the second? What was the first?"

Jason's watch beeped again, the sound magnified as identical watches on Kimberly and Trini's wrists beeped as well. Jason and the two women looked down at them in mild concern, then up at each other.

"What was the_first?"_ Jenny repeated.

Jason smiled at her. "Um, well, I might have misspoken—"

Two different cell phones started ringing—Tommy's and Trini's. Trini checked her phone, while Tommy continued to try and free his arm from Kimberly's clutches; he couldn't seem to figure out how to do it without losing his shirt or seriously injuring her. "Adam," Trini reported. "He must be back in town. We'll call him back when we're done here."

_"What was the__first?"_ Jenny demanded dangerously.

Jason sighed, trying to figure out just how badly she'd react if he told her that Conner had been behind the bellhop attack. "Um… Jenny…"

"Ooh, ooh!" Kimberly exclaimed suddenly. "He ordered room service and porn, remember? And he charged it to Mercer's credit card!"

Jason seemed to sag in relief. "Yeah. He did. Kids, eh?"

Jenny glared at him suspiciously, not sure if she should believe him or not, but before she could say anything yet another member of the chaos clan showed up. This time, it was Zack, who was smiling cheerfully.

"You know, that Harriet chick's not too bad up close," he said cheerfully. "I might actually call her, if things ever calm down enough. By the way, Rocky called—didn't answer, but I used that as an excuse to slip away. So what's up?"

Everyone stared at him for a moment. Finally, Tommy answered him. "Conner _die,"_ he insisted plaintively, gesturing at his captured arm.

Kimberly sighed. "Could someone _else_ hold him back, please? I'm going to pull a muscle here."

Suddenly a somewhat-damp Ethan burst through the door with a completely-drenched, one-shoed Conner. "Conner _die!"_ Tommy exclaimed in relief, taking a swing at him. Jason, Trini and Zack helped Kimberly push Tommy to the side.

"They got Kira!" Ethan panted, looking terrified. "They've got _Kira!"_

Jason's eyes widened. "I'll let Trent know. He stands the best chance of getting her out of there." He released Tommy and started to jog towards the restaurant.

"Hey!" Jenny yelled, grabbing his arm. "Don't you dare! You're not going anywhere! None of you… wait, what am I saying? You're all out of here. _All_ of you. I want every last one of you gone! The hotel's overbooked anyway!"

"What? You can't_do_ that!" Kimberly exclaimed.

"I can and I will! I've got something on each and every one of you! There's no way a posse of monkey-stealing whack jobs is spending _one more minute_ in my hotel!"

Before anyone could answer, Kira dove through the doors. "We have to get out of here!" she yelped.

"Damned straight you do!" Jenny fumed.

"Hey," Zack said soothingly, stepping towards Jenny. "I know you're upset right now…"

"Upset? _Upset?_ There's a stolen diseased monkey in my swimming pool, half the employees have quit, we're overbooked and understaffed and _I am the night manager!_ The _last_ thing I need is _that_ kid—" she jabbed a finger at Conner— "and his… his… his_accomplices—"_

"Accomplices?" Zack seemed genuinely surprised. "Why would we help him kidnap a monkey?"

Jenny stared at him. That question was both so rational and so completely insane that she couldn't answer him. She just _couldn't._

"Look," Zack began, smiling gently and putting a consoling hand on her shoulder, "we'll get rid of Conner for you. The monkey is gone. The Power Rangers took care of it. Turns out it was all some sort of evil spell, so on top of everything else, the hotel will have some more lovely publicity. We'll get Conner out of your hotel, and hey, since you're a manager, you won't even have to worry about the cleanup. You can _delegate."_

Jenny gazed up at him blankly. Zack slid an arm around her shoulders and began to steer her towards the front desk. "Tell you what. Let's get you settled in for a nice, quiet night behind the desk. Have you even clocked in yet?"

Jenny allowed Zack to guide her away from the group, which was beginning to make hasty retreats. "No," Jenny said dazedly. "I'm off the clock."

"Are you salaried or hourly?"

"Hourly."

"Oh, then we better get you punched in. Come on." Zack led her over to the desk. Towards her chair. Her comfy rolling swiveling office chair. Best part about the job, really—that chair. So comfy…

Zack sat her in her nice cushy chair and continued smiling at her. "I'm going to go grab you some hot tea, okay?" he said, and left, his pace increasing with each step.

Jenny stared mindlessly down at the alcove below the countertop, where they hid the things they wouldn't want the customers seeing—their food and beverages, the mini-TV, and their personal effects. Jenny yawned as her eyes lit upon the framed photo of her and Carrie that she always kept nearby.

_Gonna kill her for this,_ she thought sleepily, and then suddenly everything came crashing back and she jumped out of the chair, prepared to stomp back over to the group and kick some ass—only to realize they'd vanished, every last one of them. And she was willing to bet Zack hadn't gone to get her some tea.

Before she could come up with a next step, two police officers came in from the pool, glancing around. One of them was soaked head-to-toe and the other looked utterly bewildered.

The wet one turned to look at her. "Have you seen three kids come through here?"

Jenny opened her mouth, then closed it. She could give them up. Carrie would be upset about it, but at least they'd stop bothering Jenny. Although if half of them weren't even staying in the hotel, what was the point in kicking them out? They'd probably manage to destroy her hotel anyway. Hell, from the looks of things, the cops weren't even going to be much help anyway; Carrie's friends had already escaped them once. Maybe, just maybe, if she let them take care of things on their own, it wouldn't come back to bite her. Like how she'd let the chaos play out yesterday, when Billy had fixed the ice machine and Tommy and Kimberly had eventually gone to bed and at some point she was supposed to get some concert tickets out of all of this…

"No," Jenny lied wearily, sitting back down in her chair.

The dry, confused cop gave her a suspicious look, but the wet cop nodded. "Good enough for me. We're going to need to ask you a few questions," the wet cop told her. "It's been a while since I've had to deal with the paperwork involved in Ranger-related incidents, and I've only ever done it as a civilian, not an officer, but it shouldn't take long. By the way, do you have a towel?"

Jenny waved her hand at the back room. "Plenty of linens in the room behind me," she said. "Door in the back leads to the service hall; third door from the right is the laundry room, if you want to dry your clothes."

"Thank you," he said, coming behind the counter. Jenny didn't bother to get up. "Hey, Jarel—get started on the report, would you?" he called over his shoulder.

As he left, she looked at the other cop. "Anything I can get for you?" she asked politely.

He shook his head and rubbed a hand over his face. "This has _got_ to be the weirdest day of my life."

She chuckled. "You're not from Angel Grove, are you."

He shook his head again. "Moved out to Stone Canyon from L.A., my junior year of high school."

"I can tell."

"Really? How's that?"

She grinned at him. _"No one_ from Angel Grove has a weirdest day of their life."

"Are you _kidding?_ All the chaos here—"

"That's why we_don't_ have a weirdest day," she explained. "None of _us_… could _ever_ pick just one."

* * *

"Why do they never_answer?"_ Rocky shouted as he hung up his cell phone and prepared to dial someone else. They'd tried beeping the entire gang on the communicators and had only managed to reach Kat, who had whispered that she couldn't talk at the moment before shutting down. No one had answered their cell phones, either. Rocky and Adam were driving as quickly as they dared through Angel Grove, their panic slowly rising as they failed to get in touch with anyone. "I'm running out of people to call!"

"Then just start back down the list," Adam said wearily. He was methodically working his way through his speed-dial settings as he drove.

"Dude, cheer up," Rocky told him absently. "I'm sure no one called a reporter. And even if they did, you can just deny it."

"This from the guy who thought it was _funny_ when all those rumors started that you and Tanya were having an affair."

Rocky snickered, as was customary whenever someone brought that up. "You're not still in denial about that, are you?" Rocky teased. "I swear, me and Tanya are _over._ You can have her. I'm okay with that."

"Shut up, Rocky," Adam sighed, but without any real annoyance. He felt a little too bedraggled to be angry.

Rocky was just about to dial Jason and Trini's house phone when his communicator beeped. "Billy here," came Billy's harassed-sounding voice.

"Billy, man, what the hell is going on?" Rocky demanded. "No one's answering and someone set Adam's ass on fire—"

"I really can't talk right now, I'm afraid. Spending so long on Aquitar has dulled my memory of the city's layout."

"What?"

"I'm lost."

"Why don't you ask someone for directions?"

"I can't. I'm in morph—what's left of my Ninja morph, anyway."

"Why don't you demorph?"

"Because then there's still the chimpanzee to worry about."

"Oh, so you found Conner?"

Billy sighed. "In a manner of speaking."

"So he's okay and everything?"

"I have no idea. My role was to remove the chimpanzee and return it to the zoo. Only now I'm lost."

"Uh-huh. Where are you?"

"I'm on Main Street heading towards downtown," Billy reported. "I figure if I climb a skyscraper I can probably see the entire city, although I'm not certain if I still have enough power to do something that strenuous."

"Where on Main Street, exactly?"

"Heading north, just passed Seventeenth Street."

"That's not too far from here. We'll come pick you up. Adam, hang a left."

"Thank you," Billy said, relieved. "Please hurry. This creature is quite irate; I believe he was rather unhappy to be removed from his so-called liberators."

"Yeah, well, he needs to get over it. And tell him he owes Adam a pair of pants."

* * *

Ethan and Kimberly were given the task of collecting Conner's things from the hotel room; the others headed straight to Jason and Trini's house, Jason and Tommy in Jason's truck and the others in the Escalade, in the hopes that Tommy would be calm again by the time they arrived. Well, Trini, Zack, Conner, Kira and Trent headed straight to Jason and Trini's house; Jason decided Tommy could stand to go for a nice, relaxing drive to a nice, relaxing bar, and called Trini to let her know they'd be awhile.

Kira and Conner bickered throughout the whole ride, while Trent was unusually subdued and Zack pondered the merits of asking out Harriet and Trini tried to figure out if there were any loose ends they needed to tie up, though as far as she could tell there weren't any. No one at the hotel knew Conner's full name, except perhaps Bulk and Skull, and there was a good chance the cops wouldn't bother pursuing it. Angel Grove had laws protecting those who committed crimes while under the influence of evil spells and other forms of coercion from villains—none of them should be in any real trouble after the Black Ranger's testimony, even if it was given from a hotel pool.

By the time they made it to the house, Kira's anger had mostly abated and Conner had managed to coax Ms. Syrian Hamster and Mr. Mongolian Gerbil out from under his shirt collar; the two rodents had already developed strong survival instincts during their time in Conner's company, and they'd crawled up into his shirt the minute he'd hopped into the pool.

"Come on, guys," Trini said as Zack pulled up in the driveway. "Let's order some pizza and hope the others make it back okay."

Kira and Zack immediately gravitated towards the stereo while Conner attempted to get his pets to say hello to Tommy the dog, who sniffed them with interest while they quivered. Trent slapped Zack's morpher back into Zack's hand and wandered off alone.

Ethan and Kimberly arrived fairly quickly with as many of Conner's possessions as they could scrounge up and the entirety of the slightly-damaged Spencer's merchandise, which Zack, Trini and Kimberly immediately began sorting out. Ethan handed the pet store supplies to Conner, who immediately began trying to play soccer with the hamster balls, then went over to Kira, who was sifting through Jason and Trini's CD collection.

"Hey," he said. "Where's Trent?"

Kira frowned. "I don't know."

"I wanted to ask him what it was like to be an original Ranger," Ethan said, disappointed. "Did he say anything about it?"

"No… Come to think of it, he didn't talk much in the car." Kira stood up. "I'll go look for him."

"Ethan!" Conner called. "Wanna play hamster race?"

"Hurry," Ethan muttered to Kira, sighing.

Kira checked the basement, bathroom and kitchen before poking her head out the back door and peering into the yard. "Trent?" Kira called. She finally spied him leaning against the wall, staring off at the sky with a pensive look on his face. "Trent?"

Trent turned his head to look at her. "White," he responded, sounding a little blank.

"What?"

Shaking his head, the glazed expression disappeared from his eyes. "Nothing," he replied before beckoning her over.

She let the door fall shut behind her as she walked over to him. "Something wrong?" Kira asked, choosing to ignore the irony of her question.

He was silent, simply looking at her. His gaze wasn't distant at all, it was appraising, intense and it always made Kira shiver whenever he looked at her like that. It made her remember those days when they were fighting each other but were forced to function as members of society and she would catch him looking at her like that in school. Instead of being frightened like most would be and she might have been more normal had she been, it only made her tingle and desperate to help him that much more. She always wondered about that day he came to her about his evil alter ego. Why did they meet there, instead of some tragically secluded place? Why out in the sunlight, beside the water, sitting so close together?

Leaning forward, Trent threaded his fingers through hers and pulled her to him. His lips found hers as he pulled her arms around him, then slid an arm around her waist, stroking her cheek with his freed hand. Kira's eyes fluttered close as she kissed him back, her hands sliding through his hair, down his neck and shoulders.

She broke the kiss a few moments later, about to say something, but Trent shook his head and leaned back in, smothering her words with another kiss, pulling her tighter against him and stroking his hand into her hair, touching lightly, his other hand tracing along her lower back. Kira let her hands slide back up, trailing along his neck, his jaw and back into his hair before dipping down to run over his chest and back up. She settled her hands over the racing pulse in his neck so they would match, her fingers playing over the skin.

It was Trent who broke the kiss this time, though more time had passed. He didn't pull away, instead resting his forehead against hers, breath falling heavy on each other's cheeks. "I love you."

It was quiet, but not whispered. Kira opened her eyes to look into Trent's. "I love you too." Her thumb found the corner of his mouth and slid over his cheek before they met each other halfway, wrapping their arms fully around one another. It seemed as if they suddenly decided they refused to be separate entities and were trying to swallow each other whole.

There was nothing else, not then, not as far as Kira was concerned. The world was standing still. There was only Trent.

Until a red hamster ball flew out of the window and bounced off her head.

"OW!" Kira shrieked.

"MONGO!" Conner bellowed from inside the house.

Kira glowered in the direction of the window and bent to pick up the ball, which contained an exasperated Mr. Mongolian Gerbil. Before she could straighten up again, Trent was grabbing her waist from behind, yanking her back against the wall and out of the way of Conner, who came flying out the window head-first.

Kira's eyes narrowed. She marched over to Conner as he started to get up and planted her boot firmly on the back of his skull, pressing him to the ground. Conner held still, warily waiting for her to let him up and hoping she wasn't about to crush his head. "Um… Kira?" he asked tentatively.

Kira removed Mr. Mongolian Gerbil from the ball and held him out to Trent, who took the little rodent and stroked his head to calm him. Kira tossed the ball carelessly over her shoulder, narrowly missing Ethan, who'd come out through the back door to help Conner recapture his pet.

Kira removed her boot from Conner's head. "You have five seconds to run."

"Kira, I'm really sor—"

"Four. Three. T—"

Conner took off as fast as humanly possible. Kira quickly decided a head start was no longer necessary and rushed after him. Fortunately for Conner, he was taller, stronger, and far more used to sprinting. Unfortunately for Conner, Kira wasn't going to let that stop her from trying.

Trent watched for a moment as she chased him around the backyard, then looked down at the gerbil in his hand. "So," he said conversationally, "rough day?"

Trent couldn't be sure, but he got the distinct feeling that Mr. Mongolian Gerbil was glaring at him.


	87. Beneath the Surface

**Chapter Eighty-seven**

_Beneath the Surface_

"I think it's time," Tommy announced suddenly.

"For?" Jason asked cautiously, looking covetously at the beer in Tommy's hand. Jason hated being designated. What little he'd ingested since they'd gotten to the bar had already worn off, leaving Jason sober while Tommy continued to sip and stare blankly at the wall behind the bar. It didn't help that Tommy kept randomly bursting into psychotic rants about Conner and Kimberly and nightmares and bachelorette parties and clowns and goats and monkeys and being locked in trunks and tomato sauce, which wasn't endearing them to the bar's other patrons.

"Time," Tommy said slowly, "for me to _talk_… to Kim."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "Maybe I shouldn't have let you have all that vodka."

Tommy glowered at him, then sighed. "It's _time,_ Jase. It's long _past_ time. I'm tired of it hanging over our heads. What good are all these games if I'm not going to take the plunge and talk things out? It's not getting me anywhere."

Jason considered this. "Maybe. Maybe not. I mean, it's not as if your little… plans… don't have flaws. I know I'd appreciate not getting caught in the crossfire, since the crossfire always seems to be things like getting into a fight to the death with a bunch of clowns…"

Tommy gave him an apologetic smile. "I wasn't thinking long term. I was just trying to get her interested again. Get her to see that… that… you know."

"That you're still a good boyfriend?" Jason asked.

"Something like that," Tommy agreed. "But I need to do _more._ Right now, I'm just… Kim's psychotic ex-boyfriend. I'm not _Tommy_ yet. You know?"

"…Not really," Jason said. "But I'm working on it. What, exactly, are you talking about here?"

"I can't just seduce her," Tommy explained. "At least, not yet. I have to get it over with. Once it's settled, once it's… _closed,_ then I can move forward. It's like trying to put on new shoes without taking off the old ones. It's time to just… just… I want to know _why."_

"Why she left you."

"Why we weren't forever," Tommy clarified. "Why… why… what the hell did that guy have I didn't?" he burst out suddenly. "Huh? She leaves me for Mr. Perfect and she's single six months later? She ran off for some great guy, 'wonderful' and 'kind' and 'caring'—" He was shouting now; Jason smiled apologetically around at the bar's patrons, many of whom were glaring. "Tony the _Janitor?"_ Tommy bellowed. _"Tony the Janitor?_ I'm Tommy the—"

"We're in a freaking _bar,"_ Jason interrupted in a panic. "Keep your voice down!"

Tommy looked at him blankly. "I was going to say 'doctor.'"

"Oh."

"I am Tommy the_Doctor!_ Tommy the Racecar Driver! Tommy the Teacher! Tommy the Fighter! _Tommy the Pow—"_

Jason clamped a hand over Tommy's mouth. "Shut _up,_ man," he hissed at Tommy. "When did you become such a lightweight?"

"This isn't about alcohol! This is about _Kim!_ I am the coolest, best, most kick-ass guy _in the world!"_

"Uh-huh. Let's go. Time to get you out of here," Jason said, standing up.

"DOWN WITH FLORIDA!" Tommy roared, slamming his beer bottle down so hard it nearly cracked.

"Yes, yes, down with Florida," Jason said, tossing some cash on the bar and grabbing Tommy's arm, hauling him towards the door.

They got back in the truck, Tommy glaring straight ahead. Jason hated it when Tommy got like this… it reminded him of the Green days, before he'd destroyed the Sword of Darkness. Back when Tommy wasn't his friend… just the first guy Jason had ever lost a fight to, the guy who invaded the Command Center and nearly destroyed Zordon and Alpha, the guy who was under Rita's spell.

The guy Jason wouldn't want to cross.

Jason decided not to head for the house. After a few minutes of silence, Tommy asked, "Where are we going?"

"The park."

"Why?"

"So I can kick your ass," Jason joked. More seriously, he added, "Seems like you could stand to blow off some steam."

Tommy nodded. "Yeah." He glanced at Jason appraisingly. "You'll help me, right?"

"Blow off some steam?"

"Get Kimberly back."

Jason rolled his eyes. "You moron. I've been waiting almost eight years for you to ask."

* * *

Hayley and Anton stood in the center of the demolished laboratory, Hayley amazed, Anton resigned. He sighed heavily as he took in the damaged equipment and research, most of it beyond repair. 

"Is it wrong of me to miss this place?" Anton asked wistfully.

Hayley shook her head. "No. Might not be a part of your past that you're proud of, but it's still a part of you." She stepped over to the shelf where he'd kept the specimen jars, most of which were smashed or at least cracked. "Besides, think of all the advancements you made… the things you accomplished. The things you could _still_ accomplish with even a fraction of Mesogog's work."

Anton raised his eyebrows. "That's a good point, actually. I haven't… I try not to think about it much. All the things I created to destroy and exterminate…" He forced a smile. "Thank you for accompanying me, by the way. Elsa really didn't want to come here. It was harder on her than on me."

Hayley looked at him in surprise. "I would have thought it would be harder for you. No offense, but _she_ was an innocent bystander."

"That's why it's harder for her. I have to face it, take responsibility for it. She wasn't in control of herself. Not only did I violate her free will, but… well. A large part of her transformation was psychological. Mesogog convinced her that it was her own nature, not the power I fed her, that was evil. It's… taken a toll."

"Tommy doesn't like to talk about it either," Hayley said. "How it felt to want his friends dead, to hurt innocent people, wondering if that desire was still inside him."

Anton grimaced. "He told me about it, once, after I found out who he was. He said he was one of the most efficient warriors Rita Repulsa had ever had… and that's why I brainwashed Elizabeth and Smitty into Elsa and Zeltrax." He sighed. "But enough of that. Let's find whatever's in here, get it under control, and get out of here, eh?"

Hayley nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I'm supposed to be leaving for Angel Grove in roughly an hour; I know Jason and Trini won't mind if I show up in the middle of the night, but I'd like to get there as soon as I can."

"Elsa and I are leaving in the morning," Anton told her as they stepped out of the laboratory. "Reserved the presidential suite at the Angel Grove Hilton."

"That ought to be nice. What's down this way?"

"Our private rooms. Mine, Elsa's and Zeltrax's."

Hayley swallowed. "Would you… you know, mind?"

"You want to see them?" She nodded. "Sure. I don't know that they're intact, but I wouldn't mind taking a look myself."

They started with Elsa's. "Wow, cliché alert," Hayley said, wrinkling her nose as she glanced around at the weapons and heavy black décor. "It's like something out of a bondage porno movie."

"I wouldn't repeat that to her," Anton said mildly. "Hmm… her favorite morning star is missing. And one of her swords."

"Think whoever's wandering around in here took it?"

"Probably not. I assume they simply weren't in their places when Mesogog cast her out. Zeltrax occasionally stole items belonging to her, part of his bizarre obsession…"

"I want to see his room."

Anton gave her a sympathetic look. He knew that Hayley had been friends with Smitty before Tommy had beaten Smitty out for the job at Mercer Industries; Tommy and Smitty had met in grad school, after Tommy and Hayley's friendship had been firmly established. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

They went to Zeltrax's nearby room. "Oh, jeez," Hayley muttered, sickened at the sight of the desecrated pictures covering the walls. "Poor Smitty."

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "It's not your fault. Besides, if Mesogog hadn't turned him into Zeltrax, he would have died. He _did_ die, really. He wasn't Smitty anymore." She sighed. "God, look at all these… I'd forgotten about half of this stuff. Karaoke night at Braum's Bar and Grill, every Wednesday… that Halloween when we all got smashed and woke up in Canada… oh, wow, that's Tommy's ex-girlfriend, Kennedy. I hooked him up with her after he and I broke up."

Anton was startled. "You dated?"

Hayley nodded. "It was Smitty's fault, actually. He had a crush on me, but I wasn't interested, so Smitty became even more jealous of Tommy—not only was Tommy beating him in half their classes and whatnot, but Smitty was convinced Tommy and I were more than roommates. He kept telling Tommy that there was no way a guy and a girl could just be friends, which got Tommy thinking that we _should_ have feelings for each other, even though we didn't. So we tried, we failed, and we ended it, but things were weird, naturally, and he was starting to wonder if he'd ever manage to make a relationship work, so I hooked him up with Kennedy. Clingy, obsessive little thing. Took two months after he broke up with her for him to finally get rid of her—she found out he was hiding under the kitchen table every time she came knocking and finally got it through her thick skull that he was no longer interested. Eventually we patched up our friendship enough to move back in with each other, and then we started working on Ranger-related projects together. And that's where you came in."

"He never told me you knew. Or who the other Rangers had been. He showed me, he proved he was telling the truth—but he only told me about himself. It was Mesogog who realized _your_ involvement."

"That half Tommy's research was mine? Yeah. We figured it would be best, especially since it was such a risk to involve you. But we needed your funding, your… assistance."

"Zeltrax was furious when I told him that Tommy's Ranger status was part of the reason I selected him for the position. That was when _this_ started, anyway." Anton gestured at the walls. "Would you like to take some of the pictures, Hayley?"

She shook her head. "Nah. I have my own copies, of most of them anyway. And I don't think I want any mementoes of Smitty that have knife slashes through Tommy's face." She smiled sadly. "He wasn't so bad, really. Pushy, jealous, arrogant, but he could be fun and he was dedicated to anything he cared about, be it his work or his friends. We had some good times."

Anton cleared his throat, uncomfortable. "You were at his funeral?"

She nodded. "The memorial service. Tommy and I both went. We hadn't seen Smitty in almost two years by that point, though. He stopped talking to us the minute he found out that Tommy had gotten the job."

"I'm sorry."

Hayley shrugged. "It was bound to happen eventually. He was jealous about Tommy's academic prowess, about me—especially after Tommy and I broke up and I _still_ wouldn't go out with Smitty. I'm just glad Zeltrax never fixated on me the way he did on Tommy."

Hayley went over to a picture of the three of them from the Halloween that had landed them on the wrong side of the Canadian border—the last Halloween they'd ever spent together. It was a picture of her and Tommy, sitting on the couch in their former living room—the couch on which they'd watched a million movies, ate a million pizzas, and shared their first, disastrous kiss. They were already in costumes—Tommy a vampire, Hayley a witch. She was laughing as he pretended he was leaning in to sink his fake fangs into her neck. She could see the MIT pennant on the wall behind them, next to a shelf of Hayley's academic awards and Tommy's various trophies. Smitty wasn't in the photo, he'd been the one taking it… what had he been for Halloween that year? It pained her to realize she couldn't remember. It pained her even more to see the dagger sticking out of Tommy's forehead and the one protruding from her own heart.

Hayley shuddered. Zeltrax hadn't forgotten her, after all.

She seized the knife in her heart and started tugging. Not wanting to upset Anton or reveal her emotions to him, she called, "Hey, did you bring a weapon?"

"No," he said. "I didn't often use them as Mesogog. I learned how, but my powers meant I didn't require much beyond hand-to-hand combat."

"Well, might want to grab one now." She wrenched the knife free and removed the one in Tommy's skull. She started to turn away, then stopped and yanked the picture from the wall, folding it up and tucking it into her back pocket, unable to leave that particular memory behind. She handed one of the daggers to Anton and moved out into the hallway.

_Werewolf,_ she recalled suddenly. _Smitty was a werewolf that Halloween. How… ironic._

They had only taken a few steps towards Mesogog's former residence when a posse of Triptoids rounded the corner, bouncing jerkily towards them. Hayley yelped and spun around, preparing to run. No way were she and Anton a match for a dozen Triptoids.

"Triptoids!" Anton rasped. Hayley froze, shocked—he was using Mesogog's voice. "Halt!" he called.

Hayley turned. The Triptoids were standing completely still, at attention.

"Return to the storage bay," Anton hissed. "Await further instructions."

They turned and bounced away in formation, as simple as that. Anton smiled in relief. "Well. I guess we've found the intruders. They must have tripped an alarm."

"I didn't know you could use his voice."

Anton looked sheepish. "The Triptoids and Tyrannodrones are all voice-activated; they were programmed not to harm me, but they wouldn't take my orders. That way I couldn't order them to, you know, go drown themselves during the periods while Mesogog was dormant. I figured if I could learn to imitate his voice, I could eventually find a way to destroy the things."

"Well. Good thinking. I wish I had known they were voice-activated; I could have seriously exploited that. Should've had Tommy capture one for my own study."

"Well, if you're interested in them anymore, you're welcome to it."

Hayley's eyes lit up. Studying the minions… the Tyrannodrones had been basic prototypes when Anton had become Mesogog, she and Tommy had been part of the initial creation but they'd never perfected them, that had been Mesogog… the opportunities, the things she could _do_ with that sort of knowledge…

"Anton," she said slowly, "do you ever think about, you know, rebuilding?"  
"Rebuilding? My evil empire?"

She shook her head. "This lab. Continuing your work. Using it to help the next generation of Power Rangers, to better the earth itself. The invisiportals could revolutionize mass-transportation… Imagine if the hydro-regenerator could be used for healing, rather than reforming and enlarging monsters… think of the _possibilities."_

Anton looked around pensively. "It _would_ be… _useful,_ shall we say, this secluded lab… but expensive. And I'd have to do the majority of the work myself. I couldn't hire contractors to rebuild a place that holds all of my secrets and half of the Power Rangers'. There are extensive files on not only the Dino Rangers but the Ninja Rangers… and things that could be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands."

"I'm sure other Ranger teams would be willing to help with not only the reconstruction but the research. I know Trini would love to get her hands on some of this stuff, and Billy as well. Ethan would probably set up a cot in the corner. Hell, you could probably order the Triptoids to help with the construction."

Anton's face darkened. "I could, but I won't." He exhaled sharply and glanced around some more. "It would take a lot of work, and money. But it's doable. And it could really benefit so many… it's something to think about, at any rate. I've got to get the invisiportal network recalibrated, anyway—I don't know why the portals are so tangled. It should be possible to exit through any portal once you've entered—I don't know why they're only going to one or two specific destinations each. I still can't believe the portal in my study now leads to the kitchen at China Express."

Hayley chuckled. "I'll never forget the look on that poor dishwasher's face."

Anton smiled. "Yes, well, let's get going, now that we've found out what tripped the alarm."

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather look around some more?"

He shook his head. "I'd like to talk to Elsa about the idea, and do a little more planning. Besides which, you need to get to Angel Grove and rescue Tommy from his own insanity, and I have to be up fairly early tomorrow morning to leave myself."

"Good point. Back to the portal?"

"Back to the portal."

Anton and Hayley turned and headed to the portal that led safely back to the sidewalk in front of Hayley's Cyberspace. No sooner had they disappeared than Cassidy and Devin rounded the corner.

"I could have _sworn_ I heard voices," Devin said, shaking his head. "I guess not."

Cassidy sighed. "We're never getting out of here."

* * *

"Okay," came Rocky's voice over Billy's communicator. "Ready when you are." 

Billy glanced up and down the street. There weren't a whole lot of pedestrians on this particular corner, but that didn't matter; there were probably still plenty of people who could be looking out a window. This was pretty risky, hopping into a car owned by a fellow ex-Ranger while morphed, but he couldn't see any other way to do it. He couldn't find the zoo and it wasn't exactly easy to keep out of sight, even if he managed to get directions. He couldn't demorph while he still had the chimp; Trini had beeped him and told him how the rest of the plan had played out, including Trent's mention that the Blue Ranger was taking the chimp back to the zoo, and it wouldn't take much to make the leap from "guy heading towards the zoo with a chimpanzee" to "Power Ranger's alter ego."

Billy took a deep breath. "Hang on, Farky," he told the disgruntled monkey. Billy dove off the roof upon which he'd been hiding and went into a ninja-streak, across the street and in through the open back door of Adam's Mercedes. Farky screeched in protest, but Billy did his best to ignore it, concentrating on halting his streak before crashing into the closed door on the other side of the back seat. Rocky slammed the door behind him and quickly hopped into the passenger's seat.

"Go, go, go!" Rocky hissed, as Adam pressed his foot onto the gas and shot off down the street. Rocky buckled his seatbelt and turned to look at Billy and Farky. "Hey, Billy. How's it going?"

Billy glared at him from behind his hood. "Wonderful," he said dryly. "Thanks for picking me up, by the way—um, why isn't Adam wearing any pants?"

_"You_ tell_us,"_ Adam said through gritted teeth. "I was minding my own business, sitting in a movie theatre, when my morpher went spastic. I still have scorch marks on my butt."

"Oh, yes," Billy said. "We forgot, in all the excitement, that there might be a negative reaction when a different Ranger used one of the three morphers that were duplicated."

"'Negative reaction?' Try explaining to an entire theatre why your buddy's ass has gone light show," Rocky said dryly.

Billy cringed. "Did you explain things properly?"

"Best we could. Malfunctioning prototype cell phone. Who was causing the white sparks, anyway? Tommy?"

"Trent. I apologize for your inconvenience; by the time we found Conner, he and Bulk and Skull were scrubbing off the orange paint in the pool at the Angel Grove Inn, and—wait. You went to the _movies?"_

Rocky and Adam winced. "Um… we forgive you?" Rocky said hopefully.

Billy just chuckled. "Don't worry, guys—I wish _I_ had gone to the movies. I—" He broke off. Blue and red lights had started flashing wildly. "Is that the morpher?" he asked uncertainly.

"No," Adam said, grimacing. "That would be the cops."

Billy's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no."

Adam pulled the car over and began rolling down the windows. "Demorph, man!" Rocky hissed at Billy.

"I can't! Trent publicly announced that the Blue Ranger currently had custody of the stolen chimpanzee!"

"Great," Rocky growled. "Okay, everybody just be cool. We'll… figure something out."

Billy craned his neck to peer out the rear windshield at the approaching cop. "Oh, no. I know him."

"Who is he?" Adam whispered as he killed the engine.

"He was one of the officers who responded to the purse snatching, when I was posing as the Black Ranger."

"That guy who broke into Tommy's house?" Rocky asked.

"No, not him. His partner."

They all held very still as Abe got out of the cruiser and approached the driver's side window. He frowned down at Adam's bare legs, then looked at Rocky, who grinned in a manner often found in mental patients. Then Abe looked in the back seat, where the Blue Ninja Ranger sat with a soggy chimpanzee on his lap.

Abe blanched. "What the…?"

"Hi, officer," Adam said belatedly. "What, um, what seems to be the problem?"

"Huh? Oh. Speeding," he said distractedly. "You were… yeah. Speeding."

"I apologize for our infraction," Billy said formally. "I enlisted the help of these two gentlemen to return this poor chimpanzee; I'm afraid our presence is rather distracting for the driver."

"I bet," Abe commented.

"This chimpanzee is part of an evil plot by a villain," Billy added desperately. "I am attempting to return him to the zoo, now that, uh, he has been rescued."

Abe looked at Adam for confirmation. Adam forced a smile. "Officer… have you ever had a _really_ weird day?"

Abe stared at him. Then he looked back at the Blue Ninja Ranger and the chimpanzee, who was now examining Adam's pants with interest. Then he looked back at Adam.

"You can go now," Abe said, and turned and walked away.

* * *

It was almost eleven o'clock when Jason and Tommy parked in the driveway of Jason and Trini's house. The moment they climbed out of the truck, they could hear heated arguing from the backyard. 

Tommy sighed. "That's Kira. I'd better go break it up." Jason followed him around the garage and into the back. Kira was standing beneath a tree in the middle of the yard, shouting up into the branches while Tommy the dog ran in circles around her and the tree, barking happily. Tommy and Jason looked askance at Trent and Ethan, who were sitting on the back porch.

"Kira treed Conner," Ethan explained.

"And now he won't come down, and she can't get up that tree in those boots," Trent added. "We're waiting to see which of them caves first." He was still holding Mr. Mongolian Gerbil.

"My money's on Conner," Jason said.

"Nah, it'll be Kira," Ethan said.

Trent nodded. "She'll eventually realize she's acting crazy and stomp off, luring Conner into a false sense of security so that he comes down on his own."

"Kira will just smack him around later; she won't spend the next three hours waiting at the tree," Ethan agreed. "Conner, on the other hand…"

"Aw, the bonds between teammates," Jason joked. "Look how well they know each other."

Tommy shrugged. "Not like it's the first time she's treed him. I live on the edge of a forest, you know."

Jason snorted. "Whack jobs, one and all."

"Come on," Tommy said. "Let's go see if Kim, Zack and Trini are ready to head back to the hotel."

"Kim and Zack," Jason corrected as they went inside. "If you're going to go through with this whole conversation thing, you might want Trini out of the way. That'll make it easier."

"Yeah. _That's_ why you want her to sleep here tonight. For _my_ sake."

Jason grinned. "I didn't say I wasn't going to benefit from it."

They headed into the living room, where they found Zack, Trini and Kimberly surrounded by a multitude of Spencer's equipment. "We got the handcuffs sorted by color," Zack announced. "Kimberly said you told her she could have the pink ones and the leopard-print, and Trini wanted the red—mind if I take some of the black?"

"Help yourself," Tommy told him, rolling his eyes. It figured that when a group of Power Rangers was presented with forty-nine pairs of fuzzy handcuffs the first thing they'd do was sort them by color.

"And I can have some of the pole-dancing kits, right?" Kimberly asked. "My friend Donna—"

"Help yourself," Tommy interrupted hastily; the last thing he needed to think about right now was Kimberly pole-dancing. "Any word from Billy?"

"And where are Rocky and Adam?" Jason asked.

"They're together—Billy got lost on the way to the zoo and Rocky and Adam picked them up," Trini explained. "Billy beeped me. They're working on a way to sneak into the zoo still, and then they said something about having to find Adam some pants and Zack some flowers—"

_"What?"_ Jason demanded.

"Yeah, I didn't quite catch all of it. Oh, and Kat checked in—she's catching a plane out to Los Angeles that should get her here by tomorrow night, so she'll probably be staying with Adam, Tanya and Aisha."

"We still meeting Tanya and Aisha at the airport tomorrow at five?" Tommy asked.

There was a general murmur of agreement. "By the way, Hayley called a few minutes ago," Trini said. "She just left, so she should be here around two in the morning. I figured we'd put Conner in the guest room and Billy and Hayley out here on the couches, since they'll probably want to stay up talking and whatnot, and that way the dog won't be able to get into the hamster and gerbil's cage; I already assembled it and put the hamster in it. I think Trent's still got the gerbil… oh, and Hayley said not to worry about any messages on your phone from Elsa; Hayley said she already handled it."

"I still haven't worked my way through all the messages about monkeys," Tommy said. "I can't _believe_ Conner gave those two my cell phone number."

"I still can't believe Bulk's got a girl," Jason said. "I don't think I'll ever hear the word 'monkey' again without thinking about Bulk having a baby."

"It's not really an unreasonable word to bring that up," Zack mused thoughtfully. Then he shuddered. "She was _actually_ hot?"

Jason nodded. "Not exactly Carmen Electra, but definitely a catch."

"Wonders never cease," Zack commented.

"I think it's sweet," Kimberly said. "I'm glad he found someone. Although if you'd tried to tell me ten years ago that Bulk would have a live-in girlfriend and a kid on the way while I'm still single, I would have probably smacked you for being an idiot."

"Life is weird like that," Tommy said. "Anyway, are we ready to head back to the hotel? I'm beat."

"Soon as you figure out how to get Conner out of that tree," Zack said. "We tried and failed. Repeatedly. Kira wouldn't budge, either."

"I've done it before. Although it helps to have a box of Cheez-Its and a pellet gun…"

The others laughed. "Ah, the imagery," Zack joked.

"You staying here tonight?" Tommy asked Trini. "What with Hayley coming in and all?"

Trini gave him a suspicious look, then glanced at Jason. "Yeah. Might as well. Do you mind, Kimberly?"  
"Nah. I've got Kira to hang with, anyway—provided Tommy can solve the tree thing without snack food and weapons."

"I might have some corn chips and throwing stars," Jason said thoughtfully.

"No need," Tommy said. "You guys finish sorting that; I'll go get the kids together."

"All right," Kimberly said, picking up one of the trash bags and beginning to shove her share of the merchandise into it. "Maybe we'll get to have a peaceful night for once."

Jason smirked at her. "I wouldn't count on it."

* * *

_End Notes:_ And now, things are about to get… _interesting…_


	88. Mirror of Regret

**Chapter Eighty-eight**

_Mirror of Regret_

Kimberly sighed as she opened the trunk of the Mustang and saw that the Spencer's merchandise had spilled out of the bag. "Go on," she told Kira, who'd ridden with her. "I'll be up in a second." Kira shrugged and headed over to the Escalade while Kimberly began gathering her stuff.

"Hey, Kim."

Kimberly jumped and turned around. "Hey, Tommy," she said. "Something wrong?"

Tommy shook his head and leaned against the Mustang's bumper as she returned to stuffing the bag. "Listen… I think we should talk. About… stuff."

Kimberly grimaced. That didn't sound good… but she couldn't avoid him forever, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. "Stuff, eh?" she said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah. Just you and me. Zack said he was going to try to hook up with that Harriet chick; she gets off work at midnight. Come by my room about twelve-thirty, okay?"

Kimberly checked her watch. It was eleven-forty. "Okay."

Tommy nodded and walked away. Kimberly exhaled sharply, trying to ignore the sense of foreboding stealing over her as she slammed the trunk lid and turned to follow the others inside.

* * *

"Hey," Jason called to Conner as Conner came out of the guest bathroom, showered and ready for bed. "I just got off the phone with Billy; Rocky and Adam are on their way to drop him off. Trini and I are going to turn in."

"Aw, come on," Conner complained. He was finally staying in _The_ Red Ranger's house, and Jason was going to sleep a few minutes after everyone else left? "The night is young!"

"I know," Jason said dryly. "That's why Trini and I are turning in."

Conner gave him a blank look. Then he snickered. "Oh. I gotcha."

Jason smirked. "Hey, when Billy gets back, tell him Hayley will be here about two, okay?"

"Sure thing. _Good_ night," Conner told him, heading for the guestroom.

Jason chuckled and started to head for his bedroom, but then his cell phone rang and he groaned and pulled it from his pocket. He didn't recognize the number.

"Please don't let me regret this," Jason muttered as he pressed the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Um… Jason? Jason Scott?" It was a woman's voice that sounded somewhat familiar.

"Yes?"

"This is Carrie. Jeffries."

"Carrie! Hi!" Jason exclaimed, then clamped a hand over his mouth. He'd finally gotten Trini back in the house; she wouldn't be too happy if she found out he was chatting to Carrie at midnight. "What's going on?" he whispered, heading safely for the kitchen.

"You tell me. Jenny called."

"Jenny from the hotel?"

"Yes. Not only has Harriet been talking about nothing but your friend Zack, but Jenny had quite a few… shall we say… _rude_ words for me regarding a monkey and the Black Ranger. And a friend in Stone Canyon said Adam Park set his pants on fire in a movie theatre…"

"Oh, god." Jason rubbed a hand over his face wearily, then glanced down the hall towards his bedroom. Much as he hated to miss an opportunity to talk to Carrie, he was looking forward to an end to the weirdness and he had an appointment with his wife to keep. He sighed. "Listen, do you have a pen?"

"Yeah…"

"Take this number down. It's Adam's cell." He gave her the number, and she repeated it back to double-check. "Tell him who you are; I've mentioned you. The pants fire was actually part of the monkey incident—"

"Was Adam the one in the Black Ranger suit?"

"No, no, but he… it's hard to explain. He'll give you something on the pants fire and explain a bit more about the whole monkey incident—I assume you're looking for something you can print?"

"Would be nice. I can survive off Jenny's comments and so on, but a little insider info wouldn't do me any harm, and I was thinking I should consult you before publishing anything Ranger-related, to make sure I'm not making any mistakes regarding your secret."

"Adam can take care of that; he helped Rocky and Billy sneak the monkey back into the zoo. Adam will help you."

"And if he won't?"

"Remind him that he was in a movie theatre while we were dealing with an illegal chimpanzee."

She chuckled. "One more question… who is this villain, Kaziargh?"

"Kaziargh? Oh, he's a real evil bastard. That was an epic battle right there." Jason chuckled, then added, "Trent made him up."

"Trent?"

"Yeah—he was masquerading as the Black Ranger. We needed Zack to calm Harriet down. But there was no evil villain—we were at the mall all day."

"The mall? You wouldn't happen to know anything about all the vandalism there today, would you? It's not my piece, but a friend of mine's thinking of spinning something about the defacement of the fountain being an anti-Power Ranger statement…"

"Whoa, hey, stop him from that. It was an accident. Pure and simple. And the rodents were a nervous breakdown. And the roof of Spencer's was… okay. As much as I'd love to tell you about it right now, I have plans. Some really, _really_ important plans. I can't talk at the moment; I'm sorry."

"Ah. Well, I'll let him elaborate. See you on Saturday?"

"Sure. I'll be the one in red."

"Oh, by the way—Jenny wants those concert tickets as soon as possible."

Jason grinned. "Yeah, I bet she does. Tell her to pick a time and a place and let me know. Later, Carrie."

Jason hung up and headed back towards his bedroom, humming to himself. At last, the chaos was over.

* * *

"Hello?" Billy called as he stepped through the front door of Jason and Trini's house. The only sign of movement came from Tommy the dog, who was lying on the couch in the family room to Billy's left. The dog raised its head, snorted a bit, and thumped its tail, then put its head back on its paws.

"Hey, buddy," Billy whispered. He headed down the hall, past the study and bathroom, and was almost to the door of the guest bedroom when Conner poked his head out of the door.

"Oh, hi," he said. "Rocky and Adam with you?"

"No. They went back to Rocky's home; they said they'd come by about noon. I believe they were quite exhausted. The zoo was quite an ordeal."

Conner winced. "Sorry about that," he said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to, you know—"

"Chaos happens," Billy told him graciously. "Where's Jason? Asleep?"

"Having sex with Trini. She stayed here tonight." Billy made a face. "Um, I hope you don't mind, but Trini told me I should take the guest room tonight—she made you a bed on the couch, figured you'd want to stay up and wait for Hayley, and if Ms. Syrian Hamster and Mr. Mongolian Gerbil are in here the dog can't get them…"

"Oh, I forgot Hayley was coming," Billy said brightly. "I can't wait to meet her."

"She's pretty cool, for a computer geek. No offense," Conner added as an afterthought.

"None taken," Billy said dryly. "Let me grab a few of my things so I can shower and prepare for bed—did she say what time Hayley would be here?"

"About two," Conner said. He opened the door for Billy, who carefully selected an outfit from the new clothes Trini had put in the dresser for him. Then Billy headed off to the bathroom and Conner shut the door behind him, flopping on the bed.

Conner glanced idly around the guestroom. The rest of the house was so well-decorated that this room seemed like it should be part of another house, but Conner could see why it looked the way it did. The carpet and ceiling were blue, the trim and bedroom door green, the walls yellow, the curtains and desk chair pink, the bed frame and closet door black, the dresser and desk white, and the throw rug on the floor and arm chair in the corner red. Trini had changed the bedding from blue to red when Conner had moved in, and from what he'd glimpsed of the stack of linens in the closet she was prepared for just about anyone. Conner wondered how they explained the guestroom's décor to their normal friends, then quickly forced himself to focus. He had a mission, after all.

Now that he was staying here, he could finally implement The Plan. Conner, Ethan and Trent had been working hard on it all week, and now Conner was in position to work out all the kinks. All he had to do was get Tommy and Kimberly here, and everything would work out _perfectly._

Conner was sure of it.

* * *

Tommy paced up and down the hotel room, trying and failing to figure out what to say to Kimberly. Even though he'd decided to talk to her, he still couldn't come up with anything to say. It was funny the way the brain worked, really. He'd come back to the room, taken off his shoes and plugged his cell phone into the charger, then sat down to start planning. But then Zack had taken a quick shower and headed down to the front desk to chat up Harriet, and Tommy had had an errant thought about why Zack had felt the need to shower first, and that had led to the most thorough shower Tommy had ever taken in less than fifteen minutes, and then he'd gelled his hair, and then he'd gotten dressed, and then he'd put on his shoes just in case, and then he'd decided to wear sandals instead because they were easier to remove, and then he'd sorted through his pockets and made sure he had his room key and wallet and fully-charged cell phone and car keys and Zeonizer and everything else that he might need should the world implode upon his head, and then somehow he'd ended up spending a long while spent trying to puzzle out where he'd gotten that slip of paper that said "Remember to feed dog" on it, and then he'd remembered what Trini had told him about Adam's pants and he'd put the Zeonizer in his sock drawer instead, and now it was twelve twenty-eight and there were only two minutes left to Kimberly's arrival and he hadn't come up with anything to say beyond "Hi" and "Come on in."

_Two minutes,_ Tommy thought desperately. _I can come up with a plan in two minutes. I'm a Power Ranger; I've done it before. This is battle time. I have to come up with something to say in the next two minutes or—_

A knock sounded on the door.

Kimberly was early.

Tommy swallowed and stared at the door, his mind a complete blank. Then Kimberly knocked again and he forced himself to go to the door and open it. There she was, and he was only slightly comforted by the fact that she also appeared nervous and looked like she'd freshened up a bit. She wasn't wearing his shirt, either.

"Hi," Tommy said, his dry throat making it a croak. "Come on in."

Kimberly smiled awkwardly at him and stepped inside. "Zack out with Harriet?"

"I assume so. I figured that if it hadn't worked out he'd be back by now."

"Well, lucky Zack," Kimberly said.

"Heh. Yeah. Lucky Zack."

They stared at each other. Tommy tried not to think about Zack, or Harriet, or hookups, or the fact that Kimberly had probably showered, or anything at all. _Remember to feed dog,_ he reminded himself hastily, silently thanking whoever had put that slip of paper in his pocket, only to end up thinking about people putting their hands in his pockets, which wasn't a good idea when he was staring at Kimberly.

"So," she said suddenly, making him jump. "You wanted to talk?"

Tommy nodded and started to close the door, then thought better of it; cutting off the escape route didn't seem a good idea. "Yeah. I think… I think we should. I mean, we haven't… you know… mentioned… _it."_

"It," Kimberly repeated, nodding slowly. "Yeah, we should probably talk about…_it."_

"Yeah." Tommy took a few steps away from the door. Kimberly sat down on the edge of the bed closest to the balcony, looking up at him expectantly. "Look, about… _it_… I'm… well…"

Kimberly exhaled sharply. "Do you blame me?"

Tommy stared at her. "What?"

"Do you blame me for what happened? For us breaking up?"

Her tone was so matter-of-fact that it took a second for the question to sink in. He wasn't sure what she was expecting him to say.

After all, she was the one who'd ended it. But he hadn't challenged it, and what did that say about him? Could he really fault her for it? She was all the way across the country, busy with training and competitions, half their phone calls interrupted by the Machine Empire, their schedules never connecting, what with him struggling to pass his senior year in spite of the monster attacks and his own attention span and her struggling to perfect her gymnastic skills—never mind that annoying time zone difference. It hadn't been working. They'd still been in love, but the relationship was falling apart. And then she'd met someone she thought could make her happy and he'd let her go. They'd both been to blame, really. They'd both wanted someone to_date,_ not just fifteen-minute phone calls or two-page letters in the mail—letters they had to severely edit because they couldn't talk about half their lives together.

They couldn't often write things like, "Remember that time when we were having a picnic together," because usually the next phrase was "and then that monster came out of nowhere." Between his parents and her roommates, they'd been terrified someone would uncover their secret identities. He could no longer share his fears and insecurities with her, because they all seemed to be related to their secrets. His fears were about Tanya's falsified school records and what Kat's parents would say if they ever found out that their "foreign exchange student" was really a Power Ranger who'd arrived via a time spell. His insecurities were about leading the team into battle and the fact that Billy was handling the power loss far better than Tommy had ever had; Tommy had sulked and floundered, while Billy found ways to be useful, which not only made Tommy feel bad but made him realize that if he ever lost the power permanently, he had no way to be useful to the team. So every time she'd confided in him about her hopes and worries, he'd become jealous, because he couldn't do the same, and his letters became dry and impersonal. The only things he could tell her were about school and his extracurricular activities, and it had begun to sound like he was writing to a pen pal rather than a girlfriend. It didn't help that Kimberly had gotten her GED upon leaving California and could no longer relate about school, or that she became so immersed in gymnastics that there wasn't a whole lot else for her to talk about, and Tommy's knowledge and interest in the sport were minimal. She no longer even talked about sparring or fighting at all; she didn't want the girls in her dormitory to know she had anything to do with martial arts, especially given all the questions they asked about her being from the hometown of the Power Rangers, and soon Tommy had decided it was best that he not mention anything about fighting, either, just in case.

He hadn't realized how much he would miss confiding in her until it was no longer an option. His parents had begun to worry about how distant he was becoming, how he jumped every time they came in the room and found him writing a letter to Kimberly or talking on the phone, and when that was added on top of the necessary secretiveness related to the team he'd started to seem like a completely different person to him. He'd caught them snooping through his things on more than one occasion and the fact that they were curious began to terrify him. He'd actually asked Kimberly to start addressing his letters to the Youth Center, so that he could pick them up from Ernie and not worry so much about his parents' curiosity.

He'd begun to think about the future a lot, his own future and hers. If she stayed a gymnast she'd be traveling and devoting herself to the sport and dedicating herself to it completely, and where would he be? He wasn't even sure how he'd go to college while still a Ranger and he'd had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. And then the jealousy had set in, because she was off living her dream and he was still fighting and leading, and if _she_ failed, it would be only the end of her career, not the end of the world. He'd even begun to realize that he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life after high school, no huge dream to follow, and he'd started wondering _why,_ wondering if everyone but Tommy was destined for great things after the Power.

Not only had he missed making out and going on dates and just _being_ with her, but he began to feel like he didn't know Kimberly anymore. Soon he was second-guessing everything he said to her and everything she said to him and it became too much of a hassle to even write. She went from being his world to being a conversation or a paragraph once or twice a week. And he'd become the same to her. Was it any wonder she'd ended it?

No, it wasn't. But it still hurt.

"Sometimes," he said softly. "Things… weren't working, you know."

She nodded. "I know. I didn't realize… I didn't think about how bad it would get. I lost the Power and I couldn't even talk to you about it, because I didn't want to remind you of how you'd lost it once, or make you worry anymore about Billy. We could barely talk about what was going on with you, because it was always about the Power Rangers, and half the memories we tried to reminisce about were, too. And with us being so far apart… and I felt like I couldn't even come visit with Aisha gone and my mom in France and Dad way up in Sacramento and Trini running around all over the world, because not only would I have no place to stay in Angel Grove but everyone wanted me to come visit them, too. Plus I… I stopped feeling like I could tell you anything. Everything I tried to say had to be edited in case my roommates or your family got nosy and I didn't want to tell you all the bad things anymore, didn't want to lean on you because you had so much going on and I didn't want to make it sound like I left to go chasing after something that wasn't worth leaving the you and team…" She sighed. "Life was so crazy back then, Tommy. I know it wasn't working. Part of it was me and part of it was you, but…"

"I'm sorry it happened that way," Tommy said quietly. "I didn't want that. I really didn't. But… but as far as blame goes, it doesn't matter. It happened. And you know what? I'm… I'm _glad_ it happened, in a way. I don't regret not being with you all these years." Realizing how that sounded, he hastily added, "Okay, that came out wrong," but Kimberly gave him an understanding look.

"It _would_ have been nice if we hadn't ended," Kimberly agreed. "If we'd stayed that way forever, the way we were before Florida. But we didn't, and I think I know what you mean. I'm not sorry my life took the path it did." She took a deep breath. "I just… wish you'd been on the same path."

"Me too," Tommy told her, and he was surprised at how much of a relief it was to finally _say_ it. "I wish we'd never lost each other."

"Do you… do you think…?" she began uncertainly.

"Do you think we've found each other?" he finished. "I don't know."

He wanted to add, "But I hope so." Yet somehow, he couldn't. He just wasn't ready for that.

They stared at each other in silence for a long while. Then Tommy looked away. "Do you ever blame me?" he asked softly.

She didn't reply at first. Then finally, she said, "Yes."

Tommy froze, feeling as if he'd just been hit with an energy blast big enough to take out Tokyo. He had always feared that Kimberly blamed him for their breakup. He had always feared it was his fault, for not calling enough, for not writing enough, for being too wrapped up in his own life—saving the world and making Tanya and Kat feel welcome and alternately sympathizing with Billy and avoiding him so he wouldn't have to remember those horrible months when he'd been without power and worry about what he'd do when the Power was gone forever. He had been dealing with his own problems, and though he'd never admitted it a part of him was angry that Kimberly could leave, could leave not only the team but _him_ behind.

He had always feared that it was his fault—but he'd always told himself that the fear was irrational. He had fully expected that if he told her he was sorry, said that sometimes he blamed himself, that she would deny ever blaming him and take full responsibility. To be blamed was even worse than being dumped.

_You know why you always thought that fear was irrational?_ said an internal voice that sounded a lot like Hayley. _Because you knew it wasn't your fault. SHE ended it. SHE didn't try to work it out. She met someone else and left you and she can't blame you for that. Maybe you could have made things better eventually—but she never gave you the chance._

Fury and indignation suddenly replaced shock and hurt. _"Excuse_ me?" he yelled. "How did _I_ end it? _You_ were the one who left _me!"_

Kimberly stared at him in horror. _This_ was his response? He'd looked her in the eye and told her that sometimes, yes, he blamed her, but when she tried to honestly tell him that yes, she sometimes blamed him too, he acted like she was a heartless bitch for it?

"It wasn't_working!"_ she shouted as rage welled up within her. "It wasn't working and you know it! We needed to move on!"

"You should have_talked_ to me!" he bellowed. "We should have _tried!_ You made it impossible for us to try! You were the one who _LEFT!"_

"Oh, forget you, Tommy! First you tell me to follow my dreams and then you sit there and tell me that you knew it wasn't working out and now you act like it's _my_ fault I left? FORGET YOU!"

Kimberly leaped up and stormed past him, shoving him out of her way and stomping out the door, slamming it behind her. Tommy watched her go, rage boiling in the pit of his stomach before he unleashed it upon the nearest thing he could find to kick. How _could_ she? How could she blame this on him? He'd supported her. He'd sent her off to pursue greater things, and she had dumped him for someone in the same zip code, and she somehow thought it was _his _fault? So he hadn't called. Neither had she!

_Go after her, you idiot,_ said a different internal voice, this one vaguely reminiscent of Jason. _Go after her and sort this out. NOW._

Tommy marched to the door and flung it open. He might have let her go the first time. There was no way he was letting her walk out on him a second time without a fight.


	89. A Test of Trust

**Chapter Eighty-nine**

_A Test of Trust_

Kira looked up as Kimberly burst through the door, slammed it behind her, and flung herself down on the bed, sobbing. "Kim? What's wrong?" she demanded.

"Tommy's an asshole," Kimberly sobbed, burying her face in her pillow.

Kira stared at her, at a loss. Kira had seen Dr. O make Kimberly angry, or exasperated, or embarrassed—but she hadn't thought Dr. O was capable of making Kimberly cry. "What's going on?" she asked awkwardly.

"He blames me," Kimberly moaned. "I never figured he would _really_ do that. I mean, I _feared_ he did, but I always thought that was irrational, and Trini thought so too! How can he blame _me?"_

Kira sat beside her as she cried, unsure of what to do other than rub her back consolingly and mutter comforting things. Kira didn't have a lot of close female friends; the only person who'd ever cried on her shoulder was Kylee, and Kylee had needed only a hug and a "you'll be famous one day" to cheer her up. This was far more… _involved,_ and Kira was acutely aware of the fact that Kimberly was crying because Tommy, whom Kira respected and cared for, had hurt her.

"Dr. O's a _guy,"_ Kira said desperately. "Guys are _all_ stupid, Kim."

"I _never_ should have come here," Kimberly wailed. "This was a huge mistake. I should have put on my suit and gone down to City Hall and pointed out that he wasn't an original! Jeez, White didn't even show up for over a year! I mean, sure, Green was there for a really long time and it was pretty obvious that Green came back as White but_still!"_

"…What?" Kira said, confused. Before Kimberly could answer, someone began pounding on the door, rattling it so hard Kira had visions of an elephant with a grudge against a tin shack.

"Let me _IN!"_ Tommy bellowed through the door. "I know you're in there!"

"Oh, god," Kimberly whimpered. She sat up, pulling her knees to her chest and trying to wipe away her tears, which kept coming. "Leave me alone!" she shouted.

"Kim? This isn't over! LET ME IN! _NOW!"_

"No!" Kimberly yelled back. "Go away!"

"Let me in, Kim, I mean it!"

"God, why won't he leave?" Kimberly muttered.

"I'll break the damned door down, don't you think I won't!"

Kira patted Kimberly on the shoulder comfortingly. "Look, why don't you go throw some water on your face, okay? I'll get rid of him."

"Thanks," Kimberly sniffled, attempting to pull herself together before wandering off into the bathroom and locking the door behind her.

"YOU HAVE UNTIL THE COUNT OF THREE, AND THEN I'M COMING IN!" Tommy roared.

"Go ahead and try! But you're paying for the door! And then you're going to Jason's to sleep on the floor with Conner!" Kira shouted back.

There was a momentary pause as Tommy thought this over. "…_Fine!_ But this isn't over! I'm not going to let Kimberly walk out on me again without a fight! You can't stay in there forever, Kim! You're going to have to stop hiding sooner or later! Face me, _for once!"_

Kimberly's sobs started again; Kira could hear them through the bathroom door. Eyes narrowing in determination and anger, Kira grabbed her room key, started to tuck it in her pocket, changed her mind and put it in her bra instead. Then she marched to the door.

Tommy had been raising his fists to bang against the door when Kira burst through it, shoved him back, and slammed the door behind her. He stared at her, shocked. She had never, ever shoved him; the Dino Rangers were all fairly tentative about even sparring with him, as a matter of fact. Now, however, there was a look of fire on her face that he'd only ever seen on two types of people before—Rangers when pissed off, and Rangers gone evil.

_"Leave her alone,"_ Kira growled, her tone telling him plainly that she was struggling to maintain her cool. Tommy was, after all, her mentor and a legendary superhero; it was difficult to get in his face, especially when he was angry.

"Kira, _get out of my way,"_ he said darkly. Some small part of him was looking at her with grudging respect, but the majority of him was ready to knock her unconscious if she planned on standing between him and Kimberly and closure. Once more, he found himself reeling as Kimberly walked away, leaving him confused and upset in her wake, and he wasn't going to do it again, not when there was the smallest chance that he could fix it this time.

"I don't know what you did to her," Kira snarled, her bravery slowly overcoming her fear, "but you've upset her enough for one night!"

Loosing the last shreds of his patience, he shunted her aside and yanked the door handle. It didn't budge. Growling, he spun back to face Kira, who was teetering wildly as she fought to keep her balance.

"Give me your key," Tommy said dangerously.

"No."

_"Kira,_ _give me your key."_

"Sorry, Dr. O. I don't know what's going on, but I'm not going to let you go in there and blow up at poor Kimberly."

"Poor Kimberly? _Poor Kim?_ What about me, huh? How about 'poor Dr. O?' How about some freaking loyalty! Do you have _any_ idea what—no. No, of course you don't." Tommy reached out and seized Kira by the shoulders, staring intently into her eyes. "Kira, Kim and I… if I was you and Kim was Trent, would you keep you from going in there and getting Trent back?"

Kira frowned in confusion. "What?"

Tommy threw up his hands, let her go and flung his shoulder against the door; it shuddered but refused to give. With a roar of outrage, he lunged at Kira, grabbed her by the arm, and shoved his hand in her pocket.

"HEY!" Kira shouted, incensed. She had never thought he'd _actually_ try searching her pockets, but she was now very glad that the key was in a much safer place. She kicked and struggled as best she could, unable to believe this act of insanity as he moved on to her other pockets. She shook her head slightly, wondering how she ended up in a hotel hallway in a strange city getting her back pockets searched by her science teacher, and praying for forgiveness from whomever she had wronged to deserve this sort of karma. (Some small part of her was whispering that the whole reason she was on this trip in the first place was because she'd put her hand in Tommy's back pocket to find his cell phone back in Hayley's Cyberspace two weeks ago, but she determinedly ignored that memory.) Appalled, somewhat frightened and not a little pissed, Kira came close to chucking the key at his head and making a break for it, but her loyalty to Kimberly won out in the end.

Tommy managed to search all five of her pockets before Kira could shove him off of her; seconds after he reeled away, Tommy dove at her knees, bringing her to the floor, where he promptly yanked off her sock. She kicked at him with her other foot, unable to come up with a logical explanation for this new twist on an already bizarre day, but she was saved the trouble of puzzling it out when he peered into her sock carefully, obviously looking for the key, then flung the sock down the hall and went for the other foot. Letting out another bellow of frustration, the second sock met the same fate and he released her. She scrambled to her feet and backed up against the wall. Before she could plot her next move, he had her by the shoulders again, glaring deep into her eyes. She could have sworn his irises were tinged with green.

"I'm only going to ask you this _once,"_ he growled blackly. _"Where is the key?"_

Kira stared back defiantly, hoping that she was correct in her assumptions about the key's hiding place and knowing better than to dodge the question again. "It's in my bra." With a tone of pure bitch-slapping challenge, she added, "How much do you like your job, teacher man?"

From the look of rage on his face, he didn't like it all that much, and his fingers twitched for a moment as though it would be worth it, but he just barely managed to hold back and returned to screaming at her. "KIRA!" Tommy shook her violently. "I am not going to just let this go on without resolving anything now that—"

"Resolve it some time when Kim isn't crying her eyes out!" Kira snapped, knocking his hands off of her shoulders. "Will you _listen_ to yourself? Do you _really_ not understand why I'm not letting you through that door? You're acting like a lunatic. You ripped my socks off! If you go in there, it's just going to upset her even more. You want resolution? _Then calm your ass down!"_

Tommy leaned back, realizing she was right but not liking it in the slightest (and also realizing that Kira was now treating him as if he was Conner, so it was probably time to listen to her). It was just like a Yellow Ranger to spout off some incredibly good advice and annoy him, always so logical when he just wanted to go ahead and bash some brains in…

"Stupid FLORIDA!" Tommy bellowed, making Kira jump and back away. He kicked at the wall, ignoring the pain that shot through his unprotected toes (the sandals had been a bad idea after all). _"Stupid_ Florida with its _stupid_ Gulf and its _stupid _cities and its_stupid_ beaches and its _stupid_ panhandle. Why do they even call it a panhandle? Florida looks nothing like a pan. More like a… a… butterfly net or some—"

Tommy utterly froze, forgetting to rant, forgetting to breathe. Suddenly he was far away, reliving the week right after Kimberly's letter had arrived, when Trini had appeared on his doorstep to comfort him.

_"Trini… did you drive all the way here from Massachusetts?"_

_"Well, I made a quick stop first off in that state that kind of looks like a butterfly net, but yeah, that's pretty much what I did."_

Tommy felt as if he'd just been smacked with a skyscraper. A butterfly net. _A butterfly net!_ OF COURSE!

Understanding what he had to do, Tommy turned and marched off, leaving a confused Kira in his wake.

Trini had told him several times before that she'd be there for him if he ever wanted to talk. Right now, he had a hell of a lot to say.

* * *

Adam had just dropped Billy off and was once-again heading for the relative safety of Stone Canyon when his phone rang. He groaned and answered it. "Hello?"

"Mr. Park?"

"Yes, who's this?"

"This is Carrie Jeffries. I'm a reporter with the _Sentinel._ Jason told me I should talk to you…"

Adam sighed. Jason had filled them in about Carrie's research during breakfast that morning, how she'd uncovered who Rocky, Adam, Aisha, Tanya and Kat were. "About what?" he asked, glancing at Rocky, who was dozing in the passenger seat; their sleep last night hadn't been very fulfilling, and they'd had a long day. A long day that they'd thought was finally over.

"Well, he said you could elaborate on the incident with the chimpanzee at the Angel Grove Inn. He seemed to think it was related to the fire in the theatre—"

"You heard about that, huh."

"Of course. Jason might've gotten me into the features department, but I've had to earn it since then. Oh, and I was hoping you'd know something about the vandalism at the mall, too…"

Adam fought back a groan. "I wasn't there. Billy filled me in, though."

"I suppose you can also tell me just how you managed to return the monkey to the zoo when the parking lot was full of reporters and tourists?"

"With difficulty," Adam said dryly. "Listen, I'm burnt, I'm sticky, and I'm not wearing any pants."

"…Why are you telling me this?" Carrie asked carefully.

Adam smacked his forehead, realizing just how bad that had sounded. "Eh, my point is, can I call you back? In the morning, maybe?"

"Oh." She sighed. "I was hoping I'd have something tonight; I'm on a deadline. Jason said you owed him a favor, something about being in the theatre instead of dealing with the illegal monkey…"

Adam winced. He'd been concentrating on the guilt about setting Zack's butt on fire rather than the guilt about ditching the monkey search. Besides, they all kind of owed Carrie one; she knew, and she was keeping quiet, not to mention the fact that she was apparently willing to handle the mishap at the theatre for him. The least he could do was give her a story to tell. And, come to think of it, it might be nice to rant to someone. "All right. Look, let me take care of a few things, and then I'll call you back, okay?"

"Thank you, Mr. Park."

"Call me Adam," he replied, and hung up. He sighed again. Apparently the long night wasn't over. Great.

* * *

The moment Ethan and Trent had returned to their hotel room, it had finally hit home that Conner was no longer with them. No more snoring, no more sketch pads in the toilet, no more stolen toothpaste, no more cot for Ethan. No more chaos.

Ethan suggested they go straight to bed and actually get a good night's sleep for once, but Trent was reluctant to waste his Conner-free time. They spent about an hour vegetating separately, Trent sketching and Ethan playing computer games on his laptop, before turning on the TV and channel-surfing. Soon they were happily watching a really bad made-for-TV movie on HBO… until someone started pounding on the door.

"Guys!" Kira called. "Let me in, quick!"

"Aw, man, this never ends well," Ethan grumbled as Trent hopped up and went to the door.

Kira burst into the room the moment Trent opened the door and looked around in a panic. "Guys! I need your help!"

"With what?" Trent asked. He and Ethan moved to stand in front of her, forming a loose triangle, instinctively preparing to rally around her.

To Trent and Ethan's utter confusion, Kira began fishing around in her bra. The two guys exchanged looks, obviously asking each other what to do. Then Trent leaned over towards Ethan. "Don't think those thoughts," Trent hissed at him. Kira, thankfully absorbed in her search, didn't notice.

"What thoughts?" Ethan whispered back, as innocently as he could.

_"Those_ thoughts." Trent gave him a glare of warning, then added, "Trust me, man—_she'll hear you."_

Ethan squeezed his eyes shut and screwed up his face as if trying to forcefully rewire his brain.

At last, Kira unearthed the electronic hotel key. Trent stared at her, wondering—as was Ethan, despite Trent's warning—exactly how often she kept important things in her bra. Kira looked around wildly, as though searching for something. Then, without warning, she yanked Ethan's shirt up and tossed the hem over his head, effectively blinding him, though this wasn't her primary goal.

Before Ethan could react, Kira closed her eyes firmly, turned her head away just in case, and pressed the card against his stomach. With her free hand, she pulled the front of his pants and briefs away from his skin and let the card drop.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Ethan yelled, flailing his arms; Trent was forced to duck. _"Tell me Kira did not just drop a keycard in my underwear!"_

"SHH!" Kira snapped. She stared earnestly from Trent to Ethan and back, despite the fact that only Trent could currently see her. She leaned in closer (both boys instinctively leaned away) and began whispering as quietly as she could. "Now, listen. Whatever happens, _don't let Dr. O know you have the key."_

"I don't _want_ the key!" Ethan insisted, horrified.

"Ethan, you lose that key and I'll make you _beg_ for death," she snarled. Ethan gulped audibly behind the shirt and Kira continued. "It looks like Dr. O's left the hotel, but he could be back. And it might occur to him to go to you, or it might not. Either way, you haven't seen me since we got back to the hotel, and you don't know what he's talking about if he mentions that key, understand? I'm going to try to sneak back into the room, and if I can't I'll have to hide somewhere."

"Kira, you know you're like a sister to me," Ethan said. "You know I'd do anything for you. But before you say another word, _tell me why I have a keycard in my underwear."_

"Because this way, even if he searches my bra, he'll never get to her," Kira whispered in serious tones, making the scene all the more ludicrous. "And he'll never think to look in your underwear. …Hopefully. Theoretically, anyway. Now, lock your door, turn off the TV, and don't open the door unless I knock the signal, okay?"

"The signal?" Trent repeated blankly.

She nodded. "The tune of 'Pop Goes the Weasel.' Good luck, guys—I'm counting on you!" With that, she darted out of the room.

Ethan put his hands on his hips and turned his shirt-covered head to Trent. "Trent?"

"Yeah?" Trent asked absently, staring after Kira and trying to puzzle out what was going on.

"Ever get the feeling that we're missing something?"

* * *

Zack's tryst with Harriet had quickly come to a rather unfortunate end. As the hotel was booked solid and he didn't have his own room and she lived with her parents and he lived in Los Angeles, she'd pulled him into the hotel's laundry room, taking him through a side door so that Jenny wouldn't notice he was in the employees-only area. They'd barely started making out when the police officer, Jarel, burst into the room. Somehow Zack and Harriet had both missed the fact that Steven was taking a nap on a bench in the corner, dressed in a borrowed bellhop uniform. Steven and Jarel had started arguing—Steven saying he couldn't go anywhere until he was absolutely sure his uniform shirt wasn't stained with orange streaks and Jarel saying that Steven was going to get them both fired and if they didn't go back to the station they couldn't punch out and go home. Zack had tried to slip inconspicuously out the door when Steven had spotted him and called out to him, forcing Zack to make a break for it, only to run into Jenny, who started screaming at him and throwing random office supplies and chasing him across the lobby. He'd managed to lose her in the stairwell after only nine floors and some mild bruising, but that was pretty much the end of Harriet; he doubted he'd be able to adequately explain why Steven recognized him or why he'd felt the need for a hasty exit when confronted with an irate pair of cops or why Jenny felt the need to throw things at him while insulting his friends. Besides, he should probably try to stay out of the lobby until after Jenny got off work tomorrow.

He was rather surprised when he reached his room and found the door wide open and Tommy gone, but he figured Tommy would turn up eventually, so he set about getting ready to go to sleep. He was just about to hop into bed when someone knocked urgently on the door.

Zack pulled it open to find a breathless, barefoot Kira in the hallway. He arched an eyebrow at her, looking her up and down; her jean shorts were badly twisted, the front pockets were inside-out, and only half of her bra seemed to be on properly, in addition to her flushed face, messy hair and heavy breathing. "Um… are you okay?" he asked, equal parts nervous, concerned and curious.

"Is Dr. O here?" Kira demanded.

"No, I—"

"Good. Don't tell him I ran through your room to use your balcony, okay?" she said, pushing past Zack and yanking open the balcony door. She pulled the curtains closed before shutting the door firmly.

Zack frowned. What was that all about? Wasn't Kira supposed to be one of the sane ones?

Zack shrugged and headed for Ethan and Trent's room, figuring they'd know what was going on. He found their door shut and locked; he rapped out a cheery tune on the door. After a long moment, it was opened by Ethan.

"Hey," Zack said cheerfully. "What's up with Kira?"

Ethan gave Zack a suspicious look. "Are you in on the plan?"

"What plan?" Zack asked, even more confused.

"Ethan! I'm_telling_ you, that's not 'Pop Goes the Weasel,' it's 'The Barney Song!'" came Trent's voice from the direction of the bathroom. Zack peered around the corner and thought he saw movement behind the shower curtain.

"It's 'This Old Man,' actually," Zack said slowly. "Want to tell me what's up with Kira?"

Ethan stared at him in a pathetic sort of way. "I have a keycard in my underwear," he said with a sigh, and closed and locked the door in Zack's face.

It suddenly occurred to Zack that this was one of those moments that only happened to people with extraordinary lives. People like him, and Tommy, and Jason and Trini and Kimberly and Billy and all the other Rangers. Zack had been downstairs barely an hour and in that short time he'd lost a hookup, avoided the cops and gotten nailed with a stapler by a disgruntled hotel employee. Tommy was gone, Kira was hiding on Zack's balcony, Trent was hiding in the shower and Ethan had a keycard in his underwear.

As such, there was only one thing Zack could do.

"I wonder if there's anything good in the vending machines," Zack said to himself, wandering off down the hall while methodically shutting off every remotely analytical part of his brain.

* * *

Conner was still planning and occasionally ranting to his new pets, which seemed really tired but wary of sleeping even if there _was_ a nice safe cage between them and Conner's pockets now, when the doorbell went off. Conner could hear the shower still going—Billy must_really_ miss Aquitar—and he figured Jason and Trini were either still having sex or asleep, so he got up to go answer the door.

"Hayley must drive fast," Conner muttered, checking his watch as he stepped into the hallway. It was only one in the morning; she was an hour early.

He'd just reached the family room when the door flew open and hit the opposite wall with a thundering crash, the frame around the doorknob splintering. Conner automatically dropped into a fighting stance, then straightened up when he saw who had kicked the door open—Tommy.

Conner glowered at him indignantly. "Dude, I was _going_ to answer it."

Tommy didn't answer him. It was then that Conner realized something was _wrong._ Tommy's face was a blank mask, his fists were clenched—but it was the aura that set Conner's instincts to shouting at him to run, the vibes of dangerousness and determination that were coming off Conner's science teacher in waves.

Tommy started towards him. Conner leaped to his right, into the family room where his back was against a nice safe wall, trying to figure out what was going on… did Dr. O know about The Plan? Had he come to try and stop Conner from putting The Plan into action?

The dog whimpered from the couch. Conner glanced at him, and when he looked back Dr. O was gone; Conner peeked around the corner and found that Tommy was stomping down the hallway. Conner didn't know what to do or say; he had no idea what had gotten into Dr. O. Tommy the dog came over to him, nuzzling Conner's hand with its massive head and letting out a quiet, questioning _woof._ Conner gave him an apologetic look. Then he heard the shower cut off and breathed a sigh of relief; hopefully Billy would hurry up and get dressed and come handle the scary side of Dr. O for him.

Tommy reached Jason and Trini's bedroom door. He put his hand on the knob and tried to turn it. It didn't budge.

Tommy backed up, shifting his weight to his left leg. Conner winced and covered his ears. One sharp kick, and the door burst open.

"What the_ hell?"_ Jason roared. Trini yelped. Conner could hear a thud, a crash and an "OW!" from inside the room as Tommy stepped through the former doorway.

"What was _that?"_ Billy shouted from the bathroom.

"I need to talk to Trini," Tommy announced in an oddly calm tone.

"She's _busy_ right now!" Jason told him indignantly.

"This can't wait," Tommy replied, still sounding utterly serene.

"Well, it's going to _have_ to wait until I'm no longer naked!" Trini snapped. "What's gotten into you?"

"Kim," he explained. "Kim's gotten into me. And you said you'd be there for me if I ever needed to talk. Well, I want to talk."

"'Oh, Jason, you're just being paranoid!'" Jason mocked in a high voice. "'No one's trying to sabotage our relationship!' _Sure,_ Trini. _Sure."_

The bathroom door opened and Billy came out, soaking wet with a towel around his waist. "What's going on?" he asked, glancing around in confusion.

"I am not leaving until I can talk to Trini," Tommy said calmly.

"Why is the front door kicked in?" Billy asked. "I left it unlocked for Hayley." He spotted Conner hiding behind the corner. Conner motioned to him urgently. Bewildered, Billy headed over to him, leaving a trail of wet footprints on the hardwood floors.

"Fine! Fine!" Trini growled. A moment later she stomped out of the bedroom, wrapped in a red sheet. Tommy followed her out of the room. "It's not like I was busy or anything. Let's talk about you and Kim! _Again!_ Obviously you can't wait one more minute to settle something that happened _eight years_ ago—"

"Tri_ni!"_ Jason wailed plaintively from the bedroom. "Come _back!"_

"What's going on?" Billy whispered to Conner as Tommy followed Trini to the kitchen.

"I don't know. Dr. O's gone crazy. But…" Conner stopped. _Duh._ The Plan! This was a perfect time to implement it!

"Billy, listen to me," Conner said intently. He grabbed Billy's shoulders, then immediately wished he hadn't. He wiped the water off on his pajama pants and continued. "It's very important that you do _exactly what I tell you._ I don't have time to explain, but I will later. I mean it, Billy—this is a matter of life and death."

"Okay," Billy said solemnly, unnerved by Conner's seriousness. "What do you need me to do?"

"First, go put some clothes on. Then meet me in the guestroom." Billy nodded and hurried back to the bathroom. Conner dove back into the guestroom and pulled open the bottom dresser drawer, where he'd put all his clothing. After a moment of rummaging, he found what he was looking for—the fuzzy red handcuffs Trent and Ethan had used to chain him to the bench at the mall.

He poked carefully at his communicator, making sure he was only contacting Ethan and Trent and not Dr. O, Kira or Hayley. "Yeah?" came Trent's voice. There was a slight echo, as if he was sitting in an empty bathtub.

"Kira?" Ethan asked hopefully.

"No, it's Conner. Operation Get Dr. O Laid is back on schedule!"

"When did we start calling it that?" Ethan asked.

"We didn't," Trent told him dryly. "Look, Conner, we're a little busy right now. Something weird happened with Kira and—"

"Guys, I'm serious. It's _happening._ Now. I need you to get Kim here; I've already got Dr. O."

"You completed Phase One?" Trent demanded incredulously.

"Yes," Conner lied. "And it's working perfectly so far. All I need now is Kimberly. Talk to Kira; she can probably get Kim to come by. Are you with me?"

There was a moment of silence. Then a reluctant, "We're with you," from Ethan.

"Good. Hurry." Conner tiptoed to the door and back into the hallway. Tommy was ranting about Kimberly; Trini was kneeling on the floor with a screwdriver and hammer, repairing the door while she listened. Conner could hear Jason muttering darkly from inside the bedroom.

As stealthily as he could, Conner slipped into the family room and headed for a shelf full of dolls. Trini had mentioned earlier that an antique troll named Mr. Ticklesneezer was her favorite doll, and after searching half the house for the key he'd thought to check underneath Ticklesneezer. Scooping up the key and carefully replacing him, Conner darted around the splintered wood all over the floor and dashed down the steps to the basement. He jammed the key in the lock on the Secret Chamber; sure enough, it opened.

_"Yes,"_ he hissed, pulling the door wide open and running back across the basement and up the stairs, tucking the key in his pocket as he went. Trini was now replacing the doorknob on her bedroom door while Tommy went on and on about blame and Florida.

Conner dove into the guestroom before either of them could spot him. Billy was already there, dressed in his new clothes and toweling off his hair. "What's going on?" he asked Conner nervously.

Conner took a deep breath. "Are you ready to embark on the most dangerous, most important mission you've ever embarked upon?"

Billy stared at him. Then he sighed. "Oh, _great."_

* * *

Kira breathed yet another sigh of relief as she landed safely on balcony number seven. Only three more to go.

"How does Dr. O do this every three minutes?" Kira grumbled to herself. She'd never been afraid of heights, especially not after becoming the Yellow Dino Ranger. This, however, was a bit much; it had taken her nearly a half-hour to get this far. She was acutely aware of the fact that she couldn't just yell "Dino Thunder, Power Up!" and if she fell. Maybe that's why Tommy and Zack hadn't had any issues—they still had their powers.

Kira glanced down at the pool patio far below her, feeling a pang of wistfulness for the days when she wouldn't have thought twice about leaping from one sixth-floor balcony to the next. It had felt so amazing to go flying in her zord—or standing on top of it. It wasn't just beautiful and thrilling, it had made her feel alive.

_Come on,_ she told herself. _Don't go feeling sorry for yourself; you've still got Kimberly to deal with._

She sighed and hopped to the next balcony, clutching at the railing as she landed. God, this sucked.

Kira was just about to hop to the next balcony when her communicator beeped, startling her so badly she yelped. She covered her mouth with her hand, glancing suspiciously at the balcony door next to her. Then she glowered down at the communicator. The damned thing never did have good timing…

For just a moment, she considered not answering it. It was probably Dr. O, and she was still mad at him, not only for making Kimberly cry but for giving Kira the bright idea to follow in his footsteps and go balcony-hopping… but maybe he was calling to apologize. Maybe he wanted to make it up to Kimberly. Regardless, she couldn't not answer it; no self-respecting Ranger could ignore their communicator's call.

She raised it to her mouth. "Hello?" she whispered.

"Kira?"

"Trent?" she asked, startled. Her eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no, did he find the keycard?"

"No, no, forget about that. Kira, something's come up. We need you to get Kimberly to Jason and Trini's house."

"What? Why?"

"We can't explain right now," came Ethan's voice. "Just trust us, okay?"

Kira's eyes narrowed. "Guys, look, whatever psychotic nonsense you're planning, save it, okay? Kimberly's had a rough day, and—"

"Kira," Trent interrupted. "I know it's asking a lot. But it's important, okay? Please, just… I know we've done some stupid things lately. I know you're looking out for her. But we're your friends, Kira—your _team."_

Kira sighed. "So help me, if you guys are planning some harebrained scheme—"

"We're not. Just… listen to us, okay?"

_"I_ didn't ask questions when _you_ threw a keycard in my underwear," Ethan pointed out.

Kira bit her lip. That was a good point. "Okay, I'll do it. But you better not be planning something stupid."

"We're not. And hey, if she's having a rough day, seeing Trini should help, right?"

Kira thought this over. "True. All right. I gotta go; it's weird enough I'm standing on someone else's balcony—probably shouldn't be talking to my bracelet, too. Later, guys."

Kira dropped her arm, got a running start, and leaped for the next balcony, already planning how she was going to get Kimberly to Jason and Trini's house… and praying the guys knew what they were doing.


	90. Song Sung Yellow

**Chapter Ninety**

_Song Sung Yellow_

Hayley sighed as she passed the sign—Angel Grove 30, Stone Canton 42. She really wasn't up for crashing Tommy's nostalgia party, but if there was one thing she had never done during the course of her friendship with Tommy, it was desert him when he needed her.

Still, that didn't mean she was looking forward to rolling into town when he was dealing with one of his largest unresolved issues—Kimberly, and relationships in general. She felt beyond obligated to be there for him right now—especially since she knew his other friends, his Ranger friends, didn't get it the way Hayley did. There were only two things that had been hanging over Tommy's head since high school—Kimberly and all the issues that came from being a Power Ranger. His other friends could share his feelings about the things being a Ranger had cost him—how he didn't have any friends left from high school who hadn't shared the secret, how he still had a fighting instinct programmed into everything he did, and so on. But the Rangers never got to sympathize or empathize with him about Kimberly. They all knew Kimberly, and they had stopped bringing her up in his company long ago. Yet Hayley had never met her, and until this Power Rangers Day mess she'd figured she never would—which was why Tommy had confided in Hayley. She had been his first and only extremely close friend outside the team, far closer than Smitty or Anton and Elsa. Moreover, Hayley was very perceptive when it came to people, and she'd begun to see how it had affected Tommy to a level that his other friends were missing.

They hadn't shared a house with him for almost three years. They didn't see him spending every Sunday determinedly calling everyone he cared about who wasn't in the same zip code. They didn't see the look on his face that time he came home to find her folding paper cranes. They didn't see that Tommy refused to date casually; every girl was a somewhat-desperate quest to find The One. They didn't hear Tommy's confessions about blaming his breakup with Kat on Kimberly and wondering what else it had cost him. They didn't spend two weeks convincing Tommy that even if Hayley did follow her dream to Massachusetts and attend MIT for grad school, she wasn't going to leave him behind.

They'd met on Tommy's first day at college, and Hayley had managed to keep the boy afloat and teach him all the survival instincts a college student needs, such as how to make sure the cafeteria pop is safe to drink without gagging, how to avoid getting stuck in the dorm elevators, and how to properly time the amount of hours safe for procrastination before actually doing schoolwork. They'd become incredibly good friends, rarely arguing, hanging out almost all the time. Tommy moved her furniture and other heavy objects, helped fix her car, and even taught her a few self-defense moves. Hayley helped him do his homework, kept his disorganization at a minimum, and showed him the best places to order takeout (technically, in order to be a truly good crutch she should have taught him how to cook, but even Hayley had limits). After two semesters of friendship, they'd decided to rent a small house together, which was when they'd become freakishly dependent on each other. They acted as though they'd been married for thirty years and somewhere along the way the romance had died and left them just best friends. All that was missing was a few grown kids who didn't call often enough, and Tommy's friends being scattered all over the world kind of took care of that, come to think of it.

Tommy had met Smitty in a chemistry class during his second semester of college. Smitty had been a spoiled rich kid, too lazy to make it into private school and studying science just because his parents wanted him to be a lawyer. In spite of his flaws, Smitty had become a close friend of theirs, though he was never as close as Hayley and Tommy were to each other, and they never let him anywhere near the Power Rangers secret. He had, however, seemed to sense that they were leaving him out of something, and it didn't help that Smitty always wanted to be the best at everything but was always a runner-up to Tommy. Tommy was smarter, more athletic, more charismatic, better-looking and closer to Hayley; in fact, the only things he could do better than Tommy were dance and hold his liquor, neither of which were hard to do.

They'd been an odd trio—arrogant, goofy Smitty; spastic, secretive Tommy; and perceptive, nurturing Hayley. It wasn't until Tommy and Hayley had decided to get a place together that Smitty's jealousy began to spiral out of control, when it had started to seem like maybe Hayley ignored his flirting because there was something going on between her and Tommy.

That was when Tommy's relationship issues began to suck Hayley into a place she really hadn't wanted to go, when Smitty's envy had pushed the wrong buttons and Hayley had gotten caught in the crossfire.

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

"What's wrong?" Hayley asked as Tommy sat down beside her on the couch. She didn't even need to look up from the movie she was watching to know that he was brooding about something.

"Nothing."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"Well… it's just… Smitty said something odd after class."

"That was five hours ago, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. It kinda… stuck with me."

Hayley groaned inwardly. Great. He'd had _way_ too much time to think. "Odd how?"

"Well, he asked if I was sleeping with you."

Hayley laughed. "Has he _met_ us?"

Tommy smiled faintly. "Yeah, I know. But when I told him no, he started… well, kinda ranting."

"Ranting? Ranting _how?"_

"He said that we would be. That no guy could be friends with a girl for long without having feelings for her. That if we weren't together yet we would be eventually. I told him you and I weren't like that, that we didn't want each other that way, and he said there was no way we didn't. He said there's no way a guy could live with a girl like you—"

"'A girl like me?' _Excuse_ me?"

"You know—a hot girl." Tommy gestured vaguely. She rolled her eyes. That was Tommy for you—Hayley's hotness factor was irrelevant to him, so it barely registered in his rather addled brain that she was pretty. "Anyway, he said a guy couldn't live with a good-looking girl for long without wanting her. And I told him he was wrong."

Hayley frowned at him suspiciously. "And?"

"And… well… we _don't_ like each other, right?"

Her frown deepened. "Of course not. I mean, I don't. Do you?"

"No." Hayley nodded; she could tell he was being truthful, and it was quite the relief. "But… _why_ don't we?" Tommy asked.

"We're just not that way."

"Smitty thinks we _should_ be that way."

"Well, if we did everything Smitty thought, you'd have set the burned down the chemistry lab. Just because Smitty has some preconceived notion about the way we should act towards each other doesn't mean we should be dating."

"Yeah, but… I mean, it _is_ pretty weird. Me, you, living together, hanging out together, practically _being_ together. Except for, you know, anniversaries and roses and chocolate and sex and teddy bears and expensive jewelry. That sort of thing."

"I'm not a big fan of roses or teddy bears, expensive jewelry is a waste of money, I can buy my own chocolate, you couldn't remember an anniversary day to save your life—did I miss anything?"

"Um… sex, I think."

"Well, there's no need for that, either, is my point." Hayley struggled to fight off a blush. "Just because we're not having sex on the kitchen counter doesn't mean there's something wrong with us! We're just… not like that."

"It's still kind of weird."

"I guess," Hayley said uncomfortably. "Let's talk about it after the movie."

"Okay," Tommy said, looking slightly relieved that she had created an out in the conversation, but still troubled.

Hayley shifted on the couch, wondering if Tommy was now thinking the same things she was. Smitty was dead wrong. There was absolutely nothing odd about her relationship with Tommy. They were friends. Plenty of girls had guys for best friends. Just… not anyone she knew personally.

Hayley felt rather than saw Tommy glancing at her. Yes, he was probably thinking about it too. Especially given the fact that their current body language was totally unnatural for them; usually when they sat on the couch to watch TV, she had her feet in his lap while his were up on the coffee table, or else she leaned against him because he made a surprisingly good pillow, despite his lack of cushioning. Now they were sitting at opposite ends of the couch, Hayley hugging a pillow against herself defensively, Tommy with one arm flung over the end of the couch and the other on his lap, as though making sure no part of him was closer to Hayley than necessary.

"Hayley?"

She jumped. "What?"

"D'you… do you think he's right?"

"Who about what?" she asked carefully.

"Smitty. About us. _Should_ we be dating?"

Hayley forced herself to put the pillow down and turn towards him slightly. "Of course not. We don't have feelings for each other, do we?"

Tommy shook his head. "I don't."

"Me either. So why should we date?"

"Yeah, but… _why_ don't we _want_ to?"

"I don't _know,_ Tommy. It's just one of those things."

"But it doesn't make any _sense!"_ Tommy exclaimed in exasperation. He turned towards her. "Think about it. We like each other as friends. We're best friends. Hell, we can't survive without each other. And we're both attractive. _So why don't we want to date?"_

Hayley sighed. "I don't know. We just _don't."_

"Am I destined to always be the guy that girls see as their brother?" he burst out suddenly.

Oh, god. Not _this_ again. "What—no! Just… to me."

"…And to Kim."

"Tommy, _let the past die."_

"But… but… it's not _fair!"_ Tommy ranted. "I mean, after all the good times we shared, all the romantic things we did, she thought I was like a brother to her. A _brother! _ I'm not… I'm not _defective,_ am I? _You_ think I'm hot, right?"

She stared at him incredulously. "Did you just _ask_ me that?"

"Hayley, I'm serious."

"Well… yeah, I guess. For a… for you."

"And _I_ think _you're_ hot."

"Um… thanks." She fought the urge to roll her eyes, given the fact that less than ten minutes ago she'd noticed he didn't register her looks at all.

"So why don't I want to sleep with you? And more importantly, why don't _you_ want to sleep with _me?"_

Hayley glowered at him. "Tommy… have you ever asked yourself how my mind works?"

"Often."

"Have you ever figured it out?"

"No."

"Well, let me explain something to you—when I am given a question, I can't rest until I've got an answer. So please don't ask me something as creepy as why we don't want to have sex with each other. Because I will start thinking about it. And I won't _stop_ thinking about it until I have an answer."

"And that's bad?"

"YES!"

"But I don't _get_ it!" Tommy whined, thwacking the back of the couch in frustration. "Even Jason said he thought Kim was sexy once. And they were just as creepy as you and I are on the friendship plane. Almost. So what exactly is our problem? Why don't we feel attracted to each other if we're both attractive?"

"I don't know, Tommy," Hayley repeated with a sigh. "But I really don't care. We're friends. That's enough for me."

"Well, it's not for me, not anymore." Tommy flung himself back into the couch cushions, then brightened and sat upright, looking at her eagerly. "Hey, maybe we should kiss or something."

_"What?"_ Hayley demanded, recoiling at the thought.

"No, seriously! Maybe if we try to see each other in a romantic light, we'll become attracted to each other. Practice makes perfect and all that."

"I don't _want_ to become attracted to _you!"_ Hayley fairly wailed.

"Why not?" Tommy demanded, somewhat wounded by that.

She sighed again. She couldn't really explain it. Tommy was… Tommy. They didn't work that way. They just didn't. He was _Tommy._ Half the time she didn't even realize he was a guy until he checked out another girl in front of Hayley, or did something macho or stupid or started raving about cars or sports. Even those moments she took in stride, thinking of them not as "guy things" but as "Tommy's personality," as though he were a female friend who liked stereotypically "male" hobbies. Thinking of him as something datable was just… _wrong._

"Come on," Tommy cajoled. "Aren't you _curious?"_

_Not really,_ Hayley thought grimly. She didn't feel a need to prove what she already knew. Well, okay, _now_ she _did_ wonder what it was about Tommy that shut off her hormones. Logically, she knew he was a great catch, if you overlooked his tardiness, ego and memory issues, and plenty of other guys had worse issues than that. So why wasn't she into him? She didn't know. But she wasn't willing to experiment with him on the off-chance they might end up figuring something out. They acted like an old married couple as it was. She'd hate to think of them actually lasting in a relationship; they'd be the most boring couple alive.

"Tommy," Hayley said sternly, "I don't think us making out is the answer to your question."

"Is it me?" Tommy demanded.

Oh, great. No wonder he was freaking out; he couldn't make his relationships last and Smitty had just implied that he was screwing up a relationship with Hayley before Tommy had ever so much as felt like asking her out. Now Hayley was going to have to convince him that he wasn't doomed to end up alone while Tommy babbled about ludicrous things like kissing her. "No! It's not you. Well, okay, yeah, it _is_ you, but not like _that."_

"Like what, then?" Tommy asked petulantly.

"Well, see, when I look at a guy whom I find physically appealing, I think, 'Hey, I'd like to… um, date him.' And when I have a conversation with a guy whose personality I enjoy, I think, 'Hey, he'd be a good guy to date.' But when I look at _you,_ and when I have a conversation with _you,_ I think, 'La, la, la, I'm looking-slash-talking to Tommy.' I don't know _why,_ I just _do,_ and to be honest I like I that way!"

"But… but… but… Hayley, this is seriously bugging the crap out of me."

"I noticed," Hayley grumbled.

"We should, by all rights, be dating, instead of living together and spending time together and never even once thinking something other than what we _do_ think." He scooted over to her on the couch, Hayley leaning back slightly. "Come on. One kiss? Just to see if, you know, anything changes?"

"No!" Hayley insisted firmly. "Tommy, we're friends. Best friends. Good friends. You're probably the best friend I've ever had, and I'm not going to start questioning that connection because Smitty's an idiot!"

"But—"

_"No."_

Tommy sighed heavily and turned to face forward, looking utterly deflated. "Fine," he said glumly, with the air of one who has just been told they were about to have their legs amputated.

_Oh, no you don't!_ Hayley thought irritably, realizing that he was trying to goad her into it by looking pitiful. _I'm not gonna do it. There's no way I'm kissing Tommy. That's kinda gross. That's way ABOVE "kinda gross." He's like a brother to me. I'm not kissing him. Nope. Nope._

"Stop pouting," she snapped suddenly.

"I'm not pouting," Tommy said dully. "I'm just watching the movie."

Hayley rolled her eyes. Once Tommy got into one of these moods, there was only one way to avoid the days of sulking—cave.

"All right, _fine._ _One_ kiss. And that's _it. And nothing major. No tongue."_

Tommy grinned and whipped around to look at her. "Great, you ready?"

She winced. "Now?"

He shrugged. "Why not?

"Okay," Hayley said shakily, taking a deep breath. Tommy started to lean in… and yet oddly enough he never seemed to get any closer, he just kept leaning and leaning and leaning and…

"Stop leaning back, would you?" Tommy commanded. "This is hard enough as it is."

Hayley giggled, and Tommy laughed with her for a moment before grabbing her shoulders without warning and throwing his mouth onto hers. Hayley's eyes widened, a giggle catching in her throat as she stared at Tommy in horror. Oh, god. What the hell were they _doing?_

A moment later, Tommy's eyebrows knitted in a frown and suddenly he decided to try harder. Realizing that she wasn't being very receptive, Hayley tried to react a bit more, finally closing her eyes and even putting her arms around his neck. He was a fairly good kisser, she had to give him that. And the way he moved his hands through her hair was very therapeutic. Still, it was kind of like a Hershey's bar—it was good, but that didn't mean she was going to go and buy Hershey's bars by the truckload and eat nothing but Hershey's bars. In fact, she could live without the Hershey's bar. Well, okay, to be honest, as far as the analogy went she definitely preferred Reese's Cups. Still chocolate, but drastically different.

The kiss seemed to go on forever. Tommy was obviously trying his hardest to impress her.

Hayley found herself popping one eye open and trying to see the TV screen.

At last, just when she was considering shoving him away no matter what the consequences to his self-esteem, he pulled back; she quickly shut her eyes and then opened them slowly when they released each other, so as not to let on that her attention had begun to wane. She found him regarding her hopefully through half-lidded eyes.

"Anything?" he asked desperately.

"Nope," she replied apologetically.

"Me either," Tommy said with a sigh. Then he brightened. "Hey, let me take you out to dinner!"

_"No!"_ Hayley fairly shouted. "Tommy, it's _over._ We're not going to start dating or be together or have sex. We _just don't like each other,_ okay? Get over—_HEY!"_

Tommy had grabbed her and kissed again. Hayley sighed irritably in his mouth but felt obligated to kiss him back. It abruptly occurred to her that this was a no-win situation; if she didn't have hearts in her eyes by the time he pulled back, he'd keep trying, probably thinking it was some defect of his causing her lack of feelings (the same defect that had cost him Kimberly and Kat). Now, however, she was starting to worry that this was going to become an obsession of his. She had a sudden vision of him hiding around every corner, waiting to ambush her with a kiss as part of some deranged mission to make her like him when he didn't even like her just to prove that he was normal and the goddess of love didn't have a grudge against him. _Damn Smitty for starting this!_ Hayley raged. _What a jackass!_

Apparently, Hayley had a problem. And since she obviously wasn't going to fall for Tommy, she only had a few options. She could insist that he stop this nonsense, though she didn't see that working; Tommy was too driven and impulsive in general and once some bizarre scheme occurred to him he couldn't rest until he'd seen it through. He hadn't even listened about the "ONE kiss" thing, or—shudder—the "no tongue" thing. She could somehow find him a girlfriend—but of course she wasn't sure that it would actually help; if it ended badly she'd be right back where she started. Or she could pretend she liked him and go out with him until he finally got it through his head that this just wasn't going to work, but that didn't exactly sound like fun and there could be long-term damage to their friendship. She had to convince him that they just weren't romantically compatible. Otherwise, Tommy would continue to believe that _he_ was doing something wrong. Unless… wait.

_I'm such a genius,_ Hayley thought smugly to herself, and abruptly seized Tommy by the shoulders and flung him down on the couch. He stared up at her in shock for a moment before she fairly tackled him, making out with him like there was no tomorrow. Tentatively, as if poking a grizzly bear to make sure it was really dead and not just pretending, he put his arms around her and shifted beneath her to get more comfortable. Hayley gave it her all, making quite certain that Tommy got the picture that she was _trying_ before she jerked upwards like a serial killer's knife.

"Anything?" she demanded.

There was a long moment of silence.

"No," he replied, pouting dejectedly.

"You see, Tommy? _Nothing_ is going to make us like each other. It's not you. It's not me. We're just not compatible, okay? _At all!_ Any hope for the two of us having a romance was completely skipped when we started acting like an elderly couple on a sitcom. We're too comfortable with each other to like each other, Tommy, and it's nobody's fault, and it's not fixable, it just _is._ _Now get your hands off me,_ because I need a shower and then I need to go buy a baseball bat to beat the crap out of Smitty with!"

Tommy let go of her with a sigh, which Hayley ignored as she tried to climb off of him; her foot got caught behind a cushion and she tumbled to the floor in an ungraceful heap.

Tommy held out his hand to help her up. "But, maybe if you let me take you out to dinner, we could—"

"NO! No, no, a thousand times _no!_ I am going to _kill Smitty!"_ Hayley raged, smacking his hand away.

With that, she grabbed the cordless phone, marched off into the bathroom, soundly locked the door and turned the shower on full-blast. Once the sound of the water filled the bathroom, Hayley shuddered violently and fought the urge to gag. She'd just kissed _Tommy._ EW!

Hayley dialed Smitty's number, actually shaking with fury and disgust. "Hello?" came Smitty's sleepy voice a minute later.

_"You,"_ Hayley growled blackly.

"Hayley?" He paused. "Are you in the shower?"

_"Don't you ever make insinuations about me and Tommy again!"_

"Whoa, calm down! What's—"

"Tommy and I are perfectly happy being friends! It's none of your business if we make out on the couch or go out to dinner or have sex on the kitchen counter and we most certainly _never will!"_

"Hayley, I don't know what—"

"NEVER mention ANYTHING about me and Tommy dating again, _do you understand me?"_

"Hayley, when I said that I didn't mean to upset—"

"Let me put it this way," Hayley interrupted. "Do you know how long it takes to drain the human body of blood?"

"…Uh, no."

_"I do."_

"…Oh." Pause. "Point taken. I'm really sorry if I—"

"See that it doesn't happen again." Hayley hit the end button, feeling a twinge of guilt, but it was buried somewhere deep down beneath the horror.

* * *

_End Flashback_

* * *

Hayley chuckled at the memory. What a horrible catalyst that had been. Tommy hadn't given up after that kiss. Or the dinner he finally convinced her to go to. In fact, Tommy had actively pursued her for the next few months for no other reason than the fact that he felt obligated to do so as a guy who was roommates with a reasonably hot girl.

Over time, the disgust had faded, leaving simple apathy and annoyance, which allowed her own doubts about the platonic nature of her relationship with Tommy to grow. She had begun to try and see what it was that Smitty had babbled about. They had dated. They had gotten rather physical. And yet they had never felt one tiny spark of chemistry.

Unfortunately, Hayley hadn't wanted to break it off, especially since she felt Tommy was trying too hard because he was worried _every_ girl was going to be another Kat or another Kimberly. Finally, he had decided to give up. She'd been really relieved, but that had sent them into a huge awkward stage, and Tommy had ended up moving into Smitty's apartment. And then somewhere along the way Smitty admitted having said all that crap to Tommy because Smitty wanted Hayley for himself and Tommy had decided that it was far too difficult to function without Hayley after relying on her for so long and they'd agreed to go back to their friendship status under the condition that Hayley would never ever have to kiss him again.

Even so, Hayley had been forced to take drastic measures to repair their friendship, which hadn't been shattered but did have a few gaping holes punched in it. She'd hooked him up with a classmate of hers, Kennedy, who, as Hayley predicted, absolutely adored Tommy. Within three months, however, her annoying personality drove Tommy completely up the wall and he finally broke up with her. Understandably, Tommy had been a tad depressed by yet another failed relationship, but Hayley had pointed out that at least Kennedy proved that Tommy had been doing something _right,_ because he had been the one who wanted out, and not for any reasons that could be traced back to Kimberly. Tommy had cheered up considerably, and from that point on he'd started believing that he could possibly find a decent girl one day.

Still, she knew a lot of that mess was still there, as evidenced by his terror when she got into MIT. All those months coming up with projects like the Tyrannodrones, taking a huge risk exposing his identity to Anton to gain Anton's financial and scientific assistance, and he was willing to give it all up and follow her to Massachusetts just because he was afraid to lose her. It had taken her nearly a month to convince him that three time zones wouldn't keep her from still being his best friend, his confidant, his Hayley. It had taken even longer before they didn't have to talk on the phone every other day just to convince him that nothing was going to change.

And nothing had, not really. Somehow, Tommy had become the center of her universe from the moment she'd adopted him back in college. They were still best friends, she still kept all his secrets… even the ones his other friends couldn't. She was the one who threw his cell phone into the forest when vodka gave him the bright idea to call Kimberly at four in the morning. She was the one who convinced him that his previous failures didn't necessarily mean he'd end up alone and unhappy forever. And so she was the one who had to drive to Angel Grove at midnight to keep Tommy from doing something he'd regret.

She just hoped she wasn't too late.

* * *

"A _brother!"_ Tommy bellowed. "A _brother_ to her! A _brother,_ Trini! Who makes love to their _brother?"_

Trini fought off a groan as she aligned the new doorknob and began to screw it into place. Tommy had done nothing but rant since she'd gone to get a spare doorknob out of the junk drawer, and while ranting might be fun for him, but it didn't give her an opening to start helping him. He'd grown steadily more infuriated as he related his conversation with Kimberly and his own feelings before moving on to ranting about the letter, and as Trini had never read the letter, she no longer had any earthly idea what he was even talking about.

"Huh? Who does that, Trini? No one I'd like to date, no sir!"

Then he paused to draw breath, and finally Trini was able to pounce. "Tommy, I'm sure she didn't mean it like that."

"Then how did she mean it, huh? 'Everything would be perfect if it weren't for hurting you,' well, that's nice, as long as _that's_ the only thing standing in the way of your _perfect_ life as a _famous_ gymnast in _sunny_ Florida!"

"'Dear God, please bless my friends with a sense of timing,'" Jason grumbled, staring up at the sky in mock-askance.

"We were _everything_ to each other!" Tommy roared.

"And I'm sure that's exactly how Kimberly meant it," Trini cut in hastily. "You were everything to her, not just her boyfriend. Friend, confidant—"

"Why did it have to end, Trini? Why did it have to end?" Tommy wailed.

"Sometimes it happens that way," Trini said gently as she secured the screw and started on the next one. "You leave a person behind, and you lose touch. You start to lose common ground, and you can't find it again, so it ends. You can't change that, Tommy, so stop dwelling. That was just your fate, and I know it sucks, but you have to accept that and move on. You lost each other, but now you've found each other again. It _happens,_ Tommy. All you can do is figure out where to go from here."

"And where's that? Huh?" he asked sulkily.

"Well, there are only two ways it can go. Either you'll realize that you and Kimberly are completely different people now or you'll discover that you have more in common now than when you drifted apart. Either you'll walk away wondering how it ever worked between you in the first place, or you'll patch things up and create a bond much stronger than the one you previously had."

"How can I, huh? She blames _me,_ Trini. Me! _She's_ the one who _left!"_

"You said it yourself—it wasn't working. You both decided to make an effort to stay together when she left Angel Grove and you _both_ stopped making that effort. And did it occur to you that Kimberly was just admitting the same thing you did? You told her you blamed her on occasion. Maybe that's what she meant, too. Regardless, she was being honest, Tommy. What she said might hurt you and maybe it is unfair. I don't know; it's not my place to decide who's at fault. But she was trying to tell you the truth and you exploded because you didn't like what she said. Don't go to someone looking for an honest answer and then get huffy because they were giving you what you wanted." She finished the doorknob and motioned for him to step out of the way of the doorjamb; he backed into the hallway while she examined the damage. It wasn't that bad; she could nail the wood pieces back into place and everything would be fine.

"Hey, Kimberly has _no_ right to blame me!"

"That's your _opinion,_ Tommy. Maybe it's correct, and maybe it isn't, but screaming at each other and stomping off isn't going to settle anything. It's just going to—"

"Make Jason cranky," Jason threw in.

_"She_ ran out on _me!"_ Tommy ranted. "She _ran out_ on me! I was trying to explain myself, I was trying to forgive her, and _she ran out on me!"_

"Because you were screaming at her. I'm not saying that makes it okay," Trini added hastily, seeing him about to object. "I'm just trying to explain why you are where you are. I'm trying to tell you how to settle this. If you want Kimberly back—"

"Who needs her?" Tommy roared. "I don't! I've gotten along just fine without her for the last eight years!"

Trini rose to her feet as swiftly as she could without losing the sheet. "Stop it, Tommy. If you didn't want Kimberly back, you wouldn't be here right now. I'm tired of your little game of self-deception! You want her, so shut up. Just shut up! I'm _not_ going to stand here wrapped in a sheet and fixing a splintered doorjamb while you lie to yourself! It takes _two_ people to make a relationship work, Tommy. Yours stop working and neither of you were trying to fix it. It ended, and it doesn't matter whose fault it is. All that matters is that one of you steps up to the plate and takes a swing at making it work again. Maybe it shouldn't be you. Maybe it should be Kimberly. But if you're not willing to go after what you want because you're determined to pretend she wasn't the best thing that ever happened to you, then get out. Go back to the hotel, take a nap, and when you wake up in the morning pretend nothing ever happened. Slog through tomorrow and through Power Rangers Day and then go back to Reefside and teach your classes and hang out with Hayley and spend the next eight years as alone as you spent the last. I can't help you if you lie to yourself, Tommy; no one can. So if you're going to continue the way you have been, if you're not willing to fight for Kimberly, if you're willing to let it stay _over,_ then go ahead. No one will stop you. Just don't stand there and tell me that Kimberly isn't what you want, because I'll never believe that."

Tommy stared at her numbly. Then he closed his eyes. "It _is_ what I want, Trini," he said softly. "Kimberly's what I want."

"Then I'll help you get it," Trini told him, clasping his shoulder. "If you want my help, I'll give it to you. Just ask."

Tommy sighed shakily. He felt suddenly drained as his adrenaline level plummeted. He nodded. "I do, Trini. I want your help. And… and I'm sorry I didn't ask before. I just… I wasn't sure how."

Trini smiled and patted his cheek. "I know. It's okay. I'm going to take care of it, Tommy. I'll find a way. We'll all help you. I'll talk to Kimberly, and we'll… we'll find a way to make it happen. I'm not saying it'll work out, you and Kim," she added carefully. "Maybe… maybe it isn't meant to be."

Tommy thought that over. "Maybe not," Tommy said slowly, "but I'm willing to take that chance. I can't let her go again, knowing I did nothing to keep her around. I know I might not win… but I have to fight for her. I _have_ to."

Trini gave him a quick hug. "Tell you what. Go have a seat in the family room. I'll get dressed and brew us up some tea and we can talk while I fix the front door."

He winced. "Sorry about that."

She chuckled. "Next time, try the knob," she teased, and went back into her bedroom, shutting the now-fixed door behind her. Tommy could hear Jason whining something about "go be a Yellow in the morning," and he felt a pang of guilt.

He really had been dragging his friends through some seriously rough spots because of him and Kimberly. Jason had been terrified he'd lose Trini for good when he found out about Tommy and Kimberly's breakup. Hayley had had to deal with numerous issues from Tommy's past. Not to mention he'd gotten them all into a fistfight with a bunch of clowns just so he could spend a few moments alone with Kimberly, which had somehow led Rocky, Zack and Conner to axe-murderers and Kira and Kimberly to goat injuring…

Tommy had just turned right into the family room when someone leaped on his back, sending him to the floor. Before he could react, something furry clamped around his wrist. He was still trying to puzzle this out when the person who'd jumped him yanked his other arm back and snapped the same furry instrument around his other wrist.

_"What the_ _hell?"_ He twisted his head to the side. He saw a pair of bare feet peeking out from beneath red-and-black plaid pajama bottoms. _"Conner?"_ he demanded incredulously.

"It's for your own good, Dr. O," Conner said, taking a hasty step backwards. "We're only doing this because we care."

"Doing _what?_ Who's we?"

Suddenly he was hauled to his feet by the back of his shirt. He struggled to free his hands and realized just what the furry restraints were. He went very still, fury beginning to seep through the confused indignation.

"Did you _seriously_ just put me in fuzzy handcuffs?" he hissed.

"Sorry, Tommy," came a sheepish voice from behind him.

_"Billy?_ What the _hell?"_

"You'll thank me later," Conner told him. He leaned around Tommy and handed something to Billy. Tommy kicked at Conner, but Conner skipped out of his way. "Lock him in," Conner said to Billy. "I'll stall Trini."

"What is going _on?"_ Tommy demanded.

"No idea," Billy told him apologetically, shoving Tommy towards the basement door.

* * *

_End Notes:_ By the way, Freyja's doing a Trent/Kira story called "Wow," posted under her account, Freyja SilverWillow. Please go read and review—a happy Freyja leads to frequent OLaB updates.


	91. Trick or Treat

**Chapter Ninety-one**

_Trick or Treat_

Kimberly splashed water on her face for the thousandth time since the shouting of Tommy and Kira in the hallway had abated. She was beginning to look like a drowned rat, but she didn't care.

Surprisingly, she actually felt better now that she'd had a good cry. She hadn't cried over Tommy since she'd left Angel Grove after the incident with Divatox. She had known it was over between her and Tommy long before Jason had come to cajole her into returning to the city, but it had hurt, deeply, to see how _completely_ she and Tommy were really through. He had moved on, gotten with Kat. Not that it was the only thing that had hurt her about that trip—_everything_ seemed to be over. Billy was gone, Rocky was off the team, Aisha had vanished, Adam was dating Tanya, Tommy was with Kat—even the Command Center had changed. Added on top of the sickening sensations that came from being evil, from attacking Tommy and the other Rangers…

Kimberly shook her head and flung more water at her face. God, why had she bothered trying to talk to Tommy? Why hadn't they just left the past alone? Silence had worked well enough for almost eight years…

"Kim?"

Kimberly jumped. "Kira?" she called.

"It's me. Don't worry, I'm alone."

Kimberly opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the bedroom. "Hey. I didn't hear the door open…"

"I came in through the balcony," Kira explained, shifting awkwardly. "Kim… listen. About Dr. O…"

Kimberly sighed. "Not tonight, Kira. I can't take anymore tonight. I just want to go to sleep and forget today ever happened."

Kira frowned. "Why?"

"Uh…" Kimberly stared at her. Didn't she remember the sobbing and the screaming lunatic that was Kimberly's ex-boyfriend?

"Kim," Kira began, "I don't think hiding's going to accomplish anything."

"I'm not hiding. I'm… I'm resting. I don't want to _accomplish_ anything; I just want to—"

"To what? Pretend Dr. O never upset you like that?" Kira demanded, looking outraged. "You mean to tell me you're just going to… to _take_ that from him?"

Kimberly gaped at her. "Kira…"

"No! I don't want to hear it. You're a _Ranger,_ Kim. You can't take that lying down! You can't just… just sob and go crawl into bed because Dr. O was _mean_ to you! What happened to the Kimberly of last night, huh? What happened to the Kimberly who organized a full-on counterattack just because Dr. O stole her clothes? The Kimberly who's been wearing his shirt like it's a prisoner of war? The Kimberly who kicked me into a goat? Where is _that_ Kimberly, huh?"

"Kira, I—"

"No, you listen to _me,_ Kim. I've heard you say you still love him. I've heard you say you still want him. And I might not be Dr. O's closest confidant but I know him well enough to know he wants the same thing! So you two finally try to talk things out like the rational adults you are and he starts shouting at you and you run and _hide?_ What are you _doing?"_

Kimberly swallowed. "You're right," she said numbly. "You're absolutely right. I didn't come all this way just to… to… no! I'm going to find him, and I'm going to make him _listen_ to me! How _dare_ he?"

"I think we should go see Trini," Kira suggested quickly. "She can help us come up with a plan."

"Good idea!" Kimberly's eyes blazed as she yanked her shirt off and reached for Tommy's, once more pulling it on as if it was battle armor. "I'll show that _punk_ who he's dealing with! He tells me he wants to talk and then he won't even listen? I'll show _him!"_ She slung her purse onto her shoulder. "Come on, Kira—let's go."

"Right behind you, Kim," Kira told her. The two of them marched out of the room, Kimberly determined to make everything better, Kira hoping she hadn't just made everything worse.

* * *

Zack had pondered the Eternal Question of Life—Butterfinger or Three Musketeers—for quite some time before deciding to get both, only to realize he'd left his wallet in his room. As he exited the sixth floor's vending area, he nearly crashed into Kira and Kimberly. "Whoa, what happened to you guys?" he asked, startled. Kimberly wasn't wearing any makeup, her hair was damp around her face and her shirt's buttons weren't in the right buttonholes. Kira was barefoot, her clothes badly twisted, her hair a wreck and her expression somewhere between terrified and determined.

_"Tommy happened,"_ Kimberly growled, stepping into the elevator. Zack failed to come up with a response before the doors closed behind them. Shaking his head, he went back to his room, unable to shake the feeling that something not-so-nifty was about to go down.

He'd propped his door open with the stopper, but when he got to the room the door was wide open. "Tommy?" he called hopefully.

He heard a yelp from within—and it didn't sound like Tommy. He rushed into the room. Ethan and Trent were standing by the dresser, Trent holding his car keys.

"I can explain!" Ethan exclaimed wildly.

Zack raised his eyebrows. "Guys, I'm not Tommy. I'm not going to lecture you or threaten bodily harm. What's going on? What are you doing with my keys?"

Trent exhaled sharply. "It's like this, Zack… we… have a plan."

"For?" Zack inquired.

"For… for… well, I know this is gonna sound crazy…"

"Very few things sound crazy anymore," Zack said wryly.

Ethan cleared his throat. "You see… we're trying to get Dr. O and Kim back together," he explained in a rush. "We've already got them both in the same place—Jason and Trini's house—but the problem is we're stuck here. You're the only person we know with a car who hasn't left, and we've _got_ to get there—"

"Because right now, Conner's the only one handling it," Trent finished. "So we need to _hurry."_

"Ah. I see. This plan… what exactly is it?"

Trent and Ethan exchanged glances. "Um… well…" Ethan began.

"Is there any chance it could work?" Zack asked.

"Some," Trent said carefully. "It's not foolproof—but it's the best we've got. And we have to do _something…"_

Zack nodded. "I'll drive." He held out his hand for the keys and scooped his wallet off the dresser, then shoved his feet into the first pair of sneakers he could find. "A crazy plan is better than nothing."

"Thanks, Zack," Trent said.

"No problem. But if I ever catch you trying to steal my car again, I'll kick your ass," he replied cheerfully, and led the way to the elevator.

* * *

Lin sighed as she lifted the vent screen from the sink. Apparently management had somehow gotten wind of a surprise health inspection scheduled for tomorrow, and she was one of the three employees asked to stay late and prepare. Brad was scrubbing the baseboards and Wang was at the other sink, trying to get a ceiling tile back to its original shade of white.

"I still can't figure out how dirty baseboards are unhealthy," Brad grumbled, tossing his dirty rag into the sink and pulling another from his apron. "It's not like we make chicken teriyaki on them."

"I can't remember the last time we cooked on the ceiling, myself," Wang said dryly.

"Speaking of, someone hold the ladder for me," Lin said. "I'm finally done with the stupid vents."

Brad straightened up and seized hold of the ladder. She made her way up to the top of the ladder and carefully replaced the vent in the slots of the ceiling. She grabbed another ceiling tile for Wang, passed it down to him, and was just about to climb back down when a flash of green light went off roughly two feet to her left and suddenly two teenagers appeared from out of nowhere, dropping from the sky.

Wang shouted in alarm and flung his ceiling tile at the two falling teenagers; it shattered against the girl. Lin yelped, startled, and nearly fell off the ladder; swearing in Chinese, Brad hurried around to her side of the ladder and yanked her down before she could slip again. The three of them fell back against the sink; Wang picked up another ceiling tile and held it at the ready.

For a long moment, no one spoke. Lin, Brad and Wang stared down at the boy and girl who lay huddled on the floor roughly three feet apart. Both of them were dirty and disheveled—and armed. The boy was clutching a morning star in one hand; the girl had a sword strapped to her waist.

The boy on the floor was the first to break the silence. "Cassidy?" he whispered.

"I'm okay, Devin. Where are we?"

The two slowly stood up and turned around, facing Lin, Brad and Wang. Devin's expression turned panicked when he saw them. "Oh, tell me we're not in China," he whimpered.

"Uh, no," Brad said. "You're in the kitchen of the China Express."

Cassidy and Devin stared at him blankly. Then Cassidy looked at Devin. "Why would Mesogog have an invisiportal leading to the China Express?" Cassidy demanded.

Devin shrugged. "Maybe he likes Chinese food," Devin suggested.

"Mesogog? _The_ Mesogog?" Wang asked. "The evil villain the Power Rangers fought?"

"Yeah, him," Cassidy said in a bored tone.

"Why would Mesogog put ninjas in our ceiling?" Lin asked, confused.

"We're not ninjas," Cassidy said, as though it should be obvious. As though sword-bearing teenagers fell out of the sky into the China Express every day. "We're just lost."

"How'd you get _lost_ in our ceiling?" Brad demanded.

Devin and Cassidy looked up at the ceiling, which was missing the majority of its tiles. Then they looked back at Lin, Brad and Wang.

"So, are we in the China Express on Elm Street or the one on Hanover?" Devin asked.

"Um, Hanover," Wang replied. "But how did—?"

"Oh, good. My house isn't all that far from here," Devin said cheerfully. "Come on, Cassidy."

Cassidy brushed the plaster dust from the ceiling tile off her sweater and followed him towards the rear door. "Is it illegal to walk around with a sword?" she asked.

"I don't think so. I mean, there are concealed weapons laws, but we're not concealing them, so…"

"Good, because I am _so_ not giving this sword back. Dr. Mercer definitely owes me one for this."

The door banged shut behind them. Lin, Brad and Wang looked at each other. Then, as one, they peered cautiously up into the ceiling.

"That really just happened, right?" Lin asked.

"I think so," Brad said. "Didn't Huang say something about a redheaded chick and a guy in a business suit appearing out of thin air earlier?"

"You think there's anyone else up there?" Wang asked eagerly, peering intently up at the missing tiles.

Brad and Lin looked at each other nervously. "What's say we just stick all the tiles back in and call it a night?" Brad asked. "I don't really need overtime all that badly."

"Oh, come on," Wang complained. He scooted the ladder over a bit, so that it was under a gap in the ceiling instead of the vent. He climbed up… straight into a flash of green light.

Wang screamed and suddenly he was being sucked into a ball of green energy, disappearing bit by bit. "WANG!" Brad bellowed, rushing forward and grabbing his ankle. He yanked with all his might, but he couldn't even slow Wang down. Lin flung her arms around Brad's waist and heaved, but it was no use. Brad and Lin were sucked into the portal after Wang, and the invisiportal vanished behind them.

* * *

Conner sighed and flopped down on the couch. This was getting to be more trouble than it was worth. Trini had been pretty suspicious when he'd told her that Tommy had told Conner that he was tired and going back to the hotel to get some sleep. Thankfully she hadn't glanced out the front windows to see if Tommy's Jeep was still parked haphazardly on the front lawn before Jason had pulled her back into the bedroom. Tommy was now safely locked in the Secret Chamber, thanks to Billy, but Billy was starting to ask questions and Tommy was starting to shout. Conner knew he'd be lucky if Kira, Ethan and Trent got Kimberly to the house before Trini managed to extricate herself from Jason and figure out what the screaming was about…

Oh, well. At least Ethan and Trent had beeped him to say that Kimberly was on her way, and he'd managed to find another pair of handcuffs; Trini's stash of the Spencer's merchandise was still in the living room. Billy was now drying his hair in the bathroom and Conner was left alone to wait and ingest some caffeine—he was pretty sure it was going to be a long night.

He was only halfway through his cup of tea when bright lights washed over him, tinged golden by the pale yellow curtains in the family room. Conner winced and got to his feet, setting his cup down on the end table. He headed for the window and peered out at the yard; Kimberly's Mustang was now parked on the front lawn next to Tommy's Jeep. She turned the car off and killed the headlights, then leaped out of the car and marched towards the door without bothering to shut the door. Kira jumped out of the passenger's seat, slamming her door behind her. "Kim, wait!" she shouted as Kimberly marched through the still-broken front door.

"Dude, you can use the driveway, you know," Conner said, but Kimberly appeared not to hear him as she stomped down the hallway and grasped the newly-replaced knob on Jason and Trini's bedroom door. It refused to turn.

"What happened to the door? Is Dr. O here?" Kira hissed at Conner.

"Uh… maybe," Conner said shiftily.

Kira's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but before she could ask him anything Kimberly decided that the knob deserved to be punished for its actions. With one swift kick, the doorframe splintered.

There was once again a thud, a crash and an "OW!" from within.

"What the _hell?"_

"Damn it, Tommy, that was my only spare doorknob—Kim?"

"Trini, I need to talk to you."

"Kim, honey, are you okay?" Trini asked worriedly.

"No. No, I'm not okay."

"Where are Trent and Ethan?" Conner whispered urgently to Kira.

"At the hotel. Why?" Conner swore and began creeping down the hallway towards Kimberly. "Conner, what are you doing?" Kira hissed. "I wouldn't get to close to her right now, if I was you—"

"What's wrong, Kimberly?" Trini asked.

Kimberly exhaled sharply. "I need to talk to you," she repeated.

"NO!" Jason shouted. "No, no, _no!_ The Yellow moments are over! They're _over!_ This is Jason time, not Yellow time!"

Kimberly's face suddenly crumpled. She let out a whimpering sound and Trini was at her side in an instant, once more wrapped in the red sheet. She put her arms around Kimberly in a manner that suggested Trini was well-acquainted with how to keep that whimper from becoming a sob.

"Oh, jeez," Jason said softly. "I'm sorry, Kim. I just…"

"Tommy and I had a fight," Kimberly whispered.

"We noticed," Trini said wryly. "It's okay. He wants to work it out, Kim. He told me so."

Kimberly's expression transformed into a glare and she drew herself up sharply. "Where is he?"

Kira sighed. "She's been doing this since we left the hotel," Kira confided to Conner. "Anger, wild planning, tears, repeat."

"He went back to the hotel," Trini said, her tone soothing.

Kimberly frowned. "Then why is his car on the lawn?"

Trini looked sharply at Conner, who swallowed nervously and fought the urge to run as Trini's eyes narrowed at him. Conner firmly reminded himself that he was a soccer prodigy who never let an opening pass him by and recovered quickly from her disconcerting gaze. "He came back. He's down in the basement with Billy; he said something about an evil plan—"

"I'll show him _evil,"_ Kimberly growled.

"Kimberly—" Trini began.

"No, you stay here. He wants me to face him? I'll face him. And I'll give him a couple bruises while I'm at it!" With that, she stalked down the hall past Kira and Conner to the basement door.

Jason appeared in the doorway, wrapped in a sheet of his own. "Well, that's settled then." He took Trini's arm. "Come on. Hurry, before someone else decides that we don't lock our doors for a reason."

"Honey, I should wait here until Kimberly gets back," Trini told him. "And I should really fix the doors—"

"Why? So Kim and Tommy can break them down again? Besides, you said it yourself—we only have one spare doorknob. Come _on!"_

With that, Jason pulled Trini back inside the bedroom and tried to shut the broken door; there were a few thuds as he tried to force the door into submission and then a scraping sound as he dragged something behind it to keep it closed.

"Whew," Conner breathed. He turned to Kira. "Okay. You stay here. I'll be—"

"Whoa, what happened to the door?"

Conner and Kira looked up. Zack was on the porch, poking at the cracked frame of the front door. Ethan and Trent were behind him, both looking worried.

"You brought Zack?" Conner asked.

"Had to. We needed a ride," Ethan explained, moving past Zack into the hall.

"They said you had a plan," Zack said.

"What plan?" Kira demanded. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Conner said hastily, remembering her reluctance to get involved with the Spencer's scheme. "You just watch Jason and Trini's room and let us know if they come out. We'll be in the basement."

"Uh-uh," Kira said, moving to block the door. "I'm not going anywhere until I get a full explanation. Kimberly has been beyond upset ever since her little chat with Dr. O and I risked upsetting her further to get her here. I trusted you guys, so you can trust me. I'm either in or I'm out, and I'm already half-in."

Zack frowned disapprovingly at Ethan and Trent. "You failed to mention that this was the sort of plan a Yellow wouldn't approve of."

"Conner!" Billy called from the basement. "Kimberly wishes to speak with the, ah, prisoner…"

"Prisoner?" Kira repeated incredulously.

Zack grinned. "Prisoner, eh? Sounds like this could get interesting."

Kira groaned. "Haven't we had enough of interesting?"

"Don't worry, Kira," Trent said soothingly. "I approved the plan. Me and Ethan and Conner came up with it together."

Kira gave him a suspicious look. _"Why_ doesn't that make me feel better?"

"Look, guys, wait here, okay? I have to go take care of something in the basement real quick," Conner said. "I'll be right back, and I'll explain everything, okay?" Without waiting for a response, Conner darted around Kira and dashed down the staircase.

Zack, Ethan, Trent and Kira looked at each other as they waited for Conner's return. From below, there was a yelp, a crash, a "Hey!" from Kimberly, a "CONNER!" from Tommy and an "Uh-oh," from Billy. Then came a moment of ugly silence, followed by a burst of hysterical shouting.

"Does anyone else have a sinking feeling?" Kira asked.

Zack, Ethan and Trent stared at her. Then, in perfect unison, they each raised a hand in agreement.

* * *

It went more perfectly than Conner could ever have dreamed. Kimberly was so busy shouting at Dr. O through the Secret Chamber door that she didn't notice Conner sneaking up behind her until the cuffs were on her wrists. He had Billy hold her down while he unlocked the Chamber door. Dr. O tried to charge out and Billy flung Kimberly at him, knocking them both back inside and giving Conner ample time to slam the door and lock it once more. Conner turned to face Billy, who was staring at the door with a look of horrified realization.

"Uh-oh," Billy said.

"What uh-oh?" Conner asked.

"I just realized what the plan was," Billy choked out, voice barely above a whisper. "I… this isn't good."

"Don't crap out on me now, Billy! This is the smoothest I've ever executed a plan!"

"Conner," Billy said desperately, "please do not inform me that your strategy encompasses physically restraining Tommy and Kimberly in close quarters for an indefinite period of time."

Conner stared at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Billy breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good."

"No, seriously—I don't know what you're talking about. Could you run that by me again?"

Silence reigned for a good long while. Then Billy shrieked, "TRINI!" so loudly that Conner jumped.

"Dude, chill! Just get Ethan to translate for you!"

"No!" Billy wailed. "I need Trini! How could I let you talk me into this? You evil Reds with your psychotic plans! You're always saying things like, 'Don't worry, Billy, I'm sure no one saw us' and 'How was I supposed to know what hypoallergenic meant?' and how could I let this _happen?_ I'm supposed to be the _smart_ one! You Reds just spout off some order or another and the rest of us follow because you have some sort of hypnotic power behind every command and I'm weak! Weak, weak, weak! I'm weak because I'm_Blue!"_

"Billy, calm down!" Conner said desperately, grabbing his arm as Billy started to head for the stairs. He couldn't let Trini and Jason get involved!

"No! I need Trini! I need my shield! All those years of beating the bullies back for me and interpreting my words and now she'll save me from _you!"_ Billy attempted to break Conner's grip; Conner clung to him tightly.

"Why does everyone always need Trini when they're upset?" Conner dug his heels into the floor and leaned back. Billy was a lot stronger than he looked. "Billy, you're not thinking clearly. You're hysterical!"

"Of _course_ I'm hysterical! _This is a perfect time to get_ _hysterical!"_ With that, Billy jerked his arm upward while simultaneously bracing one foot against Conner's stomach and shoving. Conner tumbled to the floor in a heap, releasing Billy, who raced towards the stairs.

Panicking, Conner pulled out all the stops. "What do you think Trini will do to you when you tell her what you've done?"

It was the exact same reason Conner didn't want Jason and Trini to know what role Conner had played until the plan was over, and the thought of Trini's wrath and Jason's disapproval were even more terrifying to Billy. He stopped dead and turned to look at Conner in horror.

Conner stood up, slowly, using that tone of voice Dr. O often used when convincing Kira not to kill Conner. "Come on, Billy. You honestly don't think this is my entire plan, do you? I'm a Red, dude. I'm a leader. I've got it covered. Now just give me some time, okay? Everything will reveal itself in due time. It's all under control."

Billy sighed, then stepped away from the stairs and went to set down on a bench against the wall. "Why are things so much more normal on Aquitar?" he moaned. "You'd think an alien planet would have _more_ chaos, but no…"

Conner patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, dude; I got this covered." With that, Conner charged back up the stairs. Zack, Ethan, Kira and Trent looked up at him expectantly. "Everyone in the basement; Billy will explain," he told them. They went, and Conner glanced around for inspiration. All that was left was to hide the key. Then his plan would be complete. It wouldn't matter if Jason and Trini got involved—because once the key was safely hidden, only Conner could open that door.

Conner wasn't opening that door until Kimberly and Dr. O were a couple again. And they'd be so grateful to Conner that they'd probably name their firstborn after him.

Everything was going according to plan.


	92. Every Dog Has Its Day

**Chapter Ninety-two**

_Every Dog Has His Day_

Tommy the dog was a very tolerant pet. He always held it whenever his humans weren't home. He never marked anything in the house as his territory (though it was, in fact, implied). He even refrained from being mean to the neighbor's kittens when his mama offered to cat-sit. And he put up with all sorts of loud noises and yelling, which was unfortunately very frequent around his house. Tommy was a very good dog, and he knew it. However, he was now reaching the end of his leash.

Usually, the yells came from the bedroom at night or early morning, or from the basement during the day, when Tommy's mama and daddy were doing what they called "sparring" (this had taken a lot of getting used to for Tommy; he'd never quite understood why his humans pretended to attack each other). Now, though, it seemed like everyone was yelling everywhere and it was driving poor Tommy insane. Humans were always so _loud!_

Tommy's life had been disrupted ever since his parents had started talking about something called "Power Rangers Day." His mama had ranted a lot about Power Rangers Day and someone named Billy, and covered the house in smelly chemicals that were supposed to clean but, in Tommy's opinion, just made everything stink, and she'd had a lot less time for him, too. Tommy's daddy had helped clean and muttered under his breath about Billy a lot, occasionally having long talks with Tommy about how Mama liked Billy a lot but not _that_ much because Mama only liked Daddy _that_ much and Billy was after all _just a friend._ (Tommy wasn't sure what this meant, but he figured that it was his duty to pay attention, as Daddy was usually the one to feed him.) Then another human had arrived.

This wasn't too uncommon. Random humans were often coming to visit. Tommy didn't have the best of memories, and he was terrible with names, but he did remember their scents. There was the hyper human male who danced a lot—he always smelled of city air pollution and many different human women. There was the cheerful woman who smelled like numerous beauty products and petted him a lot. And there was the forgetful man who smelled like the forest, teenage humans, and very old dust and rocks. Not to mention all of Mama and Daddy's other friends and family. This new human, however, smelled very strange. Like creatures Tommy had never sniffed before and some odd sort of water. He was quieter than most of the humans who stayed over, and Tommy liked sniffing him more than his favorite tree. So he put up with this human's presence without complaint.

Then Mama hadn't come home that night. She'd never done that before, except for one time when she and Daddy had gone on vacation and left Tommy with Mama's crazy Uncle Howard. Tommy had given Daddy very stern looks, demanding to know where Mama was. Daddy had denied sending Mama away or killing her and complained that Mama was the crazy one who wanted to run away and then Daddy had run over and hugged him out of nowhere and said that he missed Mama too and to please stop making him feel guilty.

Needless to say, Tommy hadn't bought it.

Daddy and the strange-smelling human had spent most of their time out of the house for the past few days. This was odd, as Daddy didn't do the usual things he did before going to work, and he left and came back at all the wrong times. Mama had come home for a bit the next day, but not nearly long enough to satisfy Tommy. When she did come home, she didn't even pet him much. And then she left again, and Daddy was ranting more. A _lot_ more.

Tommy had barely seen Mama all week, just enough to confirm that she was still alive and very, very busy. At last, however, Mama seemed to be back to stay. He'd wanted to spend some time with her—she was really good at throwing sticks across the yard for him to chase, and she was even better at brushing him—but Daddy had confined Mama to the bedroom. He'd tried scratching at the door, but they hadn't let him in. So he'd gone to sleep on his couch, figuring that come morning everything would surely be back to normal. He'd have an hour with Mama after Daddy left for work, before she had to go to work, too, and surely she'd play with him and pet him. And after she left he'd try playing with the talkative teenage male human, who'd taken the strange-smelling human's place. Tommy liked the talkative human; he was a bit strange, but he had two mutant rats that looked like great chewy toys _and_ he smelled of things almost as unique as the strange-smelling human.

Then the strange-smelling one had come back, gone to take a shower. He took longer showers than any other human Tommy could remember. Tommy wasn't too perturbed by his return; he was an okay human. But then the forgetful man had shown up, kicked the door down, and he'd acted scary. It reminded Tommy of that time he'd gotten loose and that pack of strays had thought he was trying to move in on their territory. Tommy supposed he should have barked or yelped, but the talkative teenager seemed to be handling it, so Tommy had stayed out of the way. But then everything had started getting confusing. There was a lot of shouting and the forgetful man had opened Mama and Daddy's door even though they didn't like to be disturbed at night. Then the talkative teenager and the strange-smelling human had taken the forgetful man down into the basement and there was more shouting and the cheerful woman had shown up only she wasn't cheerful anymore and she didn't pet him at all and the hyper man had come by and the talkative teenager was planning something and doors kept opening and closing in new ways and people wouldn't stop_shouting_ and Tommy was _not_ happy.

So he'd done what he always did when things got hectic—he went to go sit under the kitchen table. Not hide, mind you. He was just waiting for things to blow over with a nice, solid piece of wood over his head that just so happened to block him from view. Everyone was down in the basement now anyway, save Mama and Daddy, and that meant the kitchen was the furthest he could get from all the noise.

Suddenly the talkative teenager burst into the kitchen, holding a shiny key in one hand. He looked around wildly while Tommy watched, curious and suspicious. Then, to Tommy's complete surprise, the talkative kid grabbed Tommy's food dish and dropped the key in it.

Tommy frowned; he knew that keys weren't for eating, but the talkative teenager apparently did not. Ah, well. The human was barely older than a pup; he must just not have very good training. Probably couldn't even roll over, let alone play dead.

Tommy continued to keep an eye on the talkative one, just in case he got any more funny ideas born out of bad training. He started doing something at the counter, out of Tommy's line of vision. Then Tommy heard the can opener start up and smelled the wonderful odor of dog food wafting from the can. _Good_ dog food, too, none of that nonsense with the vegetables that Tommy had to push out of his dish. _This_ was the beef and chicken kind.

The talkative teenager dumped the can of food unceremoniously into his dish, on top of the key, and set the bowl down in the corner. Then he ran away, leaving Tommy at a loss.

Tommy knew that not all cans were dog food. That was why Mama and Daddy always sang the Can Opener Song whenever they fed him, so Tommy would know for certain that it was dinnertime and not just something that smelled suspiciously edible. Yet the talkative kid hadn't sung the song, even though he'd filled the dish.

Should he eat it? He rarely got fed this late. Mama and Daddy sometimes gave him scraps of their dinner, but they never gave him another can of food. They sent over Mama's cousin Sylvia or Daddy's father to feed him if they weren't coming home on time, so that he got fairly regular feeding times. But this week had been so strange, and come to think of it Mama's crazy Uncle Howard hadn't known the Can Opener Song… and Tommy hadn't eaten the food at first, which had made Tommy really hungry until he'd just _had_ to eat something, which had made him try that weird liquid that had made his vision go funny for three whole days and those odd little pellets that had smelled all right but were apparently linked to total rapid fur loss. Still, his dish wasn't full of odd little pellets or weird liquid. It was full of beef and chicken. Just like his dish at Uncle Howard's had been, the dish that Tommy had ignored while holding out for the Can Opener Song and look where that had led…

His mind made up, Tommy crawled out from under the table. Maybe Mama had just felt so bad about leaving him alone all week that she'd asked the talkative kid to feed him a special extra meal and forgotten to teach him the Can Opener Song. Regardless, no sense letting good beef and chicken go to waste.

* * *

_"This_ is your_ plan?"_ Kira demanded, furious. She was standing in the basement with Zack, Billy, Ethan and Trent, listening to their explanation but unable to believe what she was hearing. 

"Kira, you said it yourself—"

_"I_ said it? _I_ said it would be a good idea to lock Dr. O in the Secret Chamber with Kimberly?"

"No, you said their first date would probably be when someone locks them in a closet together," Ethan pointed out.

"Are you _crazy?_ It's called sarcasm! Look it up!"

"I can't believe I let him talk me into this," Billy whimpered. "I feel horrible. I didn't know—"

"I'm right there with you," Kira said with a sigh.

"Come on, guys," Zack cajoled. "Maybe this plan _is_ a little, you know, psychotic, but their hearts are in the right place. And anyway, maybe it'll actually work. Kim and Tommy do need to talk things out and all—"

"I'm getting Trini," Billy said decisively, ignoring him. "I don't care how angry she'll be—she'll be a lot angrier if I don't do something to try and stop this."

"Come on, Billy—" Ethan began.

Billy shook his head. "No. I'm not going to leave Kimberly and Tommy in a closet all night."

"Good call," Kira said as Billy headed for the stairs. She turned back to Conner, Ethan and Trent. "Guys, don't you realize how stupid this is? This could do _way_ more harm than good. You can't lock up two people who hate each other and expect them to be making out by morning!"

"They don't hate each other, Kira," Trent pointed out. "They're in love. Only they're too stupid to do anything about it. We owe it to Dr. O to try."

"Conner and I would do the same for you and Trent," Ethan added.

"I—wait." Kira frowned for a moment before her eyes widened in horror. "Where did Conner go?"

"To… um…" Trent broke off as Ethan sent him a warning look.

Seeing their exchange, Kira grabbed Trent by the front of the shirt and got in his face, glowering up at him dangerously. "Where. Is. _Conner?"_ she hissed.

Trent swallowed. "He's… hiding the key."

"Where?"

"We told him not to tell us, or anyone," Ethan informed her defiantly.

"Are you _crazy?"_ Kira demanded, releasing Trent and staring at him in disbelief.

"We figured Conner wouldn't cave no matter what," Trent said sheepishly.

"If there's one good thing about Conner, it's that he's tenacious," Ethan agreed.

"Ethan, the guy once spent thirteen hours _in a tree_ because I told him I'd be waiting for him the moment he came down! If it hadn't been for that monster attack, he'd still be up there! He's not _tenacious,_ he's a lunatic!"

Before anyone could reply, they heard footsteps on the stairs and looked over. It was Billy—and he was alone.

"Their bedroom door is wedged shut," Billy said worriedly. "And Conner was doing a victory dance in the living room."

"So the key's already hidden," Zack mused thoughtfully.

"Did you try shouting at Trini to open the door?" Kira asked Billy.

Billy nodded. "They didn't even dignify me with a 'go away.'" He grimaced. "I'm not sure they even heard me. I could hear… _noises._ I guess we'll just have to wait until they're… finished."

"Provided they don't just crash afterwards and go straight to sleep without unblocking the door," Zack said dryly. The Peace Conference had taught him a few things about interrupting Jason and Trini's alone time. He clasped his hands together. "Don't worry, guys—I'll handle this." He started for the stairs.

"I attempted to force the door, but—" Billy began.

"Don't worry, bro. I got this." With that, Zack vanished up the stairs.

Kira looked at Ethan and Trent. "Dr. O's going to kill you for this, you know."

"All the more reason to leave him in there a while," Trent said, casting a nervous glance at the Secret Chamber door.

* * *

Kimberly wasn't sure how it happened. One minute she was shouting at Tommy through the Secret Chamber's door; the next, her wrists were handcuffed behind her back and Conner was flinging open the door so that Billy could shove her into the Chamber. She hit Tommy hard in the chest as he attempted to charge out of the room, and her momentum knocked them both back into the far wall. There was a loud click of a lock shortly before Tommy bellowed "CONNER!" in her ear. 

"Get off me!" Tommy hissed at Kimberly, shunting her to the side with his shoulder. Kimberly stumbled back into the door. Narrowing her eyes, she kicked at him for good measure; her foot caught him in the shin. "OW!" he complained.

"What the hell is going on?" Kimberly demanded loudly, glancing around. She hadn't been in the Secret Chamber very much. She couldn't really understand many of the things Trini worked on in here; in fact, the only time she could recall entering it off the top of her head was when her communicator had gotten broken and Trini had fixed it for her. It was dark in the Secret Chamber; the only light was from the Aqua-phone, which continuously emitted an ethereal indigo light that didn't do much but vaguely illuminate part of the table and the hooks where Jason and Trini's communicators hung when they weren't wearing them. She could hear Billy and Conner arguing on the other side of the door, but she wasn't paying much attention. _Surely_ they wouldn't really lock her and Tommy in a closet together. _Surely_ they weren't _that_ insane…

_"This is a perfect time to get hysterical!"_ Billy screamed.

"What do you think Trini will do to you when you tell her what you've done?" Conner demanded.

Kimberly's heart sank as she listened to Conner convince Billy not to tell Trini, to leave everything up to Conner. This was _not_ going to end well.

"I'll kill him for this," Tommy vowed, struggling against his own pair of handcuffs. "Locking me in here with _you_—I'll _kill_ him."

"This isn't exactly my idea of a fun night," Kimberly snapped, reaching for the doorknob and twisting it futilely. It wouldn't budge. "Great," she muttered, and headed for the table. She sat down and scooted her wrists underneath her thighs, then brought her legs straight back until she was practically folded in half. From there it was no trouble to get her wrists in front of her body.

"What are you doing over there?" Tommy demanded. "I can't see a damned thing."

"Taking my handcuffs off."

"What, you have a key?"

"Yes, I carry a handcuff key with me everywhere I go." There was a moment of confused silence. Kimberly rolled her eyes. "No, you idiot, I don't have a key."

"Forgive me for not realizing you'd taken up lock-picking at some point in the last eight years."

"Tommy, these are from the mall, not a maximum-security prison."

"So?"

"So they have _safety latches,_ duh. Haven't you ever used novelty handcuffs before?"

"I'm not a big fan of being physically restrained," Tommy informed her through clenched teeth. "Too many memories."

"Whatever." Kimberly bunched up the furry band surrounding the metal, trying to get it out of the way so that she could find the latch. "Good. He didn't file it down first."

"Where's the latch?" Tommy asked.

"Find it yourself," Kimberly replied coldly, popping open her handcuffs and tossing them into the corner.

"That isn't funny."

"I'm not laughing. Apparently you're happier without me, remember?"

"Kimberly—"

"Oh, _now_ you want me around, do you? Sorry, Tommy. I can never tell the difference."

"Apparently not," Tommy retorted furiously. "You obviously never _cared_ what I wanted anyway!"

"Whatever, Tommy. Just—whatever." Kimberly sighed, looking around for inspiration. Then her eyes lit upon the empty hooks on the wall. Jason and Trini's communicators—they weren't on the hooks.

"Ha!" Kimberly exclaimed.

"What? Did you find the key to the door?"

"Mind your own business, Tommy." Kimberly reached into her pocket for her communicator… and realized she'd left her communicator back at the hotel. "Shit. Do you have your communicator?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not available to talk right now. I'm minding my own business."

"Fine. Then I guess we'll just rot here and die!"

"You don't actually think there's anyone we can call who'd get us out of here, do you?"

"Trini would."

"Not likely. She's probably in on it."

"Didn't you just hear Conner begging Billy not to tell her?"

"…You mean this is actually _not_ her plan?"

"Conner said it was _his."_

"His?"

"Yes. Great job mentoring that kid, Tommy."

"I'll _kill_ him!" Tommy roared. "Do you hear me, Conner? _I will kill you!"_

"Relax, Dr. O—Conner's upstairs."

"Ethan? When did you get here?"

"Zack brought me and Trent to help Conner."

_"Help_ Conner? Help _Conner?_ Are you _insane?"_

"Is Kira out there with you?" Kimberly shouted.

"Yeah, I'm here, Kim."

"Are you still on my side, or have you been in on it all along?"

"Um… well… both, actually. The guys asked me to bring you here, but I didn't know what they were planning! I never would have let them—"

"It's okay, Kira. Listen, I need you to go get Trini."

"Um… well… there's actually a bit of a problem with that…"

* * *

Billy had finally gone away; Jason had steadfastly ignored him, refusing to let whatever nonsense Billy was talking about permeate Jason's consciousness, feeling a smug sense of satisfaction when Trini hadn't even noticed. He and Trini were _alone,_ and Jason was greatly reassured by the fact that the few swift kicks Billy had given the door hadn't been enough to force his way into the room. Jason was not going to be interrupted again. 

Or so he thought, until the bedroom window slid open and Zack tumbled through it to land on the carpet in a heap.

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Jason demanded incredulously, sitting up. Trini tried to push him away, but Jason refused to move. He was _not_ leaving the bedroom. In fact, he wasn't leaving the bed, except to nail the windows shut once Zack realized his mistake.

_"Zack!"_ Trini complained, drawing the blanket over her exposed flesh before Zack could climb to his feet, glad the lights were out.

"Get _out,_ Zack," Jason growled.

"Sorry, buddy," Zack said with thoroughly annoying cheerfulness as he stood up and brushed himself off. "No can do. We're having a bit of a crisis."

"So what else is new?" Jason retorted irritably. "Go away!"

"I'm serious, Jase. This one's bad, and—"

"Get out get out _get OUT!"_

"Jason—"

"No! I don't want to hear it. I don't care if Tommy's pissed, I don't care if Kimberly's crying, I don't care if aliens have invaded and set the house on fire, _I am having sex with Trini whether you people like it or not!"_

"You can do that any day—"

"No, Zack, no I can't. I have only had sex with Trini twice this week, once at an intersection with Tommy honking behind us and pounding on the windows of my truck, and once in the hotel parking lot which was sadly interrupted by a couple of college kids who somehow mistook my truck for theirs and were threatening to call the police before they realized they had the wrong truck! And now here I am, in my own house, in my own bedroom, and you people keep barging in on us with bizarre issue after bizarre issue!"

"Jason—"

"Zack, do you remember that time at the Peace Conference when you refused to take a hint and I was forced to tie you to that flagpole outside the Conference's headquarters?"

Zack frowned, looking worried, then turned to face Trini. "Trini, Conner locked Tommy and Kimberly in the Secret Chamber together and we can't find the key."

_"What?"_ Trini demanded in horror.

Jason gaped at Zack in dismay and was completely unsurprised when Trini grabbed Jason by the shoulders and flung him off of her. "Tell me you're kidding," Jason groaned as he bounced against the mattress.

"Nope." Zack went to the dresser and began shoving it away from the door, averting his eyes from Jason and Trini as they both climbed out of the bed. "Conner roped Billy into helping him and Billy feels just awful, and Kira's freaking out because she knows Conner would rather die than give up the key's location, and Ethan and Trent are still convinced this was a _good_ plan, and Tommy and Kimberly are handcuffed—"

"I thought you said they were in the Secret Chamber," Jason said, frowning.

"They are. They're also handcuffed. So hopefully they're just kicking at each other, instead of punching _and_ kicking."

"Oh, _god!"_ Trini wailed. She tossed the first article of clothing she could find over her head. "My experiments, the Aqua-phone, the computer—not to mention Billy's suit! They could be damaging all sorts of things!"

Zack managed to get the dresser out of the way and Trini yanked open the broken door, darting out into the hallway. Jason sighed. "Someone's gonna _pay_ for this," he grumbled.

Zack grinned. "Consider it karma for tying me to a flagpole at night during January in Switzerland."

"I don't believe in karma," Jason told him as they followed Trini out of the room. "I'd hate to think of all the innocent people I killed in a past life to deserve this."


	93. The Sound of Dischordia

**Chapter Ninety-three**

_The Sound of Dischordia_

"Hey guys," Conner called cheerfully, practically bouncing down the stairs. "Where's Zack?"

"He went to get Trini," Ethan said.

Conner frowned, then brightened. "Well, I'm sure he won't succeed. They blocked the door with something, so—gah!"

Something slammed into Conner from behind, knocking him into the wall. He turned to see Trini run past him, wearing a baggy red T-shirt and looking frantic. "Kim? Kimberly, can you hear me?" Trini shouted.

"On the other hand, that Zack's a bright guy," Conner said, wincing.

"Damned straight," Zack said, coming down the stairs with a thoroughly disgruntled Jason.

"TRINI!" Kimberly and Tommy bellowed in perfect unison.

"If I ever find out you had anything to do with this, I swear—" Tommy began threateningly.

"Trini, get us out!"

"Working on it." Trini turned and looked at Conner. "Where's the key?"

Conner raised his head defiantly. "It's in a safe place."

"Don't you have a spare?" Kira asked.

"Of course not. I don't want copies of the key to _this_ door floating around everywhere! Conner, _we need that key."_

"Well, you're _not_ getting it." Conner crossed his arms over his chest.

Trini sighed. "Everyone start searching. There are only so many places he could have—"

"No, no," Jason interrupted, holding up a hand to stop the others as they headed for the stairs. "I'll handle this."

With that, Jason strode over to Conner and seized the front of his shirt. The next thing Conner knew he was dangling two feet off the ground and his back was slamming into the wall, hard.

"Conner," Jason said pleasantly, _"where is the key?"_

Conner stared down at him, numb. Conner had fought monsters, had risked his life, had nearly lost his friends in battle… but nothing had ever filled him with half as much terror as he felt in this moment. The moment when _the_ Red Ranger looked Conner in the eye and made it incredibly clear that he had three seconds left to live and only one chance for salvation.

"I hid it in the dog's dish."

The words were out of his mouth before he could consider his options. Jason smiled at him and lowered him gently to his feet. "Thanks, bro," Jason said cheerfully. He looked at Zack, who nodded and rushed back up the stairs, but Conner was no longer paying attention, the word "bro" ringing in Conner's ears. The first Red Ranger had called Conner _"Bro!"_

"Way to stick to your guns," Ethan said sulkily.

"You have _got_ to teach me how to do that," Kira half-whispered, staring at Jason in awe. "Think of the _power…"_

"Sorry. It's a unique talent," Jason said dryly. "Now. Once Zack gets back with the key, we'll let Tommy and Kimberly out and you can all _go back to the hotel._ Billy, can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything," Billy said solemnly, still full of guilt for allowing Conner to trick him into locking up Tommy and Kimberly.

"Keep an eye on Conner for a few hours for me? I honestly don't think I can keep from strangling the next person who causes an interruption, you understand…"

Billy blushed, but he nodded. "Sure."

They waited for a few moments, the only sound the occasional thud or muttered curse from the Secret Chamber. Jason tapped his foot impatiently.

"You know," Conner ventured, "if we let them out now, it'll all be for nothing."

Trini rolled her eyes and looked at Jason, who clapped Conner on the shoulder. "Trust me, Conner—we don't get them out of there soon, it'll do far more damage than good. I know you had his best interests in mind, but you can't force Tommy to do what he doesn't want to do. You have to point him in a direction and let him charge blindly into it on his own."

"Kim, too," Trini said.

Jason nodded. "See, Conner, in theory, this wasn't a totally horrible plan. They _do_ need to sort things out and sometimes it seems like they need to be forced to do it, but they can't be forced."

"If it was this easy, we would have locked them in a closet many years ago," Billy added dryly.

"Good point," Trent said thoughtfully.

"It's one thing to lock them in a store or a trunk—they know we're letting them out eventually," Jason continued. "So in the trunk, they relaxed, chatted, waited it out."

"Notice in Spencer's, however, that their focus almost immediately shifted to escaping. They were working together, yes, but the overall intention wasn't realized," Trini said. "It got the nostalgia flowing, forced them to work as a team, but they escaped too quickly and came out of it in exactly the same place they were when they went in. There's no way that will happen here; not when they're currently furious at each other."

Jason nodded. "Before we locked them in the trunk, they were both fine with each other. Before we locked them in Spencer's, Tommy was determined to get on her good side and Kimberly was too drained to be really angry."

"But if we just release them..." Conner began insistently.

"Trust me—we want to release them," Jason interrupted. "We _don't_ want them to escape on their own."

"Why not?" Conner asked, slowly digesting this new information.

"Because if we don't redeem ourselves by freeing them, we're all in very deep shit," Jason replied mildly.

"Um, guys?" Zack had reappeared, and he looked badly shaken as he came slowly down the steps.

"Yes?" Jason asked impatiently.

"There's… a problem." Zack swallowed.

"Good grief, what now?" Trini asked, putting a hand over her eyes.

"The key… isn't there."

Jason whipped around to glare at Conner. "You _lied_ to me?"

Conner shook his head frantically, backpedaling. "No, no! I put it in the dish and put some food on top of it to hide it…"

"And that's the problem," Zack said heavily. "Guys… the key isn't there. Neither is the food."

Everyone stared at Zack. Realization dawned on Ethan, Billy and Trini's faces first. "What? What?" Kira asked. "If it's not in the dog food, where…?"

"It's in the _dog,"_ Zack explained.

Jason's face paled. "Run that by me again?"

Zack cleared his throat. "When I got to the kitchen… the dog was finishing off the food. And there was no key."

There was a long, ugly silence while the eight ex-Rangers came to terms with this new development. Then they heard Tommy's voice from inside the Chamber. "Guys? What's going on? Did you find the key? Hurry up; Kim won't tell me how to find the safety latch and—"

"There's been a problem," Trini called in a strangled tone. "A _big_ problem."

"Kim, I'm so sorry," Kira whimpered.

"What? What? What's going on?" Kimberly demanded.

"Conner… took the key," Trent explained reluctantly. "And apparently he… he…"

"Yeah?" Tommy asked impatiently.

"He fed it to Tommy," Zack finished.

"What do you mean, he fed it to Tommy?" Kimberly asked, confused.

"Not _Tommy,_ Tommy. The dog, Tommy," Zack clarified. "The dog ate the key."

There was a pause. Then Kimberly angrily shouted, "Ha, ha! Very funny, Zack. Now let us _out."_

"I'm not kidding," Zack insisted. "The dog ate the key."

They waited in silence for Tommy and Kimberly to digest this news. Then Tommy shouted, "Yeah, right!" so loudly that everyone jumped.

"It's true—" Zack began, but Tommy interrupted.

"The _dog_ ate the key? The _only_ key? Well, isn't that _convenient._ Come on, people; I'm a teacher here! That excuse doesn't work for homework and it's not working now! _Open the freaking door!"_

"It's not an excuse!" Trini yelled. "Do you _honestly_ think we couldn't come up with something _better_ than _that?"_

"Apparently not, if your best plan to get me and Kimberly back together is to lock us in a closet! I thought we had an understanding, Trini! I thought you were going to help me!"

"I am, but—"

"Oh, now you're conspiring against me, Trini?" Kimberly demanded.

"Of course not!"

"Hey!" Tommy yelled. "Whose side are you on?"

"I'm on both of your sides!"

"Yeah, right!" Tommy shouted. "First you tell me you'll help me get Kim back, and the next thing I know I'm locked in here and Kimberly's screaming incoherently at me, and now she's locked in here too and _the dog ate the key?"_

"This was all Conner's doing! I would never lock you two in a room full of priceless research!"

"Oh, sure, blame it on Conner! You better let us out of here, now, or else!"

"I told you, we can't!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Ethan interrupted. "Dr. O finally admitted that he wanted Kimberly back? And he asked Trini to help him do it?"

"Oh, yeah," Conner said vaguely. "Right before Billy and I cuffed him and threw him in the closet."

"You idiot!" Kira yelled. "He was finally working it out on his own and now he's trapped in there and the key's in the dog!"

"Oh, come on," Conner said, waving a hand dismissively. "Dr. O's been back and forth about it all week. Just because he's in a positive mood doesn't mean he'll actually _do_ anything about it. 'Yes, I want Kim, let me glare at Conner with glowing green eyes because he called her hot.' 'No, I don't want Kim, we're just _friends.'_ 'Yes, I want Kim, would you all mind getting banned from the carnival so we can make out?' 'No, I don't want Kim, we're just _friends.'_ 'Yes, I want Kim—'"

_"Excuse_ me!" Kimberly yelled furiously. "I don't know where you people get off, thinking that it's up to you and Tommy who _I_ date! I am very happily single, and I'm going to stay that way until _I_ decide otherwise, and no amount time spent locked in a closet is going to change that! So let me out!"

"You see?" Conner said triumphantly. "Even if he gets his head on straight, she's still all 'Want Dr. O, don't want Dr. O, want Dr. O, don't want Dr. O.' I'm helping them _both."_

"No you're not! You're locking them in a closet!" Kira shouted.

"Exactly!"

"Oh, don't try to play dumb, any of you!" Tommy roared. "You're all in on it, I know you are! I—ooh, hey, found the safety latch. About freaking time." There was a pause, then a thud as he tossed his handcuffs to the side. "Now… where was I?"

"You were ranting like an idiot," Kimberly supplied.

"Oh, thanks. I—hey!"

"Well, you were!"

"I am _not_ ranting like an idiot! Don't tell me you believe this crap about it being Conner's plan!"

"Oh, that's right—I'm not supposed to have an opinion. I'm just the girl Tommy can choose to date or not to date at his leisure!"

"That's right!"

"Oh, forget you!"

"Look, don't worry, guys," Trini called urgently, anxious to stop their bickering. "We'll figure something out. Just give us a little time."

"Don't give me that!" Tommy bellowed. _"You_ did this! All of you! You're always pulling this sort of nonsense! What do you want, huh? Do you want us to kiss and make up? Is _that_ what you want? Will that get us out of here? _Fine!"_

The sound of a scuffle came from inside the Chamber. Kimberly yelped. And then there was silence.

"No way," Zack breathed, eyes wide.

"I told you!" Ethan exclaimed happily, punching Trent in the arm.

"I don't believe it," Trent said, shaking his head.

"Oh, my god," Kira whispered.

"This turn of events is highly perplexing," Billy commented, frowning.

"Finally!" Trini sighed.

"About freaking time," Jason muttered.

Conner thrust his fists in the air. "It's working! _I am a genius!"

* * *

_

Kimberly was even less sure how _this_ had happened. One minute she was ignoring Tommy's ranting, leaning on the table, searching idly for any means of escape, and the next Tommy was lunging for her. She leaped off the table, dodging to the side on instinct, and now they were both dimly lit by the blue glow of the Aqua-phone. Kimberly glowered at him, not sure what he was playing at. Tommy's eyes narrowed in determination and he dove at her again, seizing her wrist in one hand.

"What—HEY!" Kimberly yelped. She concentrated on an attempt to free her arm, and the move cost her dearly. Not only did she fail to pull her wrist from his grasp, but Tommy used her distraction to grab her other arm and pin her to the wall.

She couldn't see his face anymore, just the vague silhouette of his head in the ethereal light. She struggled vainly against his hold, still unclear on his motives, and then his head tilted to the side just a bit. Something about the move sent a wave of horror and realization through her being, her entire body going rigid with shock, fear and anger.

She shoved at him roughly, but he held her fast, and even though she couldn't see a single feature on his face she was acutely aware that he was smiling, perhaps even smirking, and she wanted nothing more in that moment than to smack his face. How dare he? Three years of happiness, eight years of nothing, six days of chaos, and now _this?_ No. This was _wrong._ Wrong, wrong, _wrong!_ He had hurt her, he had blamed her, he had screamed and ranted and threatened to break down her door, he couldn't just _do_ this, this wasn't how it worked…

Attempting another fruitless shove against Tommy's person, Kimberly glared up at him. He couldn't see her face, but it made her feel better about the situation. "You wouldn't _dare,"_ she hissed.

Tommy replied only by leaning into her and finding her lips with surprising ease in the darkness.

A jolt went through Kimberly's body, shock and fear and an unbidden sense of relief that startled her almost as much as the present situation had. It hadn't occurred to her just how much she had wanted this until it happened, and she was so busy trying to remember why this was a bad thing that it took a moment for it to sink in. Tommy was _kissing_ her. _Tommy_ was _kissing_ her.

She wanted to fight him. She wanted to get away, from him, from this, from the last eight years and every feeling she'd been fighting so heroically over the past week. She wanted to run, to break down that firmly-locked door and run straight out of the house, out of the city, couldn't do this, shouldn't do this…

Oh, god. Tommy was _kissing her._

Finally something in her mind unhooked and Kimberly melted, her struggles abruptly ceasing as she let it happen. Tommy, feeling her relax, shifted and released her wrists, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. It was then she realized that she had expected him to feel the same, but everything felt so different now, a fact that struck her intensely when she slid her hands up his chest to his neck and failed to encounter long strands of hair. But she could work with that, because for all he felt different, he kissed the same. The two wayward thoughts compounded, making her acutely aware of the years and the distance between herself and Tommy now. They used to be so close, and now they were practically two strangers despite their past.

Yet the longer they kissed the more she was reminded that this was Tommy. The same guy who bought her roses and won her carnival prizes and shyly asked her to dances and serenaded her with that horrible voice and forgot everything except their anniversary. He had saved her life, fought by her side, comforted her, asked her stupid questions, kissed her eagerly, and once sobbed half a night away in her arms.

Tears sprang to Kimberly's eyes, much to her horror. She couldn't help it; too many emotions were flooding out and she felt that she would collapse if she dared try to repress them once again. So she let the tears fall, kissing Tommy even harder as the drops fought their way out from behind her closed eyelids and made their way down her cheeks. She pressed herself against him as far as possible, feeling his heart pound, his breath hitch.

Suddenly Tommy pulled back as he felt the wetness of her tears hit his own cheeks. There was a pause, a horrible, still pause that seemed to stretch on endlessly. Kimberly wanted to say something, to reassure him, but she couldn't. She couldn't stop crying, either, couldn't even reach up to brush the tears away. They had a right to fall.

"I've wanted to do that for eight years," Tommy whispered, and his voice was desperate, almost pleading. She could hear him, breathing heavily, swallowing audibly as if trying to clear something hard from his throat.

Kimberly sighed shakily. "I have too."

Nothing had been fixed, and they both knew it. She could feel the tension in his body—he probably wanted to hold her, comfort her, sooth her like he used to. But it wasn't right. That wasn't him, not anymore, not again, not yet.

So the only thing that could be done was done. Tommy leaned in and kissed her again.

The tears stopped suddenly; this wasn't about anything anymore, not the past, not the pain, just the kissing, just Tommy. Memory was run over by passion and nothing mattered but Tommy.

Hands began to wander and now they won't so much holding each other as clinging, Tommy crushing her against his chest. They fell back against the wall and then Tommy was swinging her around and pushing her towards the table. Her thighs hit the ledge and she hopped up until she was sitting on it, praying it held under her weight. Something was jabbing her in the leg; she impatiently yanked it out from underneath her and ignored the sound of it shattering on the floor.

"Hey! What was _that?"_ Trini shouted from outside the closet.

The indignant tone in her voice sent them both into giggles. "Hey, you _wanted_ us to kiss and make up," Tommy called smugly, and he swept another miscellaneous object off the table just for fun, feeling a strong sense of pleasure at the resulting crash.

"No, I _wanted_ you to leave me alone so I could have sex with Jason!" Trini shot back.

"No one's stopping you," Tommy replied calmly, leaning back a bit. Kimberly snickered.

"Good point," Jason said in distinctly hopeful tones.

Tommy stepped away from Kimberly and raised his voice a tad more. "There, we've kissed and made up. Now—"

Whatever Tommy was about to say was lost when Kimberly pulled him back for another kiss.

* * *

"What was that?" Zack called. "I didn't catch that last part."

Silence was the only answer from the Secret Chamber. "…Are they kissing again?" Kira asked, wrinkling her nose.

"That, or it's all a clever plot to get them out of the closet," Trent said with a shrug.

"Come on, Trent! It's obvious it worked," Conner said proudly. "I am a _genius._ They're so naming their firstborn after me."

Zack smirked, pressing his ear against the door. He could hear the occasional moan, but not much else. "Sounds like they're creating your namesake as we speak."

"Guys!" Billy wailed. "My Power Suit is in there!"

"It's working! It's working!" Conner shouted gleefully.

There was another crash from within, followed by a firm, "This doesn't mean I forgive you," from Tommy.

Conner frowned at that. "Well, it's still working."

"This doesn't mean _I_ forgive _you,_ either!" Kimberly retorted.

"…It is still working, right?" Conner asked Zack as Tommy and Kimberly lapsed into silence.

Zack held a finger to his lips, continuing to press his ear against the door. So his eardrum nearly shattered when Tommy bellowed, "Forgive me? _Excuse_ me?"

"What, like it was all _my_ fault?" Kimberly demanded.

"Guys, guys, remember the working!" Conner called desperately.

There was another lengthy pause, long enough for Zack to cautiously press his ear to the door again. He was just giving a thumbs-up to the others when Kimberly shrieked, "HEY! Give that back!" forcing him to dive away from the door, cringing as he clutched his wounded ear.

"No! It's mine!"

"GIVE THAT BACK!"

"No! You didn't honestly think I was kidding when I said I'd get it back one day, did you?"

Kira backed away from the closet in disgust. "Did he just… are they talking about the shirt?"

"Well, at least clothes are coming off, right?" Conner said hopefully.

_"That's_ why you kissed me?" Kimberly yelled, obviously outraged. "To get your stupid shirt back?"

"No, that was just a bonus. But never mind the shirt," Tommy added hastily. "We were kissing and making up, remember?"

"Forget that! You stole my shirt!"

"Excuse me, this is _my_ shirt!"

"I would have given it back!"

"When, huh? You've had it for two days!"

"When I'm not wearing it!"

"I was taking your shirt off anyway!"

"That's not the point! Give it back!"

"No! Look, can't we just ignore the stupid shirt and—"

"No! Give it back!"

"That's counterproductive!"

"Not anymore, it isn't!"

"Kimberly—"

"No! Get away from me. First you act like everything that happened was my fault, you scream at me like a psychopath, then you make out with me and steal my shirt and now you expect me to just… just… go to hell, Tommy!"

"You know what? That's fine. If you're going to pitch a fit about a stupid shirt—"

"It's not about the shirt! You tell me you blame me for what happened, you tell me it doesn't matter who's to blame, then you go off on me when I try to tell you that yeah, I blame you, I blame both of us! You won't let me explain, you practically break down my door, and then—I'm sick of your bizarre little games! One minute you don't want anything to do with me, the next you're trying to seduce me! I was just _fine_ without you, Tommy! _I was just fine!"_

"So was I!" Tommy roared. "I don't need this, I don't need any of it! And why the hell is it _my_ responsibility to make everything right, huh? Why am _I_ always the one who has to make that step? You never tried either, and maybe I haven't been handling it all that well, but at least I _tried!"_

"Well you _FAILED!"_

There was a sudden, oppressive silence. Kimberly couldn't have wounded him worse if she'd tried, and she knew it. Outside the Chamber, Jason, Trini, Zack and Billy exchanged grim glances, and the Dino Ranger looked from one to the next in askance, not fully understanding the power of that word but realizing that something had just gone terribly, terribly wrong.

"Guys?" Tommy called, and his voice was serious, strained. "Let us out. Now."

The four older Rangers looked at each other hopelessly. If they had had possession of the key, they would have complied. Unfortunately…

"Tommy, we're serious," Zack said. "The key's in the dog."

Tommy was quiet a moment. "Get it back," he replied finally. "Get it back, and now."

Conner sagged in defeat. "It's not working anymore," he said wretchedly.

Ethan clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, it was worth a shot," he said consolingly. "And hey, at least they're talking now. It's all out in the open. And…" Ethan floundered for something to say. "Things aren't that bad…"

"Oh?" Jason asked, arching an eyebrow at him. "Kimberly and Tommy are at each other's throats. We'll be lucky if they ever speak to each other again. Meanwhile, they're trapped in a nearly-impenetrable room and the only key is inside my dog."

Ethan cringed. "Um… we've had worse?"

"We all have," Billy muttered, already thinking hard to come up with a solution. "That doesn't mean this won't be difficult."

"Let's just hope it isn't impossible," Jason said grimly. "All right, guys. Any ideas?"

* * *

_End Notes:_ Congratulations to Crimson Angel Winges, our three thousandth reviewer!

And a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed or otherwise praised this story, giving us motivation to continue our work. After three years and ninety-three chapters and tons of injury reports from excessive laughing and still, somehow, finding ourselves with over one day left to go before Power Rangers Day, it's incredible to us that this fic has become so well-received. I think it's safe to say we're officially the most-reviewed fic on this site in this fandom—a fact that never ceases to amaze us—and we're beyond grateful for the support of this cracked-out monstrosity of a fanfic.

Now, here we are, in the middle of Thursday night, with Tommy and Kimberly trapped in a closet, a key trapped inside a dog, and absolutely nothing resolved, so there's only one thing left to say.

_OLaB Forever!_


	94. House of Cards

**Chapter Ninety-four**

_House of Cards_

Half an hour later, the gang was still at a loss to come up with anything useful. Tommy and Kimberly had been completely silent the whole time as Jason, Trini, Zack, Billy, Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent brainstormed.

Their only accomplishment was to achieve a certain level of organization. Jason went to the garage to fetch every tool Jason and Trini owned. Trini brought down a large dry-erase board from her study and a handful of markers, which she used to list the Secret Chamber's numerous security features and any semi-plausible ideas that struck them. Zack put the dog in the backyard so that it wouldn't escape out the broken front door. Billy dug Jason and Trini's spare Aqua-phone out of their bedroom closet—he had sent one to each of them, before Jason and Trini married—and attempted to link up with the Aqua-phone in the closet, though he had only marginal success.

"Are you sure you don't have the _gariska-na_ for this?" Billy asked with a sigh as he toyed with the Aquitian version of a keyboard attached to the Aqua-phone's base.

"I told you, I gave it to Zack when his broke," Trini replied. "It'd be four hours before he could drive all the way to L.A. and get back here with it, and I'd rather have him here, in case we need him, especially since the Aqua-phone is a long shot, anyway."

"What do we need it for?" Ethan asked, examining the Aqua-phone with interest.

Billy sighed again. "Trini tells me the Chamber's defenses are tied to the computer in the Chamber. We can't disable those defenses from out here."

"I thought you said they were all mechanical, not electronic," Ethan said, looking up at Trini.

"The way they function _is_ mechanical, for the most part," she replied. "However, the computer controls whether or not they're active. It's a failsafe to keep myself from getting locked into the Secret Chamber. From that computer, I can deactivate them, which means it would only be extremely difficult to get the door open, as opposed to insanely hard."

"Can't Dr. O deactivate them, then?" Kira asked. "He's not bad with computers."

Trini shook her head. "The login feature uses voice recognition. Only Jason or I would be able to access anything on that computer."

"Can't we hack into the computer from another?" Ethan asked eagerly. "I'm pretty good at—"

"Trust me—it's not possible," Trini interrupted. "I don't doubt you're a good hacker, Ethan, but that isn't just any computer. It's one of the most advanced on the planet, thanks to Power Ranger technology."

"So what is Billy doing with the Aqua-phone?" Trent asked.

"I'm attempting to connect with the Aqua-phone in the Secret Chamber," Billy explained. "If I can manage to link it to the Aqua-phone in the closet, there's a chance we can create a two-way communication device to allow for bypass of the voice-recognition feature, allowing Tommy to logon to the computer and possibly find a way to bypass the security features." He sighed. "But I suppose it doesn't matter. Linking up from phone to phone would take half a dozen hours at the least; the devices are designed for off-planet communication with Aquitar, not for communicating to others in possession of a phone, and I can't do much without a _gariska-na."_

"What's that?" Conner asked.

"Loosely translated—something Earth hasn't invented yet," Billy responded distractedly. "What about Rocky? He could be here within a half-hour, couldn't he?"

"He doesn't have a… a garis… whatever either," Jason told him. "His broke not long after Zack's. He usually just uses ours or Adam's."

"Why didn't someone tell me? I could have had a few more shipped down here," Billy complained.

"Billy, it took me seven hours to install that _gariska-na_ in Zack's Aqua-phone," Trini reminded him. "Besides, it didn't seem to be much of an issue. Rocky had easy access to ours and Adam's, and Zack had our spare. Didn't you say the Aqua-phones were difficult to make, anyway?"

Billy nodded, wincing. "Very. But I'm sure I could get more—has anyone else's broken?"

"Aisha's. Since Tanya and Adam live together, Tanya gave Aisha their spare," Jason replied. "Aisha's broke ages ago."

Trini sighed. "Regardless, let's move on. We can't login to the computer from out here, or hack into it. It'd take four or five hours to get a working Aqua-phone and another five or six hours minimum to link the two and we're not even sure it'd work."

"So we should move past the idea of bypassing the electronic stuff and work on popping the door," Jason said.

"Which isn't easy," Trini added grimly.

"We can't just, you know, call a locksmith?" Kira asked.

"I doubt a locksmith could manage it," Trini told her.

"But anything's worth a shot, right?" Kira insisted. "We find a locksmith, and—"

"In the middle of the night? Probably not the best idea," Zack said. "Especially not for a door that leads to a room containing Power Ranger artifacts."

"Especially not when the average suburban home doesn't usually have a door designed like Fort Knox," Jason agreed. "This is Angel Grove. People _wonder."_

"We could always kill them afterwards," Conner said thoughtfully.

"No more plans from you," Kira growled, glaring at him.

"Anyone know how to pick a lock?" Ethan joked.

"I could take a crack at it," Trent said. Everyone looked at him in surprise. Trent pretended not to notice.

"Attempts to pick the lock could trigger the lock-down, couldn't they?" Billy asked.

Trini nodded. "It's too risky. I selected, installed and modified this whole system, and _I_ wouldn't even try to pick the lock."

"You know how to pick locks?" Kira asked, frowning.

"Oh, of course. When other little kids were playing Cops and Robbers, Billy and I were playing The Difference between Standard Cylinder, Pin-and-tumbler, Wafer-tumbler, and Tubular Locks and the Most Effective Tension Wrenches Capable of Bypassing Each Respective Lock."

"I miss that game," Billy said wistfully. "Remember when we locked ourselves in the elementary-school library just to see if we could escape?"

Trini smiled, nodding. "Good thing we brought snacks."

"And you guys say _I_ was a weird kid?" Zack said, shaking his head. "At least Play-Doh eating isn't training for a career as a cat-burglar."

"Hey, Trini?" Tommy called.

"Yeah?"

"Where's the light switch in here?" Trini started to reply, but Tommy interrupted with an, "OW! What the hell was that for?"

"You are _not_ turning the light on! I'm not wearing a shirt!" Kimberly shouted.

"I don't care about that! I'm just sick of sitting here in the dark!"

"Yeah, right!"

"Hey, at least you're in a closet in your friends' house! I had to go down to the front desk in my underwear!"

"That's what you _get_ for eavesdropping on me!"

"Oh, great," Trini said wearily. "Now they're going to argue about every stupid thing they've done to each other this week."

"And then they'll probably start in on the 90s," Zack added.

"Back to getting them out," Jason said. "We can't pick the lock, and we can't shut off the security measures. So…"

"We could blast the door open," Zack suggested. "You, me and Trini still have our Power Coins."

Billy shook his head. "Your powers are not as strong without the Command Center's ties to the morphing grid, and from what I recall of the Blade Blaster's abilities, they would probably be unable to penetrate the door. We would succeed only in triggering the defense systems and making the task more difficult. The Power Blaster, perhaps, but not the Blade Blaster, and without fully-functional Pink and Blue Power Coins, it cannot be assembled. Perhaps if we placed a flammable substance in front of the door and fired with a Blade Blaster…"

"That could burn the house down," Trini interrupted, shaking her head. "It's far too risky—and even _if_ we managed to get the door open we could seriously injure Tommy and Kimberly."

"OW!"

"Quit it!"

"No!"

"Get off me!"

"Not until you stop struggling! OW!"

"OW!"

"Something tells me seriously injuring them is kind of a stupid thing to be concerned about at this point," Zack quipped.

* * *

Hayley groaned as Jason and Trini's house came into view. Though it was almost two in the morning, half the lights in the house were on, including the porch light, and the front door stood ajar. Worse, however, was Tommy's Jeep parked haphazardly in the front lawn, and the mailbox was leaning slightly to one side, as though the Jeep had clipped it on its way over the curb. A blue Mustang was also parked on the lawn, the driver's side door wide open. Hayley ran through a mental list of the cars owned by those friends of Jason and Trini that Hayley had met, and failed to recall anyone owning a Mustang. Great—that meant it was probably Kimberly's.

She parked in the driveway behind Zack's Escalade, her spirits sinking a little further after noting the fact that his vehicle was parked just fine. Hayley knew Tommy's Ranger pals well enough to know that if Zack was the only one to do something normally—even something as mundane as park his car—it was a sign that something unpleasant was happening.

Hayley climbed out of the car, leaving her bags behind, and went to inspect the Mustang. The pink interior and fuzzy pink dice hanging from the rearview mirror backed up her suspicions regarding the car's ownership. Hayley checked to make sure the keys weren't in the ignition, then shut the door, figuring that being locked out was better than a dead battery. She had an errant thought that Kimberly probably didn't deserve any such favors, but she forced herself to reserve judgment. She had come to value the opinions of Jason, Trini and the other Rangers, all of whom held Kimberly in high regard, and the only blemish on Kimberly's record that Hayley knew of was the fact that Kimberly had dumped Tommy, and it wasn't as if Hayley hadn't done the same, even if her reasons had been drastically different.

Skirting around the Mustang, Hayley made her way up onto the porch, stopping dead at the sight of the splintered doorjamb. Someone had broken the door down… but who? And why? Was someone hurt in the house? That would explain the cars parked on the lawn…

Hayley cautiously pushed the door open and peered inside, seeing no signs of life. Not for the first time, she wished she carried a weapon on her person—in fact, life as Tommy's best friend had made her wish this more often than she could count. Settling for the next best thing, Hayley pulled her cell phone from her shoulder bag and scrolled through the listings until she found the Angel Grove Police Department, an entry she'd never deleted after that hectic vacation that had ended in a sunken island and a frantic search for Tommy's drowned corpse. Keeping her thumb poised over the talk button, Hayley crept inside.

To her right, the basement door stood open; to her left, the family room was empty. Hayley moved down the hall, noticing that Jason and Trini's bedroom door was open. Further inspection revealed that it had been kicked in, also. No one was in the room, and the window was wide open. She frowned at the sight of the unmade bed and the clothing scattered on the floor—she knew that Trini liked things neat and orderly. So they'd gotten out of bed in a hurry—why? It didn't make sense. Why was the dresser at such an odd angle, too?

Hayley sighed and headed for the wall closest to the door, where several weapons hung on hooks. The swords were mostly Jason; Trini favored daggers and sais. Hayley didn't know how to properly use either, but she figured a carrying around a sharp object couldn't hurt. She lifted down one of the longer daggers, shifting her cell phone to her left hand, and went back to searching the house. Failing to find anyone, she sighed irritably and headed back towards the front door, at which point she heard shouting coming from the basement. She paused, listening for a moment. Kira's voice floated up to her and Hayley sighed in relief, recognizing the tone of one who was exasperated with Conner.

"Hello?" Hayley called, but no one answered her. Still, she could make out several other familiar voices, and figured she might as well head downstairs and hope for the best. She thought about leaving the dagger behind, but decided against it; years of friendship with Tommy had made Hayley a close personal friend of the random freak accidents that loved to attack him at every opportunity.

She paused on the landing and peered down into the basement. Trini, clad in an extremely baggy red T-shirt, was writing on a large dry-erase board while a blond man that Hayley presumed to be Billy sifted through a toolbox, an Aqua-phone on his lap. Kira, looking extremely disheveled, and Jason, wearing only jeans and a baleful expression, were taking turns berating Conner, who cringed apologetically before them, hands in the pockets of his pajama pants. Ethan, Trent and Zack—also in various sleepwear—were sitting in a line against the wall, talking in low voices. There was no sign of Tommy or Kimberly. A strong sense of foreboding filled Hayley; she was suddenly unable to shake the feeling that wherever Tommy was, he was at the very least not happy.

"What's going on?" she called as she came down the stairs. The others stared at her in surprise, as though they were too focused on their current problem to process her arrival. Hayley stepped off the last stair but did not release the dagger, the cell phone, or the stair railing as she looked suspiciously from one Ranger to the next.

"Hayley!" Kira cried in relief. "Oh, Hayley, it's _terrible!"_

"What's terrible?" Hayley started to ask, but before anyone could answer Conner came out of nowhere to fling his arms around her. Hayley, startled, dropped her cell phone and almost stabbed Conner on accident; she hastily set the dagger on the banister.

"Hayley!" Conner nearly sobbed. "We were just trying to help Dr. O get laid! I didn't think he'd eat the key! Now he's trapped forever and ever and we can't get him out and I'm so _sorry!"_

_"What?"_ Hayley demanded, trying and failing to pry Conner's arms off of her. "He ate a key and now he's trapped where?"

"Am I glad to see you," Trini said, giving her a thin smile. "We're having a bad night."

"A _really_ bad night," Jason said sourly. "Just when it was getting to be a _good_ night."

"Does someone sane want to tell me what's going on?" Hayley asked as Kira and Trent hauled Conner off of her.

"We locked Dr. O and Kimberly in that closet over there and Conner fed the key to Tommy," Trent explained, now trying to push Conner away; apparently Conner just needed a hug and didn't care who it came from.

Hayley stared at him for a moment. "Somehow, it's still not processing."

"They got some half-baked idea to lock up Tommy and Kim in _my_ closet," Jason clarified. "And they dragged Billy and Zack in on it, too."

"Why would anyone lock Tommy in a closet with Kimberly?" Hayley demanded.

"I don't _know!"_ Jason growled in frustration. "I especially don't know why they'd do it _here!"_

"I'm sorry," Conner said, looking so pathetic that the Dino Rangers instantly rallied around him; even Kira's annoyance with him seemed to thaw.

"We wanted to help Dr. O work out his differences with Kimberly," Kira said meekly. Hayley gave her a disapproving look; Kira gulped and began to ramble. "They just had a fight, and Dr. O went totally berserk and I had to hide the key to Kim's hotel room in my bra and then _he almost went after it!_ so I put it down Ethan's pants and then Conner convinced Ethan and Trent to steal Zack's car—"

"Stop, stop, stop," Hayley cut in quickly, holding up her hand. "I'm suddenly no longer interested in the back story."

"Point is," Trini said, "they locked Tommy in there with Kim and then gave Conner the task of hiding the key. And he put it in Tommy's—_my dog_ Tommy's—leftover dog food."

"And it all makes sense from there," Hayley said with a sigh. "Well, no, not really _sense,_ but… at least I'm not _that_ confused anymore." She looked thoughtfully at the Secret Chamber's door, then glanced around at the assembled ex-Rangers. Here gaze landed on Billy. "You must be Billy," Hayley said, holding out her hand for him to shake. "Good to finally meet you in person."

"Likewise," Billy said, blushing slightly. "I wish it was under better circumstances."

"Don't we all," Jason muttered irritably.

Billy smiled apologetically in his direction. "Um… we're not sure how to get them out of there. We're working on it, though, and I'd love your input…"

Hayley raised her eyebrows, glancing at the dry-erase board, which was covered in Trini's neat, tiny handwriting. "Hmm." She shook her head as she skimmed the information. Ex-Rangers seemed to only have one way of dealing with a situation. Everything was a battle plan, from saving the world to going to the grocery store. "According to this, it doesn't look so good."

"At this point, I'm getting worried about the lack of food or water in there," Trini confessed ruefully. "This isn't going to be easy."

"I see." Hayley sighed and headed over to the door. "Tommy?" she called.

There was a moment of silence from within, then a tentative response of "Hayley?"

"Jesus, Tommy, I leave you alone for a week…" She shook her head, feeling the familiar rush of affection and exasperation that always came to her whenever Tommy did something bizarre and troublesome.

"It's not my _fault!_ Hayley, what are you doing here?"

"I was invited, remember? Power Rangers Day is the day after tomorrow—"

_"Hayley!"_ Tommy wailed in tones of immense relief. "It's _you!_ Thank _god!_ You'll get me out of here, right?"

Hayley paused. "Um… Tommy… if _Billy_ and _Trini_ can't get you out, what makes you think _I_ can?"

There was a long, horrified pause. "But… but… but you're _Hayley!"_

"I have my limits, you know."

"But… but… Hay-_ley…"_

Hayley winced; it was never a good thing when Tommy reached that level of whining. "You know, Tommy, I'm _so _putting this in the video journal. Hell, I should write a book. Call it 'The _Real _Secret Lives of the Power Rangers.' It'd be a best seller. You, legendary superhero, stuck in a closet in the middle of the night."

"I believe the correct term is trapped. Focus, Hayley, would you? This wasn't fun from the beginning. It's been at least an hour."

"No, it hasn't, you big baby," said an unfamiliar voice, presumably Kimberly's.

"I was _not_ talking to _you,"_ Tommy sniped, his tone turning acidic faster than Hayley would have thought possible. "I was talking to the person whose company I actually enjoy. OW! Hayley! Get me out of here!"

"You're the one with the magic powers!" Hayley shouted indignantly, bending down to inspect the keyhole. "Why don't you just bust on out?" Tommy didn't reply. Hayley straightened up, frowning. Hands on her hips, she glowered darkly through the door. "Tommy, _where is your Zeonizer?"_

Tommy took a deep breath and muttered, with obvious reluctance, "In my sock drawer."

"TOMMY! What have I told you about forgetting to take it with you?"

"I didn't think I was leaving the hotel!" he wailed. "And Adam's butt got set on fire! And—"

"You _swore_ to me, after you finished explaining what that mental patient with the phonebook was doing in your apartment, that you would never leave your bedroom without your Zeonizer and a communicator on your person again!"

"It's been a really long time since I forgot it! I was upset and… and… I didn't _mean_ to!"

"Tommy's getting yelled at," Kimberly said in a singsong voice.

"So help me, Kimberly," Tommy growled darkly, _"I am going to find that light switch."_

"I have half a mind to leave you in there to rot!" Hayley shouted. "I am sick and tired of pulling your feet out of kitchen sink drains and hosing frozen tomato sauce off your body and trying to de-fossilize you only for you to get yourself in some new bizarre situation! Maybe if I just let you stay in one you'll stop having more!"

"Not likely," Jason said with a snort, but Hayley ignored him.

"If you _ever_ forget your Zeonizer again—"

"I'm sorry, okay? I really am. Hayley, please, scream at me all you want. I'll even let you hit me a bit. Just get me _out_ of here."

Hayley huffed angrily and glared blackly at the door. "This is the _last time,_ Tommy—I mean it. Just _once_ I want to be the rescued one, do you hear me? Just _once!"_

Tommy muttered something in an apologetic tone as Hayley turned away to look at the others. "Don't you lot still have powers?" she asked Trini. "Couldn't you break the door down?"

"If it was a _real_ door, yeah," Jason groused.

"The entire right side of the door is reinforced," Trini replied. "And any heavy blows or attempts to pick the lock will activate the security features."

"Meaning what, specifically?" Hayley asked.

"Meaning on either side of the door the walls are concealing metal panels five feet long and three inches thick. Any attempts to pick the lock will cause six rods to shoot out from the panel on the right, through strategic locations in the door and hook into slots in the opposite plate, so that even if one vaporized every splinter of wood in that door there would still be bars in place with less than a foot gap between them."

"Whoa." Hayley stared at her in astonishment. "You're _good."_

"Thanks," Trini said with a smile. "You know, when we get them out of there, I'd love to show you some of the modifications. In particular the sensors I use to detect forced entry—"

"Yes, the door is very cool," Tommy called irritably. "Now can we get me _out_ of here?"

"Tommy, chill," Kimberly said. "We'll get out of here."

"Yeah, well, sometime this century would be nice. I had more hope of escape when I was captured by Mesogog than I do right now—"

"Well, yeah, I'm sure you felt confident when there was a Black Dino Gem staring you in the face—"

"Don't bring that up." Tommy cut across Kimberly with such a serious tone that Kimberly, taken aback, fell silent. After a moment, she tried again.

"I'm just saying…"

"Seriously, _don't bring that up._ I'm trying to repress."

"…Whatever."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You know, any one of us would have been _proud_ to take up that stone."

"Yeah, I'm sure _you_ would have. How long were _you_ a Ranger?"

"Everyone told me to follow my freaking dream, okay? Including you. Jerk."

_"So I'm a jerk for telling you to follow your dream?"_ Tommy bellowed.

"No, you're a jerk for trying to use it against me!"

"I'm not trying to use it against you! I'm trying to make a point!"

"Yeah, well, your point _sucked!"_

There was a moment of tense silence. Then a roar of "THAT'S IT!"

The sounds of a scuffle came through the door. "We've got to work faster," Billy said with a sigh. "It just keeps getting _worse."_

"Well, if _you_ were trapped in a closet, you probably wouldn't be very calm, either," Hayley pointed out, sweeping a glare over the Dino Rangers, who promptly tried to look remorseful.

"I still don't see what we can do to get them out of there," Trini said with a sigh. "Perhaps if we could saw through the door without jarring it too terribly…"

"I think Tommy and Kimberly are going to jar the door pretty badly if this keeps up," Hayley remarked, startled at the ferocity the thuds from within the Chamber implied. "It sounds like they're fighting to the death in there."

"All bets are off in a Ranger-to-Ranger battle," Trent said. Everyone turned to look at him. "What?" he said defensively.

"They know to be careful of the door; hopefully they'll remember," Trini told Hayley. Then her eyes widened. "Oh, god, they're fighting to the death in there!"

"OW! OW!" Tommy confirmed.

"My _computer!"_ Trini wailed, diving at the doorknob.

"You _bit_ me!" Tommy shouted, incensed.

"Hey, maybe it's starting to work again!" Conner exclaimed. Everyone turned to look at him. He sighed. "Or not."

"That's what you _get!"_ There was a pause. "When was the last time you showered?"

"Hey, don't _even_ go there! I shower! I shower plenty!"

"Apparently not with soap."

"Well maybe not with your flower-scented crap that stank up our bathroom like nothing else!"

"Your bathroom smelled like a barn! I was just trying to help!"

"Well I don't need my bathroom to smell like a perfume store exploded!"

"You don't need it to smell like manure, either!"

"It doesn't smell like that!"

"This is a very interesting fight," Ethan said. Everyone looked at him. "What? It is."

"And anyway, even if it _did_ smell bad, it's Zack's fault!"

"Hey!" Zack complained. Then he paused, now on the receiving end of everyone's odd looks. "All right, that's fair."

Kimberly was silent for a moment, and suddenly Tommy shouted, "HA! Got you with that one, didn't I?"

"Shut up! And no, you didn't!"

"Yes I did!"

"No you didn't!"

"I did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"OW! See, every time I get you, you always resort to violence!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" Tommy bellowed.

"Oh, like that's really gonna help!" Kimberly snorted.

"You could try doing something useful, _for once!"_

"Like what? Screaming and distracting everyone who's trying to concentrate?"

"Look," Jason said, "the way I see it, we only have two options at this point. We can either leave them in there until the dog passes the key—and who knows how long that will take—or we can pick the lock and hope for the best."

"I told you, I'm not comfortable trying," Trini said. "It could trigger the security system."

"Yeah, it could, but they reset after—what, seven or eight hours?"

"Twelve."

"So at the worst, we'd just have to wait for them to reset and make another attempt when they did," Billy said thoughtfully.

"There's no way to shut them off from out here?" Hayley asked.

Trini shook her head. "Why should there be? They only activate if someone tries to force their way in. I never anticipated needing to do that, and if I'd put the deactivation system outside the chamber, then anyone trying to get in could do it, and anyone trying to get out couldn't." A little defensively, she added, "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

"I think it's worth the risk," Billy said. "Twelve hours would give us more time to theorize, anyway, and the veterinarian's office should be open by then."

Trini sighed. "All right. Do you want to do the honors, Billy, or shall I?"

"You," Billy said. "I haven't picked a conventional lock in years, being on Aquitar—the lock at the hotel required a keycard."

Trini dug a set of picks—kept around for emergencies, honest—from her toolbox and headed for the door. "It'll be a shame to do this," she said as she knelt before the doorknob. "I know it's necessary, but I worked so hard to make this system foolproof, and I've damned near succeeded, if I do say so myself—"

"If I hear _one more word_ about how cool that door is, I'm going to beat you all to death!" Tommy bellowed.

"Jeez, you'd think he'd never been kidnapped before," Zack muttered.

"OW! What the hell are you doing?" Tommy shouted.

"You stole my shirt, I steal yours!" Kimberly declared.

"Let go! They're both mine!"

"Not anymore they're not!"

Trini selected a long, thin metal bar and carefully inserted it into the lock. "Hold your breath," she muttered to the group clustered behind her. She took a shaky breath and began to twist the pick… just as something heavy crashed into the door.

"OW!" Tommy complained.

"HA!" Kimberly shouted.

"NO!" Trini yelled.

There was a deafening grinding noise and a thunderous _CLUNG_ that sounded utterly _final._


	95. The Whole Lie

**Chapter Ninety-five**

_The Whole Lie_

The sound of metal on metal left the ears ringing. For a long moment, no one spoke; they were too busy exchanging horrified glances.

"Oh, _no,"_ Trini whispered.

"What the hell was _that?"_ Kimberly demanded.

"I told you not to jar the door!" Trini shrieked.

"It was an accident!"

"Was not," Tommy muttered sulkily.

"You triggered the security system!" Trini wailed.

"What? What's going on?" Tommy demanded.

"The primary mechanical defenses have—"

"Someone who isn't Billy, please!"

"Sorry!"

"You just set off the security system and now we have to wait about twelve hours to get you out!" Trini yelled.

"WHAT?" Kimberly shouted, horrified.

"No," Hayley said suddenly.

Everyone turned to look at her. She blinked, startled by the attention, then drew herself up proudly. "No," she repeated firmly. "We're _not_ leaving them in there for the next twelve hours. We're going to get him out of there."

"But we can't—" Trini began.

"Yes, we can. Every last one of us has saved the world at some point—me included—and I absolutely _refuse_ to let a _closet door_ get the best of me. _We can do this."_

"So what's the plan?" Jason asked.

"We… we could saw through the door," Billy suggested slowly. "Now that the security system went off, there's no point in trying to avoid jarring the door."

"Kimberly might be able to squeeze between the bars, but not Tommy," Trini replied, shaking her head.

"But… we don't need to get them _out,_ do we?" Zack said. "I mean, we just need to get you or Jason _in._ Then you can tell the computer to back off with the steel bars and pop the lock, right?"

Trini's eyes widened, and then her face lit up. "Jason, get the chainsaw!" she exclaimed.

"That has _got_ to be the creepiest thing I've ever heard a chick say," Conner muttered.

"And you've heard some very creative threats in your time," Trent said.

Jason started to turn towards the stairs, then stopped. "The chainsaw that you leant to Mr. Greenlee?" he asked Trini.

"Yeah, that one. It should … oh." Trini swore and smacked her forehead. "Great. Just _great!"_

"Square one again," Billy said glumly.

"No, no—we just need a saw," Hayley said, determined not to lose the momentum they were gaining.

"Wal-Mart," Kira said. "That's where my dad got his—and they're open twenty-four hours, right?"

"They're pretty expensive," Trini said. "A hundred and fifty dollars, easy."

"I'll buy," Billy offered. "I think some of my friends on Aquitar might like to study one, anyway."

"You should stay here, though, in case we need you," Trini said. "And you don't have a car…"

"I'll go," Zack said. "Give me the card."

"Take Kira with you," Trini said as Billy passed his credit card to Zack.

"Why?"

"Because you'll need someone sensible along," Trini replied dryly.

Zack shrugged. "Sure. Come on, Kira."

They headed for the stairs. "What can I do to help?" Conner asked eagerly.

"Stop formulating plans," Trini said, glaring at him.

"Why don't you and Ethan go hop on the computer upstairs?" Jason suggested. "Look up dog digestion and see what we can do about that."

"That's a great idea," Billy agreed. "Research how long it will take to pass naturally and the causes of canine digestive problems. Print out anything that can induce loose feces and frequent bowel maneuvers with minimal lasting effects."

Ethan looked horribly disgusted, but Conner was simply confused. "Um, what?"

"He wants us to find a way to give the dog diarrhea," Ethan explained with a shudder.

_"What?_ EW! No _way_ am I gonna—"

"Oh, yes, you are," Jason said darkly.

"Yes, sir," Conner said hastily, leaping towards his feet and heading towards the stairs.

"Trent, go hang in the back yard with Tommy," Jason added. "Make sure the key's not already sitting on the lawn somewhere." Trent grimaced, but nodded and followed Conner and Ethan.

"Jason, you should try and go get our chainsaw back," Trini said.

"Trini, it's almost two-thirty a.m. How am I supposed to tell him that I woke him up because I need a _chainsaw_ in the middle of the night?"

"I don't care, make something up! If you manage it, call Zack and tell him not to bother buying a new one; you should be able to get it back in time, provided you can wake Mr. Greenlee up. If you can't get it back, or you can't get it back in time, then it'd still be nice to have a spare, in case something goes wrong. Meanwhile, Billy, Hayley and I will keep brainstorming."

Jason sighed. "All right. See you soon."

"Hurry up!" Tommy whined.

"Whiner," Kimberly muttered.

"I don't whine!"

"Do too."

Trini sighed. "This is going to be a long night."

Hayley bent down and picked up a flashlight near the toolbox. "Sure, Hayley. Go cheer Tommy on at Power Rangers Day. He could use a little cheering up over the whole power loss thing. Keep his feet on the ground amidst the nostalgia. _Great_ idea, Hayley. It's not like Tommy will get trapped with his ex-girlfriend in a closet imported from Area 51."

Tommy snorted. "That's you, Hayley. Always thinking on the bright side."

"You _so_ owe me for this," Hayley called back. "I'm not talking you buy dinner. I'm talking you feed me for a week."

"Hayley?"

"Hmm?"

"Conner sat in the front seat during the drive. It took me about eight hours to get here. Conner made up a dumb chant about me and my friends overheard. Trini caught me eavesdropping on Kim in my underwear. They told that story about the zord wreck when we went to the beach. Kimberly's been scaring me to death all week. Kim and Jason said some very embarrassing things when we sparred together. Billy told his dad we're the Power Rangers. I ran into a girl on the Ferris wheel that I scarred for life. Rocky and Zack let Conner make out with an axe murderer. Today we went to the mall. The fountain got broken and gerbils were everywhere and I fell through the ceiling of Spencer's and then Conner disappeared and by the time we found him he was washing orange paint off an illegal monkey in the hotel pool. And now I'm trapped in a closet with my ex and I can't get out unless Zack buys a chainsaw at Wal-Mart or Conner gives a dog diarrhea."

Hayley paused, thinking this over.

"Okay, okay, you've suffered enough." She smiled affectionately in the direction of the door. "Now be quiet, and I'll try to get you out of there."

"Kay," Tommy said, sounding almost cheerful. Nothing made him feel better about a bad situation than Hayley's presence.

Hearing the upswing in his mood, Trini decided Kimberly could probably use the same reassurance. "Kim, honey, how you holding up?" she called.

Kimberly didn't respond for a moment. Then—

"Tommy's _mean!"_ Kimberly wailed.

Tommy stared in her direction, horrified. She couldn't. She _wouldn't._ _No._

"Don't you _dare,"_ Tommy threatened, but it sounded more like a plea of desperation than anything else.

Kimberly burst into tears.

"Kim, it's okay," Billy called, his heart wrenching at the sound and the knowledge that a very thick door, the lock from hell and a good deal of metal kept him from comforting her.

"No it _isn't! _Tommy hates me and I never wanted him to hate me and it's not my fault and I got a stuffed bear at the carnival and it was pink and I just needed to use the shower and there was that awful dream and I didn't mean to say that about his lack of pajamas!"

Trini cleared her throat. "Kim, honey, why don't we talk about it later, okay?"

"STOP CRYING!" Tommy shouted. "I _hate_ it when you cry! It makes me all… all… _me!"_

_"I can't help it!"_ Kimberly cried. "You hate me and you're mean and I need a hug and I can't have one because Billy and Jason and Trini and Zack are out there and I'm in here and _you're mean!"_

Tommy's chest constricted painfully. He hated to see girls cry. More importantly, he hated to see _Kimberly_ cry. "Please stop?" he pleaded.

"MEANIE!"

"Kim, we're going to get you out of there," Trini promised. "And then we'll all give you a nice big hug, okay? And we'll go shopping. We'll buy _shoes._ And _purses. Lots _of purses."

Kimberly only sniffled in response. Tommy longed to take Kimberly into his arms… but knew he'd get only a smack upside the head if he tried.

"Please get us out of here," he begged, speaking to no one in particular. "Fast."

* * *

There weren't many people in Wal-Mart so late at night, but there were a few college kids who were still running on their final exam sleep schedules and wide-eyed tourists who weren't sure what to do when all the clubs and bars and attractions closed down. There was a sleepy, cheerful pace to it all as the cashiers blandly ran their customers' purchases over the scanner. Calm and quiet prevailed, broken only by the electronic beeps of the barcode readers and the occasional muttered social nicety.

So it came as a complete shock when the automatic doors whooshed open and someone screamed, "I need a chainsaw!"

A few people yelped as everyone turned to stare at the two people standing just inside the automatic doors, a man and a teenaged girl, both of them looking frantic and disheveled. They were both in sleepwear; the girl wasn't even wearing shoes.

The seventy-four-year-old man standing by the entrance took a moment to catch his breath. Finally he stopped clutching his heart and plastered the customary smile of a Wal-Mart greeter on his face. "Hardware's in the back, son. Hang a left at the bean bags and it's just past the toilet seats."

"Thanks, man. Come on!" Grabbing the girl's arm, the man raced off, his sneakers flopping against his feet.

"What was _that_ all about?" the manager asked the greeter worriedly.

"Two kids showed up in the middle of the night and ask for directions to the chainsaws," the greeter replied. "I've been working here thirty years, and that's only happened once. Back in 1982. Horrible thing, it was."

"Why's that?" she asked nervously.

"Those kids that bought that chainsaw in '82 ended up cutting up their—"

"I don't want to know, never mind!" she yelped.

"Good idea. It's a very gruesome story. Don't much like telling it. But those kids didn't look much like these ones. Those other kids back in 1982, they was fully dressed. Real fancy like. Just after prom, or some such nonsense. The one had a little blood on his shirt. But these was just in pajamas, couldn't see no blood… You'd better call the police, thought, just to make sure. They looked like they'd maybe been drinking."

"I think I'll do that," the manager agreed, and rushed off behind the customer service desk.

* * *

Zack stared at the chainsaws in disbelief, nervously fingering the cell phone clipped to the waistband of his shorts. Chainsaws, outside of horror movies, had never held much appeal for him. He'd never used one, or even looked at one up close. So he had no earthly idea which one he was supposed to buy.

"Well, the two cheapest ones are the Poulan Predator and the Remington Electric," Kira said. "Remington is on sale."

"Remington's the name of a shotgun," Zack said uncomfortably.

"Well, yeah, maybe it's the same manufacturer. Kind of like the people who make Marlboro cigarettes make Kraft macaroni."

"Are you _serious?"_ Zack demanded.

"What?" Kira asked, startled.

"The profits from my Spongebob Squarepants Cheese and Macaroni go to a _tobacco company?"_

"Er… well… if you look at it the _other_ way, the profits from tobacco go to the Spongebob Squarepants Cheese and Macaroni company," Kira said soothingly, silently thanking Conner for all the practice he'd given her for situations like these.

"Oh." He paused. "Maybe we should get the Poulan one."

"The Predator?"

"Yeah. …It does sound creepier than the Remington, doesn't it."

"Yep. And it's gas."

"Why does that matter?"

"Hell if I know. But the Remington's electric."

"I see. Uh… which one's better?"

"Mm… this one has a thirty-four cubic centimeters engine—at least, I _think_ that's what that means—and the other has a three-point-five horsepower engine."

"Uh-huh." There was a long pause. "So which one's better?"

"Well… this one's got a low kickback bar for extra safety and the other one's got a chain break to slow down or stop the chain."

"…I still don't get it."

"I don't either. Why don't I just keep reading the features on the side of the box until something clicks?"

"Okay."

"They're both fully assembled… um… they both have sixteen-inch bars, whatever that means…"

"Trini's has a twenty-inch bar."

"Oh, so you _do_ know something about chainsaws?"

"Nah. I made a joke when she was telling me about it. Jason laughed. Trini smacked me."

"Ah. Um… uh… cord hitch, keeps the extension cord from being unplugged…"

"Wait! _I have the solution!"_

"Yeah?"

Zack raised his finger dramatically. "Eeney, meeney, miney, moe!" he intoned, pointing from one to the other.

"So the Remington, then?"

Zack frowned. "I'm not _finished._ Ahem. Catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers, let him go. My momma told me to pick the very best one and you are n… wait. I think I lost my place."

Kira sighed.

* * *

"UGH! _That's_ a picture of a dog's stomach?" Conner demanded, horrified.

"Of a dog's cancerous large intestine. It's not the same thing. I _told_ you we didn't want to do an image search." Ethan kept his head firmly turned away from the computer. "Now give me the mouse, will you?"

"No! I want to be the computer geek for once!"

Ethan sighed.

* * *

Trent stared down at the enormous dog as it dropped the stick at Trent's feet yet again. Wearily, Trent leaned down to pick it up. "Okay, look, Tommy. Isn't there any way you could just, you know, magically go ahead and give back the key?"

The dog cocked its head to the side and looked at him thoughtfully for a second. Then he nudged the stick with his nose impatiently.

Trent sighed.

* * *

During his twenties, Mr. Greenlee had been awakened in the middle of the night many a time by visitors. He had always jovially greeted the person knocking and geared up to go out and party without a second thought. However, he was now forty-five, married, three kids, nine-to-five job, completely not jovial and fully planning to do the exact opposite of going out for beers with whoever dared pound on his door at two-thirty on a Thursday late night.

"What… Jason?" Mr. Greenlee groaned, confused and still half-asleep. Jason lived five doors down with his wife. Mr. Greenlee knew him in a casual-acquaintance sort of way. Mid-twenties, not married long enough to stop being "happily married," taught karate, hot wife, no kids, and a really cool motorcycle. He'd always seemed agreeable enough, until now. Dimly Mr. Greenlee noted that Jason was shirtless with his pants sagging like a mid-1990s high school dropout, a nervous but hopeful expression on his face.

"I need my wife's chainsaw back," Jason said sheepishly.

Mr. Greenlee gaped at him. "Are you _insane?_ Do you have _any_ idea what time it is?"

"I know, and I'm _really_ sorry. But there's this thing… the cat—I mean, the dog… cuz, you know, we _do_ have a dog… he got… um, he got stuck in the… tree, and he's real distressed, and the tree… fell down… onto the roof… and the dog… is on the roof… and we need to cut the tree down so we can… get the dog back… before he… falls off or… gets stuck in the chimney or… yeah. …Please? I'm _really_ sorry. It's just… bad night, you know?"

"Your dog… is on your roof."

"Yeah."

"Because he was in a tree."

"Yeah."

"…How did he get in the tree?"

"It's a big dog. He… jumped. …A lot."

"And now you want to cut down the tree."

"Yeah."

"With a chainsaw."

"Yeah."

"At two-thirty in the morning?"

"We don't want the dog to get hurt."

"Why can't he just run down the tree?"

"Um… he's a little… _angry_… at the tree."

"…Why don't you climb up the tree and go get the dog?"

"Well… he's a heavy dog."

"You've got more muscles on you than a Chippendales dancer."

"…Um, thanks. I think."

"What I _mean_ is, surely _you_ can lift the dog."

"Er… he might… um… bite. He's _real_ distressed, see. Poor Tommy, all alone in—I mean, _on_ there…"

"How are you going to get the dog down from the roof without the tree there to climb?"

"…Ladder?"

"Why don't you just call the fire department?"

"Oh… well… it's late. It'd make too much noise. Sirens, you see…"

"And chainsaws don't make noise?"

"No, no. Trini's is really quiet."

"…I've used that thing. It's got more kickback than a wronged mule and a good deal of power."

Jason stared at him blankly. "Yes, but other than _that,_ it's real quiet. Isn't it?" he added hopefully.

"Son, _go home._ Call the fire department. Or better yet, just get a ladder and climb up on the roof without bothering with the tree at all. If your dog's on the roof, and you're planning to go up there and get him, then the tree shouldn't matter at all. Chop up the tree in the morning."

"Yes, right, I'll do that." Jason paused, not moving from his spot on the porch. "But while I'm here, and you're awake and everything, could I _please_ have my wife's chainsaw back?"

Mr. Greenlee glared at him and started to slam the door. With a resounding thud, Jason's fist smacked against the wood so hard that the door not only stopped but bounced into the opposite wall and then back into Jason's hand; he caught it by the edge of the wood and held it firmly open. Mr. Greenlee stared, shocked. There was now a sort of _gleam_ in Jason's eye, a _mad_ gleam, a _determined_ gleam. A gleam of _warning._

"I love my wife," Jason announced in a cheerfully threatening tone. _"And she needs her chainsaw."

* * *

_

"Okay. So we're down to the Remington and the Predator."

"Just pick one already, will you?" Kira said wearily. She was now sitting on the floor, leaning tiredly against a shelf full of toolboxes.

"You don't understand. This is really important. We have to get this right. If we don't, Trini will beat the crap out of me."

Kira couldn't resist smiling at that, but it faded quickly. She was so tired. They hadn't had a whole lot of sleep on this vacation. And there had been all that hectic crap today. Conner. Power-walking with Kimberly around the mall. The gerbil fight and the keycard fight with Dr. O (cue extreme shuddering). And now this. She should have known better than to listen to the plans of Conner, Ethan and Trent. It was like letting a toddler drive her car.

"They're right over here, officer," said a woman's voice, and Kira and Zack looked up to see a Wal-Mart manager standing with three men—the elderly greeter and two cops.

The same two cops from the park and the hotel.

Steven and Jarel.

Kira leaped to her feet, coming to stand next to and slightly behind Zack, staring at them in horror. Steven's eyes narrowed at Zack.

"Zack?"

"I'm sorry?" Zack asked politely, his tone a little strained.

"Zack. Zack Taylor?"

"Sorry, man—I think you have me confused with someone else," Zack lied, the words coming out a little smoother now.

"Zack Taylor," Steven insisted stubbornly. "We were on the football team at Angel Grove High together."

"I'm from Reefside," Zack assured him. "We're just passing through. Needed a chainsaw."

"Just like those kids in '82!" the greeter proclaimed triumphantly.

"Step back, please," Jarel told the greeter and manager. They hastily vanished out of sight behind the shelves.

"A chainsaw," Steven repeated. "In the middle of the night. Is there some reason you're both rather… _stoned_-looking?"

"We're sleepy!" Kira said indignantly. "I don't even get stoned!"

"We just need a chainsaw," Zack said. "I don't see how that's a crime."

"You want to talk about crime?" Steven said menacingly, taking a step forward. "Let's _talk_ about _crime._ Let's talk about monkeys in pools and girls helping thieves escape into a hotel the Black Ranger likes to frequent where you try to score with the desk clerk in the laundry room. Let's talk about your buddy Jason throwing me into a creek while I'm trying to chase down some suspicious characters—one of which, come to think of it, looked kind of like you."

"I don't know any Jason," Zack said, but he didn't sound very convincing.

"Bull," Steven growled. "I think you know a Jason. And a Billy. And a Tommy and a Kimberly and a Trini. I think you're Zack Taylor and I think I've had about enough bullshit today! You're not going anywhere until you tell me what you need a chainsaw for and—"

"RUN!" Zack screamed suddenly.

Kira was so exhausted and startled and terrified about how they were going to explain _this_ that she was racing after Zack before it could occur to her that running from cops was not a good idea. Especially not in Wal-Mart in bare feet.

"Hey! Come back here!" Steven roared.

"Stop!" Jarel shouted.

"Are you _crazy?"_ Kira hissed at Zack even as she followed him down the aisle.

"This way!" Zack yelled, making a hard left.

"The exit is back to the right!"

"My shoes are half on and you're not wearing any! We'll never make it on foot!"

"What the hell does _that_ mean?"

"You'll see!"

_Yes,_ Kira supposed, _I probably will._

But she really didn't want to.

* * *

"Hey, this lady says her ninety-five pound Labrador ate her cell phone! Gross! Do you think she could still hear it ring?"

"…Conner?"

"Yeah?"

"…Look, the printer has _lights."_

"Dude, could you focus, please?

"…_Excuse_ me?"

"This is not the time to be distracted by shiny things!"

"No, this is the perfect time for _you_ to be distracted by shiny things!"

"Hey! _I_ am _helping!"

* * *

_

Jason sighed wearily as he headed back down the sidewalk with the chainsaw. He'd done it. He was now going to have to chop down the tree in the backyard and scatter a bunch of branches and leaves on the roof, but the important thing was he'd gotten the chainsaw back. It had taken Mr. Greenlee a _long_ time to give in, and Jason had been forced to threaten to sing show tunes on Mr. Greenlee's porch until he gave up the chainsaw, and okay he'd had to sing one or two or four verses of "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman," but the _point_ was, he had the chainsaw.

He set the chainsaw down on the sidewalk and fished his cell phone out of his jeans pocket. Hopefully he'd catch Zack before Zack could waste a ton of cash on the chainsaw, but it was probably too late. He'd had plenty of time to get to Wal-Mart and back; it wasn't very far away and there probably wasn't anyone in line at this time of night, and between Jason heckling Mr. Greenlee and Mr. Greenlee explaining to Mrs. Greenlee why there was a lunatic on the front porch in the middle of the night and Mr. Greenlee trying to find the right key for the storage shed, it was now well after three o'clock in the morning.

"Hello?" said a harassed-sounding Zack.

"Zack? Did you already buy the chainsaw? I got Trini's back."

"Oh. Good. Um… yeah."

"…Zack?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you out of breath?"

"Um…"

"More importantly, why is there someone screaming 'Stop or I'll shoot' in the background?"

"Don't worry, man, I'm… _handling _it."

Jason blinked. He knew Zack. He knew Zack very, very well. "Define 'handling it.'"

"Well, okay, fine. Apparently when we asked for directions to the chainsaws they called the cops just in case we were, you know, bad people to sell chainsaws to and one thing led to the other and me and Kira borrowed some bikes from the toy section and—"

"Zack, please tell me you did _not_ steal bicycles to help you escape from the cops."

"I didn't _steal_ them! We're still in Wal-Mart. I'm trying to ditch the cops before—RIGHT TURN! RIGHT TURN!—before we ride out into the parking lot, hop off the bikes and get back to the car."

"Oh-kay. Word of advice?"

"Yeah?"

"You're never gonna ditch the cops if you keep shouting out your turns ahead of time." Jason paused. "Wow, _that's_ a phrase I never thought I'd say."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good point. I gotta go. Kira's getting tired."

"I'm not _tired!_ I'm annoyed that _I'm running from the cops!"_

"Not running. _Biking."_

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!"

"Okay," Jason said slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why are you running from the cops?"

"They're chasing us."

"No… I mean… _why_ are they chasing you?"

"What do you want me to do? Tell them I need to buy a chainsaw to spring two Power Rangers out of the closet of doom and I had absolutely nothing to do with the monkey thing or the mall thing or the Black-Ranger-at-the-Angel-Grove-Inn thing?"

Jason shook his head. "Only _you,_ Zack."

"Hey! What is _that_ supposed to mean? We're both half-dressed, we want a chainsaw, it's after three in the morning, and Steven and Jarel showed up. It could happen to _anyone."_

Jason was silent for a long time. A very long time. So long, in fact, that Zack finally said, "Look, man, I need to concentrate on bustin' out of Wal-Mart. I'll call you when we're on our way. Later!"

The phone beeped to alert Jason to the fact that Zack had hung up. Yet he didn't move, didn't even take the cell away from his ear. Tommy and Kimberly were locked in Jason's closet. Jason's wife was working on a way to spring them, along with Billy and Hayley. Conner and Ethan were looking up ways to make the dog sick enough to pass the key, and Trent was in Jason's back yard, patiently waiting for the dog to return the key. Meanwhile, Zack and Kira were trying to flee law enforcement by riding bicycles through Wal-Mart and Jason was standing in the middle of a sidewalk with a chainsaw.

"Don't do it, man."

It was Jason who had spoken. Jason did not often talk to himself, but sometimes his internal voice got so strong that it started using his mouth, as though hoping it could make Jason listen to its warning if the noise was external as well as mental.

_"Don't_ do it, Jase. Go put the chainsaw back in Mr. Greenlee's shed and pretend you couldn't wake him up. In fact, don't even go back to the house. This is not going to be resolved, chainsaw or not. Tommy and Kimberly are going to be stuck in there forever. The dog is not going to crap out the key. Conner and Ethan are going to blow up the computer. Trent is probably going to run away; he's far too normal for us. And Zack and Kira are going to be arrested for bicycle theft, attempted illegal use of a chainsaw and fleeing law enforcement. Meanwhile, Hayley and Billy are going to monopolize your wife's time with some stupid insignificant rescue mission and judging by the rest of the week, you're never going to get to see your wife again, let alone sleep with her. If you go back to that house, all you'll get is the duty of sawing up a perfectly good tree. Tommy and Kimberly will learn to like it in the chamber. Trini's going to run off with Billy anyway. And Zack was always heading for a life of crime. You could hear it in the maniacal laughter. Please, Jason, _please,_ whatever you do, _don't go back to that house."_

Jason stood there a moment longer, irresolute. Then, with a heavy sigh that expressed every last ounce of exasperation, annoyance, anger and exhaustion in him, he picked up the chainsaw in both hands and headed back home to his life.

Zordon never had said becoming a Power Ranger would be easy. In fact, he'd said it would be very difficult at times, but noble, a worthy cause.

What he'd left out was that once you touched the weird side of the Force, it wouldn't stop smacking you in the back of the head.


	96. Built for Speed

**Chapter Ninety-six**

_Built for Speed_

"I gotta hand it to you, Trini," Hayley said. "I'm impressed. This door is—"

"Could we stop talking about how cool the door is?" Tommy shouted. He was royally freaking out. Kimberly was still sobbing, but not hard enough that she wouldn't be able to beat the living stuffing out of him if he tried to hug her, and he'd been trying to concentrate on what Billy, Trini and Hayley were talking about to drown out Kimberly and ended up listening to a bunch of blather about how well-made Tommy's deathtrap was.

Just then, two pairs of feet pounded down the stairs. Billy, Trini and Hayley gratefully dropped their tools and turned to greet Ethan and Conner.

"Okay," Ethan called, jumping the last few stairs. "I've got good news and bad news."

"I changed the ink cartridge all by myself," Conner added proudly.

Ethan sighed long-sufferingly. "The bad news is, most of the digestive problems dogs have are chronic, products of serious illnesses, or caused by allergies. Unless you know what your dog's allergic to, we're not going to figure it out for ourselves."

"Dogs are allergic to chocolate," Conner said importantly. "My mom got really upset when Eric and I gave the neighbor's Chihuahua this German cake with chocolate-covered—"

"Feeding a dog too much chocolate can make it dangerously ill," Ethan interrupted irritably. "Or kill it."

"Oh." Conner paused, looking down at his feet and clearing his throat. Then he brightened. "I changed the ink cartridge all by myself!"

"The directions were embossed on the printer, you idiot!" Ethan half-shouted.

"Well, still!"

"And the old cartridge was half full!"

"So what?"

"And—"

"AHEM!" Trini fairly screamed.

"Sorry," Ethan said sheepishly. "Habit. Um… mostly, dogs get diarrhea from sudden diet changes, ingesting certain toxic things, or allergies. But if we try to give him something, he'll probably just get really sick. Oh, um, but the good news is, the average meal takes only seven to ten hours to pass through a dog's digestive tract. That's way better than a human.

"SEVEN TO TEN _HOURS?"_ Tommy exploded.

"Well, it's already been awhile since we put you in there," Ethan said hastily.

There was silence for a moment. Then—

"SEVEN TO TEN _HOURS?"_ Tommy repeated.

"I _still_ changed the ink cartridge," Conner muttered.

"Yes, Conner, you did. It was very good for a first try," Ethan said, struggling to sound patient as he clapped Conner (a little too hard, but still comfortingly enough) on the shoulder. "Anyway, if he doesn't pass the key in the next few days, you can get it surgically removed."

_"Surgically removed?"_ Trini repeated in horror.

"DAYS?" Tommy screamed, loud enough to echo. "Oh, Conner, Ethan, I swear, when I get out of here I'm going to make you _pay_ for this, make you pay a _lot,_ you'll wish you'd never _heard_ of Angel Grove by the time I'm through with you—"

Conner pouted. Ethan patted him on the back. "Don't worry, Conner. _He's_ the one who put a sinkhole at the entrance to his secret lab escape tunnel. And you were just trying to help. We'll look back on this and laugh, Conner. Who knows, maybe this will even work out all right."

"Ya think?" Conner asked hopefully.

"NO!" Tommy bellowed.

"I'm sure of it," Ethan lied.

"I've got the chainsaw!" came Jason's voice from upstairs. They could hear him running for the basement.

"Oh, that's the most beautiful thing I've _ever_ heard," Trini breathed in relief.

"Really?" Conner frowned. "And I thought _Kira_ was a scary girl sometimes."

Jason stumbled down the stairs, his sagging pants making walking difficult and the fact that he was holding a chainsaw preventing him from fixing them. He rushed over to Trini; Conner and Ethan backpedaled quickly to get out of his way.

"You hear that, Kim? They've got a chainsaw. Soon we'll get out of here. …_Please_ stop crying, please?"

"Jason, you shouldn't walk around with unfastened pants when you're holding a saw," Trini admonished, pulling them back up his hips for him and zipping them up properly.

"Yeah, well, I shouldn't be singing Bryan Adams songs on our neighbor's porch to barter for power tools, either," Jason replied sarcastically. Trini raised an eyebrow at him; Billy, Hayley, Conner and Ethan were also staring. Jason appeared not to notice, though after a moment he frowned and said, "Okay, I'm gonna sing a few bars, and I want you to tell me if I sound like a dying cat, okay?"

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Tommy roared.

"Okay, okay," Jason muttered. He nodded at Trini and mouthed, "Later."

Trini carefully took the saw from him and turned towards the closet. Billy turned to Jason. "Jase?"

"Yeah?"

"Bryan Adams?"

"Give me a break, man. It was the first thing that popped into my head. Tanya sang it at our wedding."

"Oh-kay."

Trini, who'd already taken time to get her protective helmet and gloves from the garage, handed the chainsaw to Hayley and started to outfit herself. Hayley opened the case and stared down at the chainsaw, awed. "Is this a Husqvarna 357XP?"

Trini nodded, her eyes sparkling. "You bet it is. Professional grade. Four-point-four-peak-horsepower, baby. Cylinder displacement of three-point-four-five cubic inches and a fuel tank volume of one-point-four-four pints. Side-mounted chain tensioner, snap-lock cylinder cover, combined choke/stop control, air filter with bayonet fitting, adjustable oil pump, rubber suspension, wrought three-piece crankshaft and twenty-inch bar length."

"Oh, I've _always_ wanted one of these," Hayley breathed.

"It's beautiful," Billy agreed.

"This baby's got it _all,"_ Trini said reverently. "High power, low weight, killer acceleration, incredible ergonomics and minor vibration." She hefted it in a distinctly creepy manner and flipped the visor down on her helmet. _"And_ it came with free leather _gloves."_

_"Ooh,"_ Hayley and Billy chorused like children admiring the karate-chop action on their friend's new action figure.

"Trini, baby, I love you, but sometimes you really scare the crap out of me," Jason said matter-of-factly.

Trini laughed. "It's a nerd thing, honey. You wouldn't understand."

"Plenty of nerds don't gush about chainsaws," Jason pointed out.

"How would you know? You're the jock. _I'm_ the nerd," Trini retorted playfully.

"You're not a nerd," Billy told Trini.

"Am too!"

"You are not. _I_ am, but _you're_ not."

"Must we resort to labeling?" Tommy demanded, wondering why he was still in the closet if they had a freaking chainsaw already.

"I am too!" Trini and Billy had had this argument many times before. Billy refused to believe that anyone as popular and socially adept as Trini was technically able to classify themselves as a nerd. Trini liked to point out that just because she had a lot of tricky psychology skills didn't mean she wasn't a dork deep down.

"I'm _definitely_ a nerd," Hayley threw in.

"Welcome to the club." Billy smiled warmly at her.

"Billy, I am _so_ a nerd!" Trini insisted, stomping her foot.

"Could you get me out of here, _please?"_ Tommy whined.

"Oh, shut up, Tommy. Listen, I have a chainsaw, and I say I'm a nerd!"

"You're _my_ nerd," Jason said, nodding as though everything made perfect sense and shooting Billy a rather triumphant look.

"Aw, honey, that's so _sweet,"_ Trini cooed. She leaned over to give him a quick kiss at an odd angle, careful to keep the chainsaw away from her friends. Conner and Ethan exchanged nervous glances and, as one, started to edge back towards the stairs.

"Okay," Trini said. "You guys might want to get out of the basement, or at least cover your ears. Tommy, Kim, get away from the door and put your fingers in your ears."

"Oh!" Jason exclaimed. "By the way, once you get them out, we're probably going to have to pick a tree in the backyard, push it over onto the roof, and then chop it up with the chainsaw. Just in case. And we might want to draw some paw prints in mud on the roof."

Hayley, Billy, Trini, Conner and Ethan stared at him.

Trini shrugged. "Okay. Anything else?"

"Mm, not that I can—oh, yeah! We might have to bust Kira and Zack out of jail for attempted bicycle theft and a couple other things. Or, um, at least post their bail."

"I'm never going on vacation again," Tommy muttered.

"Well, here's hoping keeping them out of jail will be easier than this." With that, Trini adjusted her twenty-four-decibel-blocking headphones and prepared to fire up the chainsaw.

* * *

Kira had never been so terrified in her life.

…Well, okay, that was a blatant lie. She'd been more terrified plenty of times. In fact, she was fairly certain that the most terrifying moment of her life had been the moment when Dr. O had gone onto Zeltrax's ship and then managed to blow it up from the inside, and for a few sickening minutes she'd thought Dr. O was dead. And there were numerous other times far more terrifying than what she was going through right now; that was part of being a Ranger. Still, this was definitely one of those moments that would, if she were someone else, be a perfect time to say "I've never been so terrified in my life."

She knew it shouldn't surprise her, but Zack had been able to find the toy section with frightening accuracy. (Conner and Ethan both had similar skills.) They'd both just grabbed the first available bikes they could find and started pedaling. So Zack was on a blue Huffy ten-speed mountain bike with tires that wouldn't have looked out of place on a motorcycle… and Kira was on a purple monstrosity, complete with pink stars painted all over it, shiny reflectors, a rubber horn, a banana seat, a white wicker basket covered in pink flowers, streamers, and a flag on the back. Its tires were white, the bell on the handlebars kept ringing itself, it was far too short for her and worst of all it had training wheels.

Steven and Jarel were still chasing them through Wal-Mart. Kira doubted the chase would ever end; Zack kept shouting out their turns, customers kept slowing them down and every so often they'd knock something over, so they were leaving a fairly obvious trail for the cops to follow when they happened to lag behind.

Kira knew she probably had more stamina than most people. After all, she worked out, and she was an ex-Ranger; she'd often noticed that even with her powers gone she seemed to be rather stronger than she was before she'd stumbled into Dr. O's basement. But she was tired, she was on a bicycle built for a seven-year-old, and it wasn't easy to pedal barefoot. (She was _so_ writing the manufacturer when this was over.) And there wasn't exactly a good way to hide in Wal-Mart, especially when people kept gawking at them or shouting "They went THAT way!"

"Kira," Zack panted as they careened around another corner. "When I tell you to, I want you to dive off your bike and hide in those clothing racks dead ahead."

"Oh, no! I've had it with your plans, mister," Kira snapped.

"Trust me, okay? Just this once? When you're hidden, I'll take care of the cops."

"You're not going to hurt anyone, are you?" she demanded.

"Me? Of course not. Don't worry about it. I have a plan."

_Don't do it,_ her survival instinct shouted. _This is some harebrained scheme that's going to get you in even worse trouble!_

_Do you have a better plan?_ Kira shot back.

They passed the women's clothing racks, took a mad right turn that made one of Kira's training wheels leave the ground, and then Zack grabbed her handlebars and shouted, "GO!"

Kira dove off the bike without thinking, pulling herself into a shoulder roll and stopping in the midst of a bunch of clothing racks. Not wasting a second, she dove inside a rack of clearance-priced shirts with ugly patterns.

Zack held onto the bike for another twenty feet, then shoved it in the opposite direction that Kira had gone. Any luck, the cops would think she'd ditched the bike and hidden in a different department, or else made it to the front door and left the bike behind. Regardless, things were starting to look up. They'd lost Steven and Jarel three or four minutes ago, and Zack was starting to formulate several viable plans to get them out of here.

Then, just as he started to pass the electronics department, two bicycles swerved in from either side, hemming him in.

"I'm getting really sick of this city," Jarel growled at him.

"Look, guys, can't we talk about this?" Zack asked. He looked beseechingly at Steven… only to see Steven pull out his nightstick. Zack gulped as Steven leaned over and prepared to jam the stick into Zack's front tire.

Zack reacted instinctively, yanking back on the handlebars and shifting his weight until the front tire came off the ground. Steven cursed and Jarel ducked as Zack spun the bike around, let the front tire slam down, and began pedaling in the opposite direction. There was a screeching noise from behind him as Steven and Jarel turned, but a glance over his shoulder revealed that he'd gained a serious lead now. Their speed had carried them pretty far while Zack was turning.

Zack flipped open his cell phone and started scrolling through his contacts. After Tommy had decided that losing his shirt meant Zack and Conner should be pelted with canisters of Play-Doh, he and Conner had gotten to talking and Conner had passed along the Dino Rangers' phone numbers—including Kira's.

"Hello?" she whispered.

"It's me. Zack."

"Why are you calling me? You're going to give away my position! I nearly had a heart attack when my ringtone started blaring!"

"Look, I've got a plan. The cops have bicycles of their own and they're both chasing me. Run on out the front door and get back to the car. I keep a spare coat hanger taped under the rear bumper; all you have to do is get the trunk open and—"

"Zack, not only do I have no idea how to open a trunk with a coat hanger, but I think they called for backup. I can't make out too much from here, but there's a cop car with its lights on right in front of the doors. Can't you just morph? Tell them all the Rangers are handling it?"

"I left everything but my keys, phone, and Billy's card in the car. I don't even have my wallet. Which I guess is a good thing, since it means I don't have my ID…"

"You don't have your morpher? How is that a good thing?"

"Would have risked my identity anyway. I think Steven's on to something."

"Better than risking your criminal record!"

"Hey, at least my ID's in the car. He can't prove who I am. For the moment. And we haven't done anything except run from them."

"Last I checked, that wasn't strictly legal." Kira sighed. _"Why_ did I ask Dr. O to bring me here?"

"Well, at least it isn't boring," Zack said cheerfully, glancing behind him to check the cops' progress.

* * *

"How does one break a chainsaw?" Conner asked curiously. He was standing in a huddle with Ethan, Jason, Billy, Hayley and Trini, who was nearly in tears.

"My baby," Trini moaned.

"No wonder he didn't want to give it back," Jason said darkly. "I have half a mind to go back over there and sing some death metal. Loudly."

"Well, hopefully Zack and Kira will return successful," Billy said.

Jason shook his head. "Last I talked to Zack, he was riding a somewhat-stolen bicycle around Wal-Mart and trying to ditch the cops. Even if he gets out of that okay, I told him I had Trini's chainsaw back, so he probably won't even try to buy one. And if he does, they probably won't let him."

"Do we… I can… we should… hmm," Hayley said thoughtfully.

"Face it," Jason said. "We're back at square one. No chainsaw, and even if we wait until the security features reset, we still have to get the damned door open. Maybe we can get the key removed—but come to think of it, the vet might refuse to operate until he's certain the key won't come out naturally."

"There has to be a way," Hayley insisted, her tone desperate. "There just has to be. It's a _closet door."_

"A closet door built by the best minds of three or four different superhero teams," Billy pointed out. "Thank god we didn't add actual traps. There was talk of a tear gas defense mechanism."

"Good to know," Tommy said bitterly from within the Chamber, over the sounds of Kimberly's persistent sniffling. "Could someone at least smack Conner for me or something?" There was a pause and a series of very loud yelps from Conner. "Thanks."

* * *

"From there, all we had to do was walk the power lines from the zoo down to Ashbury Avenue without falling off," Adam finished. He'd been relating the major events of his day to Carrie for so long that he'd actually had to plug his cell phone into the charger. Rocky had stumbled off to bed, and even though Adam had considered calling it a night several times since they'd arrived back at Rocky's, the more he talked to Carrie the more he wanted to talk. It was nice, even liberating, to tell someone about all of this, someone outside the Ranger circle. Someone who wasn't just amused but shocked and awed, who didn't have stories like this of their own. Carrie not only listened well, she asked great questions and did her best to sympathize and empathize, offering her own opinions without diminishing his.

"Walking power lines. You make it sound easy," she commented. He could hear another long burst of clicking from her keyboard's keys.

"Well, easier than the average person would find it, yeah, but it wasn't exactly simple. Especially not when we got past the parking lot and ran into a flock of crows."

"Murder of crows," Carrie told him. "Crow flocks are called 'murders.'"

"There's a reason for that. I thought Rocky was a goner."

She chuckled. "Anything else?"

"Like what?"

"Well, what was the rest of your week like?"

Adam snorted. "Well, we didn't even hook up with the guys until yesterday… you know, you'd think winning a fight against a gang of annoyed clowns would be easy, but let me tell you something, when a guy comes at you with flaming torches…"

Adam trailed off as a beep sounded. He checked his phone; a picture of Zack filled the screen and the words "Incoming Call—Zack" ran along the bottom. "Hang on a second; I've got another call."

"At three-thirty in the morning?" she asked.

"The fun never stops," he replied wryly, hitting the flash button. "Hello?"

"Adam, look, the guys are a little busy trying to spring Tommy and Kimberly out of the Secret Chamber, so I need you and Rocky to get your Zeonizers, think up a cover story to explain why two people might need a chainsaw in the middle of the night and feel the need to hop on bicycles to escape the cops, and come down to the Wal-Mart near Jason's house. Oh, and tell Rocky to disguise his voice." Adam stared blankly into space, then sighed deeply. "Thanks, man," Zack said, and hung up.

Adam clicked back over. "Carrie? I have to go."

"Oh," she said, sounding rather disappointed. "Well, that's okay. My boss just called, wants me to cover a hostage situation at a Wal-Mart, so—"

_"Hostage situation?"_ Adam repeated, horrified.

"Something like that, yeah. Why, do you know anything about it?"

"I _really_ hope not. I'll talk to you later, Carrie—duty calls." Adam snapped the phone closed, scooped up his Zeonizer, and rushed for Rocky's bedroom, hoping his next conversation with Carrie wouldn't be more interesting than the one he'd just had.


	97. Wild West Rangers

_Author's Notes:_ Sorry this has been taking so long. We actually write ahead a little, and we've finally crossed over into the realm of ideas we outlined three years ago and are now in the process of ripping to shreds due to story shift… or maybe we were just stalling because it's kind of unnerving to realize you've ACTUALLY written a hundred-chapter fic. Whatever. On with the show!

**Chapter Ninety-seven**

_Wild West Rangers_

Kira stared morosely at the hideous blouses surrounding her, trying to remember why she had thought hiding in clothing racks was fun as a kid. She'd always had a thing for places one could hide—and as a small, skinny child she hadn't had much trouble finding such places. Something about curling up in a secret spot had always made her feel safe and protected… but things change.

She wasn't that person anymore, the girl who hid from the world and avoided trouble, who needed only a stereo, a guitar, and a notebook to scrawl down song lyrics to keep herself happy. Powers or not, she was a fighter now. She wasn't used to running from conflict anymore, and doing so made her feel worse rather than better.

Still, it probably wouldn't be that bad if she wasn't alone. Yes, Zack was around here somewhere, but the fact that he'd asked her to hide, no matter how smart it was, made her feel oddly _small._ Just like the civilians must have felt when she'd rescued them from a monster attack and told them to run. Or had they felt relieved? Safer, once the big strong hero had arrived to save the day?

Regardless, she was starting to realize just how much she relied on the guys in a crisis situation. Dr. O's wisdom and experience, and the way he treated monster attacks like nuisances rather than life-or-death situations… it made her feel like they could tackle anything. Trent was always so calm and understanding, Ethan was always so funny and honest… even Conner's presence was reassuring somehow, because despite how ditsy he could be at times, no matter how crazy or difficult or scary things got, Conner kept _going._ If he was the one sitting in a clothing rack, he'd already have a plan—albeit a psychotic one that no sane person would actually try—to get himself out of this.

Kira's eyes narrowed. She might not have her friends or her powers, but she was still a fighter. What _was_ she doing hiding in a clothing rack? She was better than this. She was stronger than this. She was going to _survive._

Carefully she parted the shirts in front of her, glancing around for inspiration. Directly across from the clothing was the health and beauty section.

Suddenly everything clicked into place. She knew how to get out of here. Granted, she wasn't sure what they were going to do when that Steven guy tracked down Zack, but they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

Pulling out her cell phone, Kira pulled up Zack's number and hit send. "Zack? It's me. I've got a plan."

* * *

"I _hate_ this city," Jarel said vehemently as the probably-Zack-Taylor guy careened around another corner.

"Save your breath for pedaling," Steven told him. He was glowering determinedly at Zack's retreating figure. Jarel had never seen him look so dead-set on anything.

Jarel, however, could care less if they caught the guy. He just wanted to go home. They'd both been awake for over twenty hours and they had only agreed to stay for a triple shift in the first place because they'd been assured that pulling a triple would get them third shift tomorrow and off-duty for Power Rangers Day, which was bound to suck for those who had to keep order even if everything went miraculously smoothly. Supposedly Angel Grove didn't have enough of a night life to make the graveyard shift exciting anyway—but that didn't really matter when people went to Wal-Mart and made their own fun with chainsaws and bicycles.

Personally, Jarel wasn't even sure what the point was. He had a nicely developed work ethic, but he needed sleep or coffee _very_ soon if he was going to make it to eight a.m. and the guy hadn't done anything wrong but act suspicious. The last time they'd tried chasing down somewhat-suspicious characters had been the guys with the shovels at the park, and that had gotten them nothing but Steven thrown in a creek, and he'd already fallen in a swimming pool once today. This wasn't even their town and plenty of people owned chainsaws and if Jarel had wanted to be a bicycle cop he damned well would've applied for the job.

"Can't we just shoot him?" Jarel whined. Steven shook his head tersely and didn't reply. Jarel sighed. "What is it with you and this Zack Taylor guy?" he demanded.

Steven shook his head. "It's not about him."

"Then what's it about?"

"What every Angel Grove citizen wants out of life."

"Which is?"

"A reason for the madness."

"…Isn't that the point of madness? That it _doesn't_ have reason?"

Steven glared at him. "Shut up."

They burst out of an aisle and skidded to a halt. Zack was parked roughly twenty feet away, looking back at them expectantly.

"Oh, good. He's surrendering," Jarel said, relieved.

"Climb off the bike and get your hands in the air!" Steven commanded.

Zack grinned. Then he began pedaling down the aisle between the health and beauty section and the women's clothing.

"Damn," Jarel groaned as he and Steven wearily followed.

They picked up speed as they rounded the corner. Zack wasn't going too fast, and they started gaining on him. Soon he was only ten feet in front of them. Then five. Then three.

"NOW!" someone shouted, and suddenly Zack flipped himself off his bicycle, flying over the handlebars and landing safely several feet away. He'd twisted the handlebars as he went, forcing the now-unmanned bike into Steven's path.

Jarel kept going determinedly even as Steven crashed into a center display of Nilla Wafers. It only took him a moment to realize that something was wrong. Zack was just standing there, grinning, waiting for… what?

Jared found out a split-second later when he crashed into several nearly-invisible strands of dental floss strung across his path. They caught him just below the collar bone, snapping him back while his momentum tore the bike out from under him. He landed flat on his back with a muttered curse, grimacing from the pain of his impromptu landing and the bright florescent light now glaring directly into his eyes.

He lifted his head just in time to see Zack snatch Jarel's bicycle and fling his leg over it like a cowboy mounting a horse, grinning like any good outlaw. The girl hopped on the handlebars, and Zack began to pedal for the front doors.

Jarel sighed. "I _hate_ this city," he groaned, as Steven attempted to dig himself out of the avalanche of bright yellow cookie boxes.

* * *

"Great plan, Kira," Zack said as they biked towards the exit.

"Thank you," Kira said proudly, practically glowing. It felt amazing to contribute and execute a plan, even if it did mean two annoyed police officers were lying in a pile of Nilla Wafers somewhere. It was almost like having her Dino Powers again.

"All right, now we just have to worry about getting out of here. It's possible that's their car blocking the exit; if not, we'll have to run like hell to avoid backup. Don't go for the Escalade, and if we get caught, _don't_ tell them your name."

"Not a problem," Kira said cheerfully, idly wondering if this was what it felt like to be Conner.

"OW!" Zack shouted. The bike swerved and Kira clutched at the handlebars for dear life. A moment later, the bike tipped dangerously to one side, and Kira was forced to leap off or fall. She went into a shoulder roll, popping back up to her feet as quickly as she could. By the time she did so, Zack had the bike back under control, and he skidded to a halt and waited for her.

Kira started to run to him, but a bright yellow box came out of nowhere, narrowly missing her head. She ducked back behind a shelf, then peered out from around it to see Steven stomping towards them, murder in his eyes. In one hand he held a box of Nilla Wafers; in the other, he held the sleeves of a blouse, which he was using as a makeshift harness to carry his ammunition.

As she watched he hurled the Nilla Wafer box at Zack's head, Frisbee-style. Zack ducked just in time, but before it had even reached him Steven was pulling another box out of the shirt. Zack blocked the second attack with his forearm, causing an explosion of Nilla Wafers.

"Kira! Come _on!"_ Zack yelled.

Kira started to, but no sooner had she stepped out of hiding than the third box hit her full in the stomach, knocking the breath out of her. She shrank back, wincing.

"Run!" Kira shouted at him. "Save yourself!"

"Nuh-uh! I'm not leaving without you!"

Another box of Nilla Wafers soared towards Zack. This time he caught the box and flung it back at Steven. Steven caught it effortlessly and hurled it back at Zack. Zack caught it again, threw it to Steven, who threw it to Zack, who threw it to Steven, who—

"You have the right to remain silent."

Kira yelped. Jarel was standing behind her. Before she could blink, he had her by the arm, and he twisted it behind her back in the time it took her to process his arrival. Instinct told her to lash out, fight him off—but logic told her not to assault a police officer. Jarel continued to blandly read Kira her rights as he methodically handcuffed her behind her back.

"Run!" Kira shouted to Zack, who was still playing catch with the Nilla Wafers.

Zack didn't take his eyes off the Nilla Wafers box, and as such he'd yet to realize that she was being arrested. "I'm not gonna abandon you!" he shouted. "Tommy would kill me!"

"Yeah, if he ever gets out of the damned closet!" Kira retorted.

Jarel grabbed her by the bicep and marched her out into the aisle. Wordlessly he snatched the box out of the air mid-flight. Zack blinked, startled at the sight of Kira in handcuffs.

"Kira," he whispered, horrified. "OW!" he added, when Steven clocked him with a fresh box of Nilla Wafers. Several more boxes followed while Zack was trying to recover from the first hit, and as he threw Steven approached, until he was out of boxes and within tackling distance of Zack. "Tommy's gonna kill me," Zack said glumly as Steven cuffed him.

Kira started to glare at him, to yell at him, to berate him… but suddenly she couldn't. Suddenly Zack's pitiful expression and the pile of battered yellow boxes and the cookies strewn about in a ten-foot radius and the triumphant cop and everything else all just seemed… _funny._ For the first time in her life, Kira understood what it was that made Conner so damned cheerful all the time.

Perspective.

"Well, at least it isn't boring," Kira quipped as Jarel marched her out of Wal-Mart.

* * *

"Stop yawning," Adam told Rocky as the two of them reached the Wal-Mart parking lot. "You're a Zeo Ranger, for crying out loud."

"I'm a Zeo Ranger who's had very little sleep," Rocky shot back. "Tell me again why Zack has hostages at Wal-Mart?"

"I don't know why."

"It doesn't sound like something Zack would do."

"Are you forgetting his and Conner's last stand at the ring toss game?"

Rocky snickered. "Oh, yeah. That was cool."

Adam rolled his eyes behind his helmet. He and Rocky had ditched the car two blocks away, morphed, and begun the trek to Wal-Mart as inconspicuously as two Power Rangers could, which was fairly inconspicuous given the late hour, if one didn't count the three tourists who'd asked to take pictures (and were possibly following them, but they figured that wasn't too important as long as they kept their voices down).

"Now, remember the cover story."

"Uh-huh. Something about a chainsaw, right?"

Adam sighed. "Let me do the talking."

"Okay. Hey, isn't this something you could do yourself?"

"Could? Probably. Would? No. I'm not going anywhere _near_ this mess without backup."

"Okay, but you owe me a cup of coffee when this is over."

They were still a few dozen yards from the entrance when they heard a woman's voice calling, "Hey. Adam."

Adam stopped and glanced around before remembering he was in morph, so no one knew who he was. He started walking again, but the woman called out once more. "Adam! Over here. It's me. Carrie."

Adam jumped and finally spotted her, standing between two SUVs and waving urgently at them. He grabbed Rocky's arm, ducked between the two cars, and whispered, "Power down!"

"Power down," Rocky added sleepily, then grimaced as his bare feet touched the dirty pavement. Adam hadn't allowed him the time to get dressed properly, which was just as well, as Rocky had been slow to wake up and Adam's Zeonizer had somehow gotten buried amongst his luggage and they'd had to drive from Stone Canyon and neither of them had remembered how to find the Angel Grove Wal-Mart, so it had taken them nearly an hour to get to there as it was.

"Whoa," Carrie breathed, staring at them. "That's amazing."

"My pajamas?" Rocky asked blankly.

"No, that… that. What you just… powering down? It was… wow."

"Oh, yeah. Cool trick, huh?" Rocky said. "I'm Rocky, by the way."

"Carrie," she said distractedly, reaching out a finger to poke experimentally at Adam. "The suit just vanishes at will?"

"Carrie, we, um, we don't have a lot of time," Adam reminded her.

"Oh. Sorry. I just… figured it was like being Superman or whatever. You know, that you had to put the costume on or you wore it under your clothes or… something."

"Nah. Totally instant," Rocky said. "Good thing, too, eh? Don't see a lot of phone booths these days."

"We actually have to go rescue Zack and—" Adam began, but Carrie interrupted.

"I know. That's why I stopped you. You're too late."

"What?" Rocky demanded, instantly alert.

"They were caught. Arrested. You'll have to the police station now, but they probably won't be arraigned until morning…"

Rocky swore. Adam sighed. "Great. That's all the way across town. We'd better get going."

"You can ride with me if you want," Carrie said eagerly. "I'm headed that way anyway; need to get a few statements from the arresting officers."

"That'd be great, actually," Adam said.

Rocky nodded. "Keep us from having to ditch the Mercedes somewhere and find a place to morph downtown."

"Morph. Right," Carrie said, still looking a bit spellbound. "Come on. My car's this way."

"Better call Jason," Adam said. "He'll want to know what's going on."

* * *

"Oh, great," Jason grumbled as Adam completed his update. _"More_ good news. All right, thanks, man."

"What's up?" Hayley asked as Jason hung up the phone.

"Zack and Kira have been arrested. Adam and Rocky are on their way downtown with Carrie to—"

"Carrie?" Trini interrupted, frowning.

"Yeah, she was covering the 'Wal-Mart Hostage Situation,' as Adam called it. Hopefully it won't be a big story by tomorrow, what with Power Rangers Day on the way and everything…"

"I wonder what we'll do if we can't get them out by Saturday," Conner mused, looking thoughtfully at the door.

"Shut up, Conner," Trini said wearily. "I'm sure we'll have them out by then."

"Yes. We will."

They turned towards the stairs. A disgruntled Trent stood on the landing, glaring at them.

"I had a dog once," Trent announced. "His name was Hezekiah."

"Hezekiah?" Conner repeated incredulously.

Trent ignored him. "See, like Tommy, he was a smart dog. A bit eccentric, you might say. And he had heartworms."

"What's your point?" Jason asked blankly.

Trent began descending the stairs. "My _point_ is, he wouldn't take his pills. So the veterinarian told us to hide the pills in a bite of dog food. But Hezekiah was too smart for that. Hezekiah knew what was going on. Hezekiah wasn't about to be tricked."

Trent reached the bottom of the stairs and began stalking purposefully across the basement. "So every time we slipped a heartworm pill into his food, he would somehow figure out which bite had the pill in it. He'd dig that bite out of the mushy dog food and push it out of the dish and keep on eating. Only it took us a while to figure this out, because when he ate? His dish would slide across the linoleum a bit. And it would slide right over that pill. We wouldn't figure it out until the next morning, when we picked up the dish and found the pill underneath."

They stared at him as he came to a stop in front of Jason, Trini, Billy, Hayley, Ethan and Conner, all of whom looked rather blank. "So, um… how'd you get him to take the pill?" Ethan asked slowly.

"Simple. He liked cheese slices. We rolled it up in a slice of cheese and tossed it to him like a dog treat."

"Uh… huh," Jason said, bewildered. He was starting to wonder if Trent had finally cracked.

"But that's not the point."

"What _is_ the point?" Trini asked impatiently.

"The _point_ is," Trent said, holding out his fist, "Tommy struck me as a smart dog. A smart, weird dog who'd know better than to eat a key hidden in his dog food." He opened his fist. The silver key lay in his palm, shining quite brightly thanks to a thorough wash in the sink. Trent smiled triumphantly. "It was under his dish _the whole time!"_

Trini smacked her forehead. "Of _course!_ He always pushes the vegetables out of his dish when we try and feed him the healthy dog food. I can't believe we didn't check under the dish!"

"I assumed Zack did," Jason said, shaking his head. "But Zack hasn't had a pet since his iguana escaped; it's not the sort of thing that would occur to him."

"So we can open the door now!" Hayley exclaimed in relief. No one moved. She glanced around. "What are you waiting for?"

"The security features," Trini explained. "It'll be twelve hours before they're inactive again. It was… what? One in the morning when you threw them in there, Conner?"

"Yeah."

"But the security features didn't go off until _after_ they were both in there," Ethan said. "It was right after Hayley got here."

"About two, two-thirty," Hayley said with a sigh. "So… they're stuck in there until then."

Trini nodded. "And the only way to deactivate them is to hack into the computer in there, which—"

"No, it isn't," Billy said suddenly. "Trini—my idea about linking up the Aqua-phones. Using them to bypass the voice-recognition login feature."

"I told you, Billy, without a _gariska-na—"_

"We don't need a _gariska-na!"_

Trini stared at him in shock for a moment as realization dawned. Then, slowly, she approached the Secret Chamber.

"Guys?"

"What?" Tommy called listlessly. Kimberly only snuffled in response.

"I've got good news and bad news."

"Do you have to give us both?" Tommy asked.

Trini ignored him. "The good news is, we've found the key. It wasn't in the dog after all. The bad news is, the security features won't reset until maybe two in the afternoon."

Tommy sighed heavily. "It's, what, five in the morning by now?"

"Four thirty-six," Ethan called.

"Oh, good. Only nine and a half more hours to go," Tommy said sarcastically. Kimberly let out a sob.

"Here's the thing. There's one small, _small_ chance we can get you out of there before then."

"Yeah?" Tommy said, not daring to hope. "What's that?"

"Tommy… does one of you have a communicator?"


	98. A Few Bad Seeds

**Chapter Ninety-eight**

_A Few Bad Seeds_

Kira wasn't sure what to expect from her first—and hopefully last—time in a holding cell, but in the short time it took the speeding police car to reach the station, her imagination had come up with many scenarios, most involving tattooed, burly women with mullets in orange jumpsuits leering at her. By the time she found herself being escorted to a holding cell, she was repeated _"I'm an ex-Ranger"_ to herself over and over, using the mantra to avoid thinking about all the prison horror stories she'd ever heard, about what might happen to Zack, about what her parents would say, about poor Dr. O and Kimberly still trapped in the Secret Chamber, about how dirty her feet were getting from wandering around barefoot, about—

_I'm an ex-Ranger. I'm an ex-Ranger!_

Yes. An ex-Ranger. She'd be fine. Even if she was, currently, an _ex-_Ranger. She just hoped they didn't hurt her Dino Gem; they'd taken her morphing bracelet. At least she'd thought to ask for a lawyer right off the bat, so she hadn't been questioned. She knew that, ex-Ranger or not, she'd have cracked and spilled her life story in three seconds flat.

"Here you are."

Kira stared into the holding cell as the door slid open. The good news was, neither of the two women sitting inside were tattooed or burly. The bad news was, one of them was wearing a bloodstained wedding dress.

"Hi," said the bloody bride, in a cheerful tone that Kira found rather inappropriate, given the circumstances.

"Hey," Kira muttered as the door slid shut behind her.

The woman on her left—a little old lady who looked utterly harmless—smiled gently at her. "What's your name, dear?" she asked kindly.

Kira thought about lying, but figured there wasn't much point. "Kira," she said, trying to sound brave. That was all the cops knew about her so far, too; she'd refused to give them anything, including her last name. She went and sat down, facing the door, where she could keep the two women in sight, though she was fairly certain she could take either of them and only the bloody bride would have a shot of getting near her anyway.

"I'm Ethel," the elderly woman said.

"Kristy," said the bride. "What are you in for?"

Kira opened her mouth, then closed it. She wasn't actually all that sure. She'd been in shock throughout most of the booking process. She was probably in for vandalism, given all that merchandise she crashed into… resisting arrest for sure… maybe assault, what with the dental floss… theft? Suspicious behavior? Did they have a charge for that? Criminal mischief or something?

Kira grinned in spite of herself. She was tempted to tell the whole story just to see what they'd think. "I'm in here because I was trying to buy a chainsaw to spring my hapless science teacher out of a reinforced closet and I somehow ended up fleeing law enforcement on a bicycle in Wal-Mart." Hell, they probably wouldn't even believe her. She was better off keeping it simple.

Then again, it might be a good idea to come up with something juicy. Just in case a burly tattooed woman got thrown in here with them. She didn't want to be the bicycle thief. That was something eleven-year-olds did. Not tough girls you didn't want to mess with.

"Me and my… boyfriend… um, stole… a car. Really nice car. And then we got in a high-speed chase with the police, but we escaped." Neither Ethel nor Kristy looked too impressed. Kira frowned and thought for a moment. "We escaped into the woods, but, um, there was this sinkhole and… we ended up accidentally breaking into someone's basement. And… in the basement, there were these… gems. Uh, diamonds. So we grabbed a bunch, figured we'd sell 'em. But, uh, as we were leaving, we stumbled on this… gang. Really scary gang. They attacked us, and we had to, um, beat the crap out of them."

"You poor thing," Ethel said sympathetically.

"Um, right…" Kira said, confused. "So, anyway, we were trying to sell the diamonds and my boyfriend was stupid enough to tell our fence about the gang fight, so he turned us in to the cops. So… um, what are you… uh… in for?"

"Shoplifting," Kristy replied.

Kira stared at her. Part of her really wanted to ask how you got in a bloody wedding dress while shoplifting, but she told herself it must be some sort of bizarre costume. For Halloween or something. …Only in June. Deciding not to think on it, she looked at Ethel. "And you?"

"Double homicide," Ethel said with a sigh. Kira blanched. "And it doesn't look good this time."

"Aw, cheer up," Kristy said consolingly. She pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her bodice, holding them out to Kira. Kira shook her head, and Kristy lit up before turning back to Ethel. "You said your lawyer's really good, right?"

"Sure is," Ethel said, forcing a smile. "I'm just a little too old to be pleading to manslaughter, is all. You need you a lawyer, Kira, dear?"

"Uh… nah. They provide me with one, right?"

"Sure do," Ethel said. "My first three lawyers was public defenders. Nice boys, they was. My grandson Jeffy, he says, 'Grandma, them public defenders don't care about your case,' but that's not true at all. They care quite a bit, you see. Cuz they're all hoping to get good jobs with nice big firms one day, so they're trying to do the best they can, and a lot of them really does care, believes in what they're doing and all. Most of them fancy lawyers got their start as public defenders anyway, you know. I trust them over most of them fancy lawyers any day. Mine was a public defender for a long time. I'd get me a public defender if I could, but they won't give them to you if you can afford it."

Kira stared at Ethel with an increasingly incredulous expression before finally shaking her head and turning back to Kristy. "Are you getting a public defender?"

She shook her head, politely turning her head away before exhaling a lungful of smoke. "Nah. My husband's a lawyer."

"Oh, that's… nice," Kira said lamely. "Uh… have you been married long?"

Kristy thought for a moment. "It's, what, five or six in the morning?" Kira shrugged. "Then about seventeen or eighteen hours, give or take."

"Ah. I… I see." Well, there went the costume theory.

"Relax, dearie," Ethel said soothingly. "First time in jail?"

Kira looked up at her, wide-eyed. "Um… yeah… I mean, I've had a few close calls before, but I'm usually _way_ better about not getting caught."

Ethel smiled encouragingly. "Don't worry, dear. You get used to it."

"Heh. Yeah," Kira replied, praying that Ethel was wrong.

* * *

"So you just… poof? A couple words and the suit just appears?"

"Well, it's a little more complicated than that. I mean, yeah, that's the basic gist, but you kind of… _summon_ the power. It's hard to explain. When we're morphing—and not cramped in a car—there are usually hand gestures. And you have to be touching your morpher and you have to say a specific phrase, but… well, that's pretty much it," Rocky finished.

Carrie had asked endless questions, once Adam had reminded the sleepy Rocky of who Carrie was and confirmed the fact that Carrie was cool with the secret. Rocky was now much more awake, thanks to a trip to a drive-thru for some coffee and lots of stimulating chatter with Carrie. He and Carrie seemed to get along great, which left Adam to strategize in the back seat.

"We're almost there," Adam said. "Better morph."

"Um… right," Rocky said. He and Adam both ducked down as low as they could in Carrie's car. "It's morphin time—Zeo Ranger Three, Blue!"

"Zeo Ranger Four, Green!"

They both sat back up. Carrie was staring in open-mouthed amazement at the blue suit now covering Rocky's body—which meant she was forgetting to watch the road. "LOOK OUT!" Rocky bellowed.

Carrie turned back around as the car bumped over the curb; she jerked the wheel just in time to avoid a collision with a row of news stands. "Whew. Thanks."

"It's pretty cool, isn't it," Rocky said, a tad smug.

"It's incredible," she agreed. "What's it feel like?"

"Power," Rocky and Adam said in unison. "It's… hard to explain," Adam added apologetically.

Carrie sighed. "I wish I could write something about it. I haven't even typed a single word about your identities—don't want anyone to stumble over it—but the things the world could _learn_ about you guys…"

"Sorry," Rocky said apologetically, patting her consolingly on the shoulder. Carrie shivered a bit. Rocky smirked behind his helmet.

"We really appreciate what you're doing for us, Carrie," Adam said. "We're not all that used to visiting public areas in the suits, and—"

"It's no trouble. I was heading this way anyway, and I got to see you guys _morph._ I'm never going to forget that." Carrie pulled the car into an empty parking space not far from the police station entrance. "What now?"

"Now we get out, act like perfect strangers hitching a ride, and go our separate ways," Rocky said. "But—hey. There's a party tomorrow; are you free?"

"I could get free," she said eagerly.

"At Adam's house in L.A. The address is—"

"I know the address. I've been researching you all like crazy since Tuesday night."

"Ah. Well, it's pretty much for every Ranger on the planet. Um, universe. Whatever. We're all getting together, and you can come if you want. It's at seven, right, Adam?"

"Uh, Rocky, I don't know if the others will… you know," he said, nodding at Carrie. From what he knew, she only knew _their_ identities, not everyone else's. Much as he liked her, he didn't want to upset the Rangers.

"What? You mean the whole secret-identity thing? Bro, she's coming to Power Rangers Day. We'll all be there. And we're pretty obvious, once you know what to look for. We'll be hanging out and all… besides, she's done a great job of explaining our suspicious behavior. This way, she'll know whose suspicious behavior she needs to explain."

Carrie chuckled. "Thanks. But I understand if—"

"No, Rocky has a point. Come. We actually like it when we get a new civilian stumbling onto the secret. Remember when Hayley found out?" Adam added to Rocky.

"Oh, yeah. That was awesome. See, Tommy and Hayley—"

"Rocky, we're in a parked vehicle in morph in front of the police station. We should probably go save Zack and Kira before they're arraigned."

"Right. Right. Another time," Rocky told Carrie. He and Adam popped their door handles. "Thanks for the lift, ma'am!" he called loudly, for the benefit of the handful of people now staring wide-eyed at the two Power Rangers.

"No problem!" she called cheerfully, winking at Rocky as he waved before climbing out of the car herself. She let them get a head start up the stairs to the building, then followed them inside.

* * *

"…but as far as I can tell, they weren't axe murderers," Zack finished.

"Wow," Bone Crusher said, shaking his head. "So you're in here for digging holes in the park? That's stupid."

"Oh, no. That was Rocky. Plus we didn't even get caught for that one. I'm only up to Wednesday. But I'm talking too much. What are you in here for?"

"Trespassing at the Angel Grove Inn."

"Seriously? Man, that place just _loves_ to ban people."

"You, too?"

"Well, sort of. The night manager did throw some office supplies at me, but I don't think I've _technically_ been banned yet. My buddy Conner has, though."

"Conner from the park?"

"Yeah. And my boy Billy avoids that place like the plague. But you were banned?"

"Yeah. On Wednesday, actually. Some punk clocked me with a bottle of Red Pop and they kicked me out, said they'd call the cops if I ever came back. But I wasn't about to let that punk get away, you know? I don't stand for no disrespect."

"Right on, my man!" Zack agreed, tapping knuckles with him and privately thanking God for making him forget to mention the part of his story where Billy got in a fight with a biker in the Angel Grove lobby over a flying bottle of Red Pop.

"Zack?"

Zack looked up. The Blue and Green Zeo Rangers were standing in front of the cell, with two police officers—the guy who'd locked Zack in the holding cell, and a forty-something man whose badge identified him as Captain J. Stone.

"Oh, hey," Zack said. "How's it going?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Taylor," Captain Stone said as the jailor unlocked the door. "The Power Rangers here have explained everything."

"About time," Zack said, mock-indignantly. He turned to his new friend. "Bone Crusher, my man, good talking to you."

"You too, buddy," Bone Crusher said, pulling him in for a hug. "Good luck out there."

"Good luck in here," Zack replied, heading for the door. "How's Kira?" he asked Adam and Rocky.

"We're on our way to get her now," Adam said.

"Yes, follow me," Captain Stone said, grinning broadly. "The Power Rangers. It's so great to see you guys again."

"Thank you," Rocky said.

"So you're the ones who passed your powers on to T.J. Johnson and the other Turbo Rangers?"

"Um… pretty much," Rocky said uncomfortably.

"It must be great, being a Power Ranger," Zack gushed, wide-eyed. Adam and Rocky glared at him from behind their helmets. Zack fought the urge to grin.

They could hear Kira talking as they approached the women's holding cell. "Yellow and white," Kira was saying, nodding solemnly. "Yellow roses, white tablecloths."

"That would've looked nice," Kristy agreed. "I went with lavender and teal."

"I had lavender and baby blue for my second wedding," Ethel said. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Lavender and baby blue would've looked good together," Kira said.

"Oh, sure. I meant the husband. But if it hadn't been for his… accident, I wouldn't have met my third husband."

"How many have you had?" Kira asked.

"Oh, just the six. The last one's still alive somewhere, last I heard. My oldest daughter just _refuses_ to pull the plug. Sentimental fool!"

"Me and Jimmy are forever," Kristy said dreamily. "I'd do anything for him."

"That's sweet," Kira commented.

"Mm-hmm. I felt the same way about husbands one, three and four," Ethel agreed.

"Kira?" Adam called as they came to a stop in front of the cell.

Kira looked up. "Oh, um… hi."

"Guess what, Kira? The Power Rangers told them all about what happened. We're free to go!" Zack said, for all the world as if they had actually been involved in some sort of top-secret mission.

"Oh, darn," Kira said. "I was having so much _fun,_ too." She stood up. "Well, guys…"

"I'd hug you, but I don't want to stain your outfit," Kristy said.

Kira clasped her hand. "Have a great honeymoon, Kristy."

Ethel actually did hug her. "Good luck with that gang war, dear."

"Thanks, Ethel." Kira smiled at them both and then stepped through the door. "Bye, guys!"

"I see you made friends," Zack teased Kira as they were led back through the halls.

"I'm never shopping with you again," Kira growled playfully. Zack just laughed.

* * *

"Thanks again, Carrie!" Rocky called, waving along with Adam, Zack and Kira as Carrie backed out of the driveway. She grinned and waved back before driving off.

Zack turned to Kira. "All right. Let me have it."

Kira shrugged. "Whatever."

"Seriously? No screaming fit?"

"Guess I'm already repressing," Kira said. "All I really care right now is washing my feet."

"I'm sorry, by the way," Zack said. "Things just… got out of hand."

Kira nodded graciously. "It's okay. Besides, if I yell at you, I have to yell at Trini for telling me to go with you, and Conner for getting Dr. O stuck in the closet, and probably half a dozen other people. Although I do reserve the right to scream at you later."

"That's fair," Zack said, shrugging. "Come on. We should probably check in with the guys, and then I'll drive you two back to the Mercedes."

Rocky yawned as they headed for the porch. "At this point, I'm about ready to just crash on Jason's floor."

"Yeah, me too," Adam said. "Maybe we should morph a while longer. Let the energy wake us up."

"Then we won't get back to sleep. And we've got the Rangers-only kegger tonight, remember?"

"Huh. They got the door fixed," Kira said as they stepped onto the porch. The door was open just a sliver, possibly to prevent any more damage so soon after the patch job. Kira pushed it open. "Hello? Anybody home?"

"Down here," came Jason's voice. "Still."

"How'd Tommy and Kim get trapped in there, anyway?" Rocky asked curiously.

"Long story," Kira muttered.

"It was great," Zack said with relish. "Although—future reference? Never give Conner a pair of fuzzy handcuffs."

Adam frowned. "One would think that'd already be implied." Kira nodded in agreement.

They reached the bottom of the stairs. Trent was sitting on an exercise mat, dozing off against the wall. Ethan was listening curiously to Trini, who was holding Conner's arm and speaking into his morphing bracelet. Hayley was talking to Billy, writing something down on a notepad. Jason smiled wearily as Adam, Rocky, Zack and Kira entered. "Where's Carrie?" he asked. "I thought she was giving you a ride."

"She said she had to go. Needed to meet her deadline and catch some Zs," Rocky explained. "She says hi, though. Nice girl."

Jason nodded. "So. No-go on the chainsaw?"

"That's for damned sure," Kira grumbled. "I thought you guys got Trini's back or something."

Jason's expression darkened. "We did. That bastard Mr. Greenlee broke it. Trini was crushed." He sighed. "Of course, now Trent found out the key was under the dog's dish the whole time, so at worst they'll only be in there until two or three o'clock, when the system resets. Trini's been using Conner's communicator to try and walk Tommy through the security measures, see if she can get them off before then, but they've been working on it for almost three hours now. But Kimberly stopped crying, so that's good, and Hayley and Billy fixed the doors upstairs. Oh, Hayley's taking breakfast orders. She's gonna run out and get us some fast food."

"I left my wallet in Stone Canyon," Rocky grumbled. "Adam dragged me out of the house pretty fast to go save these two criminals." He jerked his thumb at Zack and Kira.

"Oh, Tommy's buying. Or, well, Anton is. Soon as Hayley mentioned paying for it, Tommy started ranting incoherently about Anton enabling the chaos or whatever and told her he'd get a cash advance on Anton's card to pay her back."

"Free breakfast?" Rocky looked hopefully at Adam. "Dude, they have free breakfast."

"As long as they have free caffeine too, I don't mind staying a while," Adam said. "I'd kind of like to hear the whole story."

Kira made a face. "I'll be over there, then. Pretending this never happened."

"Ah, Tommy's taught you well," Zack joked.

"Uh-huh. Shut up." Kira told Hayley what she'd like for breakfast, then headed for Trent. She sat down beside him and he opened his eyes. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"S'okay," Trent said. "I've only been out a few minutes. I couldn't relax until they told me you were definitely gonna be okay."

"Aw, thanks," Kira said, smiling at him.

Trent slid an arm around her. "So how was jail?"

"Surprisingly? Not that bad. I met a newlywed kleptomaniac and this nice old mass-murderer named Ethel," Kira replied. Then she frowned. "Did I just _say_ that?" Trent chuckled and she sighed. "Anyway, Jason said you found the key. Good job saving the day and all."

"Thanks," he said. "I just hope the rest of my day is a little less hectic."

"I just hope the rest of my _life_ is a little less hectic." With that, Kira curled up against Trent and the two of them dozed off.

Hayley, Billy and Ethan made the food run, and once they returned with ungodly amounts of food, coffee, and juice, everyone began to cheer considerably. Zack cracked them all up with what he was now calling The Great Bicycle Chainsaw Caper, and Rocky and Adam launched into detail about their bizarre cover story for the police. Trini couldn't hold Conner's arm still and eat at the same time, so she slipped the bracelet onto her own wrist, allowing her to eat and save Tommy simultaneously. Conner was soon huddled in a corner with Ethan, arguing quietly and drawing all over the large dry erase board Trini had brought down to help them brainstorm.

Somewhere in the middle of breakfast, a few minutes before eight a.m., a loud metallic scraping sound echoed throughout the basement. Everyone stopped dead and stared at the door.

"Did it work?" Tommy asked suspiciously a moment later.

"Nobody move!" Trini commanded, standing up and slowly approaching the closet, the key in her hand. The others held their breath. Trini slipped the key into the lock, turned it, listened to the soft _click_ as the deadbolt released. A moment later, the door swung open.

Kimberly sat in full view of the door, her eyes red from crying and lack of sleep, her/Tommy's shirt still missing. She blinked against the sudden brightness—they never had found the light switch—then stared up at them. Jason, Trini, Billy, Zack, Rocky, Adam, Hayley, Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent returned her startled gaze for a long while. Then Tommy's head popped around the door, breaking their line of sight, and he stared around at them in amazement.

"I'm free," Tommy said dazedly.

"Uh-oh," Conner muttered, climbing hastily to his feet.

The sudden movement drew Tommy's gaze, which darkened at the sight of Conner. "I'm free," Tommy repeated blackly.

That was all it took; Conner bolted, taking the dry erase board with him. He was up the stairs in an instant, moving almost as fast as he had with his Dino Power. A moment later, they could all hear the guestroom door slam, accompanied by the sound of heavy furniture sliding across carpet.

Tommy was slightly disappointed that Conner had managed to barricade himself into a secure location so fast, but as he was Conner's ride back to Reefside, he decided that Conner couldn't avoid him forever. Besides which, he had larger concerns at the moment.

"Coffee?" he asked hopefully, moving around the door and out into the basement. His newly recaptured shirt was tied firmly around his waist.

Hayley held out a large paper cup. "Four sugars, two creams. Should still be warm."

Tommy sighed happily and took a long gulp. Kira, meanwhile, cleared her throat and called, "Kim?"

"Yeah," Kimberly said listlessly, pushing past Tommy and out into the basement. "I'm okay."

"You sure?" Trini asked sympathetically.

Kimberly nodded. "Look, if it's all the same to you guys, I just wanna go back to the hotel and sleep."

"Sure, Kim," Kira said. "Let me just finish my orange juice—"

Kimberly shook her head. "Actually, I could use some time alone. Mind riding back with one of the others?"

"Sure," Kira said uncomfortably. She forced a smile. "Zack owes me a favor anyway."

Kimberly nodded curtly and headed for the stairs. They watched her go uncertainly.

_"Food,"_ Tommy groaned.

"Sausage, egg and cheese on croissants," Hayley replied promptly, holding out a bag. "Hash browns and cinnamon rolls."

"I love you," Tommy announced.

Hayley rolled her eyes, but she smiled. "I swear, Tommy… we should really take you to a voodoo priest or something. Someone _must_ have put a hex on you."

Tommy's eyes narrowed. "Rita, probably."

"Come on, guys," Zack said to Rocky and Adam. "I'll give you a ride back to the Mercedes."

"I guess we're riding with you, Dr. O," Ethan said.

"Sure. If you want to get strangled," Tommy growled.

"Um, we're riding with Zack," Ethan said. He nodded at Kira and Trent. "Come on, guys."

"Yes, yes, all of you, _shoo,"_ Jason said, suddenly recalling his original plans for the night. "We'll meet back here at two. And be careful; Jenny's probably still on the clock."

"I better shut down the computer," Trini said, handing the key to Jason.

"Hurry up," Jason said impatiently. "Don't want anything else going wrong. No, sir." Zack, following Rocky, Adam and the remaining teenagers upstairs, muttered something about "just like the Peace Conference."

Trini looked at Billy and Hayley. "Do you guys wanna see—?"

"No, they don't," Jason said sharply. "They do not want to play nerd for three hours. They want to go upstairs and fall asleep. Possibly after booby-trapping the guestroom door so Conner can't get out."

"C'mon, Billy," Hayley said, shaking her head. "Let's—"

"My _experiments!"_ Trini wailed from inside the Chamber. "They've broken three of them!"

Jason sighed. "My life sucks."

"Trini," Billy said gently, "we're all very tired. Why don't I help you repair them once we've all recovered from this ordeal?"

"I'll help, too," Hayley offered. "I'd actually love to see some of the new ones."

"Yes, yes, busy day ahead of us," Jason added. "Experiments to fix, keg parties to attend, probably new psychotic events to survive—we'd better go get some _sleep,_ Trini."

"Tommy, there's two more coffees for you on the weight bench," Hayley said. "I'm going to go turn in."

Tommy nodded, giving her a quick hug. "Thank you, Hayley. For everything."

"I'd say 'anytime,' but I'm hoping for a six-or-seven hour lapse in your chaos," she teased.

Tommy snorted. "Four hours. Tops."

* * *

_Author's Notes:_ Sorry this took so long. Life happens, and sometimes it's like the jaws of a pit bull that you have to pry open with a crowbar to make it let go of your throat, you know?


	99. Follow That Cab!

**Chapter Ninety-nine**

_Follow That Cab!_

One hour later, Zack had finally managed to get Ethan, Kira and Trent back to the hotel. They'd forgotten about morning rush hour, so Zack had made a few poor choices when it came to plotting a course back to the Mercedes. Now, however, they were safely in the elevator, after narrowly avoiding Jenny on their way across the lobby.

They ran into Kimberly in the sixth-floor corridor. She had showered and changed into an outfit, rather than pajamas, and she was carrying Trini's belongings. "Here," she said, handing them to Zack. "Trini left her stuff in my room last night."

"Um… but…" Zack began, but Kimberly didn't wait for an answer; she was already moving quickly down the hallway. "That was weird," he said. He jerked his head at Kira. "Go make sure she's okay."

Kira nodded and started to follow Kimberly, but paused when Kimberly entered their room and shut the door behind her. Kira turned back to Ethan, grimacing. "I, uh… need my key."

Everyone politely averted their eyes while Ethan fished it out of his shorts and handed it to her. Kira pinched it between thumb and forefinger, wrinkling her nose. "Jason said two, so… I guess I'll come get you guys at one-thirty or so," she said, then headed off down the hall. Ethan and Trent said their goodbyes to Zack and headed for their own room.

Kira unlocked the door to room 640 and hastily tossed the keycard on her desk. To her surprise, she found Kimberly packing shoes into her suitcase.

"Kim? You okay?" Kira asked.

"Yeah. I just… I'm trying to get this place organized."

"Oh," Kira said, figuring that Kimberly had already picked out which shoes she planned to wear for the next two days and was putting away the spares. "Um… I'm gonna go… shower."

"Fine," Kimberly said distractedly.

Kira stared thoughtfully at her. She seemed upset, not that that was much of a surprise after the night she'd had. Kira glanced around the room, noting that the trash had been thrown away and several minor messes cleaned; she wondered if Kimberly was trying to tell her something, like maybe she wanted Kira to help her clean.

Kira gathered up the few articles of her dirty clothing that she hadn't already piled in the closet and added them to her pile, then put her guitar back in its case. Kimberly didn't say anything; she just went to the dresser, grabbed an armload of clothes that she'd dumped back in the dresser after Tommy's theft, and began refolding them. Kira sighed; she was tired, she was grimy, and as much as she wanted to help Kimberly, Kimberly didn't seem to be much for conversation at the moment. She decided she'd try a bit more after she got the black filth off the soles of her feet, and grabbed her oversized yellow nightshirt from her bag.

It took her a while to get out of the bathroom; a hot shower had been just the sort of therapy she needed. By the time she'd gotten clean, dry and dressed she was even more ready for a good long nap… but all thoughts of sleep flew right out of her head the moment she stepped out of the bathroom and she realized just what Kimberly was doing.

Kimberly was _packing._

"Kim?" Kira half-whispered. "Kim, what—?"

"I need you to start packing," Kimberly said woodenly as she stuffed her makeup case into her travel bag.

"But—"

_"Now."_

Kira jumped and hastened to obey, struggling to come up with a reason for Kimberly's packing. "Kim, are you—?"

"Later. Just start packing. Might wanna get dressed, too." With that, Kimberly scooped up her travel case and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Kira could hear several loud thuds as Kimberly tossed her various beauty products back into her travel bag.

Kira blindly yanked off her nightshirt and changed back into the top and shorts she'd worn the night before, tying her hair back with the first scrunchie she could find and stuffing her belongings into her bags. _Think. Think, Kira. Why is she packing? Did something go wrong while you were in the bathroom?_

"Kim?" Kira called. "Did we get kicked out of the hotel or something?"

"No," Kimberly replied stiffly, exiting the bathroom with her newly packed bag. "I just have to go."

"But _why?"_ Kira demanded in exasperation even as she went to collect her own belongings from the bathroom. "Is there an emergency back in L.A. or something?"

"I really don't want to talk about it."

Kira huffed indignantly and crammed her plastic bag of damp hygiene products into her book bag with a little more force than necessary. "Well, you'll be back tomorrow, right?"

Kimberly didn't answer her. Kira's uneasiness threatened to turn into fear as Kimberly continued packing.

"Kim? You… you _are_ coming to Power Rangers Day, right?" Again, Kimberly remained silent. "And… to the party. The party tonight, at Adam's?"

"I don't know," Kimberly said finally. "I suppose, at the very least, I'll have to drop my suit off there."

"Your suit?"

"For Kat. Or… or whoever else wants to wear it."

"You mean… your _Power Rangers suit?"_ Kira shrieked.

"Hush. I have no idea how thin these walls are."

"Kim… Kim, you can't just…"

Someone knocked on the door. Kimberly went to open it. A bellhop stood in the hall with a luggage cart. "Ah, good. Start with these, please. I've still got one more bag to pack up."

"Kimberly…"

"Finish packing, Kira."

The bellhop started to say something, but, sensing the tension between them, fell silent and began loading Kimberly's luggage onto the cart.

"Kimberly," Kira tried again, swallowing, "you have to come to Power Rangers Day. You—"

"I don't _have_ to do anything, Kira!" Kimberly shouted, making Kira cringe and the bellhop speed up his work. "Kat's on her way into town and Aisha's about my size and no one will ever know that _I'm_ not there! I don't have to go. I don't _want_ to go. What I _want_ is to get out of this place and go back to my life!" Kira stared at her, shocked and horrified. Kimberly sighed. "Kira, I'm sorry. You'll have to stay with Trent and Ethan. But hey, at least Conner's at Jason's, right?"

Kimberly forced such a shaky smile that any further protests died in Kira's throat. Though she hadn't known Kimberly long, Kira felt she knew Kimberly well enough to know that Kimberly wouldn't kick her out and run back to Los Angeles without a damned good reason.

"Okay," Kira said with a sigh, and turned back to her luggage.

* * *

Zack was just crawling into bed when Tommy returned to the hotel room. "Oh, hey," Zack muttered sleepily. "Some night, huh?"

"I'll say," Tommy agreed. "Like Hayley always says—when it rains, it floods, and then you have two problems." Zack chuckled and Tommy sighed. "I'm just glad Hayley's here now. Nothing like a Hayley in a crisis."

"Maybe I should get me one," Zack joked. "Know where they sell them?"

"Oh, I think they're only available at Wal-Mart," Tommy said dryly.

"Aw, damn! I just got banned from there last night. Of all the luck."

Tommy shook his head, smiling in spite of himself. Then he frowned, noticing the pile of luggage in the corner as he kicked off his sandals. "Who's stuff is that?"

"Trini's. Kim dropped it off."

Tommy frowned. "That's weird."

"Yeah, I know." Zack shrugged. "Another day, another mystery, you know?"

Tommy nodded. "Here's hoping that's the worst thing today throws at us."

"Come on, Tommy. I know they say you should aim high—but that's not hopeful, that's _delusional."_ Tommy grinned tiredly at him. "So," Zack continued, obviously trying to sound nonchalant. "What was it like?"

"What was what like? Being trapped in a closet all night?"

"Making out with Kim again."

Tommy sighed. He decided not to answer and hope Zack fell asleep, but after a few minutes Zack cleared his throat impatiently. Sighing again, Tommy muttered, "Dream come true."

"Gonna keep dreaming?"

"I don't know anymore. Guess we'll see later tonight, eh? Kim's not going anywhere for a few days. I've got some time to work it out."

"You've had eight years, Tommy," Zack said sternly. "If you keep waiting, it's going to be too late."

* * *

"Here," Kimberly said, handing the bellboy a rather large tip. "I'll be down to the lobby in a second." He nodded and began wheeling her luggage down the hall. Kimberly turned to Kira, who was sliding her arms into the straps of her backpack.

"Well, this is it," Kimberly said. "I'll… I'll see you when I see you, okay? Keep in touch. You have my cell number, right?"

"It's still programmed into my phone," Kira replied.

Kimberly came over to her for a hug. "Okay. Goodbye, Kira."

"Later," Kira said awkwardly. Kimberly turned and left. Kira sighed, shouldered her duffel bag and picked up her guitar case. She couldn't believe Kimberly was really leaving. Was she even going to say goodbye to Trini, or Billy, or…?

_Dr. O._ She was leaving because of Dr. O. She'd been down since being trapped in the closet with him and…

Kira's eyes narrowed. Conner's plan might have been the worst idea of the century, but Kira had to agree that the sentiment was true. Kimberly and Dr. O needed to see each other again. They hadn't talked for eight years until this vacation… and if Kimberly left, they probably wouldn't talk again until the next time someone got the entire gang together. Who knew how long that would be if they left things like this? She couldn't let Kimberly run out like this!

Kira raced out of the room, ignoring the reverberating slam of the door behind her as she dashed towards the elevator. It had just started descending. Kira fumbled with the guitar case for a second, trying to stab the button, before realizing that she probably had very little chance of convincing Kimberly to stay. But maybe, just maybe…

Kira rushed back down the hall.

* * *

_"Dr. O!"_

A loud banging began on Tommy and Zack's door, sounding more like multiple objects being rammed into the door than actual knocking. Tommy flung open the door and a frantic Kira tumbled in.

"Kira? What's wrong?" Tommy asked, concerned. He frowned at the three pieces of luggage she was hastily dropping on his floor. "Did Kim kick you out or—?"

"She left!" Kira wailed. "I tried to stop her, I really did, but she wouldn't listen and she left and she said she'd tell me later and I can't believe she _left!"_

"What?" Tommy roared, and to Kira's complete surprise, he nearly knocked her over as he barreled out the door.

"Damn it," Zack complained, flinging back the blankets. Kira began rummaging through her duffel bag for her flip-flops, but all she could find were her knee-high black boots. Sighing, she began to shove them on as Zack jammed his feet into his sneakers and threw on a T-shirt. Together, they chased after Tommy.

They made it out the front doors just in time to see Kimberly's Mustang speeding through the parking lot towards the street, Tommy running after it as fast as his bare feet would carry him. She didn't slow down as she turned onto the street, fishtailing for a moment before accelerating hard. Tommy skidded to a halt, accepting the fact that his chase was futile. Kira and Zack dashed over to him.

They pulled up short as he stood there in the middle of the parking lot, staring thoughtfully after the Mustang. "Dr. O?" Kira asked hesitantly.

"Any idea where she's going?" Tommy asked, his expression and tone unreadable.

"Home, I think. L.A. She, um, said something about dropping her suit off at Adam's to give to Kat or Aisha or—"

"Tell me you're going after her," Zack interrupted.

Tommy smiled faintly. "Not in bare feet, I'm not." With that, he turned and began walking back towards the hotel. Kira opened her mouth to say something, but Zack shook his head. Kira figured Zack's hopeful expression meant he recognized something in Dr. O that she didn't, and she fell silent.

They got into the elevator together, Kira and Zack standing so that they could see Tommy's face. It was obvious now that he was thinking, hard, occasionally nodding to himself, his facial features twitching on occasion to reflect his thoughts. The longer they watched, the wider Zack's grin became. Kira looked at Zack for answers, but he ignored her.

Tommy was the first one out of the elevator. "Round up the gang," Tommy told Zack.

"What are you gonna do?" Kira asked.

"I gotta get a few things from my room. Meet me at Jason and Trini's house."

"Right behind you, bro," Zack said cheerfully, and went to pound on the door to room 603. Kira, at a loss, followed Zack, figuring that Tommy would have said "us" instead of "me" if he'd wanted her to come with him.

"This is ridiculous!" Ethan raged, pulling the door open after a long period of knocking. "I can't even sleep when Conner's been banned from the hotel!"

"What's wrong?" asked a bleary-eyed Trent, stumbling over behind Ethan.

"Mount up," Zack announced. "Get your shoes and come on. We're heading for Jason and Trini's place."

"What? Why?" Trent asked.

Zack grinned. "Because I think it's time you met Tommy, former leader of the Power Rangers."

* * *

Trini had, upon going to bed, insisted upon leaving the door unlocked, despite Jason's protests. Tommy, however, didn't bother to stop and try the knob. The sound of wood splintering once again echoed throughout the house.

"That's it," Jason sighed as Trini rolled away from him and pulled the sheet up. "We're moving. Far, far away from everyone we've _ever_ met, and we're not making any new friends when we get there."

"She's gone," Tommy announced, his voice even and completely controlled.

"Who's gone?" Trini demanded, sitting up.

"Kimberly. Kimberly's gone back to L.A."

"What? No! Why?" Trini exclaimed. Even Jason realized this _MIGHT _be more important than sleeping with his wife; he scooted over to the side of the bed and reluctantly reached for pants.

"I don't know and I don't care," Tommy replied.

"Tommy, how can you _say_ that?" Trini demanded incredulously.

"It's not important," Tommy said with a shrug. "I don't care where she is—as long as it isn't Florida—because _I'm going after her._ If you're coming with me, let's go."

Tommy walked out of the bedroom, leaving Jason and Trini to scramble from their bed and pull on their clothes. As Tommy reentered the living room, he nearly ran into Zack, who burst through the front door with Ethan, Trent and Kira close behind.

"Jesus, Tommy, you drive like a maniac," Zack complained. "I lost you two streets from the hotel."

"What's going on?" called a bewildered Billy, sitting up on the couch.

Before Tommy could answer, Hayley stumbled out of her makeshift bed on the family room couch. "Tommy?" she asked sleepily. "What's wrong? I heard shouting."

Tommy marched over to the guestroom door and pounded on it. "Conner! Get out here, now!"

"No! You're gonna hurt me! I was just trying to help!" Conner wailed from within.

"I know. That's why I'm asking you to help me now. We've got a situation, and I'm gonna need you."

"Really?" Conner called suspiciously. "What for?"

"Getting Kimberly back."

There was a pause, then the sound of heavy furniture sliding across the carpet. Conner opened the door a moment later, grinning. "That's great!" he said cheerfully. "Cuz I've been working on some new angles. See?"

Conner held up Trini's dry erase board. He'd drawn three columns, with numerous cockamamie ideas in red in the first column, reasons to implement each idea written in green in the second column, and reasons against each idea in pink in the third column. The words, "The (Very Top Secret) Mission to Reunite Dr. O and Kim" were scrawled across the top in black.

Tommy stared at the board for a second, frowned at some of the ideas and regarded others thoughtfully, then shook his head, glared at Conner, and turned to the group as a whole. "Now then. We've got a situation."

"Tommy, what is it?" Hayley asked in concern.

"Kim left," Kira said, wringing her hands. "I tried to stop her, I really did, but—"

_"What?"_ Billy spluttered, hurrying over.

"She _left?"_ Conner asked in shock.

"Why did she leave?" Trini demanded, emerging from her bedroom with Jason reluctantly in tow.

"Gee, I wonder," Hayley muttered under her breath.

"It doesn't matter," Tommy repeated. "Because _a Ranger never gives up,_ remember? I'm going to L.A. and I'm going to get her back. My only question is, who's with me?"

"I think a better question might be, who isn't?" Zack said.

No one refuted this claim. Jason, Trini, Billy, Zack, Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent regarded Tommy steadily, looking as battle-ready as ever. Seeing this, Hayley cleared her throat.

"Tommy," Hayley said quietly, "I'm not sure—"

"I know you think I'm being an idiot," Tommy interrupted bluntly. "And I gotta tell you, I don't care. I love Kim, and I'm going to get her back, and if you don't like that you're welcome to stay here. But _I'm_ going to get her back, with or without you."

Hayley sighed. "I'll come. You know I'll come, you idiot. When have I _ever_ said no to helping you with some insane mission or another? Besides, you lunatics are going to need _someone_ sensible along."

"Thanks," Tommy said simply.

"You know how I feel about Kim, Tommy. This isn't over. But I can't stop you. That's the only reason I'm coming. I've spent the better part of seven years helping you, and I'm not going to quit on you now. But I meant what I said, Tommy—I'm not going to let you get yourself hurt again."

Tommy stared at her thoughtfully for a moment. "I'm not the smartest person in the world, Hayley, or the luckiest. But I can take anything the world throws at me, and if the world thinks a letter and a couple of arguments are going to keep me away from Kimberly then the world's got another thing coming. I don't know what happened with Kim. Call it fate, call it whatever. _But not even fate can stop me now,_ get it? Anyone that wants to take Kim from me has got a hell of a fight coming—a fight eight years overdue. I'm _through_ being hurt, Hayley. No more whining and pining and wondering. Now I kick ass. It's what I'm best at, especially with you guys beside me."

There was a moment of silence as they all reflected on this. Then Jason shrugged.

"It's about frigging time, man," Jason said, grinning. "Let's do it."

Tommy gave a slight smile and grabbed the green marker from Conner. Using his shirt sleeve, he erased Conner's pro/con list, ignoring Conner's indignant protest. Tommy grabbed a picture frame hanging in the hallway, lifted it down from its hook, handed it to Trini, and hung the dry erase board in its place.

"All right, then," Tommy said, beginning to write just beneath the heading "The (Very Top Secret) Mission to Reunite Dr. O and Kim." "This is what we're going to do."

* * *

_Author's Notes:_ Sorry it's taking so long to get to chapter 100. It's just really sobering to realize that you just typed the words "One Hundred" after "Chapter."


	100. Legacy of Power

_Author's Notes:_ Four years since Freyja and I got back into Power Rangers. Four years since the idea for this fic began to percolate, and over three thousand reviews and five hundred thousand words later, we're finally on Chapter 100. We wanted it to be something special and we figured that since the other ninety-nine chapters have been devoted almost exclusively to the Mighty Morphin and Dino Thunder Rangers, it was time to check in on everyone else. Oh, and by the way, we're trying to spread the word about an awesome band called Seasons After; check my profile for more info.

* * *

**Chapter One Hundred**

_Legacy of Power_

"Finally," said the cheerful little boy who'd been sitting next to Kat during the whole flight to Maui. "I can't wait to start my vacation. Of course, Hawaii doesn't sound nearly as cool as where _you're_ going."

Kat smiled at him. Ever since she'd told him that she was heading to Angel Grove to Power Rangers Day, the boy had been peppering her with questions, his awe growing exponentially as she explained about going to Angel Grove High when the Zeo Rangers were around. "It's a nice place," she said. "I can't wait to see the Rangers again."

He sighed. "I wish I could meet them, too."

"Who knows? Maybe you will, one day," Kat said, struggling not to laugh. He grinned up at her. She'd forgotten how much fun it was to mentor a child; ever since take-off they'd been chatting up a storm. She'd even given him her window seat so that he could see the breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean.

"Hey," the boy said, peering out the window once again. "I think I see your next flight. Isn't that it, over there?"

Kat leaned over him to look. Her connecting flight was quite close by—but it was getting further away by the moment. "Yes, that's… uh-oh." Kat's stomach began to plummet as her connecting flight began to rise—and head for California without her.

"Where's it going?" he asked curiously.

"Hopefully, not Los Angeles," Kat sighed.

"It can't go there. You're not on it yet!"

Kat bit her lip, staring at the plane's retreating form. "Our plane was delayed three hours, remember?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So maybe they didn't delay _that_ plane three hours."

"Oh." The boy thought this over. "But then how will you get to California?"

Kat narrowed her eyes. "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure the nice people at the airline are going to fix this." She swallowed. "I hope."

* * *

"That's everything, I believe," Anton said as he set his suitcase down in the hall.

"The hotel reservation?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, I… I think I left it in the study."

"I'll go check," she said.

Anton gave her a grateful smile and turned back to Bob, his butler. "Now, I should be back Sunday morning. If there are any problems with the café, make sure you call me, in addition to Hayley."

"Of course, Dr. Mercer," Bob replied dutifully.

"Thank you. I—"

Anton was interrupted by a scream from the study. "Elsa!" he exclaimed, rushing down the hall with Bob on his heels.

He stopped dead the moment he rounded the corner into the study, staring in shock. Elsa had apparently only been startled, rather than injured or frightened; she was now glaring over Anton's writing desk at the cause of the commotion.

In the center of Anton's study stood three Chinese teenagers, two boys and a girl, all of them clad in blue China Express aprons. They were dirty, bruised… and armed. All three of them had swords strapped to their waists. The taller boy carried a crossbow and a quiver of crossbow bolts, the shorter boy another sword, and the girl a mace.

"Good heavens," Bob said, gaping in amazement. "We simply _must_ find a better security company, Dr. Mercer."

"Hey," Elsa exclaimed indignantly. "That's my bullwhip!" She pointed at the taller boy's belt, where he'd stashed her whip.

The three turned to stare at her for a long moment. Then the girl asked, "Is this… Reefside?"

"Yes," Anton said, and their attention turned to him in unison. "You're safe now. I don't know what—"

"You're Elizabeth Randall," interrupted the shorter boy, turning back to Elsa. "The chick who was Mesogog's minion."

"Yes," Elsa said uncomfortably.

"I _told_ you guys!" he shouted. "We were in Mesogog's island fortress!"

"Shut up, Wang," the girl said wearily.

The taller boy went over to the desk, dropped the crossbow unceremoniously on top of it, yanked the bullwhip from his belt, and tossed it on the crossbow. "You can have it, lady," he said. "And do me a favor—the next time you're in the China Express on Hanover Street, tell them _I quit."_

_"We_ quit," the girl added. As one, she and the taller boy looked questioningly at Wang.

"What, like you have to ask?" Wang demanded, somewhat wounded. "Don't get me wrong, that was cool and all, but no _way_ am I working for a restaurant with mystical portals in the ceiling. One trip to a deserted island full of monsters was enough."

"See, Brad? I told you he wasn't completely crazy," the girl said to the taller boy as she dropped her mace on the desk with Brad's crossbow. "Here. Take your weapons. We're going job-hunting."

Elsa winced, feeling a tad apologetic now that the shock had worn off. "Um… you're welcome to keep the swords. Those were all Zeltrax's."

"Hey, thanks, lady," Wang said happily.

The three of them began divesting themselves of their other weapons. Anton was a little startled to see just how _many_ weapons they had tucked into their belts and pockets and shoes and aprons. The girl even pulled a few throwing knives out of her bra.

"Um, Bob—do me a favor and call these nice young people a cab," Anton said. Bob nodded and headed for the phone. "Elsa—hand me the box in the bottom drawer."

"I can't really afford a cab," Brad said absently as he pulled the quiver off his shoulder. "Thanks anyway, Mister."

"No, no, my treat," Anton said, opening the box Elsa handed him. "I keep a little emergency cash in here in case my son needs anything… here. Take it." He pulled out a wad of bills and held it out to him.

"Oh, we couldn't take your money," the girl said.

"I could," Brad muttered.

"No, no, it's the least I can do. After all, I… I feel bad, you poor kids, stranded out here and everything…"

"The cab will be here shortly," Bob announced, returning to the room.

"Bob, get these poor kids some breakfast, and see that they get home okay, would you? Thanks."

"That's not necessary—" the girl began.

"Oh, come on, Lin, I'm starving," Wang said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her along as he and Brad followed Bob to the kitchen.

Anton kept the reassuring smile plastered on his face until they vanished from view, then turned back to Elsa, who was inspecting the weapons. "Good lord, I'd forgotten entirely about this crossbow," she said fondly. "You're right, Anton. There's simply too much on that island going to waste."

Anton sighed. "I agree. However, before we start discussing reconstruction of the laboratory, I think we had better see what we can do to repair this glitch in the invisiportals."

Elsa nodded. "We'd better start before the China Express opens for business, too. I'll call the hotel, and let them know that we'll be late arriving."

"You do that. I'll get to work."

~*~

Carmen had been Tanya Sloan's maid for almost three years now, and they had been some of the best years of her life. Tanya was an amazingly sweet person, and her live-in boyfriend, Adam Park, was just as nice. They gave Carmen a great salary and full run of the guest house and authority over anyone else they hired, like the gardener or the pool man. However, despite the great job description and the great bosses, Carmen couldn't help but notice that Adam and Tanya had one fatal flaw.

Adam and Tanya were weird as hell.

Carmen had worked for several eccentric rich people before, and before that she'd worked for a large corporation full of colorful characters. Yet no one she had ever met was quite so colorful as Adam and Tanya.

For one thing, Tanya's parents were beyond strange. They were some sort of treasure hunters or something, wealthy and dangerously adventurous, and even though they'd spent several years of Tanya's childhood "missing in action," whatever that meant, they were still forever running around the globe, often getting into bizarre situations and occasionally requiring Adam or Tanya to run off to some remote location and "rescue" them, though Carmen wasn't sure what that entailed. The Sloans had taken a liking to Carmen, and they would sometimes give her salvaged artifacts that always came with instructions like, "Don't ever touch its tail" or "Let us know if it starts speaking to you." She'd thought they were joking at first, until she realized the ornately carved jaguar figurine was always in a different place come morning than where she'd left it the night before; she'd mentioned it to Adam in passing, and he'd panicked and hastily removed the jaguar from the premises and instructed her to inform him if she started having violent thoughts, moving at a preternatural speed, or developed stronger night vision. Carmen had decided to pawn every subsequent gift from the Sloans on eBay—which probably wasn't a very nice thing to do, but it had bought her a very nice car and stopped the nightmares about an army of killer jaguar figurines.

It wasn't hard to see where Tanya's personality had come from. Like her parents, she was sweet, tough, and always doing inexplicable things. Adam seemed a perfect match for her, as far as Carmen could tell. They even had similar interests—like incredibly fast vehicles and martial arts. And things always seemed to _happen_ to them, bizarre things that would have seemed unbelievable if Carmen hadn't witnessed half of them. On occasion one or both of them would leave suddenly on "business trips," at which point the people who were _in_ business with Adam and Tanya would call the house and frantically question Carmen about their whereabouts until they returned, at which point they would refuse to tell anyone about whatever "business" they'd been conducting. Yet the way they ran their household was even weirder.

Despite hiring her as a maid, they always seemed eager to minimize Carmen's exposure to the main house. They picked up after themselves often enough that it kept Carmen from doing enough work to feel justified in asking for a raise. Large sections of the house were off-limits entirely. They had a very good alarm system, but absolutely no cameras to speak of, save the one at the main gate to identify approaching vehicles. They decorated the house in an odd mixture of styles, but the color scheme was always predominately green, black and yellow. They never hosted wild shindigs or any sort of parties, save for small, casual get-togethers of old friends from Angel Grove, during which Carmen was politely asked to make herself scarce.

Thus she was quite surprised to find herself decorating for a last-minute gay pride party with an unusually large guest list. Adam and Tanya were fairly liberal, but most of their previous charity causes had revolved around underprivileged youth or third-world countries. The guest list included the names of several people she'd never seen come by the house before, though many of the old friends from Angel Grove were on the list as well.

Adam hadn't had time to go into much detail about the party. He'd said "standard party platters" would be fine and when she asked about decorations he'd just muttered something about rainbows. Then he'd told her he'd be back first thing in the morning and rushed off to go drag his crazy friend Rocky out of a teashop.

He still hadn't come home, and Carmen was slowly beginning to panic. She'd already managed to pack away everything that was extremely breakable or expensive, as instructed, but she hadn't been able to reach Adam or Tanya and on second inspection of Adam's hastily scrawled lists she hadn't been able to read a word of his writing and she had no idea if "standard party platters" meant pâté or buffalo wings. It was hard to tell with contradictory people like Adam and Tanya—one minute they seemed like nice, refined, wine-drinking millionaires, and the next they were inviting her to go bungee jumping.

The buzzer for the main gate went off just as she finished hanging a rainbow flag in the entryway. Carmen hurried over to the monitor and turned it on, revealing T.J. Johnson, beaming up at her from his flashy red sports car.

"Hello, hello," he called cheerfully. "Carlos is right behind me with the party supplies—open up!"

Carmen sighed in relief and opened the gate, allowing the red sports car and the black-and-green van behind it to enter the drive and begin the trek to the front door. She knew Carlos and T.J. well; they were two of Adam's closest friends, and Cassie was very tight with Tanya.

"Hey, Carmen," Carlos called. "Where's Adam?"

"I have no idea," Carmen said, trying not to sound as frustrated as she felt. "He left yesterday with Rocky and he said he'd be back early today, but it's almost noon…"

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll turn up," T.J. said. "Meanwhile, we'll help set up for the party."

"Help me with the keg," Carlos told him, opening the rear doors of his van.

"Keg?" Carmen repeated. "Adam didn't even tell me to get alcohol, let alone a keg."

"Well, the keg was my idea," T.J. admitted.

"Also the liquor," Carlos added wryly. "We brought some food, too—"

"Thank god. Adam didn't tell me what type of food to get, and Tanya's plane won't be in until five…"

"That doesn't sound like Adam. He's usually so organized," Carlos remarked as he and T.J. carefully lifted down the keg.

"Eh, he'll turn up. Think you could grab that box, Carmen?" T.J. asked as he and Carlos turned to carry the keg inside.

Carmen grabbed a large cardboard box from the van and went inside to find them standing in the foyer, staring around in confusion at the few decorations she'd scrounged up this morning.

"Um… correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those gay pride flags?" Carlos asked in confusion.

She nodded. "Adam said that if I had the time, he wanted rainbows…"

T.J. and Carlos looked at each other, then burst out laughing. "No, no," T.J. chortled, "that's not what he meant. See, uh, the other Space Rangers are coming, and our pals the Lost Galaxy Rangers are coming in all the way from Mirinoi and Lightspeed Rescue managed to get the time off, so the color thing was supposed to be about Power Rangers, not…"

"Oh!" Carmen exclaimed, smacking her forehead. "My god, I'm an idiot. I couldn't think what else a gathering of adults would want rainbow decorations for…"

"Power Rangers Day is tomorrow, in Angel Grove," Carlos said. "This is sort of a pre-ceremony mixer, us and a bunch of Adam's old friends…"

"I didn't even think about that," she groaned. "Great. Now I'm gonna need all-new decorations."

"Oh, I brought some," T.J. said. "Box you're holding should have some. I always have tons of Ranger merchandise lying around, given the whole first-team-to-be-exposed thing. Why don't you see what you can do with it, and we'll go set this in the kitchen and start unloading the rest?"

"Sure," she said, cracking open the box and pulling out a large stack of children's party plates covered with pictures of the Wild Force Rangers. The box was full of Power Ranger party decorations—most of them designed for the under-twelve crowd, but covering a variety of teams. Even if she couldn't see Adam in a Pink Space Ranger party hat, at least these would save her from having to run to the store.

T.J. and Carlos wandered back through on their way to the van, looking up in amusement at the flags. "We could paint the orange stripe white, and the purple stripe pink," T.J. joked. "It could still work."

"We don't have any paint. Besides, there are only six colors, and we need seven—red, yellow, blue, pink, black, green and white."

"Oh, yeah."

"Not to mention the people like Zhane."

"True, true."

Carmen shook her head, wondering why Adam hadn't mentioned that the party was supposed to be Ranger-oriented; he and Tanya were always so _secretive._ Oh, well. At least she had T.J. and Carlos to help. Just another weird thing to add to the very long list.

She set the box down and went out to the van, where T.J. and Carlos were unloading. "Hey—what kind of food should I be ordering? Fancy or—"

"No," they interrupted in unison. "Keep it simple," T.J. added. "Buffalo wings, potato chips—and plenty of it. Most of these people can eat. Pizza's probably a good idea."

"Thanks. And—"

T.J.'s cell phone went off. "Hold that thought," he said, flipping the phone open. "It's Cassie. Hello?" He paused, listening. His eyes began to widen, and Carlos tensed at his expression. Carmen watched them curiously.

"No, I haven't heard from him. Any of them. And Adam's late getting home, hasn't even started setting up for his own party… Oh, man. Are you serious? Anyone else we can call? The _whole city?"_ T.J. exclaimed. Carlos groaned. "Okay, okay. We'll meet you there. Any chance Andros will be here soon? Okay. Call Lightspeed. Me and Carlos will get there as fast as we can." Carmen's spirits sank as T.J. hung up and looked at Carlos. "Apparently big green balls of light are spitting minions all over the city of Reefside and no one's seen the Dino Rangers in weeks."

Carlos groaned again. "You're _kidding."_

"Nope. And Reefside's pretty far from here."

"Guess that means the Galaxy Gliders. How many minions are we talking about here?"

"Cassie didn't say, but she did use the word 'overrun.'"

Carlos swore. "So we're gonna be there a while."

"Well, the Megaship's not far out now and Lightspeed should be able to help. Hey, Carmen, we might be a little late getting back, all right?"

"But… but…" Carmen sighed. "Leave me your keys, in case I need to move your cars."

They nodded and did so. A few moments later, Carmen was treated to the interesting sight of the Space Rangers morphing, summoning their Galaxy Gliders, and flying off, but the awe wore off quickly when she realized that once again she had a party to plan and less than seven hours left in which to do it.

* * *

"I can't believe you told them," Taylor grumbled for the fourteenth time as she sped along the interstate.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me you _hadn't_ told them," Eric shot back yet again.

"I can't believe how cool Albuquerque was," Wes piped up from the back seat, grinning cheerfully as he sorted through the bag of souvenirs he'd picked up.

"Does the word 'secret identity' mean _anything_ to you?" Taylor demanded, ignoring Wes.

"'Secret identity' isn't a word. It's a phrase," Eric retorted.

"Oh, come on, guys," Wes said, leaning forward between the two front seats. "We make our own destinies, and sometimes—"

"I didn't make the part of my destiny where _Eric_ told my _mother_ that he was _startled_ to realize I was the _Yellow Wild Force Ranger!"_ Taylor snapped.

"You're the one who told them how we met!"

"Yes, that you gave me a speeding ticket! Not that we hooked up later to save the planet together!"

"Um, speaking of speeding," Wes began, glancing down at the dashboard, but Taylor and Eric ignored him.

"You spent ages prepping me to meet your parents. You told me not to argue with your father and to tell your mother that I was a Baptist Republican—"

"You're a Baptist Republican?" Wes asked Eric, startled.

"No, but that's what Taylor told me to say during _the three-hour pep talk_ that failed to mention the fact that her parents didn't know she was a Power Ranger!"

"It was implied! _Secret_ identity, Eric! _Secret!"_

"Taylor, you know you're going almost fifteen over the speed limit, right?" Wes asked worriedly.

"You told them _I_ was a Power Ranger!" Eric pointed out.

"Yes, because I was trying to impress my parents! Look at my boyfriend, isn't he tall, dark and handsome, he has a great job, and he's a _superhero!_ Way better than the Goth boys I used to bring home back in high school!"

"You dated Goth boys?" Wes asked with interest.

"I figured if they could know about me, they must know about you!"

"Your identity isn't secret! Why _wouldn't_ I tell them about yours?"

"I'm sure they won't tell anyone!"

"You don't know my parents! They _love_ bragging to all their friends about me!"

"Oh, don't worry about _that,"_ Wes said. "Plenty of people claim they know Power Rangers. There was this kid back in school who used to swear up and down that the Red Zeo Ranger was his cousin—"

Wes broke off as blue and red lights suddenly washed over them. Taylor tapped the breaks, then glowered at Eric as she pulled over. "Now look. You made me get _another_ ticket."

"Maybe you should watch your speed," Eric retorted.

"Maybe I could concentrate better if I wasn't worried about what my mom was telling her book club about how I'm a superhero!"

"Right. Because you're _such_ a careful driver otherwise."

"Guys? Can we concentrate on the speeding ticket?"

"Where's the registration for this thing?" Taylor demanded as she rolled down her window and killed the engine.

"I'm getting it," Eric replied, popping the glove box.

"Don't worry, guys," Wes whispered as he watched the cop get out of his cruiser. "We can probably play the Silver Guardians card."

"I'm not a Silver Guardian," Taylor pointed out. "I'm not even sure I'm allowed to be driving this thing."

"You're the one who wanted to drive," Eric said.

"I wanted to drive _my_ car. _You_ invited Wes so we had to take the SUV."

"What was I supposed to do? He wouldn't shut up about how he always wanted to see Albuquerque."

"I can't believe you don't listen to Weird Al," Wes complained.

"Quiet," Taylor snapped, snatching the registration from Eric and turning toward the window, pasting a smile on her face. "What seems to be the problem, officer?" she asked, handing him the documentation.

"You were going eighty-seven in a seventy-five zone."

"Oh, really? I'm so sorry. I was just having an argument with my friend here." She jerked her thumb at Eric.

_"Friend?"_ Eric repeated indignantly.

"Where you headed?" the officer asked.

"Silver Hills."

"It says here this vehicle is registered to the Silver Guardians?"

"Yes."

"What is that, some kind of band?"

"A police task force," Eric said proudly. "We protect the city of Silver Hills in the Time Force Rangers' absence."

"Time Force Rangers? As in Power Rangers?" The officer snorted. "Yeah, sure. And my car's registered to the Easter Bunny."

Eric, Taylor and Wes stared at the cop blankly. "You mean… um… you really don't _believe_ in Power Rangers?" Wes asked, torn between fascination, amusement, and indignation.

"My nine-year-old boy doesn't even believe in Power Rangers." The officer bent down a bit and peered suspiciously at each of them in turn.

"Well, that's nice, because we happen to _be_ Power Rangers," Eric growled.

_"They_ happen to be Power Rangers," Taylor corrected hastily. "I'm a normal human girl. Honest."

The officer glowered at her, then stepped back. "Step out of the car, please."

* * *

"Monday?" Justin repeated, horrified. "No, no—I have to get to California by tomorrow. I _have_ to. You have no idea how important—"

"Look, kid," the mechanic interrupted sympathetically, "I'm sorry. But I can't get the part before then. The warehouse doesn't have it in stock and to be honest, I'll be lucky if I can get it before Wednesday. Monday's the _soonest_ I can get your car back on the road. Tough break, I know, but you're spending the weekend in Indiana."

"But… but… this is the opportunity of a lifetime," Justin protested.

"Tell it to your radiator, kid."

Justin sighed heavily and headed for the door. Great. His car had died in the Middle of Nowhere, Indiana, last night. Just waiting for the shop to open on Friday morning meant he wasn't going to make the Rangers-only shindig… and now, it looked like he wasn't going to even make it to Power Rangers Day at all. Stupid school, making him cut it so damned close. The nearest airport was in Indianapolis, the nearest bus station was twenty miles, and he knew better than to expect there to be an open seat on any form of public transportation heading to Angel Grove on the eve of Power Rangers Day.

He kicked idly at bits of gravel in the parking lot as he tried to plot his next move. If he was going to be here all weekend, he couldn't really afford a hotel better than the one he'd crashed in last night, which he was never ever going back to because the bugs there were the sort of bugs that other bugs tell horror stories about, so he was going to have to dip into the merchandise fund T.J. had set up for all the ex-Rangers with secret identities… wait.

Duh.

Yanking his backpack off his shoulder, Justin rummaged around for a moment until his fingers closed over his Turbo morpher and key. Storm Blaster could make it to Angel Grove in a fraction of the time. Any luck, and he'd still make it to the party with time to spare.

* * *

T.J. and Carlos weren't sure what to expect when they arrived at Reefside. It turned out to be a good thing that they hadn't formulated any opinions ahead of time, as that would have made the shock all the worse.

The city _was_ overrun, but by the time the two Space Rangers arrived, most of the citizens of Reefside had figured out that if they didn't attack the Tyrannodrones and Triptoids, the minions wouldn't attack them. Without someone to order them about, the mindless creations were simply bouncing around the town, sometimes wandering right past cowering civilians. Here and there, a person would throw a punch, kick, or projectile weapon at a Tyrannodrone, and it would turn and attack, but only if actually struck, and never in large numbers, allowing small clusters of humans to beat the crap out of them one or two at a time. Here and there civilians were waging small battles, ramming them with cars, shooting at them with ordinary handguns, or finding some other method of picking off the invading creatures one by one. A gang of aging bikers was going at it with a group of Triptoids, a couple of kids were busy duct-taping a Tyrannodrone to a phone pole, firefighters were hosing any non-human entity that came too close to the firehouse, a pack of dogs followed their dog-walker's instruction to take out a single Triptoid… but all in all, most of the Tyrannodrones and Triptoids were simply heading towards the center of town.

The town square was a different story. It was packed with the creatures, who were following the orders of a monster. It was a good ten feet tall, built like a grizzly bear with six limbs instead of four and a carnivorous dinosaur skull for a head. Cassie was busy doing battle with a two-headed lizard-man with wicked claws, dive-bombing it on her Galaxy Glider and firing away while two civilians—a man and a woman, both in their thirties, the woman dressed all in black leather and armed to the teeth, the man empty-handed—attacked the skull-headed grizzly.

In the very center of town was a large fountain, which was gently spouting water over a cluster of soaking wet civilians huddled together in the center of the pool. Around the edges of the pool were four people, spread out to cover it from all angles, their backs to the civilians. Three sides of the fountain were covered by Chinese teenagers in blue aprons with apparently mystical swords capable of firing giant energy blasts. The fourth was covered by an elderly man in a tuxedo, armed with a shotgun. The four of them kept the Tyrannodrones and Triptoids at bay.

"Hey, look—it's Anton Mercer," T.J. told Carlos as they zoomed towards the city. "I met him years ago, when he and Tommy were working together. The woman must be the reformed general of Mesogog's… uh… Elizabeth Randall, I think her name is."

"Who are the Asian kids and the old man?"

"No idea. If I didn't know better, I'd guess they were the Dino Rangers," T.J. joked. "As for the old man… no idea. James Bond, out of retirement?"

"Tux isn't _that_ nice. More like a waiter."

"Mercer's butler!" T.J. exclaimed in sudden recognition. "Uh… Bob, I think his name is. Real Old World snobby type, if I remember correctly."

"Bob?"

"I guess not all butlers are named Jeeves."

"I was just about to make a Batman joke," Carlos laughed.

T.J. snorted. "Looks like the kids and Alfred have the drones pretty well. You help Cassie. I'll take dino-bear."

They swooped towards their individual targets and prepared to save the city of Reefside.

* * *

Carter warily scanned the faces of the zoo attendants in the monkey house, who were all watching Cole without the slightest trace of disbelief or suspicion. Carter knew this was dangerous to Cole's identity—bringing in a Wild Force Ranger to help Angel Grove alleviate the zoo's supposedly Ranger-related woes—but the zoo director had been desperate and Lightspeed Rescue wasn't in the habit of turning away those in need (even if their needs included restoring order to a large number of cranky exotic animals).

However, not a single one of the weary zoo employees had shown anything but gratitude for their assistance. There was no questioning of _how_ Cole convinced the giraffes to calm down, _what_ Cole did that got the penguins to march themselves out of the dolphin tank, or _why_ Cole could understand animals' thoughts. They all just sort of took it in stride. When Carter had mentioned it to Kat during their phone call earlier, Kat had only said something vague about the remarkable levels of resilience in Angel Grove civilians before asking him if he had any idea how to get her off the island of Maui.

His morpher beeped again, and he sighed. Cole's slow but steady restoration of the zoo was the only thing going smoothly today. Apparently Reefside was under attack, no one could actually reach any of the Dino Rangers, and the rest of Lightspeed Rescue was headed towards Reefside to fight off several thousand mindless minions that were cavorting around the city with a couple of low-grade monsters. His first instinct had been to leave Carter alone at the zoo and go join them, but Mitchell had pointed out that if something went horribly wrong it might be a good idea to have other active Rangers outside the city who could be called in later. As it was, the situation wasn't too terribly dangerous; there might be an enormous swarm of minions, but they were still just minions, and T.J., Carlos and Cassie were already helping out.

"Yes?" Carter asked in a low tone.

"Sir, you have another call from the Pink Zeo Ranger," came the voice of one of the countless technicians manning the rebuilt Aquabase.

"Patch her through."

"Carter?" came Kat's voice a moment later. She sounded a tad hysterical. "Carter, you have to call the Hawaiian military. Tell them to stop!"

"Tell them to stop what?"

"They're firing at the Lost Galaxy Rangers!"

"What? Why?"

"I don't _know!_ I would imagine they're not used to unidentified flying objects! They got the Yellow one… Maya, is that her name?"

"Got her? What do you mean, 'got' her?"

"They fired a pretty heavy bit of artillery at her. She fell off her Jet Jammer into a forest and—"

"Was she in morph?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then she's fine. The suit will protect her from the fall and Maya grew up in a forest or jungle or something, from what I understand. Are _you_ okay?"

"Yes. For the moment. I'm running out of options, though. If I show myself, it could be traced back to me. I'm one of only three people heading to California who missed the connecting flight and the other two were businessmen in their fifties. If the Pink Zeo Ranger starts walking around, especially after all the fuss I made in the airport about trying to get home to Angel Grove…"

"Right. Well, perhaps if you approach the military installation itself…"

"How? They're not just going to let me walk up to an army base, are you kidding? Even in morph I doubt it would work. Hawaii doesn't have Power Rangers."

"If they're firing on the Lost Galaxy Rangers, I'm not sure they'll listen to me."

"Well, to be fair, if I didn't know what they were, and I had a rocket launcher, I might start shooting myself if they started swooping down on my island. I'm sure they'll listen to you."

"Maybe, but I'm not sure they'll allow the Lost Galaxy Rangers to _land._ And if they don't…"

"I won't have any way out of Maui. I know. To be honest, I'm not sure how I'm going to get out of here _now,_ anyway. I figured they would land discretely and I'd be able to run out to them and hop on before I got spotted. I really don't want anyone to know that I'm here. It won't look good."

"Can you get to where Maya is? If they have to dive into a forest to get to her…"

"I'd never find her in that forest. I'm a _Power_ Ranger, not a park ranger." Kat sighed. "Look, there's another flight leaving in time to get me to San Diego by five in the morning. I'll miss the party at Adam's, but at least I can rent a car to get me to Angel Grove from there. I appreciate your help, and the Lost Galaxy Rangers were really sweet to offer to pick me up on their way in from the moon, but maybe it's best if I just hang here and hope for the best."

"Maybe I can talk to Joel, see if he knows anyone out that way with a private plane…"

"At this point it really won't matter, I suppose. If I'm taking a normal airplane I doubt I'll make it in time for the party even if I left right this second," Kat said with a touch of misery in her voice. "Just… get the Hawaiian military to call off their assault so the Lost Galaxy Rangers can get Maya and head on off to Angel Grove. I'll be fine."

Carter sighed. "Okay. We could really use their help anyway. Reefside's under attack."

"What? Is To… the team okay?"

"We're not sure. Every last one of the Dino Rangers is offline, plus all of Mighty Morphin. You're the only one we've got contact with from before the power transfer during Turbo. We really need to work on creating communicators that work with more than one team."

"I can't _believe_ I forgot my communicator in Australia," she moaned. "Everything was just so hectic…"

"It sounds like everything's hectic everywhere," Carter told her. "Angel Grove's had a rough couple of days. A secret identity hoax, the Black Ranger's been running around at random, there was some sort of evil villain's plot to raise an army of monkeys… you should see the zoo. And now Reefside… but it's mostly minions."

"Sir?" came a technician's voice through the connection. "We just got a call from the Silver Guardians. Eric and Wes from Time Force are in a holding cell in Arizona, along with—"

"What?" Carter interrupted in disbelief.

"They've been arrested, sir. And Wes says there might be some sort of issue regarding the press doing a story on the Quantum Ranger taking a field sobriety test…"

Carter sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. Behind him, Cole stopped listening to the recently-returned monkey and started translating for the monkey trainer.

"Thomas here," Cole said, gesturing at the morose chimpanzee behind the bars, "would like you all to call him Farky now. Don't worry. His peculiar behavior is not the result of trauma. He is simply mourning his two dear friends, Farcus Bulkmeier and Eugene Skullovitch, who freed him from the zoo temporarily and showed him the joy of artistic expression. Perhaps if they could be allowed to visit him, he might recover from his depression."

"Uh-huh," the trainer said, rolling his eyes. "Well, if they promise not to go busting any more chimpanzees out of the monkey house and then trying to say they did it because of evil spells and Power Rangers, maybe we can arrange that."

Cole turned eagerly back to the cage. "Do you hear that, Farky? They intend to bring your friends to visit! Perhaps in time, they'll even warm up to the idea of letting you paint again."

"You know," Kat said, having heard everything Carter had, "I think maybe I'll stay here in Maui a little longer, where it's…"

"Safe?" Carter suggested.

_"Normal,"_ Kat said. "I'll let you get to work and just… I think I'll wait and make sure the military backs off without hurting anyone, and then I'll grab some dinner and find out when the next plane leaves."

"Right," Carter said dryly. "Godspeed." Kat hung up, and Carter addressed the technicians monitoring the morpher. "Okay. Someone call the Hawaiian military and explain to them that the Lost Galaxy Power Rangers were just looking to make a pit stop on their way to Angel Grove and _please_ allow them to collect the fallen Yellow Ranger and go on about their business unmolested. Meanwhile, someone call the Arizona governor for me and—"

"Captain Mitchell's already on it, sir," the technician said.

"Right. Oh, and someone ask the Silver Guardians if they can spare anybody to help out with the Reefside attacks. Is there anything else to report?"

"Storm Blaster was spotted stuck in traffic in St. Louis."

Carter frowned. "Storm Blaster… Storm Blaster…"

"The Blue Turbo Ranger's vehicle, sir. We have no method of contacting a morphed Turbo Ranger, considering the fact that the Space Rangers—"

"Are busy in Reefside," Carter finished. "What about the rest of Wild Force? And Ninja Storm? Any contact yet?"

"No, but no catastrophe, either."

"Well, that's something, I suppose," Carter said with a sigh, and hung up.

* * *

"Nice place," Kat Manx remarked as they approached the security gate at Adam and Tanya's property. "Are you sure about this?"

"History says that we attend the party here," Jen replied. "Here we begin the recruiting process."

"And we get to meet all the living legends that were dead long before any of us were born," said Marcus. He was annoyingly talkative, and in the short time Kat had been with the Time Force Rangers, she'd learned that he was a relatively recent addition to the team. Alex, the Red Ranger of Time Force in 3003, had remained in the future with a new team of Pink, Yellow, Blue and Green Rangers, and sent Marcus back to accompany the others. From what she gathered, the five Time Force Rangers would not be returning to the future permanently, or at least not anytime soon.

Lucas, who was driving the battered van the Time Force Rangers had gotten their hands on, pulled up to the callbox at the side of the gate and pushed the button. It took a few moments before the speaker crackled to life. "Hello?" came the harassed-sounding voice of a young woman.

"We're here for the party."

"Ah. Right. Where'd I put the stupid list…?" There was pause broken only by the occasional mutter. "Names?" the woman asked finally.

"Lucas Kendall, Jen Scotts, Katie Walker, Trip Regis, Marcus Barstow, and Katherine Manx."

"Kat," Kat grumbled.

There was another pause from the woman at the speaker. Finally, she said, "You're not on the guest list."

"That's understandable," Jen called, leaning across Lucas to shout out his window. "We're the Time Force Rangers. They weren't expecting us to come."

"Ah. Well, um, look. I can't just let you in because you're pretty sure Adam and Tanya would want you here."

"Then go get them," Lucas said. "They'll be thrilled to see us. Just you wait."

"They're not home."

"Well, when are they getting home?" Jen asked.

"Adam was supposed to be back hours ago. Tanya's not due for a few more hours. I suggest you try back later."

"Look, I tell you what. I'm gonna get out of the car and stand in front of this monitor. Then, when I morph into the Blue Time Force Ranger, you let me in, okay?"

"I can't do that. You're not on the list," the woman insisted. "Without Adam or Tanya to verify that you're friends of theirs, I'm not letting you in." The speaker crackled again and went dead. Lucas jabbed at the button in annoyance a few times, but got no response.

"Well, now what?" Lucas asked Jen.

"Did history happen to mention at what _time_ we'd be permitted to join the party?" Kat asked.

"No, now that you mention it," Marcus said worriedly.

"Jen?" Lucas asked.

"We wait," she said decisively. "When Wes and Eric get here, they'll make the woman let us in."

"Are you sure they're coming?" Katie asked eagerly.

Jen nodded. "Yes."

"Like you were sure we'd be given admittance to the party?" Kat asked.

Jen gave her a cold look. "We _will_ get into this party, even if we have to storm the house. Don't worry. We've met plenty of Rangers who might be able to vouch for us, and after all, Wes and Eric are destined to be here."

* * *

"I can't believe you got us arrested," Wes said, still sounding mystified.

"Oh, shut up already," Eric said wearily.

"We were speeding. Hell, _we_ weren't even speeding. _Taylor_ was speeding. You got us arrested."

"The Silver Guardians or… I don't know, _someone…_ will come bail us out. Don't worry."

"That's not the point. The point is we're _arrested,_ Eric. We are so totally the only Power Rangers ever to get arrested before. I'm going to ask Jen to look it up when we get out of this."

"Oh, please. I seriously doubt we're the only ones. Would you stop freaking out, please?"

"I'm sorry. I'm just not sure how to behave when my best friend gets me _arrested."_

"For crying out loud, I thought morphing in front of him would make him believe us. I didn't think he'd start shooting at me and then lock himself in his car and sob and call for backup. What a wuss."

"Eric, we're in the middle of nowhere. You're lucky he didn't have us burned at the stake."

"Wes? We're Power Rangers. No one would be _able_ to burn us at the stake. Now would you calm down? Trust me, this is no big deal. We didn't even do anything wrong. I doubt making a police officer wet himself is a crime."

"We're in a jail cell, Eric. A jail cell! Right before Power Rangers Day, too. How can you be so calm?"

"Look on the bright side."

"You're looking on the bright side? _You?"_

Eric smiled dryly and said, "As long as we're in here, we're safe from Taylor."

Wes's eyes widened and he turned to look around the holding cell in a whole new light. "You know, I could learn to like jail."

* * *

"Ooh, look!" Dustin called. "Reefside, forty miles. That means we're only… what? Four hours from Angel Grove?"

"Yeah, tops," Hunter said.

"Provided we don't get lost again," Tori teased.

"Dude, that was so not my fault," Dustin said. "Hey, too bad the Dino Rangers are already in Angel Grove. I could go for a pit stop."

"Hey, somebody wake Cam up," Tori called over her shoulder. "Maybe Hayley's still in town or something."

"Cam," Shane said, jerking his shoulder, upon which Cam had rested his head after passing out.

"Come on, Cousin, rise and shine," Kapri called.

"I can't believe he didn't put up a fight about me and Kapri coming along," Marah said.

"How'd you convince him, anyway?" Hunter asked.

"We didn't. We just asked him again this morning, and he said yes," Marah replied. "It was like he'd done a total one-eighty."

"I know," Dustin said. "He almost never sleeps on road trips, either. He keeps freaking out whenever someone else is driving."

"Come on, Cam, wake up," Shane said, reaching out to shake him.

"Five more minutes, Mom," Cam mumbled sleepily.

"Mom?" Blake said, frowning. "Why would Cam be saying 'Five more minutes, Mom'?"

"Haven't you ever forgotten where you were first thing in the morning?" Kapri asked.

Tori's eyes widened in realization. "Yeah, but Cam never _had_ a mom. She died when he was a baby, remember?"

With the exception of Tori, who was driving, everyone turned to glare suspiciously at Cam.

"He _was_ pretty insistent that Marah and Kapri should stay behind with the other trainees," Shane said.

"And he hasn't even complained at all the whole trip," Blake added.

"No, wait, if it was Cyber Cam, why is he sleeping?" Dustin asked. "Does Cyber Cam even _need_ sleep?"

"No… but he can't go an entire weekend without recharging at Ninja Ops," Tori said.

"He's saving his energy," Hunter said. "Remember how he was begging to come?"

"And Cam said he couldn't because he wouldn't last the whole weekend," Tori said.

"Tori, get off at the next exit," Shane called. "We've got to turn around and go back for the real Cam."

"Shouldn't we check and make sure it's really him first?" Marah asked.

"Cam. Cam! Get up, now!" Shane shouted.

Cam—or possibly Cam's electronic replica—jolted awake and blinked around at the staring ninjas. "Um… hey, guys. How's it going?"

"Cam?" Hunter asked suspiciously.

"Yeah?"

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Dustin called.

"Three," Cam replied blankly.

"Not Cam," Dustin reported.

"Dustin, Cyber Cam knows how to count," Tori pointed out.

"Yeah, okay, but if it was really Cam, he would have said something sarcastic. He wouldn't have just said three."

The others looked from Cam to Dustin suspiciously. Dustin had a point, but his logic was so often flawed that it usually didn't hurt to get supplemental proof.

"Are you Cyber Cam?" Blake demanded.

"Who, me? Of course not. Nope."

"If you're lying, I'll make sure Cam deactivates you," Hunter threatened.

"Or at least makes you look like someone else," Dustin said. "Kapri, maybe."

"Hey!" Kapri complained.

"Guys, don't be silly," Cam said, but he sounded worried.

"All right," Shane said, looking maybe-Cam in the eye. "Which is easier to pull off, a kickflip or a heelflip?"

Cam snorted. "Come _on_. They're _both_ easy."

_"So_ not Cam," Shane announced. "Tori—"

"Next exit's in a half mile. I'll get us turned around."

"Oh, great," Dustin complained. "Now we're gonna have to add… what? Another four hours to our trip?"

"Ten," Blake said. "It's five hours back to Ninja Ops. One-way."

"Well, hey," Kapri said brightly, "at least that gives us time to figure out what did with the _real_ Cam, right?"

"Oh, man," Shane groaned. "Cam's gonna be pissed."

* * *

"Magic Fireball Attack!" Wang shouted gleefully.

"Do you have to shout that _every_ time?" Lin demanded.

"It's the only thing I've found that the sword always responds to," Wang told her. "Magic Fireball Attack!"

"It's not voice-activated," Brad said. "Mine works on thought."

"Yeah, well, yours also shoots lightning, not fire," Wang retorted. "Magic Fireball Attack!"

Another giant orb of flame emerged from the tip of his sword and struck a Tyrannodrone squarely in the chest. It flew back into several of its fellows, setting a few more on fire, but more pressed in.

"Mine only works if I make this one motion," Lin said. "We never should have given back those other weapons."

"I wonder what _they_ could do," Wang mused.

"Doesn't really matter now," Brad pointed out. "Hey, Jeeves! You all right?"

"My n-n-n-name," the elderly butler growled through chattering teeth, "is _Bob."_

Things were slowly getting worse. The Lightspeed Rangers were busy taking care of all the renegade drones all over the rest of town, and while Cassie and T.J. had managed to eliminate the lizard-man monster, the dino-grizzly was proving to be something of a problem. Cassie, Carlos, T.J. and Anton and Elsa were still battling it, and Bob had run out of ammunition some time ago, nearly getting killed before the civilians in the fountain had rushed forward to beat the Tyrannodrones off of him until Brad could drive them back a little further. Brad, Lin and Wang had spread out a little more to cover Bob's section, but they were all getting tired and the miserable civilians huddled in the water weren't able to do much but call out warnings. They were all soaked to the bone, so they didn't even have a good chance of running anymore, not in waterlogged clothing. Once or twice, a couple of civilians had offered to take Brad, Lin and Wang's swords and fire off the energy blasts for a while to let them rest, but none of the three were anxious to relinquish their weapons.

"I think the bleeding's stopped," said a guy who was holding his shirt against a gash on Bob's forehead. "It's not half as bad as it looks."

Bob sighed and continued to shiver. "I'm s-seventy-eight years old, boy. Standing around in c-c-cold water for hours on end is bad, never mind a head wound gained wh-wh-while battling a legion of prehistoric monsters."

"My name's Chris," the guy offered. "And if it makes you feel any better, I was on my way to a second date with the most awesome girl I've ever met when the attacks started. And hiding in the fountain totally fried my cell phone."

"It d-does help, some," Bob admitted.

Chris sighed and surveyed the army of monsters. "And I thought those guys in the café the other day were a problem."

"DUCK!" shouted one of the other civilians. Chris shoved Bob out of the way just as a figure clad in black came flying over the heads of the mob of minions. She landed hard in the fountain with a tremendous splash, and Chris and Bob hurried to help her up.

"Are you all right?" Chris demanded, carefully easing her into a sitting position.

"Miss Randall! Miss Randall!" Bob shrieked.

_"Elsa_ Randall?" Chris asked curiously, recognizing the name.

"Unh," she groaned. To Bob, she added, "I'm all right. Thank god I still had some of my old outfits lying around. This stuff still works." She sat up and surveyed the Tyrannodrones and Triptoids. "Great. I'll never fight my way back over to the monster from here."

"Good," Brad called over his shoulder. "We could use a little help."

"I'm out of ammunition, Miss Randall," Bob told her apologetically. "And I'm afraid I'm not as spry as I used to be."

"Don't worry about it, Bob," Elsa told him, climbing slowly to her feet. She looked appraisingly at Chris, more specifically at the muscles he no longer had a shirt to cover. "I don't suppose you can swordfight?"

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Not unless you count spending all those hours as a kid pretending to be the Blue Ranger."

Elsa sighed and drew her sword from the scabbard at her hip, then held it out to him. "Wave it in an X shape and you'll produce a kinetic blast."

"What's that?"

"An explosion," Elsa said distractedly, already moving towards the crowd of cold, wet and miserable people huddled in the fountain. "Anyone else want to help? I've got a few extra weapons, here."

Three civilians stepped forward. Elsa gave one a pair of daggers that shot small arc-shaped blasts when the hilts were crossed, another a sharp boomerang that would unerringly return to whoever threw it, and the third a sword that didn't do much of anything, but the guy who took it said he'd spent a little time doing fencing reenactments for the Renaissance Fair. Meanwhile, Chris hopped out of the fountain next to Brad and waved the sword in an X. Four Triptoids were promptly knocked on their butts.

"Hell, yeah," Chris breathed, quickly moving to do it again. "I just might make it to the restaurant before Melissa thinks I've stood her up."

"These things are great, aren't they?" Wang asked cheerfully. _"Magic Fireball Attack!"_

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Lucas complained. "I say we storm the gate."

"We're not damaging Adam and Tanya's property," Jen insisted.

"I think they would have recorded something about us storming the gate," Marcus added. "I mean, that's a pretty important thing to leave out, don't you think?"

"It's _hot_ out here," Lucas whined. "And I'm tired. And it smells like Meow Mix."

Kat grinned at him around the bag of Meow Mix she was cradling in her lap. "You sure you don't want some?"

Lucas made a disgusted noise and plopped down on the grass outside Adam and Tanya's. They'd moved their van out of the way of any approaching vehicles and taken to loitering outside the van. The summer heat and their own frustration were making everyone tense and annoyed.

"I'm sure I could break the gate," Katie offered. "I don't think Tanya would mind too terribly much."

"I think the maid would mind," Jen said. "I think she'd panic and call the police if we started breaking in there."

A blue Saturn coupe suddenly turned into the drive, but instead of pulling up to the gate, it screeched to a halt. The passenger window rolled down and Danny Delgado leaned his head out and called, "Guys? What are _you_ doing here?"

"Danny!" Trip shouted, hopping up. Danny got out of the car, and a moment later, Max Cooper came bounding out of the driver's seat.

Kat and Marcus hung back while the others greeted the Blue and Black Wild Force Rangers and explained the situation with Carmen the maid. Kat rolled the top of the Meow Mix closed and stuffed it in her shoulder bag, then turned to Marcus. "That's one of them, right?" she whispered.

Marcus nodded. "One down. Eight to go."


	101. Calamity Kimberly

**Chapter 101**

_Calamity Kimberly_

"Should he really be driving at a time like this?" Hayley groaned as Tommy weaved between a minivan and a Greyhound bus.

"Relax," Jason called over his shoulder from the front seat. "We'll be fine."

Hayley glowered at him. "One of these days, I'm going to write a book about how being Power Rangers has made you think you're far more invincible than you are."

"Left," Jason told Tommy, pointing out an opening. Tommy nodded curtly and swerved back into the far left lane. The problem with driving over a hundred miles per hour was that not everyone understood that seventy-five only technically qualified as speeding.

"How's Zack doing?" Tommy asked.

"Conner says he's about three miles back," Trini reported, her cell phone pressed to her ear.

Tommy made a somewhat disgusted sound as he wove between three semi trucks and a Ferrari. "Why couldn't any of you guys stick around through Turbo?"

"Hey, don't look at me," Jason joked. "I was kidnapped when the keys got handed out."

"Alien planet," Billy added wryly.

"Maybe you should have called us about Rocky's accident sooner," Trini said. "By the time I got to Rocky's hospital room, he'd already sent Justin to the Power Chamber."

"Tommy, there's no need to drive this fast," Hayley said weakly. She was sitting in the back seat of Tommy's Jeep, between Billy and Trini. She had chosen the seat because Jason had already claimed the front and she knew that leaning forward would enable her to talk to Tommy a little more easily. In reality, all it did was give her a clear view out through the windshield, which was not fun. She couldn't lean forward to speak to him with Tommy flying back and forth through traffic, either, not unless she wanted a concussion. And to make matters worse, something was wrong with the air-conditioning in the Jeep; it was stuck on freezing, and the knob was missing.

Everyone ignored her, including Tommy. "Where the hell are all these people _going?"_ Tommy growled as he zoomed around an RV. "Seriously. That guy was barely going over eighty."

"The speed limit is _seventy,"_ Hayley pointed out. "Look, I thought you said there wasn't a huge rush. I thought you said Adam and Rocky were already halfway there."

"Hayley, we told you," Billy said patiently. "We can't cover all the places Kimberly might be with just two people, and even if she shows up at one of those two places, if she figures out what's going on she'll ditch them and—"

"Not gonna happen," Tommy snarled. "I'm gonna find her. I don't care if I have to go to France to do it. There is nowhere she can hide. Nowhere!"

"Tommy, you're being unrealistic," Hayley insisted.

"No I'm not. Galaxy and Space Rangers can help me get to most of the known universe. Lightspeed can find out if she leaves the country. I can find her no matter where she hides."

"No, no," Hayley said, "by unrealistic, I _meant,_ you're a freaking whack job."

Tommy snorted. "That's never stopped me before."

"Can't one of you talk some sense into him?" Hayley asked the others pleadingly.

"I believe he's beyond reason, Hayley," Billy said.

"Got that right," Jason said proudly.

Trini smiled at her. "I know that, to you, it all seems a little strange. I mean, here we are, flying down the interstate at breakneck speed just because we're reasonably certain Kim went back to L.A.—"

"We've been listening to nothing but 'Ride of the Valkyries' the whole time," Hayley interrupted. "I think we're far beyond 'a little strange.'"

"I like this song," Billy commented. "I miss Earth music."

"The thing about talking some sense into Tommy, Hayley," Trini continued, "is that as far as we're concerned? We finally _have."_

"What?" Hayley demanded.

"As crazy as this looks—" she began.

"As crazy as this is," Jason cut in.

"Right, is. As crazy as this is, we have been attempting to talk this kind of sense into the guy since 1997," Trini said. "Seven years, more or less, but we've finally done it."

"We talked him into this, Hayley," Jason added. "We're not about to talk him out of it."

Hayley rolled her eyes and gripped Tommy and Jason's seats, bracing her forearms against them in an attempt to hold herself still while Tommy sped down the interstate. "Tommy, look at yourself. This is insane. I don't know what—"

"Do you see my rearview mirror, Hayley?" Tommy interrupted.

"What?"

"My rearview mirror. Look at it."

She frowned and did so. It was sitting at a wild angle and there was a large smear of some sort of grease across it. "Yeah, so?"

"Kim's fault. So's the air-conditioning knob. I tried to put it back in place but it just rattled and fell off and hell if I can find it now. The way you're sitting? Reminds me of Kimberly. Everything reminds me of Kimberly. Pink things. Sundresses. Sagittarians. Parks. Roller skates. Mountains. Beaches. Birds. Darts. Cinnamon. Lipstick. Mirrors. Laughter. Every single day since the moment I met Kimberly, I've thought about her more often than anyone should have to think about anything. Why the hell do you think I'm always so damned distracted?"

"Listen, Tommy…"

"No, Hayley. I'm through listening. I'm through being reasonable. I'm through being rational. I'm going to get Kimberly back if it's the last thing I do and by god, if you're not gonna help me, then get out of my car."

There was no malice in his statement, no anger. It was simple, matter-of-fact. That, more than his words, was what made Hayley sit back in her seat. This wasn't something he was doing because he was upset. This wasn't about being hurt or being angry. Tommy wasn't trying to relieve the pain of the old wound.

Tommy believed in what he was doing. He was looking at it rationally. That was going to make it much, _much_ harder to reason with him. People who were acting emotionally just needed to be calmed. People who were acting logically needed a valid argument. They needed to be convinced. Tommy knew damned well what most of her arguments were; hell, he'd made plenty of arguments himself against trying to reconcile with Kimberly. That meant there would be very little chance of her finding a good counterargument.

They'd only been ten minutes into the planning stages when someone had thought to call Rocky and Adam, at which point they'd discovered Adam and Rocky were close enough to L.A. that they might even be able to beat her there. Adam, Zack, Kimberly, Carlos and T.J.—the only five Rangers who lived in Los Angeles—had all exchanged house keys in case of emergency, so Adam had dropped Rocky off at Kimberly's house and Rocky had gone to sit in her living room and wait. They weren't certain if Kimberly was in the mood for company or not, so Adam had taken the car and headed for her gymnastics center, so she wouldn't see his car in her driveway and keep going. Adam was now parked in an alley near the center, where he could see the parking lot and watch for her without risking being spotted.

With Rocky and Adam covering the two most likely places Kimberly would go, the others had felt comfortable spending some time doing careful planning before leaving the house. By the time they reached Los Angeles, it was going to be almost noon, if they didn't hit any truly horrible traffic. That gave them six hours before the "Ranger kegger," as they were calling it, to hunt down one person in one of the largest cities in the country, and none of them had slept more than an hour or two since yesterday.

"I should have just stayed in Reefside," Hayley grumbled.

* * *

Kimberly wasn't that far out of town before she gave up and pulled off to the side of the road. Sighing, she turned the engine off and rubbed furiously at her stinging eyes. It just wasn't fair; seven years of effort and it all came crashing down. Her entire body felt tired and sore, as if she had been battling some random creature instead of just being locked in a super closet with her ex-boyfriend of three years. Although, given that she had been up all night crunched in a small room, getting banged around, in the dark… never mind being emotionally assaulted. Well, maybe "assaulted" was too strong a word. Emotionally gut-kicked? Lifting her shoulders, she rotated them, rolling her neck as well before letting her head drop to the steering wheel.

Seven years of effort. Seven years of trying not to miss him, seven years of guilt, pain and countless other emotions. Suddenly they called due right then and there, tearing up her chest, burning her throat and finally issuing forth. Sobs wracked her body as Kimberly clutched her arms around her stomach, hardly even able to draw breath.

How on Earth could they do this to her? This was her private life; it was none of their business who she was with, who she broke up with, whether or not she chose to speak to them again or not! Where the hell did they get off trying to get her and Tommy back together? It was over, it was over seven years ago, and they should have learned to deal with it like she had! Kimberly hit the steering wheel with her palms, wanting fiercely to kick something.

Leaning against the steering wheel, Kimberly shuddered. "Please, God, I'll do anything if you just make it all go away..." If only it'd just all go away. Wouldn't everything be that much easier if it just—no. Not everything. Just Tommy. Make him go away again. He did it once, why couldn't he do it again? Seemed reasonable enough. "Just make them leave me _alone,_ make him go _away…"_

Another sob shook Kimberly. What if she had tried to fix something all those years ago? Something simple, even just tried to remain friends? Would it hurt this much? Would it be this horrible? Good God, was this really all her fault? Seven years of… seven years of what? Gymnasiums and medals. Fans and friends and foes. Suddenly it felt so empty, and Kimberly didn't like that one bit. She fought, she worked hard—it shouldn't seem so cold and meaningless so instantly.

Kimberly abruptly pushed herself away from the steering wheel and swiped at her cheeks. No. There was no way she was going to let this get to her _now._ There was absolutely _no way_ she was going to let some half-baked scheme cooked up by an adolescent Red Ranger turn her into a sobbing wreck. It just wasn't going to happen. She'd spent seven years being utterly fine about her and Tommy, and she wasn't about to let some night in a closet from hell and that kiss…

Kimberly faltered a bit when she thought about that kiss. It was sweet without being timid. It was familiar, warm, perfect. Like watching the sunset from the roof of the Command Center—okay, had she really just thought that? Shaking her head, Kimberly twisted the key so fiercely that it nearly snapped off in the ignition as the engine roared to life. With one last swipe at her cheeks, Kimberly determinedly pulled back onto the interstate.

* * *

When they made it to Zack's house—chosen as a base of operations because of its proximity to the gymnastics center and Kimberly's house—everyone was starving again. Hayley was elected to go hit the pizzeria down the street for takeout. Even though it took less than a half hour, the others had managed to make quite a lot of progress while she was gone.

Trini had used Zack's computer to compile and print the phone numbers of Kimberly's favorite boutiques. Conner, Kira and Trent were lined up on the couch, each with one page of the list, methodically calling every number and asking the clerk who answered to page Kimberly Hart. Trini was on her laptop, using what she knew of Kimberly's passwords to login as Kimberly to various credit cards sites and watch them for movement. Billy had hooked up Zack's Aqua-phone to Zack's computer, trying to tap into the frequency used by Kimberly's communicator to get a lock on her position. Ethan had used his own laptop to hack into the Los Angeles transportation department in an attempt to use traffic cameras to spot her car, though one Mustang in a city the size of L.A. wasn't an easy thing to spot. Zack was calling family and friends of Kimberly in Stone Canyon and other cities, just in case she'd gone somewhere other than L.A. Jason was calling other Rangers, but most of them proved unreachable for some reason. Tommy was in the kitchen, alone, performing a kata, presumably to help him stay calm and focus.

The others were so intent on their work that no one noticed Hayley until she dropped the enormous stack of pizza boxes on the coffee table. She had expected them to start chatting while they ate, but instead they simply attacked the food with a single-minded focus and went right back to what they were doing. Other than the occasional trip to the bathroom, none of them did paid any attention to anything but their work. Hayley settled down in an armchair, refusing to contribute to the madness, her analytical mind absorbing their actions with a sense of awestruck disbelief.

Then, at three thirty in the afternoon, Tommy's communicator beeped. The reaction was instantaneous; Jason, Trini, Billy and Zack clustered around him and the teenagers all twisted in their chairs to watch as Tommy held his wrist up to his mouth and pressed the button. "Tommy here."

"Adam. Found her. She just pulled into the gymnastics center and went inside. Want me to go in?"

"No. Stay in the car and watch her. If she leaves, tail her and beep us to let us know. We'll be there soon."

"Gotcha." The communicator went dead.

Tommy dropped his wrist. "Zack, swing by Kimberly's house and pick up Rocky. Jason, Trini, I'm going to need you to walk me through the layout of the gymnastics center. Entrances, floor plan—"

"I can do you one better," Trini interrupted. "I helped Kimberly build her website. There's a virtual tour of everything but the employee's lounge. You can see it all for yourself."

"Good. Show me." Trini nodded and headed for her laptop. Tommy looked around at the others. "I want everyone ready to go the second Zack and Rocky get here."

"Tommy…" Hayley began.

"Not now," Tommy said impatiently.

Zack returned with Rocky by four o'clock, and they beeped Adam on the communicator while Tommy laid down the plan. When he was finished, he looked at each of them in turn and asked, "Any questions?"

"Tommy," said Hayley, "you _do_ know that's completely insane, right?"

Tommy ignored her. "Adam, she still there?"

"Yeah. I've got a perfect view of her parking spot."

"Good. Keep watching her. Dino Thunder with me. The rest of you with Zack. Now let's go get my girlfriend back."

* * *

Leslie sighed as she watched Kimberly dismiss the group of bewildered adolescent gymnasts twenty minutes early. Kimberly wasn't due back at the center until Monday, and they'd worked out a plan to cover all the classes just in case she wanted to extend her vacation. This was her first vacation since that canoe trip in Oregon, as a matter of fact, and from the looks of things her current vacation had ended just as badly as the one with Jake and the bear.

Kimberly had burst into the center barely an hour ago and announced that she was having a bad day and needed to work, immediately. She had taken over Maury's next class without pausing to let Maury or Leslie work up a viable argument, and they were now hanging out on a pile of mats in the corner of the gym, watching her teach and whispering theories to each other on what had gotten Kimberly so messed up.

Neither Maury nor Leslie had ever seen Kimberly without makeup, let alone unstyled hair, even during class. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and her voice cracked occasionally. Her smile and cheerful tone were obviously forced. She wasn't even dressed for class; Leslie had pointed out that Kimberly probably didn't want to teach in denim cutoffs and a halter top, but Kimberly had simply muttered something about there being worse outfits to do strenuous activities in and hurried off to the students. She had refused to admit anything was wrong, or even tell them anything about her vacation. Instead, she moved through a lesson way too advanced for the children she was teaching it to, with the monotonous aura of someone functioning on autopilot.

Kimberly looked over at Leslie and Maury as the students filed out into the locker rooms. "When's the next class getting in?"

"Half an hour," Maury said slowly. Kimberly made all the schedules herself; it wasn't like her to forget them.

"Oh. Right. Uh… right." Kimberly looked around, at a loss for something to do. Then the gymnasium door opened and Kimberly froze, her expression flickering from fury to horror to indignation and back again.

"Who's he?" Maury whispered, looking from the newcomer to Kimberly in concern.

"I don't know," Leslie replied. He looked kind of familiar, as if she'd seen his picture somewhere before. He came to stand directly opposite Kimberly, and even though his back was to Leslie and Maury they could see his triumphant face in the mirrors lining the back wall. Leslie watched Kimberly carefully for her reaction. Her expression flickered with a few other emotions, but fury was predominant among them, especially when Kimberly's eyes darted to the man's shirt, a green button-down with a rip in the sleeve, left open over a black T-shirt.

"Guess who's back," he said quietly.

"The hell do you want, Tommy?" Kimberly growled.

The name hit Leslie and her eyes widened in shock. Tommy. Ex-boyfriend Tommy. Greatest thing that never worked out Tommy. Oh, _wow._ No wonder Kimberly was so upset today.

Leslie leaned over to warn Maury, but Maury was already hopping down off the mats to go stand by Kimberly, obviously expecting a fight. Leslie saw Tommy's face twist in rage for a moment before refocusing on Kimberly.

The door opened again, and this time a large group of people started pouring in. Leslie recognized five of them—particularly Zack, who liked to come check out the classes sometimes, mostly the adult women's courses—and Adam, Rocky, Jason and Trini, good friends of Kimberly. The sixth she knew only from pictures on Kimberly's desk—Billy, if she remembered correctly. The four teenagers that followed were completely unfamiliar, however, as was the redheaded woman who came in last, looking nervous and exasperated.

They lined up on either side of Tommy, the four teenagers and Adam to his left, Jason, Trini, Billy, Rocky and Zack to his right. The redheaded woman hovered behind them and began to slowly drift towards the mats where Leslie perched. Leslie looked at each member of the line with nervous curiosity; they all looked almost as ragged as Kimberly did, save for Tommy, Adam and Rocky. The three male teenagers, Zack and Billy were in pajamas, and the teenaged girl in the boots and the shorts with inside-out pockets was going to have one hell of a time fixing the frizzy mass her hair had become. Trini and Jason appeared to be sharing a single outfit; she was wearing an enormous red T-shirt and he was clad in jeans and nothing but. They looked like they'd all just rolled out of bed and come marching down the gymnastics center, bed head and all.

Leslie looked back at Kimberly. She still looked angry… but she also looked scared now, not in a run-for-your-lives kind of way but more of a facing-some-difficult-emotional-trauma kind of way. She was now looking everywhere but at Tommy.

"Seven years, Kim," Tommy said quietly. "I'm not giving up on you twice."

Kimberly took a shuddering breath and finally looked him square in the eye. "Get out."

The smile on Tommy's face was so chilling that Leslie was fervently glad it wasn't directed at her. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but she could have sworn that, just for a second, she'd seen a flash of green in his eyes.

Suddenly every last one of the eleven people sprang into action, moving with an eerie coordination as if they'd done it a thousand times. The teenager in red headed for the doorway to the back hall, where the locker rooms and store room and so on were. The teenaged girl blocked the entrance to the front office. The other two teenagers planted themselves firmly in front of the exit.

Jason, Trini, Billy, Zack, Rocky and Adam began to spread out, surrounding Kimberly in a loose circle, while Tommy charged, fist drawn back, aiming straight at her—

Or, rather, straight at Maury.

_"Stupid,"_ Tommy hissed, _"male GYMNASTS!"_

Maury stared at him like a beaver at Niagara Falls and then his body was twisting around from the force of Tommy's blow. Leslie shrieked as Maury fell face-first to the gymnasium floor and Tommy turned his gaze on Kimberly.

Kimberly, however, was already in motion.

Leslie forgot all about Maury as she watched it unfold. She had known that Kimberly was into martial arts as well as gymnastics, but she had never seen Kimberly go at it, other than the occasional light sparring with one of her friends in between classes. She had never actually seen Kimberly _fight,_ and the sight was amazing.

Kimberly had told her once that what appealed to Kimberly about fighting was the sheer grace of it. Like gymnastics, it was as much an art as it was a sport—and Kimberly was apparently Beethoven.

Unfortunately for Kimberly, she was facing a small army of Beethovens.

She darted between Trini and Jason, blocked a few punches from Billy and sent him stumbling back into the wall of mirrors. Rocky kicked at her and she dove beneath his leg, went into a roll, and somehow managed to knock his other leg out from beneath him on her way past. Tommy reached for her and she kicked, not connecting but driving him back, and without pause she went into a back handspring and darted around Zack. Adam caught up to her for a moment, and before she could get past him Trini and Jason grabbed her arms… and she flung Trini into Jason and shoved them both backwards into Zack without even slowing down.

"Come on!" Tommy shouted, sounding frustrated. "You _know_ that's a Putty move!"

Kimberly lunged at Adam, grabbed him by the shoulders, and flipped herself over him, landing lightly on her feet and running flat-out for the equipment nearby. Tommy dove at her in what would have been an undoubtedly painful tackle just as Kimberly leaped up and hopped onto the balance beam. Billy leaped up on the other end, blocking her path, and the two traded blows for a moment before Kimberly used the same trick she'd pulled on Adam, grabbing Billy's shoulders and using them to flip herself through the air. Trini was waiting for her when she came down, and there was a blur of flying limbs too fast to follow before Rocky snuck up behind her. Leslie was just about to call out a warning when Kimberly dove to the side, and the tackle meant for Kimberly hit Trini instead.

Kimberly dove right into the path of Zack, who moved so fast for Kimberly to do much but dodge. He backed her up, trying to herd her towards Tommy, but she darted to her left and managed to get back to the balance beam. Jason came flying over it from the other direction, and Kimberly dropped and rolled underneath, climbed back on top of it, and pushed herself up on her hands. Her legs came around Jason's chest from behind and twisted; he was knocked to the mat. Rocky and Adam started coming at her from either side, carefully keeping their distance, and they backed her right into the teenager in red, who flung his arms around her from behind and shouted, "I've got her, Dr.—AUGH!"

Kimberly flipped him over her shoulder and into Adam, grinning in a way that made Leslie wonder if she'd planned to do as much. She leaped over the two of them and went into a series of back flips. Zack and Trini each tried to take a swing at her, but she was moving too fast for them to land anything.

Kimberly vaulted herself up onto the high bar and began to swing, gaining speed quickly. The others began to crowd around the bottom of the bar, knowing she couldn't keep it up forever. At the last second, Jason figured out her plan and began running away from the bar; sure enough, Kimberly let go at the top of her arc and went soaring through the air. She landed ten feet ahead of Jason and used his own momentum to fling him into the mirrored wall with a thunderous crash. Then she was in the clear, the others too far away to catch her now, running flat-out for the door to the lobby.

She was halfway there when the redheaded woman stepped into her path and flung out an arm. Kimberly hit the woman's arm and was sent crashing to the mats, landing hard on her back.

The redheaded woman glowered down at Kimberly and growled, "I have _got_ to stop hanging out with Tommy."

Kimberly stared up at her, outraged and indignant. She twisted to her feet, grabbed the woman by both forearms, and began to turn. The woman was yanked off her feet as Kimberly spun in circles, gaining momentum. Leslie caught a glimpse of the woman's face, and saw no horror or terror—only sheer _annoyance._

"You…" Kimberly snarled as she spun, "crazy… _civilian!"_

With that, she let go. The redhead went flying through the air—straight at Kimberly's charging friends.

"HAYLEY!" Tommy bellowed. He leaped to the forefront of the group, snatched her out of the air, and was forced to go into a spin to keep from overbalancing. He pushed her into Rocky's arms without pausing for breath and went chasing after Kimberly, who was now heading for the parking lot doors.

The two teenagers in her way looked worried. Leslie wondered why they didn't simply get out of the way—but, then, given that the teenagers had been staying out of the fight so far, they were probably more concerned with blocking the exits than fighting. Even as Kimberly leaped into the air, one leg aiming at each of them, they both stood firm, cringing in anticipation of the coming jump kick that would most assuredly hurt…

…but never connected. Tommy grabbed Kimberly out of midair much the same way he had grabbed Hayley, only as he twisted around to keep from falling over, he shifted Kimberly around, somehow managing to fling her over his shoulder and pin her legs against his chest before fully regaining his balance.

"Mission accomplished," Tommy announced, in the tone of one saying he'd just finished all his vegetables.

"You asshole, put me DOWN!" Kimberly raged.

"My life flashed before my eyes," the teenager in blue whimpered.

"Your girlfriend tried to use me as a projectile weapon!" the redhead shouted, glowering at Tommy as if it was his fault. "Damn it, Tommy, can't you go an hour or two without being a freaking whack job?"

"Sorry, Hayley," Tommy said, in the tone of one who was trying not to laugh. He glanced over at Leslie and jerked his head at Maury, calm as could be even as Kimberly struggled like hell. "Might want to take him by the ER, but I didn't hit him too hard. Don't think he even lost consciousness. Oh, and Kim will be back in a few days. Once she's finished with her _vacation."_ He let out a laugh that sent chills down Leslie's spine.

"I… but…" Leslie stammered, shocked and confused and worried and completely unable to figure out why Kimberly's ex-boyfriend and a bunch of her pajama-clad friends had just stormed her business and taken her hostage.

"You know Kimberly," Trini said in a soothing tone. "Always doing something crazy."

"Yes, but… but…" Leslie wrung her hands, trying to come up with a course of action. Something about the whole thing was just too weird to process; she could only watch as the group began filing out, the teenagers holding the door open for Tommy.


	102. Forever Friends

**Chapter 102**

_Forever Friends_

"So. Did any of you guys think, when we pressured Dr. O into letting us come on this trip—"

"'Pressured?' You sat on his foot and stole his cell phone, Conner."

"—that we would be here," Conner continued, ignoring Trent, "watching our science teacher and his buddies tie his ex-girlfriend to the front seat of his car?"

Ethan, Trent and Kira thought this over for a moment as they watched, from a safe distance, while Rocky toss another loop of rope around Kimberly's torso and the passenger seat. Zack was holding her head still—or as still as it was possible to hold something determinedly attempting to both bite his forearm and insult his character. Billy and Trini had removed the passenger door and were fiddling with it, presumably trying to disable its ability to open without doing permanent damage, while Adam attempted to secure Kimberly's feet and Tommy discussed the next phase of his plan with Jason. Hayley leaned against the wall of the gymnastics center, arms folded and eyes glaring daggers, swords and throwing stars at Tommy's back.

"I would have thought it would've taken fewer people," Ethan said.

"She's never kicked you into a goat," Kira pointed out.

"Nothing surprises me anymore," Trent said with a weary smile.

"It's been a hell of a trip," Kira mused, frowning. "Maybe you could write a comic book about it, Trent."

Trent smiled. "Nah. It's too outrageous. Even for the comic book world. Boy meets girl, girl's a superhero in disguise, boy becomes a super villain, boy switches sides, boy falls madly in love, she dumps him, and eight years later he…" Trent trailed off, thinking. "I could give it a shot."

They watched for a moment longer in silence. Then Conner cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. "I… I have to say something. Something that's been worrying me since Ethan told us Dr. O and Kim were an item way back when."

"What's that?" Trent asked.

Conner rounded on him, looking almost angrily down at him. "This doesn't ever happen with you and her, Trent."

"What?" Trent asked blankly.

"This isn't going to be you and Kira!" Conner growled vehemently. "I won't let it. You two break up, fine. You're together forever, even better. But I won't let this happen to us. To me and Ethan. You two break up, you damned well better find some way to stay friends and preserve this team."

Trent stared at him, eyes wide. "Conner…"

"I mean it, man. I've been thinking about it a lot, even before this mess with Dr. Oliver. You're going off to art school in the fall, Kira's going to New York soon, and it's not like it's impossible that one day you two aren't going to be together anymore. I know that, and I've been worried about it, about what'll happen to me and Ethan and Dr. O and Hayley if we have to divide our time between you and Kira. Kira sings in the café where you work, for crying out loud. What happens if you two break up?"

"We've never talked about it," Kira said quietly, disturbed by Conner's foresight. "We've never really had to."

"You've never wanted to," Conner told her, turning to face her. "And neither have I. I didn't want to give you anymore grief about your relationship, especially since I was the one who had to open my big mouth when Trent was evil, who pressured you to stop caring about him and prepare yourself to kick his ass." Kira flinched at the memory and Trent looked away. Ethan shifted awkwardly. "I don't _want_ you guys to break up, you know. I never have, really. Trent was evil, that was one thing. We didn't know if there was a cure or a… if we'd have to destroy him. It wasn't healthy for you or the team, and I was scared about that. I'm not… I don't want you to think I don't support you guys. I do. But know this—if you guys break up, if you ever have problems and need to call it quits, that's fine. I'll be there for you, for both of you. I'm not gonna take sides or get angry with you. I am _not,_ however, gonna watch you guys tear our team apart the way Tommy and Kim damaged theirs."

"We won't, Conner," Trent said, swallowing. "I can't speak for Kira, but—"

"You just did," she interrupted. "I won't, either. Trent and I break up, we'll leave Ethan and you out of it."

"And Dr. O and Hayley," Trent agreed. "There won't be anything like what's gone wrong for Dr. O. We'll work it out, somehow, no matter how bad it is."

Conner nodded and started to say something else, but Kira spoke up in a voice barely above a whisper. "It _will_ be bad, you know," she mumbled. "If Trent and I break up. It'll take something major to do it. It won't be like last time he and I were on the outs; we were all on the outs with him. He was evil, end of story. But if it happens for real, without Dino Gems involved, it'll be all kinds of awkward, and probably all kinds of horrible."

A long moment of tense silence ensued. "Yeah, it will," Trent said. "But we'll make it through."

"Damned right, we will," Kira said fiercely, looking up. "Conner, Trent went evil, tried to kill us, and then even after he joined the team he lied to us and kept Mesogog's identity from us. I doubt something worse than that will happen."

"I won't let it. Right here, right now, if I ever screw things up with Kira, I swear to you guys it's never gonna be like it is for them. We're friends. All of us. And that comes first, before my relationship with Kira. We're a team. Forever."

Kira nodded. "Nothing to worry about, Conner." She smiled. "You've driven me crazy enough to know that if one of you, Trent or Hayley or Dr. O or Ethan or you, does something to bug me there's no chance I'd cut you out of my life."

Conner smiled. "Yeah. Good. I know." He breathed a shaky sigh of relief. "Well, that's settled, then."

Ethan nodded, relieved at the upswing in the mood. "Yeah. Something goes wrong with Trent and Kira, we don't wait seven years before we lock them in a closet."

They all snickered and returned to watching the spectacle created by Tommy and Kimberly. "So what do you think happens next?" Trent asked. "We've got them talking now, sort of. Dr. O's committed to trying again. Now what?"

"No idea," Conner said proudly, "but I'm sure Dr. O will thank me for it."

Across the parking lot, Zack started screaming. Kimberly's teeth had found purchase on his arm. Rocky, who had moved on to duct tape to supplement the rope, hastily abandoned his task and pinched her nose while Adam shoved a finger into her sandal and started tickling her feet. Between the tickling sensation and the need to breathe Kimberly was forced to let up, allowing Zack to yank his arm free. She sucked in a deep breath and resumed shouting and cursing at them as they returned to restraining her.

"Dr. O might thank you," Kira said dryly, "but somehow I doubt Kimberly will."

* * *

It took a while—especially once students began arriving for the next class and people stopped to ask questions about what they were doing to Kimberly, most of which they kindly referred to Leslie inside—but eventually they'd gotten Kimberly secured and the door replaced. She was still shouting, but it was muted now; they'd locked her in the Jeep.

"So," Tommy said, "that's all agreed, then. We take her back to Zack's house. Cut her off from her car, so if she escapes she can't go far. I'll get her to talk to me once we're away from the center, and Jason, Trini, Zack and I will—"

"No."

Tommy closed his eyes, and when they opened he was rolling them. "Hayley," Tommy began impatiently, "I don't have time for—"

"For _what,_ Tommy? For my negativity? For my opinion? To tell me the truth?"

Tommy turned to face her and the expression on her face killed the angry retort before it could escape him. She didn't look angry, or annoyed, or anything he would have expected. She looked hurt.

He could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen her look that way. Hayley was a strong girl, a smart girl, and someone with a lot of perspective. It was hard to hurt her; she was too busy understanding motives and the big picture to let inconsequential things slip through her armor. Given how close they were, it said something about her that the only time he'd ever seen her cry was at Smitty's funeral.

He felt sick suddenly, certain that he was the cause of whatever was wrong with her but unable to see what he'd done. Why was she hurting? Angry, confused, exasperated, concerned, sure. Those were things he could deal with. But hurt?

"You know," Hayley said softly, now that she had his attention, "I used to think that I had a better handle on you and Kimberly than most. I was there for you, and you could tell me things about her that you couldn't tell them." She waved a hand at Jason, Trini, Billy, Zack, Rocky and Adam. "I wasn't her friend, had never even met her."

"You do," Tommy said, confused. "I mean… sort of. You had. That's true. I could talk to you. I always—"

Hayley shook her head. "You lied to me, Tommy."

Tommy frowned. "No, I—"

"Yes, you did. You lied to yourself, and in doing so you lied to me. You made you believe that the cure was to get over it. I should have seen it. I _would_ have seen it, if I'd been one of them." She waved her hand at the assembled Rangers once again. "That's what you do, Tommy, whenever there's a problem. Fighter or not, Ranger or not, you accept things when they go wrong."

Tommy shook his head. "I do not. I—"

"Yes, you do. I've seen you. You accept that you have a bad memory, that you're chronically late, that you get lost a lot."

"I've tried to change."

"No, you haven't. You've made an effort to accept your shortcomings. That's not the same thing."

Tommy was starting to feel worse. He knew he had issues; everyone did. What was so wrong with that?

"This isn't the time—" he began.

"Oh, yes it is. It's _definitely_ the time, Tommy. You see, that's your problem, and I didn't get that at first. I was used to the idea that Kim wasn't coming back because that's what you were used to. I didn't question what you always told me—and you always told me that you just needed time. You just needed to get over it."

Tommy opened his mouth to argue and realized he didn't actually have an argument at the moment. While he struggled to come up with one, Hayley plowed on.

"It's there, but I didn't catch it before. When something goes wrong, you find a way around it. You always have. If you think it can't be fixed, you just deal with not having it. No matter how much it tears you up. Your power losses, Kimberly, Smitty, the island. You figured she wasn't coming back, that the most you could do would be to let her go. So you convinced yourself it was doomed and you told me—over and over again—that that was just the way things were and you just needed to work on dealing with the pain."

Confusion was starting to settle in. "What's your point?" he asked, trying not to sound rude about it. The last thing he needed right now was to do anymore soul searching, especially not right _now,_ with Kimberly looking like an irate kidnapping victim in the middle of a public parking lot and his sleepy, strung-out friends rallying around him.

"My _point,"_ Hayley said dangerously, anger seeping back into her tone, "is that you've sabotaged most of my ability to be there for you and I don't appreciate that, Tommy."

Tommy blinked at her. "Huh?"

"You always told me that getting her back wasn't what you wanted. That it was over and you were okay with it but it still hurt. I wasn't scared you would come here and try to get her back. I was worried you would come here and pretend that was what you wanted!"

"It _is_ what I wanted," Tommy said, completely stumped.

"Of course it is, you idiot!" Hayley shouted. "And you never told me that before! You never even hinted at it! It was obvious to them, to you, but not to me! You kept that from me! You told yourself it was over and you were okay and you never once admitted to me that if the opportunity arose you'd do anything to have her in your life again!"

"Hayley," Jason interrupted quietly, "he never admitted it to anyone. He couldn't bring himself to do it."

"It was obvious to us," Zack said, "because it was obvious to anyone who ever saw them together. It's not your fault you missed it."

"You came late to the party, that's all," Trini added gently.

Hayley shook her head and gave a short, bitter laugh. "Oh, I get that now. I missed it, all along. I believed the crap he was feeding himself." She looked Tommy in the eye. "That doesn't make it okay."

Tommy swallowed and nodded. "You're right." He let out a shaky breath and said, "We'll talk about it, Hayley, I promise. But not now. I might not get another shot like this. I want her back, and I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you about it. I was so used to not being honest about it, for a lot of reasons, to a lot of people, that I forgot you had no way of knowing how I felt. And… well, I didn't even like the fact that _they_ knew." He gave her a pained look. "I couldn't handle you knowing, too."

That mollified her a bit, he could tell. Relief washed over him for a moment before he added, "Is that okay? Can we… can we put it on hold for a while?"

"We're going to have to," Hayley said, "because right now I have to pull you out of the fire before it reaches the explosives."

Tommy tilted his head and frowned at her. "Huh?"

"You big idiot," Hayley said in an affectionate tone. "I can't be sure, because I don't know Kim, but I'm willing to bet this isn't the best way to handle this."

Tommy was somewhat offended by that, and from the looks on everyone's faces, he wasn't the only one.

"Maybe not," Rocky said, "but it's the best plan we've got."

"That's about to change," Hayley told him determinedly. She stepped forward and looked up at Tommy. "You want Kimberly back?" He nodded. "Then give me ten minutes alone in the car with her."

Tommy gaped at her. "Are… huh?"

"Seriously?" Jason asked. _"You're_ going to help him get Kimberly back?"

"I'm serious," she confirmed. She smiled tiredly at Jason. "I've never _not_ wanted to help Tommy, you know."

"You've been against him and Kim all week," Jason pointed out.

"No I haven't. I've been against him being stupid all week," Hayley replied. "I thought he was just caught up in the past and having an old unresolved issue thrown in his face. Look at it from my point of view—if you thought Tommy came back here and _didn't_ really want Kim back, but saw her again and hung out with her again, what would you be worried about?"

Jason grinned. "I'd be worried that he'd try to get her back out of sheer nostalgia. He'd see an old flame, know it was over, but want to try again because he missed the old days. It wouldn't be healthy for him, and I'd try to stop him. I'd know nothing good could come from it."

She nodded. "I had bad information, people—that doesn't make me a bad friend." She locked eyes with Tommy again. "Let me in the car with her. Give me ten minutes, tops. I can point her in the right direction. Guaranteed."

Tommy blinked and thought it over. "I don't know. Hayley, Kimberly might… you don't know her like we do."

"Exactly. That's why I should go in there. She's not going to scream and rave at a perfect stranger. She won't see me as the enemy, one of the crazy people who did stupid things like locked her in a closet and duct-taped her to a Jeep."

"You've got a point there," Rocky joked, trying and failing to keep a straight face.

The more Tommy considered it, the smarter it seemed. Hayley would be able to get more than a word in edgewise—she might even be able to get her point across. It would confuse and distract Kimberly if they sent Hayley in first. She might be willing to listen to him if Hayley greased the skids. If nothing else, it would make things a whole lot easier.

Still, that didn't quiet the deeply-ingrained instinct against locking two of his ex-girlfriends in a confined space together, even if the better fighter was currently bound to her seat.

"Are you sure?" Tommy asked finally. "She's… well, I doubt she's in a very good mood right now."

"And you did clothesline her," Rocky added.

Hayley winced at the reminder and rubbed her shoulder. "I know. I still think it's for the best, though. And if I'm wrong, well… she's still tied up in there."

"Can't make anything worse, could make something better," Jason agreed.

Tommy nodded thoughtfully and turned to Trini. "I think it's worth a shot, too, but you're the criminal mastermind who knows Kim, so I'd like your input."

Trini smiled. "If I was in Hayley's shoes? I'd say the same thing. She does probably have the best chance, better than the rest of us. As a first act, anyway. You're going to have to get in there eventually—and you could use more prep time."

"I can get that without sending Hayley in."

"Yes, but if you don't send someone in there to distract her now, Kimberly's going to get some prep time too. You don't want her to have too much more time to think. She's frustrated, too, and angry, and hurting—chances are if she starts dwelling on this she might start crying." Tommy cringed and they all turned to check on Kimberly's progress—she was still screaming. Trini sighed. "Kimberly bursts into tears, it'll be a lot harder to make this work. She needs to go straight from anger to discussion without having time to get depressed. Or time to realize that if she cries there isn't a single one of us who wouldn't untie her." Jason snorted.

"I agree with Trini," Billy spoke up. "Kimberly isn't going to listen to us as readily as she would listen to Hayley. The probability that she'll _agree_ with Hayley is still low—but the probability that she'll listen to Hayley is exponentially higher."

"We don't have much to lose," Adam agreed.

"There ain't much that Hayley can't handle," Zack added.

Tommy exhaled sharply. "Yeah. Okay." He gave Hayley a strained smile. "Go for it."

* * *

The day had decided to only get hotter as it waned on. Whether it was because it was summer in southern California or because there was a private joke being played on the Time Force Rangers still stuck outside Adam and Tanya's mansion remained to be seen. Max and Danny had disappeared inside the house gate some time ago and hadn't been seen since. Lucas was getting whiny and had decided it best, due to the heat, to divest himself of his shirt. Katie was getting sulky, Jen was getting angry and Trip was now napping, appearing to be piled up against both vehicle and Kat as Kat continued to look cheerful—something about her home planet being mostly tropical. Marcus was also cheerful, but annoyingly so. Boredom and summer heat had taken him into the shade of the van and he was now singing little songs, both out loud and to himself, consisting of their fair share of hey-ho's, sha-na-na-na's and blithe repetitions unto infinity, making it hard to tell the songs apart. Jen was about ready to kill him.

So when the front gate opened seemingly of its own accord, there was want to just run inside before they could close again. But utter suspicion and pessimism stopped them—after all, no one had said anything through the speaker, which had remained silent since Max and Danny asked for admittance. Trip was shaken awake gently by Kat, and Marcus was smacked into silence not too gently by an over-eager Katie. Presently a car tore up the driveway, the driving itself giving an aura of utter disbelief and not a little irritation.

Arriving at the gate, the driver crammed on the brakes. Tires squealed, the car fishtailed and the distinct smell of rubber burning met the Time Force Rangers. Lucas was forced to flee in order to avoid the flailing, enraged car before it came to a full stop. The window rolled down, and out from the depths glared a very harassed-looking woman. Appearing to stop herself from saying something she had just thought of, she schooled her features and looked like she had been forced to suck thirty limes. "You're still not allowed in!" she burst out, then slammed her foot down on the gas. Tires squealed and the smell of burning rubber flared once again as she shot off down the remainder of the pavement, nearly running down the still half-awake Trip. "Move, you tup nezakonit!" she yelled as Katie just barely managed to yank him out of the way. Soon only the odor of rubber and angry tire marks on the driveway were left.

The Time Force Rangers stared in the direction the car had gone, the screech of tires the last thing heard of it. Trip broke the silence, sounding awed. "Tup… nezakonit? Was that _Croatian_ she was yelling?"

"Well, it wouldn't be a dead language in this century," Marcus replied offhandedly.

"She wasn't very nice," Trip said. "I don't think it was necessary to say things like that—"

"Guys?" Lucas called. "She left the gate open."

* * *

Kimberly would have liked to have been shocked by her current situation. It wasn't every day that one found one's self tied, handcuffed, duct-taped and bungee-corded to a Jeep seat. Especially not after being chased from one city to another and being more-or-less kidnapped. Yet somehow, as Kimberly struggled futilely against her bonds, she couldn't find it in herself to be surprised.

She could, however, find it in herself to be enraged.

She was running low on dire threats, particularly ones she was willing to risk shouting at the top of her lungs in the parking lot of her place of business, but that didn't stop her from making her displeasure known. She didn't have a whole lot of options, and she knew it. She was secured too tightly to break free without summoning what was left of her Ninja powers, and she couldn't do that in broad daylight in public. She'd have to wait until they moved her somewhere more discreet, which they must be planning to do soon; it wasn't intelligent to keep an obviously unhappy girl tied up in a car where other people might see and call the police, especially when the passers-by were all made up of people who knew and liked Kimberly.

So she hadn't given up hope of getting out of this, eventually. She would be patient and then, one loose, she would be terrifying. She would sit, scream, ignore whatever their next move was, escape, and then give them hell for this. If Tommy thought he could just slip into the seat next to her and manage somehow to get his way after everything she'd been put through, he had another thing coming.

"—and I hope Rita comes back and sucks your eyes from—" Kimberly stopped short, startled when the door opened. She hadn't taken her eyes off of Tommy since they'd shut the door on her, so she'd completely missed Hayley's approach.

Hayley slid into the driver's seat, her expression cautious and her movements beyond cautious. She managed to keep her posture from reflecting nervousness, but Kimberly didn't miss the fact that Hayley kept as much distance between them as the Jeep would allow and left a hand near the door handle.

_Smart girl,_ Kimberly thought grimly. They hadn't even given Hayley the Jeep's keys, which at first seemed like a bad move—summer in California meant there was only so long two people could sit in a locked car with the windows up and the air-conditioning off without getting heatstroke—but at the same time, if Kimberly were to escape, or to convince Hayley to untie her, she wouldn't get far without the keys, not with Tommy, Jason, Billy, Trini, Zack, Rocky, Adam, Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent outside. She wondered if they'd planned that or if it had just worked out that way.

Speaking of planning, why send Hayley in here at all? Hayley was the one who didn't want Tommy and Kimberly back together. She was a perfect stranger. What were they hoping to accomplish? Kimberly would have expected something more straightforward from Tommy and something sneakier from Trini. If they thought there was some good to be had from getting Kimberly one-on-one, Tommy or Trini should be the other one, or at least Jason, maybe Kira.

Kimberly stared at her in silence for a while, waiting for Hayley to make the first move. Hayley just sat there for a while before finally swallowing and speaking up.

"You know, we've never been properly introduced," she said in a calm, conversational tone. "My name is Hayley. Tate, Hayley Tate. I met Tommy in college. Undergrad, of course, before I transferred to MIT and he went off to work for Anton. We've been best friends since '98."

Kimberly blinked at her, at a loss for anything to say. Seeing this, Hayley plowed on.

"So you're _the_ Kimberly Hart, huh? I've heard a lot about you. You're shorter than I thought you'd be." Kimberly's eyes narrowed and Hayley hastily continued. "Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

"I'm duct-taped to a Jeep seat," Kimberly replied flatly.

Hayley cleared her throat. "Well, it's not a deep, meaningful insight into your character, but I already figured out what your favorite color is."

Kimberly stared at her. "I would ask what the hell you're talking about, but I guess I shouldn't expect you to make _sense,_ given how you did just help a bunch of crazy people chase, attack, and duct-tape me."

Hayley regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. "As far as I know, you were the first of six serious girlfriends Tommy's ever had."

Kimberly stiffened, feeling suddenly cold. Hayley paused to let that comment sink in before continuing.

"Kat," she said, and Kimberly flinched. Hayley did, too, and her face twisted with disgust, looking like she had just swallowed a slug and chased it down with three-day-old baking grease as she went through the list. "Me. Kennedy. Midnight. Maria."

Kimberly frowned. "Midnight?"

"I think it was a nickname. Goth girl, mandatory poetry class, little too dark for Tommy's tastes."

Kimberly shook her head. "What's your point?"

"That he's gotten over every single one of them. Except you."

Kimberly stubbornly refused to acknowledge that. "I still don't see your point," she said sulkily.

"Like hell you don't!" That earned Hayley another glare, but Hayley was unfazed by it. "Tommy's in love with you!"

Kimberly jerked as if she'd been slapped. Hayley was suddenly glad that they weren't friends, because the pained expression on Kimberly's face made Hayley want nothing more than to let it drop. She hated to think how much harder this would be if she knew Kimberly well, and slowly she began to realize just why, exactly, none of Kimberly's friends had had this conversation with her themselves over the years.

Hayley figured it was time to change tactics. When she spoke again her voice was gentler. "I'm just here to help you figure out what you intend to do about it."

Kimberly went from pained to livid faster than Hayley would have thought possible. "Do about it? _Do_ about it?" Kimberly blasted. "I already _did_ something about it! I had a _PLAN!_ I was going to get in my car, drive to L.A., and never see him again!"

Hayley recovered quickly from the start Kimberly's screaming had given her, and gave Kimberly a disgusted look. "Oh, really? Sounds like a plan. I hope that works out for you."

Kimberly started thrashing so hard against the restraints that Hayley was momentarily alarmed. Only when completely satisfied that the overuse of cord and tape was going to hold did Hayley relax and continue. "Not like he's going to chase you or anything," she taunted. "Who knows what he might do if he _did_ find you. But it's not like you'll end up duct-taped to a Jeep seat or anything. Yep, that'll work. You'll probably never see him again."

Kimberly's struggles intensified for a moment before she roared, "Stop _being FUNNY!"_ and promptly burst out laughing. The laughter went on for a while, expressing several different emotions, ranging from anger to disbelief to amazement before tapering off into strange giggles bordering on sobs. "I'm duct-taped to a Jeep seat," Kimberly lamented pathetically.

"Look at it this way—" Hayley began, but broke off when Kimberly flashed her darkest glare yet.

"If you say 'it could be worse,' then so help me, duct tape or no duct tape…" Kimberly let the threat hang.

Hayley nodded in acknowledgement. Suddenly something occurred to Kimberly. Hayley didn't want to be here any more than she did. She thought back to Hayley's annoyance with Tommy during the fair, the look in Hayley's eyes as she was clothes-lined, quickly followed by the look in her eyes as she was flung through the air. Hayley was as unhappy with the situation as one could get without being duct-taped, and she certainly didn't approve Tommy's antics (if one could call them that). Kimberly was willing to bet she had come along to talk Tommy out of it, whatever "it" was. Strange as it seemed, Hayley just might be a potential ally.

"You know," Kimberly said slowly, "I just realized something. You could help me." Hayley gave her a suspicious look, but waited for Kimberly to explain. "I mean, you weren't exactly helping with the duct tape. You don't want Tommy and me back together, so you're a voice of reason, right?" Her voice rose with a near-hysterical level of desperation. "You're supposed to be the voice of reason! Right?"

A pause ensued, and then Hayley favored Kimberly with a grim, chilling smile. "You're forgetting one thing."

Kimberly swallowed, wishing she could cross her fingers for luck. "What's that?"

"I also want what's best for Tommy."

Shock didn't even begin to describe what Kimberly was feeling. "I… I… you… I'm not the best for Tommy! He's deluded! He duct-taped me to a Jeep seat! I'm wearing a halter-top and shorts and he had his friends mob and duct-tape me! They used almost an entire roll and I'm mostly exposed skin here! He _duct-taped me to a Jeep seat!"_

"Well, that's the thing about Tommy," Hayley said in a tone that implied she was trying really hard not to laugh. "He doesn't do anything halfway."

Kimberly stared at her. "You're kidding, right?"

Hayley shrugged. "The way I see it, you've got two options. Option one: you can refuse to settle this. You can ignore it for the rest of your life, fail to achieve closure, deal with the pain it obviously causes, continue to force your friends to divide their time between the two of you, and hope there's no more duct tape in your future. You can tell him to piss off and he'll either listen to you or you'll spend the rest of your life stalked by a goofy-ass ex-Ranger who doesn't give up easily. And keep in mind, most of your friends? Will be on _his_ side."

Kimberly gulped. She didn't like the sound of that. Ever since she and Tommy had broken up, their friends had avoided taking sides. Now that they had, they'd all come down on Tommy's side—or, more accurately, on the Tommy-and-Kim side. "I still have a few left," she muttered sullenly. "They haven't gotten to Tanya or Aisha yet."

"You mean Adam's wife and Rocky and Adam's childhood friend?" Hayley smiled sweetly and Kimberly cursed. "Kim, six intelligent, relatively sane people who love you just assisted him in this mad scheme to more-or-less tie you to a chair so he could profess his feelings for you. Did it ever occur to you that the law of large numbers says they've probably got a point?"

"Yeah, well… so? So what! So what if they _did_ help him with his insanity? Great friends if you ask me. Not a single one of them asked how I felt about it. They just strapped me in here without pausing to think how _I_ feel."

Hayley was quiet for a while. "And?"

Kimberly frowned. "Huh?"

"How do you feel about it?"

Kimberly blinked at her again, a bit startled by the question. "Pissed off," she replied finally, almost defensively. "I've got duct tape fusing to my skin and all of my friends are bent on getting me back together with Tommy whether I like it or not."

Hayley nodded, considering this for a moment. "Can you honestly say that you don't have feelings for him anymore."

Kimberly grit her teeth. "That's. Not. The _point."_

"Yes it is. That's the whole reason you're here, the whole reason I'm here, and the whole reason they're here. Kimberly, if you want me to help you get out of this, I'll do it. I really will." Kimberly's face lit up, but her expression quickly turned wary. "I will. I mean it. I'll untie you and I'll get Tommy to back off. No one can talk that boy around the way I can. Not Trini, not Jason, not himself. If you want, I can make this all go away." Kimberly tried not to look not too eager as she waited for the catch, which Hayley soon delivered. "I just need you to do one thing for me first."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Convince me once and for all beyond a shadow of a doubt that you got over Tommy. That there isn't a part of you, a large one, that wants nothing more than to be with him again. That you don't love him. That when it ended almost eight years ago that really was the end."

Kimberly didn't respond. Once she was sure Kimberly wasn't going to, Hayley continued. "All you have to do is make me believe you. A perfect stranger who doesn't know instantly the moment you're lying. Just look me in the eye and tell me you don't want Tommy around you ever again. Then I'll get out of this car, talk everyone around, get them to untie you and drag Tommy out of your life." Hayley fell silent for a moment, once again giving Kimberly the chance to respond, but once again Kimberly didn't take it.

"But I don't think you can do that," Hayley said softly. "I think if you could, Tommy wouldn't have bothered. There's a difference between fighting a losing battle and fighting a hopeless battle, and Tommy's well aware of it."

Kimberly remained silent, and Hayley let her stew for as long as possible, keeping in mind her time limit and a number of other factors urging her to hurry—the public parking lot, the southern California heat, the Ranger kegger they were supposed to be attending in less than an hour, which most everyone had probably forgotten about by now. When she couldn't wait any longer, Hayley clear her throat and asked, "Know what I can't figure out?"

Kimberly didn't look at her, and her response was a monosyllabic grunt of askance, but Hayley took it as enough encouragement.

"Why, after all these years, you never duct-taped _him_ to a Jeep seat."

Kimberly snorted and looked down at her handcuffed wrists, a faint smile on her face as she recalled the beginnings of her fight with Tommy in the Secret Chamber. "Well, he's not a fan of bondage." Hayley didn't bat an eye, refusing to let the mood lighten, but Kimberly tried anyway. "And he does still have his Zeonizer. Would have made things a little more difficult."

"I was speaking metaphorically," Hayley said, her tone disapproving.

"So was I," Kimberly replied with a sigh.

Hayley nodded slightly and figured she'd loosen up a bit. "Besides. He's always forgetting that thing in his sock drawer."

"You should have been there when Tommy first joined the team. I can't tell you how many times we heard, 'Sorry, my communicator was in my gym bag.'" Hayley chuckled. "Billy finally snapped and explained that there was a reason he'd made the communicator look like a _wrist_watch. Well, Trini said that was what he was saying, anyway."

Hayley smiled, watching as Kimberly's expression was tainted with fondness, a longing for times gone by. "Kim?"

"Hmm?"

"I know you don't want to be here. I know you don't want to face this. But I think you're smart enough to know that running and hiding won't solve anything. And even if you weren't smart enough to know that all these years, surely you've figured it out after showing up here this week and realizing nothing was behind you, nothing was solved, nothing was okay. I'm good with advice, Kimberly, I always have been, and the best advice I can give to you is to stop whatever you're thinking, whatever you're feeling, and focus on the big picture. Forget how upset you are, how much pain you're in, and put it aside. Focus on what you do want, on what would make you happy, and find a way to make it happen. As badly as he's handling this, as _psychotically_ as he's handling this, that's what he's doing. He knows the road to happiness is whatever road you're on and I think that no matter how badly you feel right now, you know, deep down, that having him in your life is what will make you happy, too. I'm not saying that when he gets in this car you should ask him to drive you to the Elvis Chapel in Reno. I'm saying that when he gets in the car you need to put all the drama and the nonsense and the pain behind you and find a way to make what you want, happen."

Kimberly sighed. "I'm not sure what I want anymore."

"Well," Hayley said determinedly, "I'm not leaving this car until you figure it out."

* * *

Tommy hadn't been this tense in a long time. Every glare, every grimace witnessed through the windshield was agony. Hayley and Kimberly were two of the people he cared about most in the world; letting them hash it out without so much as a referee was difficult to watch.

He wondered if the others had felt this way when he was locked in the Secret Chamber with Kimberly, but he doubted it. Sound had carried much better through the Secret Chamber than it did through the locked Jeep to the spot on the sidewalk where the gang was huddling, and back then the atmosphere had been hopeful. Now, he just felt kind of nauseated. After all, they were fighting about _him_ in there, and if they wound up alienating each other or hurting each other, it would be his fault.

"Don't worry about it, bro," Jason said for the fourth time. "They're big girls. They can handle it."

"We might have a fighting chance, now," Trini added. She had been mostly quiet the entire time, thinking through the implications and the options. "Hayley could really bring Kimberly around. She'll know what to say."

"Then how come you don't look happy?" Tommy asked her. She gave him a startled look. "You look like you just swallowed broken glass and chased it down with salt water."

She smiled faintly. "I just wish it could be me in there. I'm too close to the situation to do what Hayley could, but it bugs me, you know? I know it's the smart choice. I just want to be in there."

Tommy nodded. "I hear you." He exhaled sharply. "Look, guys… I know you've just been trying to help all week. And as crazy as you all are, I've got to thank you for that. Maybe you were right all along."

Jason smacked him none-too-gently upside the head. _"Maybe?_ You're kidding me, right?" He shook his head. "Tommy, I don't care what we have to do. I don't care if this works or not. I'm going to make this happen if it kills you and they're all gonna help." He gestured around at the assembled ex-Rangers, who nodded. "We're not giving up on you. Or Kim. So wipe that worried-ass look off your face and stop panicking. We're not gonna let you lose Kim. Not anymore."

"Thanks, Jase," Tommy said with a weary grin. He sighed and returned to watching the Jeep. Jason was right. It didn't have to be today. It didn't have to be tomorrow. But it would happen. He had a team of great friends who'd accomplished great things at his side, things that were far more important, far more difficult and far more intricate than a guy going after an ex-girlfriend. Whatever happened in that Jeep, whatever happened in the next few hours, he wasn't going to stop until he could claim Kimberly as _his_ again.

The driver's side door opened, and Hayley stepped out.

* * *

_End Notes:_ Apologies once again for the long silence. This time, it was the fault of three authors with lives full of chaos and a lot of reluctance over the fact that after all this time we finally just have to deal with that _stupid_ letter that should never have been in the show in the first place. We'll try to have the next chapter up soon, and maybe one day we'll finally get to have Power Rangers Day.

Since we haven't done this in a _really_ long time, here are some upcoming hints:

1) "Okay. Be safe, y'all. And tell Adam to stop setting his butt on fire in public; it made _Variety."_

2) "Um…" Tommy coughed. "Did anyone ever actually bother writing a speech?"

3) "They were flirting. She said he was 'quite the charmer.' He had the patented guy-moving-in-for-the-kill face when we showed up. Tommy finds out, he's gonna have kittens."

4) "Tommy's… Tommy," Tanya said, uncertain whether she should chuckle or try to tackle Tommy before he could get very far.

5) "Conner!" Kira called. "Have you seen Trent?"

"Trent? Yeah. I think he's showering with that dark-haired girl."

6) "It's my turn!" Hunter yelled, knocking Shane bodily away, practically ripping Jason's fingers off in the process. "Hi. I'm Hunter. Bradley. Hunter Bradley. Crimson Ranger."

7) "Let's all calm down here," Ernie said soothingly as two of his customers darted out the door.


	103. Lost & Found in Translation

_Author's Notes:_ We here at OLaB have always tried to bring you an interesting, romantic, humorous story that doesn't disregard canon and plays havoc with clichés. Unfortunately, it's a little hard to do with the letter, also known as the bane of Tommy/Kim fans. As much as we hate to deal with it at all, it has to be addressed (unintentional pun, honest). We apologize for involving it at all and promise it'll be over as quickly as possible and we'll be back to business as… well, not usual, but you get what we mean. Until then, here it is, OLaB style. You have been warned.

**Chapter 103**

_Lost & Found in Translation_

It wasn't long before there were scorch marks all over the town square. In fact, when all was said and done, there were almost as many scorch marks as there were monster body parts.

"Tommy tried making them disintegrate like the Putties used to," Anton confided sheepishly to Cassie as they picked their way through a tangled pile of Tyrannodrone remains. "I pointed out that if they took a large amount of damage but remained otherwise intact, we could salvage parts to build more."

Carlos came up behind them, still in morph. "Why were you building these things anyway?" he demanded. A pile of charred limbs twitched and Carlos fired a blast before the Triptoid emerging from the pile could get far.

"The idea was a Ranger-based army. No more fighting minions; Rangers would have their own. To be used as stand-ins for the Rangers, to keep peace when the Rangers couldn't arrive promptly, to keep Rangers from being weakened and distracted by minions before the monster arrived…"

"Well, it was a nice theory," Cassie said, patting his shoulder.

Anton winced; he was bruised in more places than he cared to count. Still, the fight had been good for him in a lot of ways—it was gratifying to know that he no longer needed Mesogog's power to be a threat, that his knowledge of fighting hadn't vanished with his alter ego, and to know what it felt like to be on the good side for once, the side he would have chosen had Mesogog failed to take over.

It had taken hours to save the city, so to speak. Lightspeed Rescue, minus Carter, had arrived to help with the minions running amok, and once the dino-grizzly—Anton couldn't for the life of him remember what its name had been—had been vanquished, the Tyrannodrones had been easy to stop. They hadn't lost a single civilian, or even come across a serious injury. The mayor had emerged to issue a commendation to the civilians who'd been instrumental in defending the town, Anton among them. He smiled briefly at the three dirty, weary teenagers in China Express aprons, already thinking of places within Mercer Industries where the three might find a new line of work.

"How'd they get loose?" Carlos asked, idly sweeping his helmeted gaze over the remains of the battle, looking for any surviving monsters.

"It was the Invisiportal Network—Mesogog's method of teleportation, so to speak," Anton explained. "It's been out of commission since his destruction, but after an incident that stranded those three kids—" he nodded at Brad, Lin and Wang— "on the island for who knows how long, Elsa and I set about fixing it. Unfortunately, it randomized during reactivation and began momentarily activating every exit and entry point in the city—" Carlos and Cassie tilted their heads at him in confusion and Anton toned down his technical analysis. "It's fixed now, and it shouldn't do that again, but when it first turned on it began tossing monsters from the storage bay at that lab all over the city."

"And it's stopped," Carlos said.

"True enough. I do believe I'm out of monsters, but I haven't seen any of the portals go off in a while. There's one right over there by the fountain." Cassie and Carlos followed his gaze to the empty space near the fountain, which was free of any green energy sparks.

Carlos shrugged and they continued picking their way towards the fountain, where the mayor was shaking hands with another civilian who'd helped protect the fountain full of people from the attacking monsters. "So," Carlos said at length, "are you coming to the Ranger kegger?"

Anton looked expectantly at Cassie, but she remained silent. It took him a moment before he realized what Carlos meant. "You mean me?" Anton asked uncertainly.

"Sure. You're in on the secret," Carlos said. "And I know Karone really wanted to meet you guys."

"Me and Elsa?" Anton asked. He frowned. "Kegger?"

"It's a party at Adam's tonight. It's supposed to start in—" Carlos attempted to check his watch, realized he couldn't see his wrist, and glanced around before spotting the time display on a bank's automated sign. "Forty-five minutes, but it's going til late. We're all going to be pretty late. You should come; it's at Adam's house in Los Angeles."

"I'll… ask Elsa," Anton said, still startled to be invited to a Rangers-only get-together. "We've got to look in on Bob before we leave here, he's been taken off to the hospital, and it's quite a drive to Los Angeles…"

"We'd really like to see you there," Cassie said warmly. "I hear the Dino Rangers will be there. One of them's your kid, right?"

"Trent," Anton confirmed. "My son."

"We always have a ton of fun when we get everyone together," Cassie said. "And it'll be a great way for you to meet everyone."

"Won't everyone be at Power Rangers Day?" Anton asked. He definitely _did_ want to meet everyone… he even had a gift for the Ninja Storm Rangers, something he'd found yesterday evening that they might appreciate.

"Yeah, but there, we can't really talk," Carlos said. "We'll probably get together after the shindig in the park, so it's no big deal if you can't make it tonight—" Anton smiled in relief— "but at Power Rangers Day we won't be able to be as candid as we'd like. Public identity Rangers like us and Lightspeed definitely can't mix much with secret-identity gangs like the Dino Rangers."

"Provided they even show up," Cassie complained. "Where _are_ they?"

Carlos shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm sure they'll turn up."

"Tommy's been having a bit of a colorful week," Anton said mildly.

They drew nearer to the fountain, which was now emptied of citizens, save Brad, Lin, Wang, Chris, and three others who'd been given weapons by Elsa to join in the fight. Elsa herself was engaging in some light fencing with one of them.

"Well," Cassie said in a whisper, "think about coming tonight, Anton. Everyone's making it a priority to be there."

"I bet," Anton murmured. What could be more interesting than a gathering of dozens of Rangers away from prying eyes?

* * *

It couldn't have taken more than a few seconds for Hayley to climb out of the Jeep and come over to Tommy, but those few seconds felt like the longest decade of his life. The look on her face was merely thoughtful, giving nothing away, and he thought he might collapse from the tension. Had she managed to talk Kimberly around? Was she about to tell him that he had made a mistake, that Kimberly didn't want him anymore and there was no chance in hell he could ever have her?

Hayley stepped up on the sidewalk, regarded him pensively for a moment, and then turned to Trini. "Trini," she said, "how did Tommy and Kimberly break up?"

Tommy frowned and opened his mouth to ask Hayley what _that_ had to do with anything—after all, Hayley had heard the story of the Dear John letter before—but Trini spoke first.

"Tommy dumped her in a letter," she replied promptly.

Every last one of the guys on the sidewalk turned to look at her, confused by her phrasing.

"No… Kimberly dumped _him_ in a letter," Jason corrected her.

Trini frowned. "No, Tommy dumped _her."_

"I was there, Trini," Billy reminded her. "We all were." He gestured at Rocky and Adam. "Me, Tanya, Kat, Rocky—"

"I read the letter aloud," Adam added.

Trini's eyebrows rose. "You read the letter you sent her _out loud_ to them?" Trini demanded of Tommy.

"No, he read the letter she sent me out loud to us," Tommy said impatiently. "What are you talking about?"

"What are _you_ talking about?" she demanded.

Hayley nodded. "That's what I thought."

Tommy glared at her. _"What's_ what you thought?" he asked, but Hayley wasn't listening. She simply turned and went back to the car. The moment the Jeep was shut behind her, Tommy could see her attempting to unravel the duct tape that bound Kimberly in place while talking excitedly with Kimberly. Confusion and worry combined within Tommy to form irritation. "The hell is going on?"

"Wait, wait, wait just a minute here," Jason said, holding up a hand and looking at Trini. "What's this about a letter Tommy sent Kim?"

"It said he understood they'd grown apart and he was sorry it ended but felt it was time to let her go," Trini said. The others stared at her. "Don't look at me like that! I know what I'm talking about. Kim showed it to me."

"Oh, _that_ letter," Tommy said. The others looked askance at him. "She means the letter I sent Kim after she dumped me. The one saying I wasn't upset with her and I understood that she just wanted to be friends."

Everyone nodded in acceptance, save Trini. "No, no, no," she insisted, frustrated. "Kimberly didn't dump you. She would have told me."

"Yes, she did, Trini," Jason said gently. "We saw the letter she sent him. Didn't you?"

"There was no letter," Trini growled.

"Trini showed up a few days after you and Zack," Rocky reminded them. "And when she got there we told her—"

"We told her they'd broken up and she said we shouldn't talk about it," Jason said, something closed to panic mixing with realization on his face. "She said it was their business, not ours. We never told her about the letter."

"The letter Kim sent me," Tommy said. He frowned at Trini. "She really never showed that to you?"

"What are you talking about?" Trini demanded. "Tommy, Kimberly told me how it went down. She said you sent her a letter, out of the freaking blue I might add, and it said that you felt they'd grown apart recently and it was for the best—"

"I sent that letter after she sent me a letter," Tommy insisted. "I guess she never told you."

"I don't—" Trini began, but Jason spoke over her.

"Guys," he said, "something isn't right."

"What?" Zack asked, looking from Tommy to Trini to Jason and back again.

"If Kimberly dumped Tommy, who would Trini go to visit first?"

"She visited Kim first," Rocky said.

"Exactly."

"You're not making any sense," Adam complained.

"Yes, he is," Billy said suddenly. "Guys… if Trini heard that Kimberly dumped Tommy, her first step would be to visit _Angel Grove._ She would come comfort Tommy first. He would be the one who—"

"Needed her the most," Zack agreed, catching on. "She would check in on Kimberly afterwards, and make sure Kim was okay, too. But she'd go to the person who got dumped, followed by the one who did the dumping. She'd know the dumper would feel almost as bad as the dumpee, but the dumpee would feel worse."

"She'd prioritize," Jason agreed.

"Oh, god," Adam said, sitting down on the curb as it sank in.

"Yet she didn't prioritize them," Jason continued. "She went to Kimberly first, Tommy second."

"I thought of that, way back when," Billy said. "I figured Kimberly had just called her first."

"If she had heard about Kim dumping Tommy from Kimberly, she would have consoled Kimberly over the phone and then she would have called _here,"_ Jason said. "She would have checked in on him, if not driven here first. Regardless, she did it wrong. And she doesn't often do it wrong."

Tommy swallowed. "I have an awful feeling," he announced, "that I'm not going to like whatever the hell you guys are talking about when I figure out what it is."

Tommy's brain wouldn't wrap around it. The implications were too horrible. Worse than losing Kimberly could ever have been. He couldn't face it. He refused to let the logic seep in.

"I don't understand," Trini said softly. "Are… wait. Are you saying Kimberly broke up with Tommy and _didn't tell me about it?"_

"No, Trini," Jason said, taking a shaky breath. "I'm saying maybe we were wrong about Kimberly breaking up with him all along."

"No," Adam said, slamming a fist against the cement. He hopped up and looked at Jason. "I read that damned thing aloud. I was the one who—"

"It wasn't like Kimberly!" Jason exploded, as if finally confessing something he'd wanted to say for years. "Tommy said she'd never mentioned another guy in any of her letters. And he's right—she never mentioned another guy to anyone. Including _us."_

"Because she didn't want it to get back to Tommy," Adam argued, his tone almost desperate. "We went through this. The reasons why it wasn't like Kimberly."

"The _excuses_ why," Jason replied. "They were theories. None of us thought to talk to Kim. Hell, none of us even asked her his _name."_

"Why should we? We didn't want to know. We didn't want to know who she dumped Tommy for. We didn't want to meet the guy and smile politely! We knew there wasn't a one of us who would punch him out!" Adam shouted. "We didn't want to know! All we had were theories why she wrote that stupid thing!"

"Adam," Trini said awkwardly, "I think… I really think that if Kimberly had done what you seem to think she'd done she would have told me."

"I was there!" Adam roared. "I read that thing aloud! I was the one who told him she was dumping him! It can't… I don't…" Adam trailed off, horrified. "No way," he muttered uncertainly.

"Set up," Jason said, his tone grim. "Someone sent Tommy a letter dumping him."

"Who would do such a thing?" Trini wondered, speaking more to herself than to them. "Why would anyone want to hurt them?"

"I can't think of anyone who would," Jason said. "But it explains a lot."

"So… wait," Adam said slowly. "What you're saying is that someone wrote a letter from Kim to Tommy and then… what?"

"Then Tommy wrote a letter to Kim," Jason explained.

"Saying that he was okay with breaking up," Zack said. "Kim thought he was dumping her."

"They… no." Adam shook his head stubbornly. "They would… we would… _someone_ would have noticed."

"Who?" Jason asked. "We're friends with both of them. We tried to stay out of it. Trini didn't want to upset Tommy, so she didn't ask him why he'd done it. We didn't want to upset Kim, so we didn't ask her why she'd done it. And they didn't want to hash it out. They didn't want to deal with it."

"That's why he and I were going to bring Kimberly to Angel Grove," Zack said, nodding at Jason. "We were going to bring her back to talk things out with Tommy."

"He was with Kat then, but we wanted them to try to work it out and get to be friends again," Jason added.

"I had to cancel, so Jase went and got her," Zack said.

"And we got kidnapped by Divatox instead," Jason finished. "Between him being with Kat, us attacking you guys when evil, and the fact that months had gone by, we all just let it drop." He sighed. "It's my fault. I was upset, I had my own stuff to deal with. Losing the power, being evil… I didn't have time to face Tommy and Kimberly's problems, too. I should—"

"Don't you dare start to talk like that," Tommy interrupted, and fell silent again.

"I should have been there for you," Jason muttered. "I should have put—"

"Shut up, Jason," Billy said mildly. "You know there wasn't a damned thing we could have done to prevent it or to repair it. I had my own problems, too. That doesn't mean I couldn't have tried harder before running off to Aquitar."

"I read the letter aloud," Adam said quietly. "I didn't want to look Tommy in the eye and mention Kimberly's name."

"It's not our fault, Jase," Zack said.

"You know that, so focus on the problem," Tommy added darkly.

"Getting Kimberly back," Jason agreed, nodding, but he still looked troubled.

Tommy shook his head. "Not just that. If it wasn't our fault… whose was it?"

A lengthy silence settled over the group. "It could have been anyone," Jason said finally. "Anyone who—"

"No, it couldn't," Tommy said firmly. "Someone did this on purpose. Someone had to put some thought into it. That means they had a motive."

"Which narrows the suspect pool," Billy agreed, frowning thoughtfully.

"Hey—someone had to know he got his letters from Kim sent to the Juice Bar," Rocky pointed out. "So… it was someone who went there."

"Someone who went there a lot in the afternoon when the mail came," Jason agreed.

"Someone who wanted them broken up," Adam added.

"Who would do such a thing?" Trini repeated.

"I can think of a few people," Zack said. "Lot of guys into Kimberly."

"Little silly, though," Jason said. "Kimberly was in Florida. So it was probably someone who was into Tommy, not someone who was into Kimberly"

"Yeah," Rocky said. "They'd have to be all sorts of stupid to try to break Tommy and Kim up so they could get with Kimberly when they knew that their next problem would be getting with Kimberly when she was all the way across the oh my god tell me someone else is thinking what I'm thinking."

Everyone turned and stared at him. "What?" Zack asked.

Rocky swallowed, thinking hard before hesitantly speaking up. "Think about it. Someone with the hots for Kimberly. Someone who was always in the Juice Bar. Someone who wouldn't mind stepping on Tommy's toes. Someone not that smart. Someone always hatching crazy, harebrained schemes."

They stared at him a little while longer before a smile broke out on Jason's face. "No," he said, "it couldn't possibly be _him."_

"You're joking, right?" Zack demanded. "I mean, come on. That's low. Too low for him."

"He can mimic handwriting," Billy disagreed. "I tutored him once. I caught him doing it."

"He was always in the Juice Bar, and we ran into him a lot," Rocky said. "Hell, we saw him more than we saw Cogs."

"He had a thing for Kim," Adam said. "For years, didn't he? Kimberly said he'd been following her around since elementary school."

"And the whole thing implies it was someone who lacks foresight," Trini continued. "It would be just like him to come up with a crazy plan and implement it without thinking through the consequences; we saw him do it a lot. He's probably the only one who wouldn't think about the fact that once he had them broken up he would have to somehow strike up a relationship with someone in Florida and the fact that she'd never shown interest in him before."

"And he wasn't exactly Tommy's best friend," Zack said thoughtfully.

"Things were better towards the end," Rocky added eagerly. "She was nicer to him."

"Yeah, after that time at the dance, they started being friends," Adam said. "She even gave him her contact information so that she could keep in touch with him."

"So it wasn't until Kim was in Florida that he thought he might have had a chance," Jason growled. "Things changed between them and he hoped it would keep on changing."

"I'm going to kill him," Tommy said in the calm tone of one announcing it was lunchtime.

"I mean, I'd ask him about it first," Rocky said reluctantly. "I could be wrong. It's just a theory."

"One that makes a whole lot of sense," Zack said. "He'd tried a million things over the years. I caught him once telling everyone who might even _think_ about taking Kim to the eighth grade prom that she had mono."

"We've got the whole ride there to think it over, come up with other theories," Jason pointed out. "What do you say, Tommy? Think it's worth talking to him about?"

"I think," Tommy began, but just then the Jeep's driver's side door opened and both Hayley and Kimberly tumbled out. Bits of duct tape were clinging to Kimberly's skin, and bits of rope were clinging to the stray pieces of duct tape, and Hayley was still trying to pick the lock on Kimberly's handcuffs with a safety pin, but Kimberly was now mobile and she rushed straight towards Tommy, her expression both excited and furious.

"I know who it was!" Kimberly shouted. "I think so, anyway. It all makes sense. We were talking, and we were just—"

"Wait, have you figured it out yet?" Hayley interrupted, glancing around at them. "Tommy, Kimberly didn't dump you. Someone else did it. Someone sent you that letter and hope that—"

"We got there," Tommy cut in impatiently. "Who do you think it was?" he asked Kimberly.

"I know… okay, this is going to sound crazy, but… but…" Kimberly exhaled sharply, took a deep breath, and blurted out, "I think it was Skull."

"I agree," Hayley added. "Of all the people it could have been, he seems the most likely candidate. I can't be sure—I wasn't there and I don't really _know_ him, but I think—"

"He used to write me letters in Florida," Kimberly said. "Then he went on this quest to rescue Bulk from outer space or… I don't know, something, he just said he was going to find Bulky no matter how lost the galaxy was, and I never got back in touch when they came back to Earth but he's probably the only one who could fake a letter from me, he had my address, he knew Tommy would—"

"We think so too," Jason said.

Kimberly breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I thought it was kind of silly, I mean, and I don't want to think the worst of someone, but if anyone—"

"I'm going to find him," Tommy explained conversationally. "I will make him stop being alive anymore."

Kimberly smiled at him, her eyes gleaming. "I'm going to help."

"He'll be at Power Rangers Day," Trini said. "I'd bet on it."

"That's tomorrow. We're going to kill him now," Tommy pointed out.

Jason cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted at the Dino Rangers, who were standing at the other end of the sidewalk, talking alone. "Guys! Come here."

The four teenagers trotted up and before anyone could ask what was going on Kimberly was flinging herself at Conner. This momentarily terrified him, so the flying hug was complicated by the fact that he was in a martial arts stance when she threw her arms around him, but it worked nonetheless.

"Thank you," Kimberly whispered fiercely. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Uh…" Conner patted one clenched fist awkwardly against her. "Sure?"

"Get in the car," Jason said, jerking his hands at Zack's SUV. "Zack'll explain on the way. Trini and I will ride with Tommy and Kim. Hayley and Billy with Rocky and Adam."

The group started to scatter, but Tommy called out, "Hey," and they all stopped and turned to look at him.

Tommy marched over to Kimberly and shoved his lips against hers. Kimberly didn't hesitate in the slightest before responding, pressing closer to him, her hands sliding up his chest to his neck. Tommy attempted to do the same, but his fingers got caught in the remnants of all the duct tape.

When they broke the kiss quite some time later, Tommy stared down at her while he attempted to unstick her forearm from his shirt. "I don't know what's about to happen," he said, "and I don't care if it was Skull or Zedd or the Pillsbury Doughboy or God himself who broke us up. You're mine."

Kimberly returned his gaze, unsurprised by his actions and unoffended by the tone in his voice that implied his words were irrefutable fact.

"Let's get to the bottom of this," Kimberly said finally. "You and me are another story."

Tommy nodded. "I want to know what happened. But I'm not letting go of you again."

Kimberly shook her head. "Not now. I can't think now. I can't feel now. I want to deal with this, with him." She swallowed and inhaled shakily. "But I'll listen. I'm through running, Tommy. Running and hiding is what caused this mess in the first place."

"They are _so_ naming their firstborn after me," Conner said smugly.

"Conner," Tommy said, stepping away from Kimberly and heading for the Jeep, "don't push your luck."


	104. Truth and Consequences

**Chapter 104**

_Truth and Consequences_

Angel Grove was approximately 128.4 miles from the gymnastic center.

Tommy made it there in one hour and twelve minutes, despite rush hour traffic on a Friday.

Adam had no trouble keeping up, and spent most of the drive muttering about how the car's limitations were slowing him down. Zack was only a few moments behind, but it didn't really matter, considering that the three cars split up upon arriving in the city and began scouring it for Skull.

Bulkmeier's was a bust, as was the zoo and Skull's apartment. It was only when, in an attempt to save time, Trini called information to obtain Bulk's house number that they caught a lucky break—Connie, Bulk's live-in girlfriend, answered the phone.

"Hi," Trini said pleasantly. "You must be Connie, right?"

"Yes…?" Connie's voice came hesitantly.

"This is Trini Kwan. Trini Scott, now," Trini added, hoping to ease any suspicions her calling might cause for Bulk's girlfriend by making it clear that Trini was married. "I'm an old friend of Bulk's from high school. I'm sure he's mentioned me."

"So _that's_ where he got the name Trini for a girl."

Trini's eyes narrowed. "You were going to name your baby 'Trini'?" Remembering the ruse, she injected a falsely cheerful note into her voice and added, "How sweet."

"I'm pretty sure it's going to be a boy," Connie said, "but he's really set on the name."

"So he'll want to call it Eugene, of course," Trini said, hoping to sound knowledgeable enough about Bulk that Connie would feel comfortable divulging personal information about his whereabouts.

"Of course," Connie agreed.

Trini smiled. "Well, I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm only in town on a layover at the airport and I was supposed to have drinks with Bulk but I can't for the _life_ of me remember where we said to meet…"

"Oh, he just left about half an hour ago," Connie said. "He was heading for the Youth Center with Skull."

"The Youth Center, right! That's where…" Trini winced as Tommy pulled a U-turn, took a corner on two wheels, and sped off towards the Youth Center. "Of course. We used to hang out there all the time when we were kids. I haven't seen him in years. Well, I'd best be going if I'm going to meet him on time—you take good care of yourself, now. I'm looking forward to meeting you the next time I'm in town."

"Great, you too," Connie said, and hung up.

"Youth Center," Trini reported as she ended the call. "Skull's there, too."

"Not for long," Tommy growled as he blew through a red light to turn left onto Main Street.

"Youth Center," Jason called into his communicator. "Same drill as the gymnastics center. I want the Dino Rangers in front of the doors."

"Copy that," Zack's voice came cheerfully.

"I'd be there already if I was in the Aston Martin," Adam complained.

"Call Ernie," Billy suggested. "Tell him to make sure they don't go anywhere."

"Good idea," Jason said. "Trini?"

She started dialing. Kimberly, who was mostly occupied with removing the tape from her skin, shoved another wad of duct tape into a plastic grocery bag unearthed from the recesses of Tommy's Jeep. "What if it's not him?" she asked.

"It is," Jason muttered. "I can feel it."

"If it's not him, we'll find out who it is," Tommy said blandly. "He won't be expecting us, won't have a line of defense in place. He won't be able to cover himself without us seeing through it. If it's him he'll crack, and we'll crack _him._ If it's not, we'll just go figure out who _is_ responsible."

Jason's communicator beeped and he answered it. "Yeah?"

"Jason?"

"Tanya, hi! What's going on?"

"I was about to ask _you_ the same question. Adam's phone is off."

"Yeah, it died earlier. He was making some calls for us."

"Yours is off too. And Zack's. And Tommy's. Kim's rang, but it went to voicemail. Trini didn't answer; I tried her a second ago."

"She was on the phone," Jason explained. "It was important. We're having a bit of an issue right now."

"I figured, considering no one came to pick me and Aisha up at the airport."

"Sorry, Tan!" Kimberly called.

"Yeah, sorry," Tommy added sheepishly. "Busy day, and, you know…"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, um… we're in Angel Grove, is all, trying to go find Skull…"

"But what about the party?"

"Party?"

"The Ranger party? At my house? That started fifteen minutes ago?"

"Oh, yeah, the party," Jason said, cringing. "Kind of slipped our minds."

"It slipped Adam's mind, too, and he _lives_ here. Carmen called me when I landed and started freaking out that he's been gone all day and something about the Space Rangers and… I don't even _know_ what. She went running out for supplies and Sha and I took a cab home and found the Time Force Rangers trying to sneak in through the window, they set the alarm off…"

"Time Force Rangers? You mean Wes and Eric?"

"No, I mean the other guys. Jen, Lucas, Katie and Trip are all here, along with a guy called Marcus and some girl named Manx, Kat Manx…"

"Oh, wow. Cool. Wes'll be thrilled. Have you talked to them yet?"

"Ain't nobody here yet. Just Max and Danny and the Time Force Rangers. Adam said six, but so far nobody's answering the phone or the communicator, even Adam…"

"Yeah, he's driving right now. Quickly."

"What _happened?"_

"Um—"

"It's coming up," Tommy called.

"We'll tell you later, Tanya. Just… we'll be there as fast as we can."

"If you're in Angel Grove, that won't be for hours at least—is Adam with you?"

"He's in the other car. Rocky, Adam, Zack, Billy, Hayley, Trini, Kimberly, Tommy and the Dino Rangers are with us. We'll… um…"

Tommy careened into the Youth Center parking lot. "I've got to go, Tanya," Jason said. "We'll explain soon. Promise."

"Okay. Be safe, y'all. And tell Adam to stop setting his butt on fire in public; it made _Variety."_

"Uh, yeah, sure." Jason was too preoccupied with rushing towards the door of the Youth Center to let that comment sink in. "Bye."

Jason ended the connection just as Tommy reached the front door. Zack, who had been closest, was already there, waiting for them. Adam parked haphazardly a few moments later with no regard for silly things like parking spaces and Billy, Hayley, Rocky and Adam joined them as they rushed through the door.

Bulk, Skull, Ernie and seven other customers were scattered around the Youth Center. Bulk and Skull were apparently trying to regale Ernie with the tale of how the Power Rangers had taken one of their tours in the hopes that Ernie would post flyers around the Youth Center to help them advertise. Ernie was rolling his eyes but still listening, probably to honor Trini's request to keep Bulk and Skull from leaving. He smiled in relief when he saw the Rangers' group approaching the counter, then frowned as he took in their slothful appearance—wandering around in pajamas with un-brushed hair at six o'clock in the evening wasn't something the group had a reputation for—and scrutinized their expressions, which ranged from furious to worried. Ernie was just about to call out a greeting when the first of the Ranger group reached the counter, grabbed Skull by the arm, spun him around, seized the front of Skull's shirt and slammed him bodily against the counter, glaring down at him.

Skull stared numbly up at Adam's murderous face. Bulk spluttered a bit, instinctively wanting to haul Adam off Skull but intuitively wanting to run far, far away.

"Uh… hey, Adam," Skull said, confused and nervous. "Long time no see. How's it going?"

"_Talk,"_ Adam snarled darkly, every bit as terrifying as an evil super villain.

"Uh…"

"Adam," Tommy called, his tone wounded and petulant. "He's _mine,_ remember?"

Adam twitched, looking for all the world as though he wanted to argue with that assessment, but, with great effort, he managed to uncurl his fingers and, releasing Skull, he stepped back.

"Now then," Tommy said pleasantly. He walked over to Skull, seized the front of his shirt, and slammed him against the counter. By the time Skull landed, Tommy's gaze was even more frightening than Adam's had been. _"Talk."_

"Let's all calm down here," Ernie said soothingly as two of his customers darted out the door.

"Not happening," Adam growled.

"Hey. What's going on?" Ernie asked.

"Unhand him," Bulk said, his voice a little too nervous to sound imperious.

"Sorry, Bulk, no can do," Jason said. "We've got a little something to discuss with Skull."

"Like how he used to write letters," Trini said. "Letters to Tommy."

"Letters to Tommy from _me,"_ Kimberly added.

Skull went oddly still. "You guys know about that?"

Tommy drew back his fist. Zack leaped forward and wrapped both of his hands around Tommy's clenched fingers. "Hey, hey, hey," Zack cajoled, "remember what we agreed before we got here? No one hits Skull."

"Yeah," Jason said, glaring at what little of Skull's scared face he could see. "Because once we start, we probably aren't going to be able to stop."

"Guys, guys," Skull whined, "what's going on here? So I used to write letters to Tommy and Kimberly in their handwriting. So what?"

"So you sent one of them to Tommy breaking up him and Kim!" Zack said, still holding on to Tommy's fist.

Skull frowned. "No I didn't."

"You did too!" Rocky exclaimed. "We were there. We saw it; we read it! You sent it to Tommy hoping to break up him and Kim!"

Skull's frown deepened. "Why would I do something like that?"

Tommy dropped his fist, which made Zack let go of it. Instead of reaching for Skull again, Tommy uncurled his fingers and slipped them into his back pocket, then pulled them out clutching a piece of battered white paper.

It was creased and wrinkled, and looked as though it had been wadded up into a ball on more than one occasion. Tommy unfolded it with a flick of his fingers and held it open an inch from Skull's nose. "Recognize _this?"_ he hissed.

Skull stared at it for a moment, then nodded. "Kinda, yeah. I think that's the one that I lost in the Youth Center."

A moment of extremely tense silence ensued. Tommy's one-handed grip on Skull's shirt went slack and he backed away, shocked. Skull, engrossed in the letter's contents, reached up and took the letter from Tommy's numb fingers. Skull straightened up and read it some more.

"Yeah, this is it," Skull said cheerfully. He held it out to Bulk, who was watching the assembled group with wary mistrust. "See that stain there, Bulky? That's from the second time you tried to eat one of Ernie's twelve-foot party subs. The mustard squirted out and we went to go get the stains off our shirts and when I came back the letter was gone. I figured someone must have thrown it away. You guys stole it, huh?"

They all stared blankly at him, unable to fathom what Skull was saying. "It was in the envelope, folded up," Skull continued. "The mustard must have soaked through. But this is the one I wrote that day and I had it in the Youth Center and then…" He shrugged. "All the rest are in a drawer at home."

"The… the rest?" Hayley asked faintly.

Skull nodded. "I used to do that all the time. Still do, but they're not all about Kimberly anymore. I got over it, you know?" Skull shrugged.

"Wait, wait, wait," Kimberly said, frowning. "You mean… you used to write letters from me to Tommy a lot?"

"Sure," Skull said, giving her a sheepish smile. "I was mad about you, Kimberly. I had the biggest crush. You remember?" She nodded, dazed. "I got it from this book, _How to Make Your Dreams Come True."_

"I've read that one," Zack said. "Jason got it for me for a Christmas present."

Skull grinned. "Cool, huh? It's called an affirmation." He pronounced it poorly.

"You mean… an affirmation?" Conner asked.

"Uh-huh. Basically, you write down what you want, with as much detail as possible. Writing 'I will marry Kimberly' wasn't working so I started getting creative." He grinned. "I'd write letters from her to Tommy, letters from her to me, letters from me and Tommy to her, one where Bulk got—"

"You didn't do it on _purpose?"_ Jason demanded.

"Do _what_ on purpose? The affirmations?" Skull asked, confused.

"Break up Tommy and Kim," Zack clarified.

Skull gaped at them, then looked offended. "I would never do _that._ I've changed, you know! Bulk and I helped save Earth from Astronema, for crying out loud! I'd like to see you geeks try that!"

Everyone stared at him for a moment, shook themselves and ignored it. Behind the counter, Ernie stifled a laugh.

Skull gave Kimberly a wounded look. "I thought we were _friends."_

"We were," Kimberly assured him, shocked at the hurt in Skull's eyes. "I mean, we _are._ I wrote you all the time from Florida, remember? You wrote me right up until Bulk boarded Terra Venture and then you said you were going after him and I never heard from you again."

"I lost your address when we got back from the Lost Galaxy," Skull admitted. "Sorry." He returned to looking sulky. "I wouldn't break up you and Tommy, Kimberly. I would never do that to you. Especially not when you wrote me about how upset you were that he dumped you." Skull glared at Tommy. "What's the matter with you, anyway? How could you let someone like _Kimberly_ get away?"

Tommy just gaped at him, beyond words. Conner stepped forward. "Hey, what's going on?" Conner demanded. "I thought Skull wrote Dr. O a letter from Kimberly saying Kimberly was dumping him."

"Yeah, and then Dr. O wrote Kimberly a letter saying he understood why she was breaking up with him and she thought he was breaking up with her," Ethan added.

"Come on, man," Bulk said with a snort. "Everyone knows how Tommy and Kimberly broke up. Skull said he dumped Kimberly in a letter."

"But… but…" Kimberly began. "But…"

"You mean to tell me," Adam said quietly, "that Skull left that letter lying on the counter and Ernie saw it, handed it to Tommy, I read it out loud, Tommy sent her a letter to say he wasn't mad that she was breaking up with him, she thought he was breaking up with her, and no one talked about it for eight years?"

"Pretty much," Hayley agreed. "That's what it looks like."

"But Skull only wrote that thing as part of some kooky self-help course?" Jason shouted.

"Hey. It wasn't kooky," Skull said, wounded. "That guy's sold over ten thousand copies! It says so right on the book."

"He didn't mean to do it," Trini breathed.

"That would explain a lot," Billy muttered.

"Like why she'd never mentioned another guy before," Rocky added. "Why her choice of words were so strange."

"None of it was like Kimberly," Billy said. "From the intent to the sentence structure."

"I don't believe it," Trini groaned. "It was an accident. He broke up Tommy and Kimberly and never even realized…"

"_I_ broke up Tommy and Kim?" Skull asked, confused. "I… no. I tried for a few years, but I got over it. I stopped."

"It was an accident, Skull," Zack said. "Ernie found your letter and gave it to Tommy."

Tommy glared at him. "You shouldn't have been writing those things anyway."

"Hey, I was in love with Kim long before you came along, pal," Skull growled, giving Tommy an angry shove.

"Yeah," Bulk spoke up. "It's not like he meant to do it or anything. Cut him a break."

"It's my fault," Ernie mumbled. "I should have known… I wondered why the letter was on the counter and all…"

"It's nobody's fault," Kimberly said, her voice sounding strangled. "It's… it's—"

"It's Skull's fault," Tommy snarled.

Skull swallowed and looked at Kimberly. "Kim… you're not… mad at me, are you?"

Kimberly forced a smile and shook her head. "No, Skull, I'm not. Hey—you and me should catch up one of these days, huh? I never did get to hear about your mission to bring Bulk back to Angel Grove."

"It was awesome," Skull said, grinning.

Kimberly started to say something else, but just then Tommy turned and stomped out of the Youth Center. Several of the others started to follow, but Kimberly called, "Wait." She turned to Skull. "See you at Power Rangers Day tomorrow?" Skull nodded. "Cool. Bye Skull. Bulk, Ernie…"

The others called out a goodbye and Kimberly chased after Tommy alone.

Jason sighed and looked around at the assembled ex-Rangers. "Well, guys," he said glumly, "now what?"

"Guess that's up to them," Adam muttered, and they all turned to watch as Kimberly caught up with Tommy just outside the door.

* * *

Blinding rage washed over Tommy as he stormed across the parking lot. "Tommy!" Kimberly called. "Tommy, wait!"

Tommy rounded on her,. "How can you forgive him?" Tommy demanded furiously of her. "How—?"

"Tommy, stop it," Kimberly chided sharply. "It's not his fault."

"How is this _not_ his fault? He—"

"I _know_ Tommy, but he didn't meant to. It's not his fault. If it's anyone's fault it's ours."

Tommy gaped at her, aghast. "How do you figure?"

"Because," she replied gravely, "we gave _up,_ Tommy. We gave up." She stepped closer to him, biting her lip. "It's our fault, Tommy, not his. We gave up."

Jason's words from the carnival came back to him and Tommy felt sickened, knowing it was true. It didn't matter if she'd really dumped him, if he'd really dumped her, if Skull had meant it or not, because in the end _they_ were the ones responsible. He hadn't argued with the letter, and she hadn't argued when she'd gotten that letter from him. They had let it happen. Despite what they'd meant to each other, they'd just given up on their relationship.

Somehow, it hurt worse coming from Kimberly than it had from Jason, to hear it out loud from her. This time it hit differently. This time it hurt, far worse than it ever had before.

Tommy slid down the front wall of the Youth Center, coming to a stop on the ground with his back against the brick beneath the window and his forehead against his knees, eyes squeezed shut. Skull's words—"How could you let someone like _Kimberly_ get away?"—were now ringing in his ears.

"We gave up, Tommy," Kimberly repeated, her voice never wavering in spite of the pain in her tone. "Neither of us demanded why, or tried to stop it. We just curled up and let everything we had die." Kimberly sank down next to Tommy, and when she spoke again she seemed to be talking to herself more than to Tommy. "How could we do that?"

"I thought I was doing the right thing," Tommy whispered. "Letting you live your life, without me. I thought it was what you wanted."

Kimberly nodded and hugged her knees to her chest. "So did I. At the time. You were in California; I was in Florida. So many people asked me if I had someone, and I'd gush about how wonderful you were."

Tommy swallowed hard. "Were?"

"The worst thing was the skepticism," Kimberly continued, ignoring the interruption. "'Long distance relationships? Those never work!'" she mimicked. "No one was surprised when you dumped me, Tommy, when I thought you had. At least, no one but me. They all tried to cheer me up, to set me up with guys to help me forget about you—it just made everything worse."

"Funny," Tommy said dryly, thinking of Heather, "I had the same problem."

"Then Jason came to me, convinced me to come back to Angel Grove and talk to you. You were dating Kat at the time, and I could have handled that—"

"I would have left her for you."

Silence settled over them for a moment. Tommy was horrified to admit it, to say it aloud, but he'd never felt about Kat the way he'd felt about Kimberly. He'd never felt about _anyone_ the way he'd felt about Kimberly. Kimberly wasn't sure how she felt to hear it; on the one hand, she felt bad for him, for Kat… but part of her couldn't help feeling pleased to know it.

"That wasn't what I meant," Kimberly said softly. "I just… I wanted to talk to you, be friends with you. But that spell was so strong; I couldn't fight it off. I was horrified about what Divatox and Maligore did to me, made me do to you. I remembered kicking Kat in the stomach, ignoring you when you took off your helmet… I didn't know if we could come back from that."

"Didn't you realize I'd understand?" Tommy asked. "The silence was worse than anything, Kimberly. If you'd come to me, I could have accepted the fact that you hadn't meant it, that it was just the spell. I _of all people_ would have understood, Kim. But when you didn't… you know… apologize or even _say_ anything, part of me wondered if you meant it. If you had no interest in me whatsoever, if you never had, if you no longer cared."

Kimberly looked like she just might throw up. "I know. I should have… I don't know. I wanted… I couldn't… everything was wrong, Tommy. Everything was so wrong. I never wanted it to be this way, Tommy, not once."

"I'm sorry."

She looked at him, surprised. "For what?"

"Everything. For what you went through. Not just then, with Divatox, but in Florida, too. I didn't want to hear about the problems you were having, because I was jealous of you. I felt like I had to leave the team, but I wanted to leave, too. I wanted to go on with my life, go to college, be normal again. I just…"

Kimberly gulped. "Do you think we really grew apart?"

"I think that something changed," Tommy admitted. "Whether it was us or the situation."

"Is there a difference?"

He sighed. "Kimberly… you're right. We gave up." He snorted. "We would have had to. Skull couldn't have pulled this off if he'd tried. He couldn't manage it unless it was pure accident."

Kimberly let out a chuckle that threatened to become a sob. "Yeah. Poor guy. I can't imagine what it must have been like for him."

"I can," Tommy said bluntly. "Being madly in love with you and thinking you didn't love me back."

Kimberly looked away. "That's not true, you know. I always loved you back."

"I always loved you," Tommy replied. "Kim…"

"Yeah?"

"The hell are we going to do now?"

They were both quiet for a moment.

"I don't know," Kimberly said finally. "It's a lot to take in. Maybe… maybe we should… put it off for a while. Let it sink in and then—"

Kimberly broke off with a yelp as a loud thud sounded from above her. Turning, they could see every last one of their friends, including Bulk, Skull and Ernie, pressing their noses or their ears against the glass just above Tommy and Kimberly's heads, expressions worried and earnest; the sound appeared to have come from Conner's direction—he'd been knocked off-balance by Ethan and the two were now shoving each other.

Kimberly giggled. "And then," she continued, "talk it out. See where we end up. Let's just take some time to reflect on this, and then go from there."

Tommy nodded and the two of them stood up, brushing the backs of their pants off while their friends tried to look nonchalant on the other side of the window. "Okay. But… Kim?"

"Yeah, Tommy?"

"I meant what I said," he told her. "I'm not giving up on you. I don't care what it takes. I'm not letting you go again. Not ever."

She smiled, but it was obviously forced. "Just… give me some time, Tommy."

He nodded. "It's been seven years. I can wait."

* * *

_Author's Notes:_ And that's that. On to more important matters. We've got kegs, closets, crashes and kidnappings, coming up next. Don't go nowhere. By the way, Freyja just wrote an awesome new fic called "Forever Fades Away" centering on Alex. Those who review it will receive good karma.


	105. A Pressing Engagement

**Chapter 105**

_A Pressing Engagement_

Spencer hurried to the control panel as the intercom beeped for the second time. It was after eight thirty; who would be coming by announced this late in the evening?

Upon reaching the panel, Spencer cued up the monitor that showed the front gate. To his surprise, a black Humvee sat in the driveway. An unfamiliar young man was leaning out of it towards the intercom; Spencer inspected both the man and the sigil on the side of the Humvee's door carefully, but couldn't place either of them.

"Yes?" he called into the intercom.

"Hi. It's Carter. I've got Cole with me."

Spencer frowned, wondering if that was some sort of threat. "You've got coal with you?"

"Yeah. We're here for the party…?"

"What party?" Spencer demanded.

The driver looked thoughtfully down at the intercom. "Isn't this Tanya Sloan's house?"

Spencer managed not to groan, but just barely. "No—the Sloan residence is next door."

"Oh. Sorry about that. Thank you." The black Humvee reversed down the drive.

Just then, Andrew Hartford, Spencer's employer, came into the room. "Who was at the door, Spencer?"

"Someone looking for the Sloan residence, sir," Spencer said wearily. "Shall I get the insurance forms now, or later?"

"Beg pardon?" Andrew asked.

"Apparently Ms. Sloan is throwing a party," Spencer explained.

Andrew groaned. "Not again."

"It's a shame her parents are friends of yours, sir. If any _other_ neighbor was as troublesome as she can become—"

"Now, Spencer. Tanya's a nice girl. She just has a tendency to… well…"

"Bring havoc down upon our heads. Now we know why her parents were so eager to sell you the mansion next door to her." Andrew smiled faintly. "Although I will admit, her recipe for lemonade is extraordinary. I still have had no luck in replicating it."

"Well, keep trying, Spencer. I'm sure you'll manage it someday." Andrew looked thoughtfully down the hall, in the direction of Tanya's house. "Maybe this party won't be so bad."

"We're still repairing the damage from the last one, sir," Spencer pointed out.

Andrew sighed. "Maybe you'd better get the insurance forms now, Spencer. It can't hurt to get started."

"Very good, sir."

* * *

Hectic didn't begin to describe the rush for Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly, Zack, Tommy, Rocky, Adam, Conner, Kira, Ethan, Trent and Hayley to get ready for the party. Of all of them, only Rocky and Adam were halfway presentable; Tommy was dressed in the clothes he'd been wearing yesterday and Kimberly's outfit was covered in bits of sticky silver, while the others were all in nightclothes. Now that Kimberly had checked out of the Angel Grove Inn, they only had two rooms available, and Kimberly's clothing was all still packed up in her Mustang in the gymnastic center's parking lot, much to her chagrin. On top of everything else, stress and sleep deprivation were beginning to take their toll on everyone.

Kira, having left her belongings in Tommy and Zack's hotel room, returned to the Angel Grove Inn with Tommy, Zack, Trent and Ethan, and proceeded to have a nervous breakdown the minute she got out of the shower. The prospect of meeting not only dozens of Rangers but also _the_ Tanya Sloan had her panicking, and she forced Tommy and Zack to help her choose an outfit. Zack was no help and Tommy, being Kimberly's ex-boyfriend but also Kira's ex-science teacher, wasn't much more useful, so Kira eventually dissolved into hysterics that Tanya was going to hate her and the other Yellow Rangers were going to laugh at her, at which point Tommy sent Zack to get Trent and hastily barricaded himself in the bathroom until Trent had calmed her down.

Things didn't go smoothly at Jason and Trini's house, either. Neither Billy nor Kimberly was very fast in the shower, and Kimberly was forced to raid not only Trini's closet but Hayley's suitcase in order to find an outfit that wouldn't clash with the shoes she'd been kidnapped in. The dog was thoroughly upset at the commotion and hadn't been fed breakfast, save for his extra meal in the middle of the night, and Trini felt it important to comfort him considering that they wouldn't be home all day tomorrow either. Jason wasted quite a long time arguing with Adam about whether it would be faster if Jason and Trini showered together; he lost, with even Trini voting against him, albeit with far less enthusiasm than the others. Conner, who had always felt looking good was important, began worrying about what the other Red Rangers might think and asking endless questions of Rocky and Jason as to whether his outfit was "too Red" or "not Red enough;" he was finally distracted by Tommy the dog, who, once Trini had stopped petting him, sat down in front of Ms. Syrian Hamster and Mr. Mongolian Gerbil's cage, seemingly fascinated by the movement of the hamster wheel.

Tommy, Zack, Ethan, Trent and Kira showed up in the midst of the chaos, just in time to accept swigs from one of Billy's Aquitian water flasks, which he was passing around to give everyone a much-needed energy boost. By the time everyone was dressed, groomed, and otherwise prepared, it was nearing eight o'clock—almost two hours after the party had started—so, after a quick stop for gas, Adam and Tommy took off for Los Angeles in yet another fit of extremely reckless driving, Zack doing a slightly better job of keeping up, thanks to all the recent practice.

Tanya's house was just a little farther from Angel Grove than the gymnastics center, so it was nearly nine o'clock by the time they made it. Adam pulled up to the gate first, punching his code into the keypad and leading the way up the long drive. Most of the other Rangers had already arrived; they could spot the Rescue Rover and another black Humvee belonging to Lightspeed, Cassie's enormous pink Hummer, Carlos's black-and-green van, one of T.J.'s numerous red sports cars, Alyssa's white Taurus, Max's blue Saturn, and a white cargo van that could have been anyone's. Adam dropped those who were riding with him off at the door and drove the Mercedes to the garage while Zack and Tommy parked their respective vehicles with the others.

"Would you _look_ at this place?" Kira hissed as the group piled up on the porch, which was large enough for all of them to stand on it without crowding. Several of them muttered an agreement.

Before any of them could press the doorbell the door was yanked open, revealing T.J. in a lopsided Space Ranger party hat, drink in hand. "Hey, hey, I thought I heard someone out here!"

"Adam's in the garage," Tommy said, clasping hands with T.J. and pulling him in for a quick hug.

"Hey, guys!" T.J. exclaimed, greeting them each in turn as they stepped into the foyer. The Dino Rangers came last, all of them beyond nervous now that they were finally here. Though most of the Power Rangers they knew only vaguely, from what little Tommy had told them, all of them had known T.J.'s name and face since the Space Rangers had been unmasked, and the sight of him was a little daunting.

"You guys must be the DT team!" T.J. said cheerfully, reaching out to shake Conner's hand. "Red one, right?"

"Conner McKnight," he confirmed, tense but excited. "This is Kira Ford, Yellow; Ethan James, Blue; and Trent Fernandez, White."

"I see that," T.J. laughed, his eyes automatically catching on the parts of their outfits that signified their colors. "T.J. Johnson, Red Turbo, Blue Space." He ushered them into the foyer. "Come on in, y'all. I'll introduce you."

The older Rangers were already moving purposefully off down the hall, but Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent hung back with T.J., gazing with interest around the foyer. The foyer was lavish, with expensive marble flooring and intricate crown molding and beautiful tapestries depicting African savannahs, all of which were completely at odds with the decorations. Brightly-colored tinsel had been tossed casually onto the tapestries. Carmen's gay pride flags had been sliced apart, several of them repainted so recently they still smelled of paint, and hung at random. Though the marble flooring of the foyer extended down the hall directly across from the front door, the hallways leading off the left and right were carpeted in thick, deep green carpeting—at least, in the places that hadn't been obscured by overuse of multicolored confetti. Crepe paper in red, yellow, green, blue, black, white and pink was twisted and taped going in all directions, and Power Ranger decorations of all shapes and sizes, a motley assortment of every single team known on Earth, had been strewn all over the place. A six-foot-tall Mezodon Megazord was actually standing nonchalantly against one of the walls.

T.J. led them down the hall to the right, into the kitchen, where Aisha was being hugged enthusiastically and released reluctantly by Tommy, Zack, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, Jason and Rocky in turn. "That's Aisha Campbell, the second Yellow Ranger," T.J. told the Dino Rangers, pointing at her, then across the kitchen. "And over there in the corner is Tanya Sloan."

They turned to look, Kira letting out a high-pitched squeak as she did so, and saw that Adam was blocking most of Tanya from view, making out with her like… well, like they hadn't seen each other in weeks. "We'll say hello to them later," T.J. joked to the Dino Rangers, winking at them and ignoring their startled expressions. He motioned for them to follow him and led the way into the dining room.

The dining room, like the foyer, had the look of a posh estate attacked by circus folk. The exquisite crystal chandelier had streamers coming off it in all directions and banners with triangular pennants displaying various Lost Galaxy Rangers lined the dining room. The long table dominating most of the room had been covered by snack food and pizza boxes at one end, beverages at the other, including six punch bowls, each containing a liquid that struggled to match a Ranger color; the center of the table held disposable plates, napkins, cups and silverware, also in a variety of colors. Three girls were chatting at one end of the table, while a guy loaded up a plate of food at the other.

"Hey, hey, meet the new guys!" T.J. called. Everyone turned to look at him. "Guys, this is Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent. This here's Ryan Mitchell, Titanium Ranger—" T.J. nodded at the guy, who smiled briefly at all of them, his gaze lingering with particular interest on Trent— "and Kelsey Winslow, Yellow. They're from Lightspeed."

"Hi!" Kelsey called cheerfully.

"That's Katie Walker, from Time Force, and Alyssa Enrile, Wild Force," T.J. continued, pointing to each of them in turn.

"You're the White girl, right?" Trent asked Alyssa. She nodded. "Dr. O mentioned you."

Alyssa frowned. "Who?"

"Tommy," T.J. explained. Alyssa's face lit up. "He's their science teacher. Former, anyway—they're recent graduates. Tommy said they call him 'Dr. Oliver' and 'Dr. O.'" T.J. headed for the keg in the corner, filling up his cup, taking a deep swig, and refilling it again. The Dino Rangers were just starting for the food when T.J. said, "All right, guys, let's hit the living room," and started walking again, the four of them hurrying after him. "We're still missing Ashley, Andros, Zhane and Karone," he added over his shoulder, "and Lost Galaxy's still arguing with the state of Hawaii—"

"Um, what?" Kira asked, frowning, but T.J. continued, not hearing her.

"—and Wes, Eric and Taylor kind of got arrested in Arizona, but they should be here soon."

"Maybe they can team up with Zack and Kira," Conner suggested. Kira socked him in the shoulder and he winced.

T.J. led the way into the living room. Three black leather couches, adorned with green throw pillows, were arranged around a sleek black coffee table. Photos and knickknacks covered the mantle above the fireplace to the right, and next to the fireplace was a set of glass doors leading out onto the patio. Groups of color-coded Rangers were scattered around the room, talking, laughing and drinking, and T.J. headed for the closest.

"Here we have the Pinks," T.J. explained. "This here is Cassie Chan, from my team, Dana Mitchell—Ryan's sister—from Lightspeed, and Jen from Time Force." He gave out the Dino Rangers' names and they went through a round of hellos. "Sorry, guys—no new Pinks."

"That's the third time in a row," Cassie complained, but she was smiling. "Nice to meet you."

Next, T.J. ushered them over to the Red group. "Carter Grayson of Lightspeed, Cole Evans from Wild Force, and Marcus Barstow from Time Force." The three Reds waved, but were currently involved in a chugging contest, so none of them spoke. T.J. named the Dino Rangers and moved on. "And over here we have Blue Time Force Ranger Lucas Kendall, flirting with Hayley Tate."

"Unfortunately," Hayley muttered, but she didn't look as unhappy as she tried to sound, a fact Lucas was obviously picking up on. She smiled at the teenagers. "Try not to get into trouble, guys."

"You're the Blue from the future, right?" Ethan asked Lucas eagerly.

"You're Emperor James," Lucas replied, looking startled. "You look different from your pictures. Especially without the ceremonial garb." Everyone stared at him before turning shocked gazes upon Ethan. Lucas's eyes widened in worry, but then he grinned. "Sorry. Time travel humor." T.J. threw back his head and laughed and the teens chuckled, but Hayley looked suspicious. "You're the Blue Dino Ranger, right?" Ethan nodded. "So you guys must be Conner McKnight, Trent Fernandez and Kira F… Ford?" Lucas's smile widened as his gaze turned to Kira. "Hello, there."

"Hi," Trent fairly growled.

"Ease up, I can take a hint," Lucas told him, but he winked at Kira just the same. She frowned at him and eased closer to Trent, whom Lucas forcibly reminded of Blake.

"Hey, Ethan, you'll probably want to meet Justin here," T.J. called, beckoning them over to where the Blue group was examining Adam and Tanya's stereo equipment. "Justin Stewart, Blue Turbo Ranger. Ethan here's supposed to be a chip off the old motherboard, guys. This is Chad Lee, Lightspeed, and Max Cooper from Wild Force."

"I'm Conner McKnight, Red; this is Kira Ford, Yellow; Trent Fernandez, White; and Ethan James, Blue," Conner said. They all started shaking hands, the Blues looking with particular interest at Ethan.

Justin nudged T.J. "Where've you been?"

"Hanging out with that Manx chick," T.J. replied, smirking.

Justin's eyebrows rose. "You _do_ know she's not human, right?"

"She's not?" T.J. demanded, looking worried. Justin shook his head. "Um… I'll be right back," T.J. said, and hurried off.

"Um…" Kira began, but couldn't form another coherent thought after that.

Justin chuckled. "Manx is the only other non-Ranger here, besides Hayley. She's an alien, looks mostly human though. Time Force recruited her—hey, speaking of, Trip wanted to meet you, Ethan."

"Why is everyone worshipping Ethan?" Conner grumbled.

"Well, he is Emperor James," Kira joked.

"Come on," Justin said, leading Max, Chad, Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent over to the final group hanging out in the living room. "Hey, guys," he called. He turned to the Dino Rangers. "Danny Delgado, Black Wild Force; Joel Rawlings, Green Lightspeed Rescue; Carlos Vallerte, Green Turbo, Black Space; and Trip Regis, Green Time Force—meet the Dino Rangers. Conner McKnight, Kira Ford, Trent Fernandez and Ethan James." Justin pointed to various bits of clothing rather than state their color.

"Oh, _wow!"_ Trip exclaimed, leaping forward and seizing Ethan's hand. "It's an honor. A huge… well, I mean… yeah. We're gonna be really good friends; all the history books say so. Isn't this great?"

Ethan stared at him as Trip pumped his arm enthusiastically. The others smirked, save Joel, who was busy grinning at Kira. "Um…" Ethan began, not sure how to respond.

"Hey, I'm… gonna go find the Yellows," Kira said.

"I'll come with," Trent said, shooting a glance at Joel, then over his shoulder at Lucas.

"I'm starving," Conner told Ethan. "Later, man."

"Um," Ethan began, a tad desperately. Trip had given up on shaking his hand and was now hugging him.

Conner was almost to the dining room when Jason emerged from the doorway, beer in hand. "Jason!" Cole shouted, leaping up from the couch and rushing him. "Hi! It's me, Cole!"

"Hey, Cole," Jason said, grinning at Cole's enthusiasm. Cole and Jason traded light claps on the shoulder, which had somehow become their thing ever since they'd met; it seemed to make Cole feel special, since he was usually the only one Jason greeted in this manner, and Cole still had a tendency to get nervous and overexcited, making handshaking risky anyway.

Jason knew from experience that Cole would latch on to Jason's side and stay there as long as possible, and while he liked Cole, he didn't hesitate in grabbing Conner's shirt as Conner started to pass them, hauling Conner over to them. "Cole, have you met Conner? He's the new guy."

"Really?" Cole was instantly fascinated. "I'm Cole, Cole Evans. I'm the Red Wild Force Ranger. Did you know there are two domesticated rodents in your pockets?"  
Jason gave Conner an exasperated glare. "Conner, you didn't."

"I couldn't leave them at your place," Conner said defensively. "The dog kept _staring_ at them."

"You live with Jason?" Cole asked, awed.

"He's just staying with me for a day or two," Jason said hastily, worried about the prospect of newbie Red Rangers showing up on his doorstep with sleeping bags.

"It's been totally cool," Conner told Cole. "Hey… how'd you know about Syri and Mongo?"

"Mongo was feeling slightly perturbed," Cole explained.

"Huh?"

"I'll let you two get to know each other," Jason said, backing away and going to greet Dana, Cassie and Jen, but before he was halfway there they started giggling in a distinctly unnerving fashion, and he changed direction without hesitation, heading over to Carter. He frowned, not recognizing the guy sitting next to Carter; hadn't Tanya said something about Time Force bringing a new guy? Yep, must be a newbie Red—he was already doing the whole awestruck stare thing.

To Jason's surprise, the new guy leaped up, swayed for a moment, and then snapped to attention, saluting. Jason had to fight not to laugh; Carter, who had done the exact same thing when meeting Jason, looked sheepish. Jason managed to smile without snickering—though just barely—and stuck out his hand. The guy looked at it, terror crossing his features, and made no move to take it. Jason's urge to laugh doubled. Jason forced his features into a serious expression, dropped his hand, and said, "At ease." The guy's left foot moved over until his feet were shoulder-width apart and he clasped his hands behind his back. Carter pinched the bridge of his nose, looking torn between grimacing and laughing. "I'm Jason Scott," Jason said, still trying to sound less amused than he was. Hoping it would get the guy to talk, he added, "And you are?"

"Marcus Barstow, Red C-Squad Time Force Ranger, sir!" he practically shouted, his tone utterly militant, but Jason figured it was still an improvement.

"Cool," Jason said, nodding and trying to find some way to get Marcus calmed down. "C-Squad, huh? What is that, exactly? Special ops?"

"Second team of Time Force, sir! It is our mission to assist B-Squad in keeping the peace, sir!"

"The second team is C-Squad, huh? Shouldn't the third team be C-Squad, and B-Squad the second team?" Jason asked.

"Long story, sir!"

That did it. Jason burst out laughing, unable to take something as common—and in Rangers' cases, overused—as the phrase "long story" barked at him in an official, militant manner. Carter snorted a couple of times and dissolved into chuckles.

"It always is, son, it always is," Jason said kindly, clapping Marcus on the shoulder in an attempt to prove that he wasn't making fun of him. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw Marcus wobble a little at the contact. "Come on—sit down and have a beer, man. Tell me all about this C-Squad thing. Plenty of time to worship me later." Jason flopped on the couch, grinning and shaking his head.

Marcus finally came out of his trance—they didn't have protocol for "sit down and have a beer," especially considering that alcohol was hard to come by in the future—and looked down at Carter, horrified. "I'm making an idiot of myself, aren't I?" he whispered, praying Jason didn't overhear.

Carter shrugged. "I've seen worse. Don't worry, man—he gets it. Every Red since T.J.'s done the exact same thing, or similar."

Marcus sat down gingerly, trying to look at Jason but unable to meet Jason's gaze. He seemed hyperaware of the fact that Jason was sitting only a few feet from him. "Sorry. It's just… you're a _legend."_

"Yeah, so I hear," Jason said with a smirk.

"First Red Ranger, hero of Earth, Destroyer of Onyx, Savior of Triforia, the first person ever to lead a Ranger team, longest-standing in-uniform leader of an active team in history…"

"No, you're thinking of Tommy on that last one. I was only leader for a little over a year," Jason corrected him. He nodded at Carter. "And I think Carter's closing in on him. It's been… what? Four years?"

"Four and a half," Carter agreed. "But at the same time, I might lead an active Ranger team, but we're only a task force now, peace keepers. We're not an active team in the sense of most—there are no evil overlords attacking _our_ section of Earth."

"Yeah. Still, depending on how you look at it, he's past Tommy now, even if you count Dino Thunder," Jason pointed out.

Marcus knitted his brow, looking a tad confused. "Oh. Right."

Jason frowned, suddenly uneasy. "Wait. Destroyer of Onyx? What does that mean, exactly?"

Marcus's eyes widened and he cast a nervous glance in Jen's direction. "Um… I have a mission," he announced, and jumped up, hurrying across the room, over to where Lucas was still chatting with Hayley.

"What was _that_ all about?" Jason complained.

Carter shrugged. "Give him a break. He was just telling me they don't have alcohol in the future—at least, not legally, except in rare instances—so the beer's probably taking its toll on him. I'm sure he was just confused."

"He'd better be," Jason said darkly, casting a suspicious look at Marcus before turning to Carter. "To legal inebriation," he toasted.

"Amen," Carter agreed, tapping bottles with Jason. He waved to Rocky, Billy, Zack and Kimberly, who exited the kitchen together. Kimberly returned his wave but headed over to the Pinks, who greeted her enthusiastically, while Rocky, Zack and Billy came towards them.

"Hey, Carter," Zack said, snagging a beer off the table.

"Hi, guys. How's it going?"

"The other Yellows discovered Trini was here," Rocky said with a sigh. "We bailed when they converged on her."

"Yellows have taken over the kitchen," Zack reported.

"They're monopolizing Aisha and Tanya," Rocky complained.

"Ah, calm down. They'll slack off eventually," Jason told him. "Hey—wanna hear something weird? That guy from Time Force, the new kid who came back with them, called me the Destroyer of Onyx."

"Isn't that a gemstone?" Rocky asked.

"It's a black stone, yeah," Zack confirmed. "Why would you destroy a black gemstone, man?"

"It's also a planet," Billy said, frowning. "A very unseemly planet, too. It's a known refuge for fugitive aliens and a variety of unsavory activities take place there."

Jason's eyebrows rose. "Really."

"That's where Karone recovered the Pink Quasar Saber, isn't it?" Carter asked.

Billy nodded. "I had heard something to that effect, yes."

Jason looked back over at Marcus, who was now chatting with Hayley, Lucas glaring at him and trying to get a word in edgewise. "Maybe I should have a talk with that kid."

"Oh, come on, man. It's a party! Worry about the future tomorrow," Zack told him. "I'm gonna go get worshipped; you guys coming?"

"I already filled my quota for the day," Jason replied, shaking his head.

"Come on, Billy, man," Zack said, grabbing Billy's arm and tugging him towards the group of Greens, Blacks and Blues. "Hey Rocky, you coming?"

"In a minute," Rocky said. He was used to his own share of worship from the Blues—after all, Rocky was the second Blue, and with Billy on Aquitar the subsequent Blues had only ever met him for a moment or two when he'd returned to Earth for Jason and Trini's wedding. Rocky had his own claim to fames among Blues and Reds alike, particularly given the fact that Justin often talked him up to other Blues if Justin happened to meet them first. At the moment, however, he figured he'd let the other Blues worship Billy and find himself something to eat. "I'll be right back," he told Jason and Carter. "You guys want anything?"

They both declined, and Rocky headed for the dining room. Just inside the dining room, he found Kira and Trent hovering at the door to the kitchen. "What are you guys doing?" he asked.

Kira only grimaced, so Trent replied with, "We're trying to work up the courage to say hi to Tanya," and Kira shot him a grateful look for us of the word "we," knowing the fear was mostly on her part, not his.

Rocky laughed. "Hey, don't let the fame thing freak you out. Tanya's really cool. Just say hi to her. She's just as anxious to meet you guys as you are to meet her."

"I don't see how," Kira muttered.

Rocky shook his head. "Look. Everyone's nervous here, okay? Billy's got a fan club over there and all the newer kids are trying to impress the older kids and the older kids just want to say hi to the ones they don't know. You're all part of the same team here. Don't worry about it."

With that, he turned and went to grab a plate, heading directly for the pizza. Kira sighed and turned to Trent, who gave her a sympathetic, encouraging look. Kira finally threw back her shoulders and marched into the kitchen, Trent at her heels.

Kira's steps became more and more uncertain as she approached the group of Yellows, however. Not only was she approaching Tanya Sloan, famous singer, she was also approaching a _legacy,_ the first three people to wear her color, in addition to the longest-standing active Yellow Ranger and another from almost one thousand years in the future. Even though she had been hanging out with Trini all week, she was suddenly much more in awe of her, the _first_ Yellow ever, one of the first _Rangers_ ever…

"Breathe," Trent whispered in her ear.

Breathing. Right.

Kira stopped a few feet away and was still working up an audible "excuse me" when Aisha spotted her. "Hey, it's the new Yellow!" she called happily, and, in perfect unison, Trini, Aisha, Tanya, Katie and Kelsey's gazes zeroed in on Kira.

"Um… hi," Kira said lamely.

"Hi, there," Tanya said, coming over to her and throwing an arm around Kira's shoulders. Trent hovered near Kira's elbow; unlike Tanya, he didn't miss the fact that Kira's knees were buckling. "Tommy's told us so much about you."

Kira frowned; this didn't fit with what she knew of Dr. O. He'd always been rather tight-lipped about his Ranger friends. "He has?"

"He sure has," Aisha agreed. "Pterodactyl, right? Like Kim?"

"I hear she can fly like Taylor, though," Katie said.

"She could," Trini confirmed. "No powers anymore."

"Ain't that a shame," Tanya said. "Taylor doesn't have hers either, poor dear. The rest of us do, though, more or less."

"She sings, Tanya," Trini spoke up. "I've heard her and Kimberly sing quite a few times; she's really good."

"Is that right?" Tanya asked curiously. Kira gave her a feeble nod. "I'll have to hear you jam sometime."

"Is it true that Tommy's your science teacher?" Kelsey asked. Kira nodded again, and Kelsey giggled. "I can't imagine fighting evil with _my_ science teacher. Of course, mine wasn't as cute as yours."

"Ours, either," Aisha said. "Good old Ms. Appleby—whatever happened to her?"

"I don't know," Tanya said. "I tried looking her up, but I couldn't find her."

"She's married now," Trini said. "That's why you couldn't find her—she's Mrs. Stone."

_"Lieutenant_ Stone?" Tanya demanded, shocked. "Wow."

"Oh, yeah," Aisha said vaguely. "I remember them looking friendly at a dance once. The Junior Police Ball. That was the time Bulk fell in love with me."

"Um, what?" Kira asked, frowning.

"It's a _long_ story, girl," Aisha said. "But let's hear yours, first."

"Yeah, tell us all about you," Tanya agreed, giving Kira's shoulders a little shake. Trent stepped a little closer, seeing Kira's nervousness redouble, and Tanya noticed him for the first time. She looked him up and down, noted his proximity to Kira, and grinned. "And who's _this_ cutie pie?" Tanya asked.

Trent blanched as all eyes turned to him. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to answer her, as the question didn't seem directed to him—heaven help him if it was. And… _cutie pie?_

Trent looked at Kira, and despite her fear at Tanya and the others' proximity, Kira seemed to be trying to stifle a laugh. Trini stepped in to save him. "Trent Fernandez," Trini said. "He's Kira's boyfriend."

"He's _adorable,"_ Aisha announced. "What's your color?"

"White," Trent mumbled, feeling oddly on display.

"You're dating a White?" Tanya asked, seeming surprised. "Me, I like the Green ones, myself." She winked at Adam, the only non-Yellow still in the kitchen. He smiled at her, then returned to giving Trent a sympathetic look. "At least, he was Green when I got my hands on him."

"Were you evil?" Kelsey asked with open curiosity.

"For a while, yeah," Trent admitted.

"Ryan was evil," Kelsey said. "I bet you're a loner, aren't you?"

"Um…"

"He looks like the strong, silent type," Katie said.

"Heh." Trent cleared his throat, wondering how Kira would feel if he ran away.

"I'll say. Look at those biceps," Aisha said with approval.

"Are you into sports at all?" Kelsey asked eagerly.

"Uh… some."

"Trent's an artist," Kira offered.

"Ooh, I'll bet he's sensitive, then," Tanya teased, winking at Adam. He snorted and wandered out of the kitchen. "Is he sensitive, Kira?"

"He… can be," Kira said carefully, uncertain of the proper response.

"Aw, how sweet," Katie said.

"How about jealous. Is he jealous?" Tanya asked. Kira shrugged as best she could without dislodging Tanya's arm. "See, me and Trini disagree about that. She kinda likes it when Jason gets jealous. Me, I love that Adam trusts me."

"It isn't _me_ Jason doesn't trust," Trini said. "It's everyone else."

The girls laughed. Trent wondered how socially acceptable a hasty retreat would be. He started to edge backwards, only to realize that Kelsey had gotten behind him and was gesturing about something to Katie. Trent didn't want to think about what.

"Nah, I bet he doesn't get jealous," Aisha said. "He's probably real understanding. Being artistic and all."

"What's he got to worry about, with that face?" Tanya agreed. Trent was sure his mortification was now quite plainly expressed by his facial features, but if they noticed, they didn't seem to care.

"How long you two been together?" Aisha asked Kira.

"Um… it's been at least six months now," Kira said uncertainly.

"You don't know for sure?" Aisha demanded.

"Well… the evil thing… kind of came in the middle of our dating," Kira explained.

"Like with Kim and Tommy," Tanya said, nodding. "Hey—what's up with them, anyway?"

"Hey, Trent?" came Adam's voice from the dining room. "Can you come here a sec?"

"Don't be a stranger, now," Tanya called, but hers was the only goodbye Trent heard as he darted around Kelsey and dashed from the kitchen into the dining room, where Tommy and Rocky were loading up plates.

"Yeah?" Trent asked, trying not to sound as relieved as he felt.

"I didn't actually need anything," Adam confessed. "You just looked like you could use a rescue."

The rush of gratitude Trent felt towards Adam doubled. "Thank you."

Rocky snickered. "Same thing happened to Eric."

Adam smiled and clapped Trent on the shoulder, then gestured to Tommy. "Come on, man. Let's go say hi."

"Right," Tommy muttered, snatching a beer off the table. Trent's eyebrows rose at the action. He knew Tommy drank—after all, raiding Tommy's fridge was a pastime for all the Dino Rangers—but knowing it and seeing it were two different things.

Trent's gaze strayed longingly to the alcohol bottles covering a good third of the dining room table. It was rare that he found himself craving a drink these days, but it had been a long week, and hectic times always made him feel a little nostalgic for the days when crazy and wild were adjectives applied to parties, not mad escapades involving deathtrap closets, illegal monkeys, and superhero identity crises.

It hadn't even been two years since Anton Mercer had found him, called by the arresting officer who'd pulled Trent out of a stolen car his buddy Ervin had crashed. It had been a little over a year between the cave-in that had killed his parents and the day Anton Mercer was asked to help a punk foster kid whose parents had died on his dig site. Trent hadn't expected Anton to help him at all, much less take him in and adopt him. It was strange to look back on their conversations now, knowing that Anton had been Mesogog back then, to remember the lecture on responsibility and morality and realize the double meaning in his words.

Trent hadn't been the most law-abiding of citizens back then, not before his parents had died and certainly not after, but moving in with Anton had been like winning the lottery and Trent hadn't looked back. He'd stopped the drinking, the smoking, the partying, the petty criminal activity. He'd lost touch with all of his old friends, disappointingly fast; he hadn't heard from any of them since Ervin had called to ask for bail money over a year ago. Still, Trent couldn't help miss it sometimes, the carefree attitude, the uncomplicated drama. He had been popular, he had had fun, and he didn't regret it even if it hadn't been the most savory of lifestyles. After all, it had been useful, made him appreciate life more… and it had certainly come in handy more than once. Hell, Tommy notwithstanding, Trent had been the only one of the Dino Rangers who'd known how to fight before receiving a Dino Gem, to say nothing of the drastic measures Trent had been reduced to after joining the Rangers and finding himself essentially Mesogog's roommate.

The policy of no regrets, however, tended to come with a price. Trent tended to miss things from those days, especially when Conner, Kira and Ethan began talking about something that had happened long before Trent had fully joined them, especially when he was struggling to come up with a way to cover something suspicious caused by a Ranger secret… and especially when he'd had a bad week and could _really_ use a drink.

It was stupid to drink here, though. Too many people here knew his father. Dr. O wouldn't approve. Hayley was his employer. Hadn't Kira ranted once about one of her band mates and the stupidity of alcohol? It was a bad idea. Yes.

"Hi."

Trent jumped and spun around, trying not to look guilty. Alyssa had come in from the hall. She smiled at him, but it looked kind of forced. "Trent, right?"

"Yeah… Alyssa?"

"Mm-hmm. You're on Tommy's new team, huh."

Trent nodded, vaguely recalling having seen her talking to Tommy when he and Kira had been trying to figure out how best to approach the Yellows. "Yeah. You know him long?"

"No," she said, and there was something a tad… _evasive_ about her tone. "I mean, not well." Trent's eyebrows knitted as he stared at her, trying to puzzle out the strangely panicky expression she was now attempting to hide. Seeing this, Alyssa looked away from him and began absently fidgeting with a bottle of gin on the table. "I knew him. I mean, I know him. I mean, we're friends. We haven't hung out in a while. What with him having a job and me having a job and him having a Ranger team and me having… you know… stuff. So he's with Kimberly now?"

"Uh… jury's out," Trent said, struggling to keep up with her rambling. "Outlook hopeful, though."

"Ah. I didn't know he was getting back with her. I like Kimberly," she added earnestly, as if she was trying to convince Trent of something.

Trent nodded, absorbing this and still failing to come up with some sort of sensible meaning to it. "I do too. I mean, she's cool."

Alyssa smiled faintly and began pouring the gin into a shot glass. "You have a girlfriend?"

"Uh, yeah. Kira. She's the Yellow on my team."

"Blond girl—" Alyssa held up a hand just below her eye level— "yay tall?"

"That's the one. How about you? Seeing anyone?"

"No," Alyssa said, and again her tone sounded off somehow, though Trent couldn't think why she'd be lying. "I mean… you know. I'm a busy girl." She held her shot glass out to him. "Vodka shot?"

Trent was just about to remind her that he wasn't old enough when his hand acted of his own accord and took the glass from her. He gulped it in one quick swallow, hurrying to put the glass down before he could get caught by Dr. O or anyone else. He grimaced. "That's gin. Not vodka."

"Oh. Right." Alyssa put the bottle down and looked around until a spotting a mostly-empty bottle of vodka and picking it up, double-checking the label. She refilled Trent's shot glass without asking and poured one for herself. "It's not like I care, you know."

"About what?" Trent asked, tossing the next shot to the back of his throat and returning the glass quickly to the table. Alyssa refilled it.

"About… you know…" Alyssa grimaced slightly; Trent could have sworn she was blushing. "Tommy."

Trent paused, the shot halfway to his mouth. "Ah," he said, catching on. Alyssa looked dreadfully embarrassed. "Was this a past thing, or…?"

"It wasn't a _thing._ It wasn't. It was nothing." She gulped her drink, trying to meet Trent's gaze and winding up staring at his chin.

"Ah." Trent took the next shot, feeling his desire for a stiff drink double rather than lessen as the alcohol went down his throat. He wanted to tell Alyssa that she was talking about his science teacher and as such the subject was one Trent found disturbing… but she seemed so jittery, and she could probably use someone to talk to, and she _was_ White. Plus she was holding the alcohol. "Well… the jury _is_ still out, you know…"

She shook her head. "She can have him. I'm not bitter," she explained, and this time she sounded sincere. She smiled at him, then frowned at the shot glass in her hand. "Oh, forget it." She put the glass down and picked up the bottle, grabbed another, unopened bottle of the same type and headed for the hallway. "I'm gonna go explore this place. You coming?"

Trent blinked, startled at the abrupt subject change. He could go for seeing the rest of the house. Plus she was holding the alcohol. And if he kept hanging out in here, he'd have to stop drinking; sooner or later he'd be caught.

"I'm coming," Trent told her, pausing to gulp Alyssa's abandoned shot before following her off down the hall.

* * *

"How's the party coming?" Andrew called to Spencer, who had stationed himself by the patio doors to keep an eye on things next door.

"The party is going quite well, sir," Spencer reported. "So far. However, I am concerned about _that."_

Andrew looked where Spencer was pointing—up at the sky, where an oddly-shaped flying object, far lower than any plane and lit from behind, was approaching. He squinted at it for a moment as it drew closer. "Oh, that's nothing to be concerned about," Andrew said, recognizing it at last. "That's just the Megaship." There weren't a whole lot of laws, yet, about where it was okay to land a spaceship on Earth, but Andrew and Spencer had seen it land on Tanya's lawn quite a few times.

"I'm aware of that, sir, but it's moving awfully fast."

Andrew took another look. It _was_ moving fast—too fast. It wasn't moving in a straight line, either; it was wobbling, and it seemed to be… "Is that _smoke_ coming off it there?"

Spencer frowned disapprovingly at it. It didn't show any signs of slowing as it neared Tanya's lawn. Then, to their complete surprise, it passed Tanya's property entirely and disappeared from sight, flying off over the Hartford mansion.

Andrew and Spencer looked at each other, suddenly uneasy. "That… that _was_ the Megaship, wasn't it?" Andrew asked.

Spencer's frown deepened. "Perhaps we'd better seek shelter, sir," he suggested, just as a tremor shook the house, causing Spencer to stumble into Andrew as several expensive-sounding crashes came from various parts of the house. Andrew righted Spencer and the two turned towards Tanya's again, watching in horrified fascination. The Megaship had returned and crashed into Tanya's manicured lawn, skidding across the grass, bursting through the hedge and clawing its way across the cobblestones of Tanya's driveway before taking out the hedge on the other side. It gouged its way through a good deal more of the lawn before finally coming to a stop, listing drunkenly to one side.

Andrew and Spencer stared at it, shocked and concerned and wary that it just might decide to start crashing into even more things despite the fact that it now looked like it probably wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. Tanya's alarm started shrieking, though there was no telling if it was due to the impact, a damaged wire, or the fact that three people—two men and a woman—had just jumped out of a black SUV and scaled the gate. The front door of Tanya's house flew open and partygoers poured out of it, rushing towards the Megaship.

Andrew sighed and glanced across the kitchen, where an antique and extremely rare cuckoo clock was now nothing more than shards of wood, having been knocked from its perch by the impact. Spencer gave him a sympathetic look. "Shall I start in here, sir, or would you like me to take stock of the rest of the house before I begin the insurance forms?"

Andrew shook his head. "No. I'll go. You keep watch. Just in case."

"As I've said before, sir, we ought to set up some sort of bomb shelter in the basement. A place we could go to wait out these parties, where we would not be disturbed. A few beds, a working laboratory—" he nodded at the demolished clock— "a place to safely store your most treasured possessions…"

Andrew smiled. "Come now, Spencer—I'm not renovating the basement just for Tanya's chaos. This sort of thing doesn't happen _that_ often. If I'm going to create some sort of elaborate base down there, I'm going to need a good reason for it."

* * *

_End Notes:_ Sorry this took so long, but this was one of those chapters that couldn't find a good stopping point.

Yes, Andrew Hartford and Spencer live next door. What? People move. We have a _plan._

Freyja SilverWillow's story, "Forever Fades Away," is an Alex-centric fic that coincides with OLaB canon, as does her story "Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark." Reviews will be squeed over.

Seasons After is like the coolest band on Earth.

The next Power Morphicon is announced for August 2010. Hope we'll see you there.


	106. Peace, Love and Woe

**Chapter 106**

_Peace, Love and Woe_

"Really?" Trent asked, sinking a little further down the bathroom wall.

"Mm-hmm. That was the last time I saw him," Alyssa replied, cracking open the second bottle of vodka. Trent was finishing off the last few drops in the first. She wasn't sure how they'd wound up sitting on the floor of one of Adam and Tanya's numerous bathrooms, but she vaguely remembered a giggle fit having something to do with it. Trent had asked her to lock the door, so he was the one who'd made the decision to stay in here, but she couldn't remember if he'd had a reason for it.

"We _wondered_ where he went that weekend," Trent said conversationally, draining the first bottle and tossing it in the bathroom's trashcan. He made it, despite the basket being fairly far away from where he was sprawled, half propped up against the wall. The bathroom was huge; the entire Dino Thunder team, including Hayley, could have slept on the floor with room to spare. "If Hayley knew, she wouldn't tell us."

"Hayley knew about Tommy and I—I think she knew, anyway. It's not like we didn't see other people," Alyssa added as if the two phrases were connected; Trent had to concentrate to follow her train of thought. "We didn't… hang out… at all when he was with that Maria girl, and a few months ago I dated a guy for, like… six weeks, maybe?"

"So off and on for like a year and a half, you said?"

"Mm-hmm." Alyssa took a gulp from the bottle and passed it to Trent. "It wasn't a thing. We were just… you know. Both Whites."

Those two words hung in the air for a long, unsettling second. Trent took a swig from the bottle of vodka, avoiding her gaze.

"And tiger teachers," Alyssa added hastily. "I mean and."

"What?"

"Tigers," Alyssa explained, pausing to hiccup. "We were white teachers and school tigers."

"Haha," Trent said, which sparked another giggle fit like the one they'd had when they'd stumbled into the bathroom.

They fell silent eventually, passing the bottle back and forth a few more times. "I haven't been drunk in a while," Trent confessed. "Not since I was like fifteen."

"Fifteen? How old are you?" Alyssa asked, frowning.

Trent figured there was only one safe way to answer that question at the moment. "Are you in love with Dr. O?"

"Tommy? Nah. Just fun."

Trent shuddered, then smiled. "I'm in love with Kira. She's like my sunrise."

"That's so sweet," Alyssa said, grinning.

"I always wax poetic when I'm drunk," Trent admitted. He sighed and handed the bottle to her. "Somehow, I always figured it would be _Conner_ who got drunk on the bathroom floor at an ex-Ranger's mansion. But then, I thought it would be _my_ mansion, not Tanya's."

"You've got a mansion?"

"Yeah. Do you?"

"Nah. I'm a tiger teacher." Alyssa shrugged. "It doesn't pay well."

"Yeah. Neither does being an artist."

"You're an artist?"

"No, but it's what I want to be."

"Are you going to get a beret?"  
"Nah, no way. Wouldn't work with my hairstyle."

"Plus they look better in, you know, not white."

"Do you ever get, like, annoyed?"

"Sometimes," she replied. "About what?"

"White. Clothing. White clothing _stains,"_ Trent complained.

"Tell me about it. _And_ it becomes transparent when wet."

"And it's so hard to _keep_ white. You can't wash other colors with them."

"Yeah." Alyssa stretched a leg over to nudge him with one foot. "You're hogging the bottle."

"Sorry," Trent told her, sliding it across the tile to her. "You know, you're really easy to talk to. I bet Kira would like you."

"I'm a talkable likeative person," Alyssa agreed. "I—" She broke off as the house began to tremble, a distant _boom_ echoing through the mansion. "Did you feel that?"

Trent nodded and shrugged. "Probably nothing. It's a party, you know."

* * *

"I can't believe you got us arrested," Taylor grumbled for the fourteenth time as Eric carefully came to a complete stop, but she was more weary than angry now.

"I can't believe you got us pulled over," Eric said sulkily, but he knew the battle was lost. Wes had not only gotten involved, but had taken Taylor's side; that Wes would risk stepping between Eric and Taylor at all meant Eric had to admit he maybe could have avoided scaring the officer if he'd put a little more thought into it.

"I can't believe one of those police officers stole my leftover chicken wings," Wes complained. "Seriously. Who does that?"

They were all quiet for a moment. It had been a long day, and the arguing had tapered off by the time they hit California. Eric and Taylor were starting to get kind of depressed, and Wes really hoped they snapped out of it soon. Depressed people were depressing, and Wes didn't want to be tired, bored, hungry _and_ sad.

"How much longer to Tanya's?" Wes asked desperately. He knew it had to be soon; they'd been off the interstate for a while.

"Should be coming up on the left," Eric replied.

"Right," Taylor corrected him. "It's on the right."

Eric opened his mouth to argue, thought better of it, and put on his turn signal to ease into the right lane. "Are you sure?"

"She's a Yellow. Of course I'm sure."

Wes winced. _Please let it be soon,_ he prayed. He knew this phase. This happened a lot. They argued and argued and argued until one of them finally won or both of them finally lost, and then they got mournful. He had to get out of the car before the not-apologies. Not-apologizing itself was kind of interesting—it was amazing, really, how Eric and Taylor could make amends with each other while both managed to avoid admitting they were wrong—but Wes knew from experience that getting trapped in a small space with Eric and Taylor once they got _past_ the not-apologies could scar a person for life. He was getting pretty good at retreating in time, though. Sometimes he escaped before the first kiss, and almost always before the hands started wandering.

Wes sighed and stared out the window. Eric was his closest friend, and Taylor was becoming close to him as well, but hanging around the two of them had its disadvantages. He missed Jen. Off-in-the-future-working-with-his-not-so-evil-twin Jen. Jen, whom he hardly ever got a chance to speak with, let alone see, anymore. Sometimes being in love really sucked.

Eric pulled into Tanya's driveway, but Wes was no longer excited to be out of the car. The long, trying day had taken a toll on him, and the fact that he didn't have anyone to not-apologize to was making him even more miserable. He was just starting to think that maybe he'd forego the party entirely and take a nap in the car when the crashing Megaship slid across the driveway not thirty feet in front of the hood of the SUV.

Jolted from his funk, Wes leaned forward to peer out the windshield, his jaw dropping as the spaceship went skidding across the front lawn. Eric, Taylor and Wes watched in stunned silence as it plowed through the landscaping and came to rest in the middle of the yard.

"Is… was that the _Megaship?"_ Eric wondered aloud.

"I think so," Wes confirmed, still staring at it.

"Whoever's piloting it needs another trip to flight school," Taylor said.

A loud, shrieking alarm went off, making the three of them jump. Then, as one, they scrambled from the car.

"Take this," Eric called, tossing his Quantum Defender at Taylor. Taylor didn't argue, already moving towards the gate; she tucked the weapon into her waistband without a word. Eric knelt before the gate, lacing his fingers together. Taylor placed one foot in his hand and pushed off, grabbing the top of the gate and hauling herself over, landing safely on the other side and drawing the Quantum Defender back out of her pants, holding it up and at the ready. Wes went over the fence next, Eric following by kicking off the hood of the SUV to make it to the top and managing to flip himself over the gate in a far more spectacular fashion than Wes had. Wes rolled his eyes as Eric shot a glance at Taylor to see if she was suitably impressed, and the three of them rushed off across the lawn.

Tanya's front door flew open and they could hear concerned shouting from various Rangers—some familiar, some unfamiliar—as the partygoers also made a beeline for the Megaship. One, a tall kid in red, stopped dead at the sight of them and shouted, "Three people—one of them's armed!"

The large group of Rangers halted, save T.J., Carlos, Cassie and Justin, who continued towards the Megaship without pause. Taylor raised her hands in a gesture of surrender while still holding the Quantum Defender, and Wes and Eric did the same.

"Guys, it's us!" Wes called, knowing that the others probably couldn't see them very well; the crashing Megaship had taken out several of the lights that lined the driveway and power had been knocked out to the whole string, leaving Wes, Eric and Taylor backlit only by the headlights of the SUV.

"SORRY!" came another voice from the direction of the ship—Zhane, if Wes remembered correctly. "My bad! We got attacked by space pirates on the way here, knocked a few systems offline—"

"Are you okay?" Cassie demanded.

"I'm f—ugh! Can't… breathe… Cassie… let go… missed… you too…"

"Ashley!" Justin exclaimed.

The Ranger group forgot all about Wes, Eric and Taylor; most of them recognized Wes's voice and hurried toward the Megaship, leaving only a few clustered around the porch.

"Oh, my god," came an unfamiliar voice. "It's a real-live spaceship!"

"What's left of one, anyway," a girl said dryly.

"Geek heaven, Ethan. Maybe they've come to take you home," said the kid who'd spotted Wes and Eric and Taylor.

Eric and Taylor started jogging for the ship again, and Wes was about to follow when another voice called, "Wes?"

Wes froze in his tracks at the sound of her voice—_Jen's voice._ He tried to shake it off, to convince himself he'd imagined it—what would Jen be doing here, in the past, at a party, without a severe emergency to herald her arrival? He was just about to ignore it—it had to be another woman at the party with a similar voice or something—when he saw Eric and Taylor stop and turn to look at him, saw the recognition and surprise on their faces, too. Eric and Taylor looked out across the lawn, and Wes followed their gaze to the few stragglers clustered by the porch. Three were standing directly under the porch light—Hayley and a man and woman none of them knew—but the rest were in the shadows, making it impossible to tell who they were. A group of three was looking at the Megaship, but the four off to the side were facing Wes, Eric and Taylor. Wes squinted against the darkness, struggling to tell anything about them, to tell if it was really _her,_ when one of the four broke away from the group and started racing across the lawn, shouting, "Guys! It's us!"

"Trip?" Eric called uncertainly.

"It's me! It's us! We're back, guys!"

_Trip._ If Trip was here… he hadn't imagined it. She _was_ here.

The rest of the group followed as Trip rushed towards Wes, and soon they were close enough that he could make out their faces. He barely noticed as Trip flung his arms around him, his eyes fixed on Jen's smile. Trip released him and went to greet Eric, and Wes was shaken from his stupor by one of Katie's infamous bear hugs. He managed to smile at her as she dropped him in favor of Eric, and found Lucas in front of him. Lucas just smirked, clapped him on the shoulder and stepped out of the way of Jen.

They just stared at each other for a moment, grinning madly at each other. Dimly he was aware of things beyond her—the shouted greetings and excited questions, movement as people began moving back inside, the stench of smoke from the wreckage of the Megaship—but nothing else seemed to matter. Jen was back, unannounced and in plainclothes, without the hassle of gunfire and blast waves and other inconveniences that came with fighting to the death against a variety of bizarre evil creatures.

"Hi," Jen said, and the greeting was so anticlimactic it seemed out of place. Wes couldn't quite process it. "Hi," like everything else that wasn't Jen, meant nothing to him.

He wasn't sure which of them moved first, but suddenly they were both rushing towards one another. It hurt when they colliding, stumbling and nearly falling over as they clutched at each other. Wes clung to her, forgetting everything but her. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so incredible, so thrilled, Jen was _here,_ and there was no threat, no imminent-save-the-world danger, just a damaged spaceship on the front lawn of a mansion crawling with Rangers. The world could wait. All that mattered was that Jen was here.

They stood in the middle of the driveway, holding each other tightly, for several minutes. Or it could have been hours. Or seconds. Time didn't seem to move, and Wes didn't want to move either, didn't want to ruin this moment.

Eventually, however, the present was soured—as always—by thoughts of the future. While there appeared to be no immediate threats lurking about, that didn't mean there wasn't a mission. Why else would they be here? But if they _had_ come because of some force of evil or another, why hadn't he been warned? Why hadn't he been told they were coming, period? Why were they here? How long—?

A wave of horror washed over him, spoiling his elation. Were they leaving soon? Was he wasting his time with her?

Questions began to overwhelm him—How? What? When?—until finally he blurted out "Why?"

"Why what?" Jen asked without moving away.

Wes let his grip loosen, and Jen drew back slightly, albeit with extreme reluctance. They were alone on the front lawn now, and the sounds of the party were distant. "Why are you here?"

"We have a mission," Jen replied.

"Why wasn't I told?" Wes asked.

"A number of reasons, the main one being that you were on vacation with Eric and Taylor, and we weren't anxious to contact you around civilians. The High Aq told us it was important not to expose Taylor's identity to her parents."

Wes winced. "High Aq?"

"Oldest living resident of Earth," she explained. "He's a very high-ranking official. He got involved in this mission personally."

"Sounds important." Wes cleared his throat. "How long?"

"How long?"

"How long do you think it'll take?" he clarified. "I mean, I know it's not an easy thing to tell, but is it…?" Wes shook his head, trying to organize his thoughts. "You're here. At this party. Usually we work first, play later. Eric and I have been having a… _hectic_ couple of days, yeah, but—if you guys are here on a mission, why are we hanging out at a party? Shouldn't we be _doing_ something?"

"This party is part of it," Jen said.

Wes's eyes widened. "Because there's a bunch of Rangers here? Oh, wow, how serious _is_ this mission?"

"It _is_ because there's a bunch of Rangers—but not the way you're thinking," she said. "We're not here to recruit an army; if we had, I would… have been a bit more, um, professional. We're here collecting a small group of Rangers for the creation of an elite crime-fighting unit called Space Patrol Delta. By the year 3000, it will have evolved into Time Force."

Wes's eyebrows rose. "You're here to found your own company?" Jen nodded. "Wow. That…" His face lit up. "That sounds… _time-consuming,"_ he said hopefully.

She grinned. "It will be. Being here, at the party, is a chance to touch base with the ones we're recruiting, but… we're here to stay, Wes."

Wes's brain seemed to melt. "Stay?" he repeated hoarsely.

Jen nodded, smiling. "As far as I can tell, we're here forev—" She stopped in mid-word, looking momentarily horrified. "I… I mean… in-indefinitely. We're here… we were sent back permanently."

Wes stared at her. _Permanently._ He had never put much stock on permanence before, on the concept of things being meant to happen and unchangeable, but suddenly the idea of certainty was the greatest thing on Earth. For once, "the future," in regards to his relationship with Jen, didn't seem like such a bad thing.

The next thing he knew he was kissing her, like he had always meant to but had never managed to catch the moment. Kissed her with all the emotion and fervor he had always suppressed, knowing she must inevitably return to the future and leave him behind. Jen pressed herself as close to him as possible, returning the kiss just as eagerly, and suddenly it felt like the future was happening to him.

* * *

"Space pirates," T.J. commented, shaking his head. "You know you're a Power Ranger _when."_

"They came out of nowhere," Zhane complained. "Almost got us, too."

"I'm really sorry about the lawn, Tanya," Ashley said. "We'll replace it."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Tanya told her, waving a hand dismissively. "That's what I pay the gardeners for."

"I hated that hedge anyway," Adam added. "There's a family of raccoons living in it."

"Not anymore, they're not," Jason joked. "They're out shopping for real estate."

"Yeah," Zack chimed in, "they're all like, 'What the hell? These people can't have their friends park in the _garage?'"_

T.J. laughed. "That'll teach 'em."

Andros sighed and looked morosely up at the ship. "I'm worried the Astro Megaship Mark II might be finished."

"Finished?" T.J. asked, horrified. "Really?"

Andros nodded. "We'll have to get it to NASADA—somehow—but at this point I don't know if I can even get it in the air again."

Tanya shot Adam an alarmed look, but recovered quickly. "Hey… new lawn ornament," she joked. Andros didn't smile, and she sighed and went over to him, throwing an arm around his shoulders. "Come on, Andros. You can worry about that after tomorrow. For now, let's just enjoy the party—it's so rare we all get to hang out in the same place."

Andros nodded. "You're right. There isn't much I can do but enjoy the moment."

"Lightspeed can help," Carter offered. "We can get it towed to NASADA—we'll get someone out here first thing in the morning."

"Come on inside," Tanya urged Andros. "It's gonna be one heck of a party."

"Of course," Andros said. "Let me just check a few things, make sure the ship is stable. I'll catch up."

Andros disappeared back into the ship, and the others turned back towards the house just as Trip came up, one hand firmly clutched on Eric's forearm, Eric in turn dragging Taylor along behind them. "Hey guys, look who I found!" Trip exclaimed. "Wes, Eric and Taylor are here!"

"Hey—where's Wes?" Danny asked.

"Jen," Trip explained. Danny nodded, well aware of what that meant. "Ooh, ooh, Taylor—you have to meet the new girl!" He began hauling Eric in the direction of Conner, Kira and Ethan, who were still staring up at the wreckage of the Megaship. "This is Conner—he's the Red Dino Ranger—and this is Ethan! All the history books say he's going to be my friend! The ones I could find before we left, anyway. They didn't give us much time. More time than the first time we came through time, but—"

"You must be Kira," Taylor interrupted, extending her hand.

"Hey," Kira said, shaking Taylor's hand. "A lot of people say we've got tons in common."

"Really," Eric said, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized Kira.

"This is Eric, my boyfriend," Taylor said.

"Hi. Um… my boyfriend's… has anyone seen Trent?" Kira asked, realizing for the first time that she hadn't seen him since he'd left the kitchen. Conner and Ethan shrugged at her, trying to follow Trip's steady stream of chatter. "Trent's the White on my team; we've been together for a while now… anyway, yeah. That's… Conner and Ethan, Red and Blue, and I'm Yellow. We're the new team."

"Not the ninja team, right?" Taylor asked. "We haven't met them yet."

"They're really hard to find," Eric added.

"No, we're the Dino team—but we have met them. Dustin's the Yellow on their team. What's your color?" she asked Eric. He was dressed in red and black, and she didn't want to guess one way or the other and insult him or seem like a total rookie, but she couldn't really recall the color of every Ranger she'd heard about.

"None. I'm the Quantum Ranger," he replied.

"Ah." Kira floundered; people had been saying she'd get along great with Taylor, but the small talk seemed a little forced and the only impression of them she was getting was that both Taylor and Eric had very intense gazes. After a moment, Eric started glancing around, seemingly disinterested in her, and Kira gave up on trying to find something to say and tried instead to find a way to politely make an exit.

"Hey, Taylor!" Tanya called, coming over with Adam. "About time you three made it to the party."

"Oh, hey, Adam, have you seen Trent?" Kira asked, hoping he could point her in Trent's direction and she could excuse herself.

"No," Adam said, looking confused. "Should I have seen Trent?"

"You were the one that called him out of the kitchen…" Kira reminded him.

"Oh. That. Yeah, um… not sure where he went." Adam glanced around the crowd. "Must be back inside."

"So, Tanya, did you take my advice about the hang gliders?" Taylor asked.

"Yep," Tanya replied. "Me and Adam got matching ones. They're in the garage."

"Hang gliders?" Kira asked eagerly.

"You like flying?" Taylor asked.

"I love it. My zord was a Pterodactyl."

"Eagle," Taylor said.

"Is it true you had wings on your suit?"

"Yeah—did you?"

"Uh-huh. I loved it. I miss flying," Kira said wistfully.

"I can fix that. Tanya—would you mind if Kira and I went and checked out the hang gliders?" Taylor asked.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Let's go," Taylor said, and the two headed for the garage. "Eric, you coming?"

"I think I'll hang out here," he said. "Can I have the Quantum Defender?" Taylor tossed it to him; he caught it and tucked it back in his waistband before turning to Tanya and Adam. "Been a long day—point me towards the beer?"

"Should you really be drinking?" Tanya teased. "I hear you had to take a field sobriety test in Arizona today."

Eric groaned. "Please?"

"Dining room," Adam told him, and Eric nodded gratefully at him before disappearing into the house. Adam smiled at Tanya. "So. We've got a spaceship in the middle of the front lawn and a house full of ex-Rangers. Where should I make the reservation?"

"What's that, now?"

"The reservation. For the hotel we're going to live in while we have the place rebuilt."

Tanya laughed. "Don't be silly, Adam."

"You think the house is going to survive this party intact?"

Tanya shook her head. "Nah. But you forgot about that place we bought in France."

* * *

_End Notes:_ Yet another author's note where we apologize for the lack of updating. We're very ashamed, we promise—it's just that our lives are… well, more chaotic than this story. We hope to have it finished by August, though who knows if that's just an idle dream or not. Still, barring death or removal of enough fingers to prevent typing, we wholeheartedly plan to finish it; we've come a little too far to stop now. We still have plans to write sequels, too.


	107. Enter the Lizzinator

**Chapter 107**

_Enter… the Lizzinator_

Tommy smiled to himself as he sat down on the wall at the edge of the patio, drink in hand. Things were going pretty well. He'd caught Kira and Taylor dragging a hang glider out of the garage, but Kira had insisted she wasn't going to jump off anything higher than the garage roof and Tommy knew there wasn't a member of the aircraft family that Taylor couldn't handle. Trent was missing, but then Tommy figured out of all the teenagers Trent was the least likely to get into trouble if left unattended, so he didn't bother worrying. Conner was now getting acquainted with Adam and Tanya's iguana, through Cole's translations, and Ethan had finally managed to dislodge Trip's eager attention and started questioning Kat Manx about the other planets she'd seen. Tommy knew the peace wouldn't last, but all the teenagers in his care were staying out of trouble for once, and he planned to enjoy the respite from chaos as long as he could.

Sparring had started up, which was common at Rangers-only get-togethers; Tommy wasn't sure who had started it, but he thought it had something to do with Zhane and Ryan having a friendly debate over whether silver was a shade of gray or not. The matches weren't going too well—alcohol and martial arts didn't mix—and Tommy had decided to abstain, at least for the time being. Instead he sat and watched, trying to remember other Ranger kegger traditions. He knew the Yellows liked to do tequila shots together, and he'd have to make certain they remembered that Kira was underage… at some point Wes or Eric would probably start pressuring him to become a Silver Guardian again… he wouldn't have to worry about excessive doses of hero-worship, given that he'd already met the most recent White and Green Rangers…

Tommy sighed. There was currently nothing to worry about, and if he didn't find something to do quick, his brain would probably return to the mess with Kimberly.

_She'll come back,_ he assured himself. _She wants it, too. …Yep, brain's back there already._

Tommy glanced around the back yard for inspiration. Trip was now chattering excitedly to Billy. Max and Chad were talking about marine animals. Karone was discussing space travel with Danny. Lucas was trying and failing to flirt with Aisha. Carlos was chatting with Justin. Zack was trying to teach Kelsey to dance. Rocky was sparring with T.J. Andros—

_"You're marrying her!"_

—was screaming and chasing Zhane through the patio.

"I can explain!" Zhane wailed.

Karone groaned as Zhane darted through the patio and into the house, Andros hot on his heels and shouting about marriage all the while. "I guess he's figured out where Zhane really was when the pirates attacked."

Tommy chuckled and was about to ask her if she wanted him to go talk to Andros when Lucas dropped onto the patio wall next to him, looking frustrated. "I used to be so good at this," he grumbled.

"At what?" Tommy asked.

"Picking up girls," Lucas said glumly.

Tommy glanced around for Aisha, and saw she was now chatting with Adam. "Don't take it personal. Rocky and Adam are almost as protective of Aisha as Andros is of Karone. She doesn't shop for guys in front of them."

"It's not just her," Lucas complained. "Before the ship crash I was working on Hayley and Marcus came out of nowhere and said she had a fascinating history. Can't believe I didn't think of playing the future angle."

"Where _is_ Hayley, anyway?" Tommy wondered, frowning and looking around for her.

"No idea. Haven't seen her since." Lucas sighed heavily. "How did you get back on the horse?"

Tommy turned back to Lucas, startled. "What?"

"You had that mega-huge epic breakup with Kimberly, didn't you?" Lucas asked.

Tommy winced. "You heard about that, huh."

Lucas nodded. "All the Rangers talk about it. Wes says you know what it's like to miss a girl."

Tommy cleared his throat, uncertain of how he felt about everyone having an opinion on him and Kimberly, especially given the past week's developments in his relationship with her. He felt it best to change the subject. "Um… who do _you_ miss?"

"Nadira," Lucas said heavily.

"Ah, right. Ransik's daughter?"

Lucas nodded, looking utterly forlorn. "We weren't exclusive, exactly… we just never got around to seeing other people, you know?" Tommy shrugged. "But we talked about it, how of course if I'm back here and she's back there and the most we'll ever have is passing messages through Time Force then there's no point and…" Lucas sighed. "I'm trying to move on and nobody's helping."

Tommy gave him a sympathetic look, but he couldn't really think of anything comforting to say. Tommy wasn't the best at getting a date, and the last thing he wanted to do was talk about getting over a past relationship. So he went for the next best thing. "Cassie's on her third margarita."

Lucas brightened instantly. "Hey, thanks, man!" he said, and wandered off in the opposite direction of Cassie. Tommy watched, amused, as Lucas chatted to Eric for a minute, then pretended to notice Cassie and sauntered casually over to her. Soon she was grinning and patting the spot on the lawn next to her; Lucas shot Tommy a grateful look over Cassie's head as he sat down with her.

Tommy returned to the search for something to do to distract him from thoughts of Kimberly, and naturally his gaze landed on Kimberly herself. She was standing with Carter and Joel, watching as Taylor took a running start and leaped off the garage roof. She disappeared out of sight over the backyard, swooping back up a moment later. Kira cheered for her from the roof, and a moment later Kimberly and Joel were rushing across the lawn, towards the ladder propped against the side of the garage. Tommy's eyes narrowed as Joel offered to hold the ladder steady for Kimberly and paid attention a little too closely to her legs as she went, but Tommy forced himself to ignore it. Joel knew better. Tommy _was_ the original Green, after all.

"I'll never understand—" came an unfamiliar voice from behind him, making him jump. He spun around faster than he should have while drinking, and found Katherine Manx behind him. "Sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"That's okay," Tommy said, smiling as he forced the patio to stop spinning. "You just surprised me, is all. Katherine… Manx, right?"

She nodded. "They're calling me Manx, so as not to confuse me with a Ranger named Kat. Not that I mind; I'm still not used to being called Kat by everyone. You're the Zeo Rangers' leader, right?"

"Yeah. I was also on Mighty Morphin, and Turbo and Dino Thunder."

"I'm aware. I first heard of you as the Zeo Rangers' leader, is all I meant."

"That's how Time Force introduced me?"

She shook her head. "I heard about the Zeo Rangers from the Lord of Triforia."

"Trey," Tommy said, nodding. "You know him?"

"I met him once. He sent in a rescue team on Heuno when Gruumm attacked, allowing my friend and I to make it off the planet before its destruction. He mentioned the Zeo Rangers on several occasions." She glanced away from Tommy, to where Rocky and T.J. were still sparring. "I'll never understand this concept of training by fighting teammates. I've seen it on other planets, but it still makes no sense."

"It's part of learning how to fight," Tommy said with a shrug. "They don't spar on your planet?" She shook her head. "How do they train, then?"

"We trained against prisoners of war," she replied. "We didn't see the point in learning against our own kind, when our opponents fought differently from us. Is it true humans sometimes war against themselves?"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, all the time. They don't do that where you're from?"

"No. It seems counterproductive."

He snorted. "It definitely is."

"And yet you do it anyway," Manx commented. "Tell me—humans take months to complete a single pregnancy, they rarely give birth to more than one child at a time and they train their fighters to kill each other, yet there are over six billion humans on this planet. How do humans manage to keep the population up?"

Tommy cleared his throat. "Hormones."

T.J. and Rocky finished their match and started chatting. "What are they doing now?" Manx asked.

"Uh… talking?" Tommy asked, confused.

"I missed which of them won—but they're both still alive."

"Yeah." Tommy frowned. "What, do you train to the death on your planet?"

"Of course. How else are we to become effective warriors?"

"Ah." Tommy made a face. "We don't do that here."

"That might contribute to the high population," she mused.

Tommy shrugged. "Hey, um… weren't you talking to Ethan earlier? Where is he now?"

"Having an intimate discussion with Katie regarding perpetuating the species."

Tommy took a moment to work through the Billy-speak. "Wait… when you say 'an intimate discussion regarding perpetuating the species,' do you mean…?"

"They're discussing the continuation of his lineage," she clarified. Tommy still looked a little blank, and she sighed and said, "They're talking about him having children. They went to find an empty bathroom."

"Oh, god, I've got to find him," Tommy groaned. "Excuse me."

Manx nodded and continued curiously watching Rocky and T.J. Tommy hurried back through the patio doors into the living room and found himself face-to-face with a disgruntled iguana.

"Gah!" Tommy leaped back. _"Conner!"_

"Cole says his sacred name is Gafarha, but Adam and Tanya call him 'Zoom,'" Conner said happily, thrusting the iguana a little closer to Tommy's face to compensate for Tommy's recoiling. "Isn't he cool?"

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Have you seen Ethan?"

Conner shrugged. "That hot Yellow chick from Time Force said something about him having kids and they went off to go find a bathroom. Why?"

"Aw, man," Tommy whined. He hadn't even had a chance to convince himself that Manx had heard it wrong. While Conner wasn't a much more reliable source of information than an alien confused about human culture, Tommy's week hadn't been going well enough for something like Ethan having sex with Katie to be an automatically impossible event. "I've got to find him. Before something bad happens."

"What's wrong?" Conner asked, but before Tommy could answer a woman's scream sounded from upstairs, followed by several more until it had become a chorus, two or three men's voices joining the woman.

_"HAYLEY!"_ Tommy bellowed, recognizing her voice instantly. He charged for the stairs, Conner right behind him.

Tommy followed the sound of the screaming to the top of the stairs and the second door on the right, which was locked. "Hayley? HAYLEY!" he shouted. The screaming on the other side of the door stopped, but no one answered him. Tommy pulled back, preparing to kick the door down—

"Whoa," Conner said, pushing open the door Tommy had passed, "check out this bathroom!"

—when his memory of Adam and Tanya's house kicked in and he recalled that this was a guest bedroom with an attached bathroom. He darted past Conner into the bathroom and discovered the door leading into the bedroom was wide-open; he barreled through it and stopped short, his mind going thoroughly blank.

Hayley was standing against the far wall. Andros was about twelve feet to Tommy's right. Both were watching Tommy with worried expressions, but Tommy was too busy noticing Hayley to really pay any attention to Andros, and too busy noticing the fact that Hayley was wrapped in a sheet and nothing but a sheet to register how nervous she looked.

"Dr. O, what's—whoa."

Tommy was dimly aware of the fact that Conner had come into the room, and some distant corner of his brain logged the muted thud that sounded shortly thereafter, but he couldn't quite process; he was still having trouble with the fact that Hayley was naked in a bedroom with Andros.

After a long, tense moment, Conner leaned closer to Tommy and whispered, "Dude—I think they want to be alone."

Tommy's eyes narrowed and he frowned in concentration. Conner tapped him urgently on the shoulder, but Tommy didn't respond. _"Dr. O,"_ Conner hissed finally, grabbing Tommy's bicep with both hands and tugging.

Tommy shook him off and said, "Okay. I think I got it. Hayley was in here with Ryan."

"What?" Hayley asked, confused.

"Ryan. He's the only guy left. Conner, Ethan and Trent are out by default. Jason's with Trini, Adam's with Tanya, Andros is with Ashley, Zhane's with Karone, Carter's with Dana, Wes is gazing lovingly at Jen on the front lawn and no one in their right minds would cross Taylor. Billy was talking to Trip, Zack was hitting on Kelsey, Rocky was sparring with T.J., Carlos was talking to Justin, Joel's in a hang glider, Chad was talking to Max, Cole was by the lizard tank, Danny was talking to Karone and Cassie's on her third margarita. That just leaves Ryan."

"Actually, um—wait. _Cassie?"_ Hayley demanded.

Tommy ignored her. "So Hayley was in here with him, Andros was chasing Zhane, Zhane came in here, Hayley screamed, Ryan screamed, Zhane ran off, Andros ran in, more screams, and that's where I came in. By then, Ryan was hiding. So. Tell me where he is, and I promise to let him live. In a vegetative state."

Hayley gave him an exasperated look, but Andros cut her off. "Do you happen to know where Zhane might have gone?" he asked, sounding impressed by Tommy's logic. "He was gone by the time I got in here."

"The only way in is through the bathroom, and you would have come through there. So he's in here hiding, somewhere. Probably with Ryan. Who I'm going to _find._ He isn't under the bed, is he? Cuz if it's that easy, I'm going to be disappointed."

"Who's Ryan?" Conner asked curiously.

"He's the Titanium Ranger," Andros replied. "I saw him downstairs, actually, just before—"

Tommy spun on his heel and marched out of the bedroom. Hayley sighed and looked at Conner. "Keep him from killing Ryan, would you? At least until he realizes that if Ryan was downstairs he wouldn't be in here with me."

"Um… okay," Conner said, shrugging and following Tommy.

Hayley looked at Andros. "As for you—take it from someone who knows. If you don't stop trying to control your sister's sex life, she's going to resent you for it."

"I wasn't trying to control my sister," Andros said, looking shocked. "I was just trying to tell Zhane that if he intends to do that sort of thing with my sister, I expect him to marry her first. I don't know how we'll get to KO-35 with the Megaship so damaged, but maybe they'll want to have the ceremony here."

Hayley stared at him. "Ah. I was just a little thrown by the panicky expression and the way he jumped out the window right before you came in the room."

"Oh, _that's_ where he went," Andros said, and turned to the open window. To Hayley's surprise, Andros walked right over to it and leaped out himself.

Hayley sighed and went over to the window, shutting and locking it, then doing the same to the bathroom door. She didn't care what Tommy thought about her actions; at this point, she didn't even care if Ryan lived long enough to explain. All she cared about was getting as far away from the chaos as possible.

* * *

Conner lost track of Tommy at the bottom of the stairs, when Cole stopped Conner to ask something about Zoom, but Conner didn't hear what; Ryan's shout of surprise and alarm had drowned Cole out. Conner hastily followed the yelling to find Tommy in the kitchen, holding Ryan against the wall a few feet off the ground by the shirt.

"I swear it wasn't me," Ryan insisted, more confused than worried by this point. "You told us Hayley was Cuba."

"Hayley isn't Cuban," Conner said.

"Not Cuban—Cuba. Under an embargo," whispered Dana, who was watching the scene nervously, preparing to step in when necessary.

"Huh?" Conner asked blankly.

"For crying out loud, Conner, how did you manage to graduate?" Tommy said, dropping Ryan and releasing him.

Before Conner could answer, Ryan said, "I haven't even been upstairs, Tommy. In fact, I haven't spoken to Hayley, either. I was hanging out with Zhane when Andros came out of nowhere screaming about marriage so I came in here and Dana and I were talking about how you have a long-lost brother too. Then you came stomping in and I had time to say 'Speak of the devil' before you _became_ the devil and threw me against the wall." Ryan straightened his shirt, annoyed. "I don't know who's with Hayley. I was in the kitchen with Dana."

"It's not that I'm upset about the being with Hayley part," Tommy said, in the tone of one trying to play Good Cop, "it's just that I've told every Ranger she's ever met that Hayley's _mine._ Off-limits completely. Except Time Force, but that hardly seemed necessary, with Lucas and Trip time-traveling and Wes in love with Jen and no one in their right minds would cross Taylor—"

"Speaking of Time Force," Conner interrupted loudly, "what's wrong with Ethan?"

Tommy's eyes widened. "Oh, god, Ethan!" With that, he turned and hurried from the kitchen.

* * *

"There's, like, no resemblance at all," Ethan said, utterly disappointed as he and Katie stared into the bathroom mirror. "Different eyes, different cheekbones, different mouth…"

Katie clapped him on the shoulder. "Your DNA has had almost a thousand years to dilute, with an average of three to five generations per _century._ Wes and Alex look a lot alike, but that's fairly rare, and I know Alex doesn't look much like his father. Their similarities are a bit of a fluke."

"I can't believe I'm going to have grandchildren, let alone great-great-great-great-great-great… how many generations down the line are you from me, anyway?"

"I'm not sure," she said apologetically. "But my mother was very proud of it. She would tell everyone she met that we were descended from Ethan James."

"Wow. My family tree only goes back a few decades," Ethan said.

"Well, it's a little different, being _your_ descendant," Katie said. "Your DNA has been altered."

"By the Dino Gem?" Ethan asked.

Katie looked a little hesitant, but she nodded. "The alterations to your DNA…"

"Give you your super strength?" Ethan guessed.

"Mm-hmm."

"Oh, cool. So I'm, like, gonna have super-powered kids and stuff?" Ethan asked eagerly.

Katie shook her head. "I can't say much about your children; those who sent us back were very clear about that. Just that you'll be almost forty before you have to worry about it."

"Almost _forty?"_ Ethan thought this over. "Well, that's cool, I guess. I mean, that'll give me time to start a career, get my life together before I settle down and—"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Katie and Ethan both jumped and spun to face the door as Tommy burst through it, looking livid—well, the parts of him they could see beneath the hand held over his eyes looked livid, anyway.

"…Dr. O?" Ethan asked blankly.

"Ethan, for the last time, I am _responsible_ for you. I've already let you get into enough trouble without you having sex with Katie."

"What? Ew!" Ethan exclaimed, horrified. "I'm not having sex with Katie!"

Tommy cautiously peeked through his fingers at them. "Oh." He dropped his hand. "Sorry. Manx and Conner said you went off to find a bathroom and have children."

"No… we were _talking_ about Ethan having children," Katie corrected.

Ethan threw his arm around Katie's shoulder. "Get this—Katie is my descendant. Cool, huh?"

"It sure is, Grandpa," Katie joked, grinning.

Tommy stared at them. "Your descendant."

"Katie says I'm gonna have kids when I'm forty," Ethan explained.

Tommy sighed wearily. "You know what? I quit."

"You quit? You quit what?" Ethan asked, confused.

"You. And Conner. And Kira and Trent and everything else. Kira's off hang-gliding and Trent's missing and Conner apparently just lost Adam and Tanya's pet iguana and someone's in the bedroom with Hayley but Ryan's in the kitchen with Dana and… and… I quit, okay? I quit. Do what you want. Have babies in the bathroom for all I care. I do not care. I can't take this anymore. I've taken enough. Your parents are just going to have to kill me because _I quit."_

With that, Tommy backed out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. "What was _that_ all about?" Ethan wondered.

"I'm not sure," Katie said. "All I got was that someone was in the kitchen with Dinah."

Ethan shrugged and hopped up on the sink. "So. Tell me about the rest of our family. Is your mom cool?"

"Shouldn't you go see if he needs help with something?" Katie asked.

Ethan shook his head. "Trust me. If there's one thing I've learned this week, it's that all you can do at this point? Is find a safe place to hide."

* * *

Hayley sighed as she pushed away from the door, satisfied that there would be no more interruptions. She'd been listening at the door for several minutes, but she could only hear the sounds of the stereo blasting in the living room; all was quiet on the Tommy front, and that meant she could get back to ignoring the lunatics downstairs and enjoying herself. Hayley turned towards the closet, carelessly tossing the sheet to the floor.

The sheet moved.

Hayley froze, horrified. The sheet twitched again, slowly, and something began moving beneath it, crawling towards the edge of the pile.

Figuring it was better to surprise it than let it surprise her, Hayley reached down and whisked the sheet away… to reveal an enormous iguana marching slowly across the floor.

Hayley screamed in surprise and terror, twisting the sheet around her and rushing to the door. She unlocked it and flung it open, dashing out into the hall, still screaming.

"LIZARD!" she wailed. "GIANT LIZARD!"

Ordinarily that would have brought every Ranger in the house running, but no one answered her shout; the music playing downstairs must have drowned out her voice. "LIZARD!" she roared, racing down the stairs and past several startled Rangers, none of whom were Tommy. "LIZAAAAARRRRRDD!"

Through the patio door she caught a glimpse of Tommy, chatting with Eric. She rushed towards him, nearly slamming into the glass in her haste to get to Tommy. She skidded to a halt just in time and yanked the door open, bursting out onto the patio and repeating herself.

"LIZZZAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRDDDDDDD!!!!"

The Rangers scattered across the patio all stopped and turned to stare at her. Hayley knew she must look shocking, being clad in a sheet with messy hair and smeared lipstick, but she didn't much care. When no one came rushing to her aid, Hayley opened her mouth and began sucking in a breath to explain the situation once again.

Before she could, Conner's face lit up. "Zoom! _That's_ where I left him! I must have dropped him in Hayley's room!"

Conner darted past her and headed for the stairs, Cole following him. Everyone else continued staring at Hayley.

"Lizard," she muttered pathetically.

A few people turned to look questioningly at Tommy, who said, "I don't want to talk about it" and took a large swig from a plastic cup.

Hayley sighed and turned around, heading back upstairs. By the time she made it to the stairs, Conner was on his way back down, cradling Zoom in his arms, with Cole talking reassuringly to the iguana. "Sorry, Hayley," Conner muttered sheepishly as they passed her.

Hayley didn't respond. Instead, she simply walked back into the guestroom, shut the door, locked it, grabbed the chair from the writing desk and wedged it under the doorknob… and yet still she didn't feel safe. The guestroom was _tainted_ now, by Zhane jumping out the window, by Andros's stammering shock, by Tommy's older-brother-slash-caveman antics and most recently by, of all the freakish weirdness, a lizard. The guestroom wasn't safe. The chaos would find her, someway, somehow, and she couldn't handle it. Not one more minute.

As such, there was only one thing left to do.

Hayley marched over to the closet and pulled the door open. "Can I come out now?" Marcus whined, looking torn between amusement and annoyance.

"No," Hayley told him determinedly, dropping the sheet again. "I'm coming _in."_

* * *

Everything was fine. Everything was wonderful, in fact. He felt warm and safe and amused and kind of floaty.

"What's _in_ this?" Tommy asked.

"No idea," Kelsey said with a shrug.

"We're totally going to have hangovers tomorrow," Jason said ruefully.

"Remember, it's not a good idea for those of us who drank Aquitian water to sleep before we're sober," Billy pointed out.

"I kind of love Kimberly," Tommy said.

"Duh," said Jason, Carter, Billy, Ashley and Kelsey, all of whom were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Tommy on the patio wall.

Tommy took another swig of whatever was in the paper cup Ryan had handed him as a peace offering. They were watching a Red-on-Black soccer game, composed of Rocky, T.J., Conner and Cole against Danny, Adam, Carlos and Zack. Tommy wanted to join in, but just following the ball with his eyes was kind of a workout at this point.

"I want more of this and I don't want to get up," Ashley said.

"We really shouldn't have had this party the day before tomorrow," Jason said.

"But it's _always_ the day before tomorrow," Carter pointed out. "I mean, it's _today."_

"Did anyone bother to write a speech?" Jason asked.

"Nope," Billy, Zack and Tommy replied.

"Great." Jason shook his head. "Where have the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers been for the last eight years? Drinking in L.A., that's where."

"Don't worry about Power Rangers Day," Tommy said. "We're never going to survive this party anyway."

"What makes you say that?" Carter asked.

Tommy started to answer, but was interrupted by screaming from overhead, which sounded disconcertingly like Kira. But it couldn't be Kira. Kira was safe and hang gliding with—

"TAYLOR!" Eric bellowed.

Ah, so that's who the scream was. Taylor. Not Kira… wait. That wasn't good, either. Kira was _with_ Taylor and Taylor was a cool person Tommy would like to see live a long and healthy life, even if no one would blame him for her death.

The screaming continued for a moment before breaking off, punctuated with a variety of noises that sounded suspiciously similar to the sounds produced by a hang glider crashing through a pane of glass. Crap.

"TANYA!" shouted an unfamiliar voice, coming from the same direction as the screams and shattering glass—the house next door.

Tommy staggered to his feet, struggling to regain full control of his thought processes. Eric was sprinting towards the wall separating Adam and Tanya's house from the neighboring mansion, several of the others right behind him. Tommy and his drinking mates lurched unsteadily in more or less the same direction as their sober companions.

"Oh, not the Hartford mansion _again,"_ Tanya groaned as she passed Tommy, leaping easily over the wall. Tommy followed in a much less dignified fashion that left him sprawled on the grass for a moment; still, college had taught him a thing or two about how to function while inebriated, and Tommy was on his feet much faster than some of the others. Billy didn't even get back up.

Once clear of the wall, Tommy could see the source of the commotion was definitely the hang glider, as evidenced by the bright yellow fabric of the now-bent wings sticking out of what had once been a pair of sliding glass doors leading into the neighbor's kitchen. Eric had already reached the hang glider and was trying to burrow underneath the wings, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. Tommy could hear Taylor trying to say something, but most of her words were drowned out by the same unfamiliar voice, male and elderly and annoyed by the sound of it, whom Tommy assumed was one of the Hartfords.

"Every other day!" he wailed. "This will be the third time we've been investigated for insurance fraud, you know. We've _got_ to move, Mr. Hartford. A hang glider through the patio doors? Why can't you ever just play loud music and set fire to things like normal miscreants?"

"Sorry, Spencer," called Adam. "We'll pay for the damages."

"I'll say you'll pay for the damages!" Spencer howled.

"Calm down, Spencer," said another voice Tommy didn't recognize. "Are you two okay?"

"Fine," came Kira's voice. "I just… sorry… we crashed. I've never crashed before. Ever."

"Not the _worst_ landing I've ever been in," Taylor said conversationally. "Not even in my top five."

"Kira," Tommy called when the grass finally decided to hold still long enough for him to reach the neighbors' patio, "you're not dead, are you?"

Kira took a moment to reply. "No, but if you're as drunk as you sound, I'm going to die of shock."

Tommy ignored her comment. "You said you were going to be _careful."_

"We were! There was a freak wind gu—AHH!"

Eric had finally found a space beneath the wing of the hang glider big enough to squeeze through and he dove into the mess; the glider was firmly lodged in the doorway, and shook violently as he disappeared underneath the wings. Tommy heard Taylor tell him she was fine on several occasions, and then her reassurances abruptly stopped. Tommy assumed Eric had reached her, given that the glider had stopped shaking and a moment later Kira said, "Do you mind letting me out of the harness before you do that?"

"I'm really sorry, Andrew," Tanya called. "Hey, you guys weren't affected by the Megaship crash, were you? The impact tremor rattled the house a bit but we'd already had Carmen pack everything breakable away—"

"Four clocks, two glass candlesticks and a jaguar figurine your parents gave me," Andrew replied promptly. "So far—I'm still taking stock of the house."

"Hey, a cloud of black smoke didn't come out of the jaguar figurine, did it?" Adam asked worriedly.

"I… wasn't in the room when it broke. Why?"

"Nothing," Adam called, his tone slightly panicked.

"Look out below!"

Tommy, along with most of the others, instantly dropped to the ground and put his hands over his head, expecting the worst, but it was only Kimberly and Joel, coming in for a landing in the second hang glider.

"Kira! Taylor! Are you guys okay?" Kimberly asked, struggling to release herself from the harness.

"Fine, but Taylor's blocking the thingy I need to get out of here and she's too, um, busy to move," Kira replied with a sigh. "Did you guys get caught in that wind gust, too?"

"Blew us into the street," Kimberly said as she and Joel finally escaped their harnesses. "Nearly hit a dump truck."

"They don't call me the sky cowboy for nothing," Joel boasted. "Must've been a low-flying plane. Fast, too—probably military."

"Blue guys," Tommy called, pushing himself back up to his feet. "Help me get this thing unstuck."

"Yes, do that, would you?" Spencer said irritably. "And do try not to break anything else."

"I'm coming," Billy groaned from the grass at the base of the garden wall. "Make sure you don't touch any exposed wires."

The hang glider was wedged tightly in the wreckage of Andrew Hartford's patio doors, and dislodging it proved to be a nightmare. By virtue of shouting and smacking, Kira managed to enlist Taylor and Eric's help in getting the two girls unharnessed, and the Rangers were just starting to discuss whether it would be prudent to blast through the hang glider wings with the Quantum Defender when a bright flash of light came from the direction of Tanya's house.

The Rangers clustered on Andrew's patio turned just in time to see Adam and Tanya's new waterslide erupt into flames and topple into the pool. Another flash of light went off, and they watched in horror as a laser beam struck the stone patio, setting lawn furniture ablaze.

Jason was the first to move. "Anyone without powers, get cover!" he ordered, rushing back towards the garden wall. Conner, Cole, Max and Danny shrank back against the wall of the Hartford mansion.

"Troobians," Manx hissed, scowling up into the sky. Tommy followed her gaze to what looked like a giant winged purple minivan flying above Tanya's mansion. It had thrusters where the tires should have been, and two enormous wings extending from either side of the roof, and it didn't have a license plate, but otherwise the resemblance was uncanny.

Tommy had never really liked minivans. The stigma of rampaging soccer-moms aside, his days as a racecar driver and a Turbo Ranger had left him with an appreciation of speed, power and performance, and minivans usually lacked all of the above. Of course, it only served that doom would rain down from the sky in the shape of a huge flying purple minivan. "Figures," he muttered, sighing as he fumbled in his pockets for his Zeonizer.

"It's the space pirates!" Zhane yelled as the minivan/spaceship began to turn and come back around. "They must have followed us!"

"They're gonna wish they hadn't," Jason growled. "It's morphin time!"

Ordinarily this would have produced a quick, snappy sequence of morphs, but it didn't quite work out that way. Zack took a moment to recall that he was first, not second, in morphing order, as Tommy would be using his Zeonizer, not his Power Coin. "Mastodon!"

"Uh, Ninja Ranger Power, now!" Kimberly called, uncertain of where her morph should go. Billy muttered something from the ground by the wall, but nothing actually happened in the way of a morph, and Trini gave up waiting for him after a moment.

"Saber-toothed Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

A momentary pause ensued, during which Conner could be heard saying, "Dude, that is so the coolest thing I have _ever_ seen."

"Right—Kat's not here," Tanya said. "Zeo Ranger Two, Yellow!"

"Zeo Ranger Three, Blue!"

"Zeo Ranger Four, Green!"

"Ninja Ranger Power now," Billy finally managed to groan coherently.

"Zeo Ranger Five, Red!"

"Shift into Turbo?" Justin said hesitantly, shooting a glance at T.J. T.J. nodded at him, and Justin took it as incentive to complete his morph.

"What's going on out there?" called Andrew from the other side of the hang glider.

"Let's rocket!"

"Lightspeed Rescue!"

"Time for Time Force!"

The "headlights" of the minivan-ship began to glow, and first one, then the other fired an energy bolt in the direction of the Megaship. The first blast scorched the side of the already badly-damaged ship, leaving a long black gouge, but the second missed and blew a crater in the front lawn.

The Rangers rushed across the Hartford lawn, summoning weapons as they went.


	108. The Alien Trap

**Chapter 108**

_The Alien Trap_

"It should be coming up, sir," the driver called over his shoulder.

"Good, good," Anton said cheerfully. He and Elsa had already checked in to the hotel in Angel Grove, and were now en route to the Ranger party at Tanya's home. He had never been there before, but Carlos had furnished directions. Anton hadn't met very many ex-Rangers; until recently he had only ever known the identity of the Dino Thunder and Ninja Storm Rangers, even as Mesogog—good thing, too, as he shuddered to think what Mesogog would have done with that information—and he was now quite curious.

He was most interested in the Ninja Storm Rangers. Trent had told him that the Dino Rangers, particularly Conner and Kira, kept in touch with the Ninja Storm team and that the Ninja Storm Rangers harbored no ill will towards Anton or Elsa for their actions while evil. Dustin had even mailed Anton a greeting card a few days ago that said "Congratulations on Your Big Day!" on the front with the words "Glad you're not evil anymore—hope you stay that way! Dustin, the Yellow one—remember me?" scrawled inside. Anton had thought it was remarkably thoughtful of him, if a little odd.

"Anton," Elsa whispered urgently, "look." She pointed up out her window.

Anton leaned over her to peer out the tinted glass, his jaw dropping open. Ranger-colored blurs were swooping around a dark gray-purple ship of some sort, firing laser blasts at each other. More laser blasts were arching up from the ground.

"I'm pretty sure it's the next house," the driver called, oblivious to the light show.

"Um, Rodolfo, just—just let us out here," Anton said anxiously.

"Here, sir?" Rodolfo repeated in surprise, but he obediently began pulling on to the shoulder.

"Yes, we'll, ah… we'll be fine. In fact, why don't you take the rest of the night off? No sense waiting for us. We'll get a lift back to Angel Grove with, um, friends of ours and… you just… hurry away."

"All right, sir," Rodolfo said, a tad perplexed by his boss's behavior, but he'd been driving for Anton for years now and knew Anton was prone to bizarre antics and even more bizarre mood swings. The moment the car stopped, Anton and Elsa leaped out, and Rodolfo pulled away the moment Anton slammed the door shut behind them.

"What do we do?" Elsa hissed. "What _is_ that thing?"

"I'm not sure," Anton replied. "But we'd better see if they need help."

"I don't have a _laser,_ Anton," Elsa pointed out, "and I'm wearing heels. A few Tyrannodrones when I'm _armed,_ sure, but I don't exactly have powers anymore and—"

"Trent's in there," Anton said tersely.

Elsa's reluctance vanished. "Tommy is too," she said by way of comfort. Anton nodded absently, following the ship with his eyes. He wasn't actually sure which house Trent was in. The aerial battle was taking place over two mansions—the one right in front of him and the one next door. The closer house looked a little battered, with a chimney missing and a few windows shattered and some sort of yellow blob blocking the patio door, while the other had a flaming waterslide in its pool and a half-melted patio and several craters in the lawn and—

"That one," Anton said, assuming the more damaged house was the object of the attack. He took off along the fence, looking for some way over and in.

"Right behind you," Elsa said, hurrying after him. They didn't have far to go; after only a few yards a blast from the spaceship hit the stone wall of the less-demolished mansion, sending bricks flying out into the street. Anton and Elsa clambered through the hole, keeping a watchful eye on the sky for anything headed their way, but the ship was now moving off over what was presumably Tanya's mansion, pursued ruthlessly by the Space Rangers.

"Hey Dr. Mercer!"

Anton turned at the sound of Conner's cheerful voice and saw Conner and three young men he didn't know, standing on the grass beside the yellow blob on the patio while a woman crouched in the shadows nearby. Large black lumps were heaped on the ground all around them.

"Conner?" Anton said blankly. He shook off his surprise and rushed across the lawn towards Conner. "Where's Trent?"

"Still inside Tanya's place," Conner replied, breathing heavily. "Don't worry; he's safe. We beeped him."

"Beeped?" Elsa repeated. Conner held up his wrist, pointing at his bracelet. "Ah. Beeped. Right. What… are these things?" She nudged a black lump with her foot.

"Troobians," hissed the woman, glaring up in the sky. "These are called Cybots. They're a common foot soldier used by the Troobian Empire."

"Are they human?" Elsa asked curiously.

"They have no hearts," said one of the three men, a Red by the look of him.

"Robots," Conner clarified. "Ethan's totally geeking out; he's helping defend Tanya's place. The Space Rangers got attacked by some sort of pirates on their way in and these guys—" he nodded at the demolished robots— "followed them here. Manx here has fought them before; she's an alien. This is Cole, Max and Danny from Wild Force, by the way; guys, this is Dr. Mercer and Principal Randall. Anyway, you two should probably hang back here with us. Occasionally the pirates drop these ball thingies that spit out the robots. Most of them land over by the Megaship, but a few have landed over here."

"We've been taking out any that overwhelm the others," Cole added. "Jason asked us to hang back and secure this area; there are civilians inside this house."

"We're staying out of the main fight cuz we don't have powers anymore," Max said. "How about you guys?"

Anton shook his head. "No, we don't," Elsa replied. "We can still fight, if we have to, but we've had a rough day."

"Who hasn't?" Conner said dryly. "Hey, I heard Reefside was overrun. What was up with that?"

"Can we come out now?" came a bedraggled voice from behind the mess of yellow fabric, barely audible under the distant sounds of battle next door. Anton frowned, vaguely recognizing the voice, but he couldn't place it.

"No, sorry," Conner called back cheerfully. "Jason will tell us when it's safe."

"Who's Jason?" the voice demanded in frustration. "And if you're right, and aliens really _are_ attacking, shouldn't we call someone?"

"Like who? Everyone who fights aliens is already here," Danny called back.

"Please can we _move,_ Mr. Hartford," begged another voice. _"Please._ I hear San Angeles is lovely."

"Hartford?" Anton repeated, astonished. _"Andrew_ Hartford?"

"…Yes?" Andrew called hesitantly.

"It's me. Anton. Mercer."

There was a long pause. "Anton? …Aren't you dead?"

"Um, not especially, no. I was meaning to look you up, but most of my files were on the island—"

"The one that sank? Everyone said you disappeared!"

"I did. I… had a bit of a… well, it's a long story," Anton said, cringing. He'd never been very good at reconnecting with people from before his accident; he'd even put a great deal of effort into avoiding most of them, thanks to Mesogog. He hadn't wanted his alter ego to have contact with many of his friends, hence the reason most of them still thought he was missing… but that was over now, and come to think of it he had quite a few calls to make…

"What are you doing here?" Andrew asked. "Are you a friend of Tanya's?"

"Um… a friend of a friend. Remember my old grad student? Tommy Oliver?"

"Tommy, Tommy… the forgetful one with the spiky hair?"

"Yes, him. He's friends with her. How do you know her?"

"She's Gabe Sloan's daughter. She bought this mansion for him and Ada and they sold it to me awhile ago; they were headed on a long expedition to Thailand, last I heard."

"Really? She's one of _those_ Sloans?"

"Yes, you remember them?"

"Of course, of course. Who could forget the Laos expedition?"

Andrew laughed. "Or the yacht incident."

"Or the—"

"Incoming!" Danny shouted.

Anton spun around just in time to see two tiny balls explode in the air, their shards forming into more of the robots that littered the ground. He rushed forward to attack—or rather, he _thought_ he was rushing forward to attack. Conner, Manx, Cole, Max and Danny were all faster than he was, in spite of being far more winded. Before Anton could reach the front line of the robots all four of the boys were fighting so fiercely that Anton half-wanted to just stop and stare. Manx also leaped into the fray, but her style was less clean, harder to follow, more spinning and twisting and throwing. She seemed to have a deeply ingrained hatred for the robots, whereas Conner, Cole, Max and Danny fought with simple determined concentration, though it was no less effective than her viciousness.

Anton and Elsa teamed up against a single robot, but the moment it was down three more rushed in. Their bodies were harder than the Tyrannodrones and Triptoids Anton and Elsa had spent the day fighting, and their movements more difficult to predict. Working together, Anton and Elsa managed to take out another two, and were turning towards the third when Max grabbed it from behind and flung it through the air; it sailed towards Danny, who kicked it back to the ground, where it stayed. Anton gave him a grateful nod and turned to look for his next opponent… but, of the two dozen robots that had appeared, none were left. Conner, Cole, Max, Danny and Manx had destroyed all of them.

Anton looked at Elsa, who was visibly impressed. "No _wonder_ we always lost against them," she muttered.

"Anton? Anton, are you there?" Andrew yelled.

"Oh… yes, yes, I'm here," he said. "Sorry, it's a bit… they told you there were aliens?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Andrew said morosely. "It's a bit, ah… _complex,_ living next to Tanya."

Anton smiled. "I bet. Well, maybe you could salvage some of these parts. They're using robotic foot soldiers—you did say it was your life's ambition to create a fully sentient robot."

"Haven't you learned your _lesson,_ Dr. Mercer?" came Kira's voice from within the mansion.

"Kira? Is that you?"

"Yeah. I was the one that crashed the hang glider through Mr. Hartford's patio right before the aliens showed up. Me and Taylor did, anyway. Eric's in here too."

"Conner's brother Eric, from the ninja school?" Anton asked.

"Dude, total secret," Conner hissed.

"Andrew's an archaeologist, son—he deals in secrets," Anton replied quietly. "And I don't know how on Earth you'll keep any of this quiet." He gestured at the robot parts littering the Hartford lawn.

"Trust me, we've had worse," Conner muttered, but he shrugged and went back to watching the sky for more robotic threats, figuring that Andrew probably hadn't equated "ninja school" with "top-secret Wind Ninja Academy" anyway.

"No—Eric from Time Force," Kira called back. "He's a member of the Silver Guardians task force out in Silver Hills. Jason told him to stay here and watch over the Hartfords."

"Is Jason your commander?" Andrew asked Eric.

Eric took a moment to reply. "More or less."

"What's going on out there, Anton?" Andrew called. "Everyone's been rather cryptic."

Anton looked out over the battle site. The ship was still flying, but the Space Rangers had it surrounded and one of the laser weapons on the front was now only emitting smoke. Tanya's lawn was a mass of shifting colors, bright suits and brighter flashes from all sorts of weaponry as Rangers from various teams battled more of the robots. A Red Ranger—Anton couldn't see which—was on top of the ship, attempting to damage the wings. The ship was currently soaring over Adam and Tanya's mansion, its flight path erratic.

"It's… sort of hard to tell," Anton confessed. "It's all under control, though."

"Good thing Tanya was having a get-together of Power Rangers," Andrew said. "Usually her parties are a little more contained."

"I daresay I prefer a little more containment," Spencer grumbled.

Anton smiled. "Hi, Spencer."

"Dr. Mercer," Spencer replied.

"Listen, Anton, once this, um, alien attack is over…" Andrew began.

"Yes, of course, we should definitely catch up," Anton agreed. "I want you to meet my son, and my—"

"Son? You had a _son?"_

"I adopted the Fernandez boy. You remember his parents."

"I do," Andrew said. "Tragic accident. Good for you, taking him in; I can't imagine having a teenage boy around."

"Trent's a good kid. Are you planning to turn in soon?"

"Spencer and I always like to stay vigilant during Tanya's parties. They get pretty chaotic."

"So I noticed," Elsa said wryly.

"If they get any _more_ chaotic, we're going to be filling out _life_ insurance forms," Spencer muttered.

"I'll come by later, then, if you don't mind. I have to check in and make sure Trent's all right, but I don't think anyone would mind if I pop over to your place for a while. I'd like you to meet Elsa, too."

"Great," Andrew said. "I've given up on moving this hang glider, though—might want to try the front door."

_"They've got it!"_ Manx howled suddenly, and everyone turned to look. A wing had tumbled off the Troobian ship, and a moment later it landed with a tremendous _crunch_ on the roof of Tanya's garage. A cheer went up from the Rangers on Tanya's side of the fence.

"Let's go!" Conner shouted, running off across the lawn; Manx was already halfway to the garage.

"Andrew," Anton called, "they've brought the aliens down; I should go… um… do whatever one does in these situations. I'll come by in, say, an hour?"

Andrew called something affirmative; Anton didn't hear what, too concerned about getting to Tanya's and checking on Trent. He went jogging across the lawn with Elsa at his side, mindful of the robots in varying degrees of decay scattered across the grass. One even got up as Conner passed it; Cole took it out with a quick kick without bothering to slow down, Conner calling out a thank you over his shoulder. The closer they got to the boundary between the Hartford grounds and Tanya's, the thicker the bodies got, until Anton was forced to run around piles rather than just stepping over them. Here and there they caught up to other Rangers, some still in morph, others powering down.

At the garage, Ranger after Ranger was leaping up to the roof without difficulty; Manx and Cole pushed off the nearby garden wall to boost themselves up, but Conner, Max and Danny looked just as disconcerted by the height of the garage as Anton and Elsa did.

"I'll give you a boost," Danny said finally, lacing his fingers together to form a stirrup. "I'm fine with staying here."

"Don't enter the ship!" they heard Manx shout from above. "It's a Troobian Kalna—it has a self-destruct sequence!"

"RUN!" someone roared—Anton didn't know or care who, as the words "self-destruct sequence" were apparently a subconscious trigger for "run like hell." He wasn't the only person with that disposition, either—though he did turn out to be one of the slowest, and he couldn't leap off tall buildings in a single bound. Suddenly it was raining Rangers as he and Elsa dashed for the safety of Tanya's mansion, several of them startling him half to death as they hit the ground by Anton. He tried to swerve and avoid the first three, but they were far better at dodging him than the other way around, and after awhile he just kept up a straight path toward the patio doors.

"Manx!" Jen yelled. "Manx, get away from there!"

Anton turned to look over his shoulder and saw that Manx was still standing on the garage roof, staring at everyone in confusion. "Where are you going?" she called, a full two seconds before the alien ship let out a rumbling noise…

…and collapsed into a heap of scrap metal.

Everyone skidded to a halt, staring up at the hunk of useless metal in disbelief. "That's it?" demanded a Ranger Anton didn't recognize. "No sparks? No fire?"

"Why would there be fire?" Manx asked. "If they burned their ships when they destroyed them, they couldn't salvage any parts."

"Yeah, _Anton,"_ muttered someone that sounded suspiciously like Tommy.

"So—that's it, then?" said a voice that Anton vaguely recognized as one of Tommy's friends. "No explosions, no more robots, nothing?"

"Yes," Manx replied. "The ship's computer will have been wiped and the ship's pilots have been destroyed; without the commanding officers on board, there will be no one to issue more foot soldiers or order them to attack. The Troobians will count it a loss and probably won't bother coming for the ship. This isn't their solar system and Earth has Power Rangers; it isn't worth it just to salvage a few spare parts."

A Yellow Ranger a few feet away from Anton demorphed; he was utterly startled to recognize her as the famous Tanya Sloan. "Great," she complained. "How am I gonna get all that scrap iron off the roof?"

A Green one gestured broadly at the fire-slagged patio, the still-burning waterslide sticking out of the pool, and the robot bodies obscuring most of the grass. _"That's_ what you're worried about?" He shook his head, then looked up at the pile of metal. "Think we should move the cars, Tan?"

"Where? Half the driveway's missing!"

"We're _really_ sorry, Tanya," one of the Space Rangers called.

Tanya chuckled. "It ain't your fault. And hey, I expected as much. I'm just shocked the house is still standing."

"I'll get someone from Lightspeed over here in the morning," the Red Lightspeed Ranger told her. "We'll take care of the robots and get the ships towed out to NASADA."

"Thanks, Carter. Think you can put out the waterslide fire? The hose is in the shed." He nodded and hurried off, and Tanya turned to a Blue Ranger. "Hey, Rocky, run over to the guesthouse and check on Carmen for me, would ya?"

"Sure." He demorphed, then groaned. "Oh, man—morphing totally killed my buzz!"

A collective groan went up from the group of Rangers, but, to Anton's surprise, the mood was surprisingly merry. They were soon congratulating each other and joking and laughing, reenacting some of their finer moves from the fight while they set about clearing the majority of the robots off what was left of the patio. Anton had lost sight of Conner, and he didn't see Hayley or any of the Dino Rangers; finally he turned to a nearby Red Ranger who was still in morph and asked, "Have you seen Tommy?"

The Red Ranger stared at him for a long moment. Anton was just starting to wonder if this particular Red had any idea who Tommy was when the Red Ranger said, "I _am_ Tommy" and his suit vanished in a burst of red light.

"Oh… right," Anton said sheepishly. Granted, he'd only seen the Red Zeo Ranger once or twice, but he couldn't help feeling foolish.

"Hi, Anton. Elsa," Tommy said. "Enjoying the party?"

Elsa gave him a bit of a glare. "No one parties _quite_ like you, Tommy. Remind me not to put you in charge of any school functions."

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault aliens, robots, and other freaks keep attacking," Tommy retorted playfully. "After all, _I'm_ not the one who likes to send evil mutant creatures after perfectly innocent science teachers."

"Speaking of perfectly innocent," Anton said, "have you seen my son?"

Tommy gave him a blank look. "Uh… he's…" Conner happened to wander by and Tommy called out to him. "Hey, Conner! Go get Trent for me, will you?"

Conner nodded and thrust something out at Elsa. "Here, hold these for me," he said. She took the objects from him and was promptly horrified to realize they were rodents. "They're a little freaked out—try not to jostle them!" he said, jogging off into the house.

"What's Conner doing with… with… what _are_ these things?" Elsa asked in disgust.

"You remember the mall story?" Tommy asked. "Hamsters, gerbils, pole dancing kits? Those are his spoils of war. The gerbil's Mongo and the hamster's Syri."

"Did he name the pole dancing kit?" Anton couldn't help asking. Elsa burst into giggles.

"May I?" Anton and Elsa turned to find Cole behind them, holding his hands out to Elsa. She looked to Tommy for confirmation; he nodded and she gratefully handed over Conner's pets. He began talking soothingly to them.

"This is Cole," Tommy said. "Red Wild Force. Has the ability to read hearts, including animals' hearts."

"That's a useful ability," Anton said, raising his eyebrows. "Where'd you learn that?"

"I was raised in the jungle," Cole replied. "My tribe believed in respecting all of nature's creatures."

"This is Dr. Anton Mercer and Elsa Randall, Cole," Tommy said.

"We've met," Cole said. "Are you friends of Tommy's?" They nodded. "Tommy is a great hero. I am proud to know him," he said. "If you'll excuse me, Zoom is wondering what all the commotion was, and there are several raccoons out front who are very upset. Adam asked me to persuade them to find a new place to live."

"He's… unique," Elsa said as Cole wandered away.

"Trust me," Tommy said wryly, "they _all_ are."

* * *

"Trent? Trent!"

"What?" Trent groaned into his communicator. He and Alyssa had decided to save what little was left of the vodka, just in case their buzz started wearing off, and he was now dividing his time between attempting to count the floor tiles, having philosophical discussions with Alyssa, and trying to figure out a polite way to ask her to give him some privacy so that he could relieve his bladder. He wasn't thrilled that Conner was bothering him again, especially since the first time had just been some nonsense about aliens.

"Trent?" Conner's voice came again, louder this time. Trent cast a suspicious glance at his communicator; it wasn't on. "Trent?"

"What?" Trent called, raising his voice.

"Trent? Where are you?" Conner demanded. Now that he was concentrating, Trent could tell Conner's voice was coming from the hall.

"I'm staying put," Trent replied; unless the vodka was stronger than he thought, that was what Conner had wanted him to do the last time he'd bothered Trent.

"We both are," Alyssa added.

Footsteps approached the bathroom door and stopped. "Who's we?" Conner asked.

"Alyssa," she said.

"Which one are you again?"

"She's the brunette from Wild Force," Trent explained. "What do you want, Conner?"

"Your dad's here."

Trent had learned a thing or two about the body's ability to process liquor in health class, but he was pretty sure it wasn't true, because a good deal of the alcohol in his system completely vanished in that moment, replaced by a strong dose of horrified fear. _"What?"_

"Your dad. He and Principal Randall are here; they're down by the patio."

"Your dad's a Power Ranger?" Alyssa asked Trent curiously.

"No," Trent whimpered. "He's a reformed villain. But he's not gonna be reformed in a minute."

Alyssa peered at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" Her eyes widened in alarm as she realized the most likely cause of Trent's panic. "Oh, _god!_ You're not twenty-one, are you?" Trent shook his head. "Oh, _GOD!_ Get in the shower!"

Trent stared at her. "Um… what?"

"Get in the shower! If your father finds out I got you drunk… oh, _god_… we probably smell like a dark alley!" She twisted around and hauled herself up using the counter. "Get in the shower and toss your clothes over the bar. I'll see if I can find some perfume or something to get the smell out. Is he really an evil villain?"

Trent kicked off his sandals and staggered for the shower. "Yeah," he said apologetically. "Used to be, anyway. I had no idea he was coming. I had no idea he was invited! He was Mesogog, the villain who fought the Dino Thunder team." He pulled the shower curtain closed and yanked his shirt off.

"Then here's hoping he's not as protective of you as Ransik is of Nadira," Alyssa groaned.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you I wasn't old enough to drink."

"I should have asked," Alyssa replied tersely. "Let's just focus on getting you as sober-smelling as possible."

"What are you guys doing in there, anyway?" Conner called through the bathroom door.

"Nothing!" Trent shouted. He tossed his shirt and pants over the shower bar and threw his shorts in a corner of the tub as far from the showerhead as possible, then fumbled for the shower controls.

"Are you guys _showering_ in there?" Conner demanded.

"Lilac Moonbeam Mist!" Alyssa crowed triumphantly, ignoring Conner. "Oh, please let there be a spare toothbrush in here, too… if not maybe you can grab some sort of snack food…"

"Do you do this a lot?" Trent asked, glad to see shampoo, conditioner and a few other bottles already in the shower, along with a bar of soap.

"Before Princess Shayla and the Animarium, I lived in a dorm room. My roommate was a partier with really strict parents who were paying for her tuition. They visited a lot. You don't mind smelling like lilacs, do you?"

"What do lilacs smell like?" Trent asked. "Never mind—anything's better than vodka at this point."

"Wish I had my purse, but it's in my car," Alyssa sighed.

"Um, Trent?" Conner called.

"Conner, I do _not_ have time to talk right now!" Trent yelled. "Go tell my dad I'll be right down, okay?"

"Okay," Conner said uncertainly.

"Is he gonna tell on us?" Alyssa asked Trent.

"Conner? I doubt it. He probably has no idea I'm drunk."

* * *

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Conner, no _way_ is Trent cheating on Kira."

"Is too," Conner insisted.

"Is not!"

"Can you explain why he's in the shower with that chick from Wild Force, then?" Conner demanded. He'd forgotten all about Dr. Mercer on his way back from the bathroom, and had hurried to tell Ethan what he'd learned about Trent's whereabouts. "Because I think it's pretty logical."

Ethan shook his head. "Conner, look at that sentence again. 'Logical.' 'Think.' These are things your brain doesn't do."

"He was in a locked bathroom with another girl and the shower was running," Conner insisted stubbornly. "Why else—?"

"Conner!" Kira called. "Have you seen Trent?"

"Trent? Yeah. I _think_ he's showering with that dark-haired girl," Conner replied, stressing the word "think" for Ethan's benefit. "The White Wild Force Ranger."

_"What?"_ Kira demanded.

"He's in the shower with that chick from Wild Force," Conner repeated. "I…" Conner trailed off, his eyes widening as he realized telling Kira this was a bad idea (a realization helped along by Ethan wildly shaking his head at Conner and making panicky hand motions).

Kira marched across the living room to where Ethan and Conner were standing. "Take me to Trent. _Now."_

Conner opened his mouth to argue, but Kira glared so fiercely at him nothing would come out. "Get Dr. O," he muttered to Ethan, and slowly but obediently began the trek to the bathroom where Trent was.

Ethan waited until they turned the corner—loyalty to Trent was strong, but not strong enough to risk getting murdered by Kira—and then rushed out onto the patio. He spotted Dr. O talking with a group of people and raced towards him. "Dr. O, come quick! Conner found Trent showering with Alyssa and now Kira's gonna—" Ethan stopped dead as he realized just who Tommy was talking to. "Oh, um, hey, Dr. Mercer. Principal Randall."

"Ethan," Anton said, torn between amusement and outrage.

"I'm gonna go, um… run away now," Ethan said.

"I think that would be best," Elsa told him with a smirk.

Ethan turned and hurried away. Anton looked at Tommy. "So you're keeping a good eye on my son, I take it?"

Tommy swallowed. "I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation for this."

* * *

_End Notes:_ The aliens are based off an idea of Gruumm's fledgling empire twenty-one years before S.P.D., with the robots being primitive versions of Krybots, hence the similar name for them.


	109. The Potion Notion

**Chapter 109**

_The Potion Notion_

There was no logical explanation for this, and Trent knew it the moment he opened the bathroom door and found Kira on the other side. He hadn't been able to find any hair gel, or a blow dryer, so his hair was damp and unstyled. He and Alyssa now reeked of lilacs. Kira would have heard the bathroom door lock click, and Alyssa was holding a mostly-empty bottle of vodka, and both he and Alyssa probably looked guilty beyond belief.

Trent closed his eyes and hung his head. There was no getting out of this, and he knew it. There was no way to explain what he had been doing in a locked bathroom with a girl and a bottle of alcohol that required a shower. Maybe, if Alyssa wasn't so good-looking, if she wasn't a fellow White Ranger like Trent, maybe he would have had a shot. But chances were Kira was going to dump him.

He wasn't going to let that happen, of course. He was going to fight for her. There would be flowers, every yellow flower he could find, and there would be candy, and expensive gifts, and maybe mixed tapes. Kira would like mixed tapes; she _was_ a musician, after all. There would be mushy cards and love notes, weepy answering machines messages, and a million other sappy, debasing, desperate attempts to regain Kira's affections. Conner and Ethan would back him up, especially after Conner's determined announcement that nothing would ruin the team, and Hayley and Dr. O would most likely have some sage advice. There was no point in trying to explain now—now she would scream, and cry, and probably hit (he really wasn't looking forward to the hitting, but the crying and screaming weren't going to be much better), and nothing he could say would keep her from being furious with him. He'd wait until she calmed down and stopped throwing things, and then the begging would begin.

"Trent called you his sunrise."

Trent's eyes snapped open at Alyssa's words. He wasn't sure what to do with regards to Alyssa at all. Trent had never cheated before, and he'd certainly never accidentally presented proof of cheating before, so he was a little murky on the other woman's involvement in these situations. Breakups he knew about, and angry girlfriends in general, but this was definitely a new one.

Kira frowned at Alyssa, looking confused—more confused than angry, Trent thought, but the copious amounts of vodka he'd ingested made it a little hard to remember what Trent knew of Kira's facial expressions. Alyssa, in a nervous but soothing tone, continued. "You're Kira, right? Trent told me about you. How much he cares about you. I'm Alyssa Enrile, White Wild Force Ranger."

Alyssa fell silent, seemingly waiting for Kira's move. Trent glanced back and forth between them with wide eyes, his head protesting the constant movement. He wondered if Alyssa could take Kira. Probably; she'd been a Ranger longer and her dad was a dojo owner, if he remembered correctly. Was Kira the type to attack in this situation? He wasn't sure. He'd seen her chase Conner down a few times, sure, but everyone did that.

He had to think, come up with some way to get things calm so he could explain himself. Unfortunately he was beyond unprepared for this; the moment he'd seen Kira he'd abandoned any hope of getting her to listen to him and started planning the next few months of winning back her trust. He hadn't even considered the idea that he could maybe talk his way out of this. Alyssa had been right about how good she was with people. Hopefully she would have some idea of where to go from here…

After a lengthy pause, Kira opened her mouth to reply and Trent braced himself, mentally and physically, for the worst. "Kira Ford," Kira told Alyssa calmly. "Trent, your dad's looking for you."

Trent gaped at her, unable to believe that this was really happening. "Uh… you're… you're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"You looked mad when I opened the door."

"That was because Conner told me you were showering with Alyssa," Kira replied in exasperation. There was a swatting sound.

"Ow!" Conner complained. Conner slunk into view; he had apparently been lurking on the other side of the doorjamb, out of sight. "I thought he _was_ showering with Alyssa."

Kira rolled her eyes. "Look—he's wet, she's not. They weren't in there _together._ It didn't occur to you that he was just getting drunk with her and took a shower so his dad wouldn't know he'd been drinking?"

"Uh, _no._ Why _would_ that occur to me?" Conner demanded. "I didn't know Trent drinks. Since when does Trent drink? Alone in locked bathrooms with good-looking girls who aren't his girlfriend?"

"He isn't twenty-one and Dr. O and Hayley are here," Kira pointed out. "He and Alyssa locked themselves in so they wouldn't get caught. Duh."

"Oh, I'm so glad you aren't mad," Alyssa said in relief. "Trent and I were just talking, but when Conner told us Trent's dad was here we panicked. I know it probably looks a little strange—"

"Please. I'm in a band, and we're all under twenty-one," Kira scoffed. "I'm not much of a drinker myself, but my drummer's been arrested three times for one form of intoxication or another, and that's not counting his juvenile record." Kira shook her head. "I should have known this was just Conner being Conner. Do you need some gum or something?"

Trent stared at her, trying to shake off the love poems he'd been preparing about how he was nothing without her. "Alyssa found me a toothbrush," he muttered.

"Nice move," Kira said approvingly. Alyssa thanked her and Kira beckoned to Trent. "Come on. Put your arm around me, so Dr. Mercer won't notice if you stumble. How much alcohol have you had, anyway?"

"Too much," Trent admitted. "I haven't had much to drink recently, either; tolerance isn't what it used to be."

"I don't _even_ want to know what it used to be," Kira muttered as Trent slipped his arm around her shoulders.

"You are the perfect girl, you know that?" Trent told her, relief washing over him.

"Yeah, but it's nice to be told."

Ethan came skidding around the corner. "Guys! Guys, I just—whoa. Not the scene I was expecting." Ethan stared at Trent and Kira, then behind them to a sheepish Conner, then at Trent's wet hair. "Huh. He really _does_ look like he was showering."

"He was trying out Adam and Tanya's hot tub," Kira said. "That's what we're telling Dr. Mercer, anyway."

"False alarm," Conner told Ethan with a sigh. "Sorry, guys."

Kira shrugged. "We're used to it. Let's get down there before they get suspicious. Dr. O and Dr. Mercer are probably wondering where Trent is."

"Um, I kind of accidentally told them Trent was showering with Alyssa," Ethan said apologetically. "Principal Randall, too."

"Oh, great," Trent groaned.

"You told Dr. O and Dr. Mercer that Trent was showering with Alyssa and Principal Randall?" Conner repeated in confusion. "Principal Randall wasn't in the shower with them; she's downstairs."

"Shut _up,_ Conner," Ethan growled. To Kira and Trent, he added, "At least I mentioned it was Conner who told me. That should help."

"This oughtta be some interesting music to face," Kira said, sighing.

"Um, do you mind if _I_ don't face it?" Alyssa asked. "I mean, I'll come along if you want me to, but I'm really drunk and I'm not up for seeing Tommy and I don't know how much good I can really do if I—"

"It's cool," Trent said. "Come downstairs, though, would you? I'm done drinking for the day but we should definitely hang more. I want you to meet Kira, too—like I said, I think you'll like her."

Alyssa nodded and fell into step behind them. "I don't have to come, either, do I?" Conner asked hopefully.

"Conner, you can't tell someone's girlfriend that they're showering in a bathroom with another girl and not be there when he has to explain… I don't know, whatever just happened… to his father," Ethan said sternly.

Conner glared at him. "That is _so_ not a rule."

"It is now," Kira said darkly. To Trent, she added, "Don't worry—I'm sure it'll go fine."

* * *

"You're drunk," Anton accused Trent.

Trent's jaw dropped. He'd been so _careful._ He'd kept his arm around Kira, he hadn't gotten close enough for his father to have a chance of smelling vodka beneath the lilacs, he'd been careful to enunciate every word properly and he'd perfectly executed a lie about finding Adam and Tanya's hot tub. What now?

Trent opened his mouth to do the only thing he could do—deny it with as much wounded dignity as he could muster—when Ethan, who had gotten the full story on the way from the bathroom, blurted out, "Whoa, how could you tell?"

_"Ethan,"_ Kira hissed, throwing an elbow at him.

"Ooh… sorry," Ethan said, wincing.

Trent sighed, knowing there was nothing left to do but come clean. "How mad are you?" he asked his father.

Anton shook his head. "You're a good kid, Trent. I guess one night of debauchery won't kill you. I'll save the 'evils of alcohol' speech for when we get home." He jerked his head at the patio doors. "Go. Have fun. Lay off the booze."

Trent's face lit up, scarcely able to believe it. "I will. I promise. Thanks," he said, hurrying off as fast as possible, Conner and Kira and Ethan on his heels.

Anton turned to Tommy, who had been nonchalantly trying to sidle off into the darkness beyond what lights were still working on the patio. "Well, Tommy. I left my son in your care, and so far he's ordered pornography, helped destroy the Angel Grove Mall, gotten drunk, taken a shower with a girl who wasn't his girlfriend while under attack from extraterrestrial robots, and who knows what else that I've yet to discover. Anything you'd like to say in your defense?"

Tommy grimaced. "Uh… at least he's still alive?"

Anton chuckled at Tommy's discomfort, reminded strongly of years ago when Tommy was still his grad student, always getting into scrapes of one sort or another. "So far," he said. "The night is young."

Tommy groaned. "Don't remind me."

* * *

Anton stopped outside the door to the study, where Tanya sat making phone calls. Elsa was now chatting up a storm with Karone; apparently Elsa had considered Astronema something of an inspiration while evil and Karone had been curious to meet another reformed evil villainess. Tommy had been monopolized by a strange fellow called Trip who said he looked forward to working with Anton before begging for a sparring match with _the_ original Green Ranger. The Dino Rangers had vanished into the recesses of the mansion, and Anton figured it might be best to let them go and hope they stayed out of trouble. He hadn't seen Hayley at all, during the alien attack or afterwards. So he had decided to seek out Tanya and ask her a few things about her parents.

Tanya smiled at him over the desk and waved him in, holding up a finger. He nodded in acknowledgment and waited while she spoke into the receiver, apparently leaving a voicemail.

"Hey, Julius, it's me, Tanya Sloan. Gonna have to completely redo the landscaping again. You won't believe what happened to it this time! Was hoping you could come by Monday and give me an estimate—call me on the cell when you get a chance, okay? Thanks. Bye!" Tanya hung up. "What can I do for you, Dr. Mercer?"

"I just wanted to introduce myself," Anton said, "though apparently someone's beat me to it."

"Nobody had to. We all knew about you; Tommy kept us updated on his experiments with you and we were pretty worried when you went missing. Then when the island sank… well, that's water under the ocean now. Anyway, I'm Tanya Sloan." She held out a hand, which he shook.

"Andrew Hartford informs me that you're Gabe and Ada Sloan's girl?"

"That's right—do you know them?"

Anton nodded. "I used to. Our interests overlapped on occasion, as they did with Andrew. I don't believe they know I resurfaced."

"I'm sure they'll be glad to hear about it," Tanya said. "I had no idea you were friends."

"I had no idea their daughter was a famous singer, let alone the Yellow Zeo Ranger," Anton replied. "Are they aware that you're…?"

"Oh, they know. Mine are some of the only Ranger parents who _do_ know, though I hear Billy's dad figured it out and a couple of family members here and there know—Zack's cousin, Conner's brother. I rescued Mom and Dad when they vanished looking for the lost tiki of Auric; I had to tell them something to explain how I did that, and Zordon gave me permission to let them in on the secret. Zordon was our mentor," she added, seeing Anton's confusion at the name.

"Disappearing is apparently a habit in our field," Anton said with a smile. "I was hoping you could put me in touch with them. Now that Mesogog is gone, I see no reason not to look up my old friends—though I'm betting it'll be fairly awkward."

Tanya nodded and reached for a pad of stationary and a pen. "Here, I'll give you their number," she said. "My advice? Go ahead and tell them about the evil villain thing. They're pretty understanding, and they know about me being the Yellow Ranger and Tommy being the Red, so it's not like they can't keep a secret. They've met quite a few Power Rangers and I've had to have Lightspeed bail them out of a jam more than once; me and Adam have had to rescue them ourselves on occasion. I don't think they'll be mad at you or anything; they know what it's like to have something weird come up."

Anton smiled. "Thank you. Now if I could just figure out what I'm going to say to Andrew Hartford."

Tanya made a face. "That poor dear. I can't explain half the stuff I've accidentally done to him. This ain't the first time something like space pirates has happened. But, then, all's well that ends with defeating an army of evil robots, right?"

Anton chuckled. "I suppose. Oh—are the Ninja Storm Rangers here, by the way?"

"Conner got in touch with his brother who goes to one of the ninja academies, and he said the Ninja Storm team had some sort of accident with a holographic robot—I guess robot problems are going around—and they're still on the road. They'll be in Angel Grove tomorrow, though."

"Good. Well, I'd best check on Trent and then go have a talk with Andrew Hartford." Anton stood up.

"Okay. I've still got a few more calls to make; I think my waterslide might still be under warranty, but if not my insurance company should cover it. Aliens apparently count under the home invasion clause."

Anton wished her luck and left, heading back towards the living room, where the bulk of the partying was taking place now that sixty percent of the patio had been destroyed. He was just passing the dining room when a girl in pink stepped into his path. "Dr. Anton Mercer," she said.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'm Jennifer Scotts," she said, "Pink Ranger and leader of Time Force."

She didn't extend her hand for Anton to shake, and he didn't offer his, knowing that etiquette dictated a woman should offer her hand first. "Time Force?" he repeated, racking his brains for what little he knew of the Time Force Rangers. "Weren't they led by a Red Ranger named Wes?"

She nodded. "They were. Wes is in charge of the Silver Guardians now, and we've been back in the future. We've returned indefinitely now, with a different Red Ranger, Marcus, active in Wes's place, and I've been named lead." She hesitated. "I'm sorry. This is awkward."

"How so?" Anton asked politely. He appreciated her introduction, but he couldn't think why she was being so formal about it. Tommy had introduced him to a number of people before being waylaid by Trip and most of them had just smiled and shaken Anton's hand or waved.

"I had a speech prepared," she said, "but I'm having trouble remembering all of it. I don't know why I expected this party to be a little more… well, serious, but they left a lot of things out. They didn't even mention the alien attack."

"They? The future, you mean?" Anton asked, his interest piqued. Why would she have a speech prepared for him, and what did she know of the future?

"Yes. They gave me a list of basic details, most of which I committed to memory, but I figured my encounter with you and the others I'm here to meet would be a tad more official. I can't even find Marcus, and seeing Wes… well, that's not the point. I've come to recruit you, Dr. Mercer, for a mission of the utmost importance. It's your destiny."

Anton stared at her, stunned. "I'm sorry?" What were they serving at this party, anyway?

"Time Force is an organization that keeps the peace in Millennium City, roughly a thousand years in the future," Jen explained. "It's my job to found that organization—or rather, its predecessor. According to history, you're deeply involved in the project."

Anton continued his incredulous staring for a moment. "I'm… you're saying _I'm_ going to create Time Force?"

Jen nodded, seeming pleased that he'd caught on. "Yes. You're one of the people we were sent here to recruit."

Anton couldn't quite wrap his brain around this. He had already lived a rather eventful life; it was daunting to realize that his destiny wasn't even close to finished. Starting an organization that would outlast him by a thousand years…

"You're sure about this?" he asked faintly.

She nodded. "Positive. It's our history. Our destiny. Well, that always gets a little confusing. In the year 3003, I was told that it was my team's destiny to return to 2004 and recruit a team to found the Earth chapter of what will later be known as Space Patrol Delta. Eventually, in 2578, I believe, time travel technology will be perfected and regulated, leading to the conversion of S.P.D. to Time Force. I wanted to introduce myself as quickly as possible and lay the groundwork for our working relationship—you are instrumental to the team."

"I am?" Anton asked, unable to believe he could be further startled at this point.

"Yes. You're a leading scientist, and your advancements as Mesogog can now be transferred to our side. There are a great many things to discuss, but we've got time to discuss them. I just wanted to touch base with you and some of the others while I'm here."

"Who are the others?" he asked. "This team you're recruiting."

"Your wife, Elizabeth Randall—"

"Wife?" Anton demanded, his shock increasing tenfold; if this kept up he was going to die of heart failure before he got to work on anything she was talking about.

"Sorry," Jen said, cringing apologetically. "It's a little hard to keep the timeline straight."

"Yes," Anton said in a strangled voice. "I suppose it would be. Well, that's… encouraging."

Jen cleared her throat. "Elizabeth Randall is one. Hayley Tate is two—I believe you're well-acquainted with her?" Anton nodded, dazed. "Three is Ethan James, whom you've met of course. Danny Delgado from Wild Force is four; he's a plant specialist, meant to function as your assistant. I hear you do a lot of work in botany."

"Yes, it's a specialty of mine," Anton agreed. "That was what led me to paleontology—extinct plant life."

"There are three from Ninja Storm—"

"Ninja Rangers?" Anton asked, perking up.

"Only one of them. Cameron Watanabe, the Green Samurai Ranger. He's their technical advisor and will be a great asset to us. His cousins Marah and Kapri will be joining the team also—they were raised among evil villains and have traveled throughout the universe, giving them a wealth of useful information. Then there's Andros from the Space Rangers, and Dr. Manx, an alien and a brilliant scientist. The other five come from my team—Marcus Barstow, Lucas Kendall, Trip Regis, Katie Walker, and myself."

"Ah," Anton said. He shook his head. "I'm sorry. It's a bit much to take in."

"I understand." She held out a slip of paper to him. "Here. This is Wes's number; we're moving out to Silver Hills to set up shop, temporarily of course. I imagine we'll be moving to your laboratory soon."

"My… what?"

"Your laboratory? History says most of the early experiments are conducted there."

"I don't have a laboratory," Anton said blankly. "I mean, I do, but it's been destroyed. It hasn't been rebuilt yet. We have months of work to do, Elsa and I."

"We'll help you," Jen said. "As will the Silver Guardians. Eventually, once we get things going, we'll merge our work with the Silver Guardian task force and begin the Space Patrol Delta Ranger training program in Silver Hills, which of course is going to become New Tech City in 2015, but that's getting ahead of myself."

"Is there anything left behind yourself?" he asked.

She laughed. "Plenty. They were right—you do have a sense of humor. Well, I still have to touch base with a few of the others—will you excuse me?" Anton nodded. "We'll be in touch, of course." With that, Jen vanished into the dining room, leaving Anton to stare into space, dumbfounded.

The chiming of a grandfather clock went off eventually, making him jump. It was now half past midnight—he was supposed to be at Andrew's house in ten minutes, and he still had to pick his way across the lawn full of demolished robots. Reflecting on his encounter with Jen could wait; now he had to figure out what he was going to tell his old friend about his disappearance.

* * *

"What you drinking?" Jason asked Tommy, coming over to where Tommy was relaxing after his sparring match with Trip on what remained of the patio wall.

"Water," Tommy replied. "Should probably head back to Angel Grove soon."

Jason made a noncommittal noise. "First couple hours of the party, I thought, 'This is great. Forget all the drama back home, hang out at Tanya's place.'" He shook his head. "Then the aliens attacked."

Tommy snorted. "Yeah. Figures as much. I haven't had powers for three whole weeks; guess the universe couldn't resist throwing a battle at me."

"You've had other battles recently," Jason commented nonchalantly.

Tommy groaned. "This is our heart-to-heart talk about Kim, isn't it."

Jason laughed. "Yep." Jason sat down beside him. "Look, man, I'll keep it brief. Don't let her get away again."

Tommy waited, but Jason didn't continue. "'Don't let her get away again,' that's it?"

Jason shrugged. "Need I say more?"

"You did sit down," Tommy pointed out indignantly. "That implied it was something longer. You could have loomed over me threateningly if that's all you were gonna say. How about some, I don't know, words of wisdom or something? Advice on how to keep her or…?"

"Nah," Jason said. "I'll let you flail through that one on your own. It'll give me far more opportunities to laugh at you that way."

Tommy glared at him. "Shouldn't you be having sex with Trini or something?"

"Already did," Jason replied with a grin. "So. The Kim thing. Don't screw up. I'm gonna go get plastered; Zack's driving back."

"Make sure you remind Zack of that," Tommy said. Jason grunted in acknowledgment and went back inside, leaving Tommy alone on the patio.

Tommy sighed and stared absently out at the robots littering the lawn. He was going to need a plan, and soon. He couldn't just leave things with Kimberly to chance, not when chance had slipped him a letter destroying their relationship.

The trouble was he had no idea how to prepare for this. He'd come up with a few plans before, of course, but they almost always involved strangling a faceless male gymnast. His most recent plans had been a little less focused on the guy from Kimberly's letter, but they had also been built around the idea that Kimberly had dumped him. Skull had really thrown a wrench in things, as usual. What now?

_Nothing,_ replied the internal voice that sounded suspiciously like Hayley. _Now we have fun. We ignore Kimberly and we party. Before the NEXT alien attack._

Tommy glanced down at his cup of water. "Aw, screw it," he said, tossing its contents out onto the ground—or rather, onto the exposed wiring of a mostly-demolished robot. Tommy ignored the sizzling pop of current and the handful of sparks the robot emitted, turning to go back inside. He'd make one of the Dino Rangers drive home or something, provided they were all still alive and sober; right now he was taking a break.

* * *

"Dr. O. Hey, Dr. O, wake up."

Tommy opened his eyes and found himself curled up in the passenger side of his Jeep, Zack's Ninja Turtles blanket thrown over him. Trent was sitting in the driver's seat, smiling encouragingly at him. "How do you feel?" Trent asked.

Tommy wasn't sure how to answer that question. He felt fine—wide-awake and free of any hangover side effects, which he presumed had something to do with yesterday's dose of Aquitian water, but the last thing he remembered was elbowing his way into a circle of Yellows for tequila shots. Tommy reached up to rub the sleep from his eyes. "Okay, I guess. Where am I?"

"In the parking lot of the hotel. Most of the lot was full, so we're pretty far from the door."

"How'd I get here?"

"The long version, or the short version?" Trent asked.

Tommy groaned. "There's a long version?"

"After the conga line—"

"Conga line?"

"Kira says you're paying for her therapy bills."

"Oh, god." Tommy sighed. "After the conga line?" he prompted.

"You professed your love to Jen. We think you thought she was Kimberly."

"Oh, no. Did someone explain that to her?"

"She was making out with Wes at the time. I don't think she really noticed you."

Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose, searching desperately through his memory banks. Most of what he could recall from the previous day revolved around Skull and Kimberly, not the party. He could remember the hang glider crash, the aliens attacking… Anton catching Trent getting drunk in the shower with Alyssa… something about Tommy being mad at Ryan involving Hayley and a lizard… not much else. "How bad is this story?"

"Let's just say it ended when we found you playing strip poker with Kelsey. You were down to your jeans and one sock." Tommy groaned again; Trent's mouth twitched but he managed to keep most of the amusement from his voice. "Conner wanted to wait and see if you got her bra off, but the Blue Ranger from Lightspeed came in and said the world was about to be short one original Ranger. Or something. I don't know, it happened kind of fast. You told him he had kind eyes and passed out. If it's any consolation, you had a straight flush and you _so_ would have won the next hand."

Tommy let his head thunk back against the headrest and squeezed his eyes shut. "Remind me to call Chad later."

"Oh, he's not mad at you anymore. We told him you thought every brunette girl was Kimberly and he calmed down, said he was overreacting and took over your hand. That's how we know what cards you had." Trent cleared his throat. "Anyway, Hayley got you dressed while Conner and I found Ethan."

"Yeah?" Tommy asked wearily, his eyes still closed. "What was Ethan up to?"

"Apparently every time Carter gets wasted he hides somewhere and occasionally kidnaps people, did you know that?"

"Found out at Jason and Trini's wedding. He had two of Trini's cousins and Jason's dad under the buffet table. Convinced them they were hiding from enemy soldiers or monsters or something. If you ever get married, don't make it open bar if you plan on inviting Rangers."

"I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, Ethan was in a closet with him and Carlos. Good thing Max and Danny had put their coats in there or we might never have found Ethan."

"Probably not. Took an Aquitian Ranger getting in a fight with the bartender for us to find him at the wedding. Did Kira come out unscathed?"

"You mean other than the hang glider crash? You remember that, right?"

"Yeah, vaguely. How'd she do after that?"

"She was more or less fine."

"How about you? I ought to kick your ass for drinking."

"Sorry about that. Rough week, you know?" Trent said sheepishly. Tommy snorted and nodded, figuring Trent's record was clean enough to earn a little forgiveness. "Anyway, yeah, I sobered up. I, uh, kind of punched out Lucas, but we—"

"What? Why?"

"He was hitting on Kira," Trent grumbled. "Even though I saw him come out of a bathroom with Cassie while I was helping Dana look for Carter."

"Lucas is like that, but he's harmless. Do I need to keep you two separated tomorrow?"

"Nah. He told me it's my future to marry Kira. We're cool now."

Tommy's eyes flew open as he realized what the Time Force Rangers might know about him and Kimberly. "Really."

"Yeah. I mean, there's a good chance he was just trying to make nice, cuz it almost wound up a huge brawl with me and Conner and Kira and against Lucas and Katie and Trip—"

"Wonder who would have won _that_ fight," Tommy muttered in spite of himself.

"—but all the same it was nice of him to say it. Kira's a little freaked out, and Katie told him he shouldn't have said that about us, and then Lucas said she was the one telling Ethan she's his descendant, but in the end there was a round of apologies and Lucas and I did a little friendly sparring out in the yard; he says I've got a great right cross but my uppercut needs work. He's one to talk, with a roundhouse like that," Trent added good-naturedly.

"Uh-huh." Tommy sighed. "Do I even want to ask about Conner?"

"Hey, Conner's the one who stopped Kira from doing Jell-O shots. Once he realized what Jell-O shots were." Trent gave Tommy an apologetic look. "She might have been on number four by that point, but Kira says we can't prove anything and she's got a point. Plus, you know, it _was_ right after Lucas told her it was her destiny to marry me; I don't know about you, but I can't blame her."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Where are the others now?"

"Jason and Trini took Conner and Billy back to their place; they're coming back here soon to drive over to the park with us. Hayley, Zack, Kimberly, Kira and Ethan are upstairs; they're all getting ready. We figured we'd let you sleep a while, because you drank Aquitian water, but Jason fell asleep on the couch for a minute back at Tanya's and he's fine, and Billy says he thinks morphing may have destroyed the water's effects, or maybe you've all built up a tolerance. Anyway, that's why I was nominated to wake you up—I got ready first because I'm the only one who drank and didn't morph, so I'm not supposed to sleep. The others already grabbed a couple hours. You've been asleep since about four, maybe."

"What time is it now?"

"Almost eight in the morning. Rocky, Adam, Aisha and Tanya are meeting us at the park at nine. Well, we think Rocky's coming, anyway; he never came back from Carmen's house. Better hurry—you should have the shower free in your and Zack's room; the others already had theirs. And Hayley's organizing your stuff for you, so that should speed things up."

Tommy breathed a sigh of relief. He had forgotten Hayley was here. Hayley, his rock, his other half, his go-to girl for all his problems. With any luck, she'd make things go a lot more smoothly… though if he was being honest with himself, he knew nothing was going to go smoothly anytime soon. He let out another sigh, this one more weary than relieved.

Trent grinned, as if guessing his thoughts. "Better get a move on, Dr. O," he said, popping the Jeep's door handle. "It's Power Rangers Day."

* * *

_End Notes:_ By the way, we make _no_ guarantees as to the parentage of the S.P.D. Rangers. You have your list of those involved in the experiment, but rest assured we'll be throwing curveballs. Big, fast, painful curveballs that nail you in the parts of the head unprotected by your batting helmet.

We had intended to drag the party out into a pit of thoroughly psychotic chaos, but the story sometimes refuses to let its authors decide the details. I can't really complain, though—call me crazy, but I think we've waited long enough for Power Rangers Day.

Gathered a few hints for you guys:

1) Kimberly regarded Hayley thoughtfully for a moment. "Are we really that weird?"

2) "All those years as a superhero making excuses for strange behavior, and _that's_ all you've got? Tell them that you're dead?"

3) "Oh, thank god you're here," Jason groaned as Trini, Aisha, Tanya and Hayley came walking up. "Tommy's gonna be here any minute, and someone sensible has to break the news to him."

4) The other Ninja Rangers gaped at him. "Dude, that is _cold,"_ Dustin said, sounding impressed.


	110. Doomsday

**Chapter 110**

_Doomsday_

Kimberly watched as Hayley sorted methodically through Tommy's clothing. Hayley had muttered something about him having bad habits and had started organizing all his belongings. Something about the way Hayley moved, with purpose and certainty and no regard for what Tommy might think of her actions, led Kimberly to believe that this was a common thing for Hayley. Once again, Kimberly found herself wondering about the nature of Hayley and Tommy's relationship; while she'd heard enough testimony to believe it was strictly platonic, it definitely seemed unusual. Hayley was obviously close to Tommy, probably what a psychologist would call "unhealthily" close, and she was in on the secret, which had to put a unique twist on things.

"Do you do this a lot?" Kimberly asked.

Hayley froze for a moment over the drawer of clothes she was refolding. Zack and Kira were over in Ethan and Trent's room at the moment; Kimberly assumed Hayley would have been more comfortable if Kimberly had gone with them, but Kimberly had to admit she was fascinated by Hayley and wanted to get to know her better. In the aftermath of Skull's confession and yesterday's conversation with Hayley in the Jeep, Kimberly felt a strong sense of curiosity and gratitude towards Hayley, and Kimberly figured if she really was going to be in Tommy's life from now on, Hayley would be a part of it.

"Yes," Hayley said after a long pause. "Picking out his clothes is difficult for him, what with the color blend. Some days he feels more one color than the others, and some days he has to have them all evenly represented."

Kimberly frowned, finding it an odd chore to require a friend's help, in spite of Tommy's color issues. "How'd you wind up helping him with that? Was it while you were dating?"

"Before that, actually," Hayley muttered, continuing her organization of Tommy's belongings. "We lived together as roommates first. Tommy's terrible at laundry. It was easier to do it myself than to let him dye all our clothing or shrink things. I still can't figure out what he did to my college sweater."

Kimberly smiled. "He relies on you a lot."

"I rely on him a lot," Hayley said. "He does a lot of the grunt work when it comes to fixing things. I enjoy experimenting and solving things, but Tommy lifts the heavy stuff and does general maintenance and he's always there for me."

Kimberly absorbed this. "Still… it seems like you do more for him. Keep him organized, remind him of things, help him fight the evil monsters that are attacking…"

Hayley sighed and tossed socks into Tommy's suitcase with a little more force than necessary. "He keeps life interesting."

Kimberly snorted. "I bet."

"The thing about me, Kim," Hayley explained, "is that my role in life is helping others. That's why I left the technology business and opened a café where I could help people learn about computers and listen to their problems. I'm a bartender and tech support all in one; that's how I met Ethan, long before the Dino Rangers began—he was there on opening day. Anyway, I'm in the zone when I'm helping Tommy. I'm a crisis girl; I thrive on making sense of the chaos. When things go wrong, I fix them. That's what I do and that's where I'm happiest. Tommy has a lot of crazy things happening to or caused by him, but more than that… he needs me. Oh, he could survive without me, I'm sure, but I like that he lets himself depend on me. I need someone to need me or _I'm_ the useless one. That's what I get from Tommy—a purpose. Whether it's evil dinosaur-based monsters attacking the city or Tommy getting his foot stuck in the kitchen sink drain."

"…He got his foot stuck in the kitchen sink drain?"

"Twice. Once in college, once while he was invisible. _That_ was an interesting problem."

Kimberly chuckled. "Mind giving me some details?"

"Kim…" Hayley sighed and turned to face her; Kimberly suddenly realized that this was the first time since the Jeep that Hayley had looked her in the eye. "I'm not ready for this."

"Not ready for what?" Kimberly's eyes narrowed, upset that Hayley was blowing her off. "What, are you still rebounding? Did you recently break up with another of Tommy's ex-girlfriends?"

Hayley smiled faintly. "It's nothing personal. It's just that…" She sighed again. "Look, Kimberly, no offense, but I don't know you."

"That's what I'm trying to change," Kimberly pointed out.

"I know, but… what I mean is… to me, you were always the bitch who dumped Tommy and left him with a slew of relationship issues. I have all this… this misplaced anger towards you, on Tommy's behalf. I didn't know who you were, and I still don't. I just don't think it's a good idea for us to bond until… until I can compartmentalize, you know? Learn to see you as 'Kimberly, the girl who used to date Tommy before a freak accident' instead of 'Kimberly, the girl who broke Tommy's heart.' Right now I just… I look at you, and I see the source of a major headache for me and a major heartache for him. I don't see _you._ Give me some time, okay? Let me reprogram myself."

Kimberly thought this over, then nodded. "I guess I can see that. We're all going to have to do that. God, poor Skull." She put her hands over her face. "That boy can't stay out of trouble for a minute. You know he stole an experimental ship from NASADA to go after Bulk when Bulk and Professor Phenomenus accidentally took off on Terra Venture without him? I heard about it on the news. I don't know how he got out of that one; they had his face on the security footage and everything."

"Tommy's told me stories, but I only met them a few times before now," Hayley said. "I used to think Tommy was making it up. I figured any two people that crazy had to be exaggerated."

"Bulk and Skull need no exaggerations." Kimberly sighed. "Look, I get that you have this story of my history with Tommy that needs some drastic rewrites. But… sooner or later, you're going to have to get over it." She sat up straight, looking Hayley determinedly in the eye. "I'm going to be in Tommy's life now. I don't know what's going to happen, with me or him or us or whatever, but I'm not going anywhere. Tommy's back in my life. Girlfriend or not, we were friends and we were teammates and I deserve to reclaim that, if nothing else. Me and Tommy both do."

Hayley shrugged. "I know you do. I'm not going to stop you. I want what's best for Tommy; I think you're aware of that. I just need to figure out where to put you." Hayley smiled. "Look, Kimberly, I want you to remember something about me, okay?"

"What's that?"

"I'm not one of you."

Kimberly stared at her. "Huh?"

"I'm not one of _you."_

"You mean… you're not a Ranger?" Kimberly asked, confused.

"I mean I'm not a whack job!" Hayley exclaimed. Seeing Kimberly's affronted expression, she hastily calmed down and added, "Kimberly… you guys are from a different world than I am. Forget Rangers, forget powers, forget anything else—you have _destinies._ Big important crazy destinies and I don't. You're the ones the powers that be are interested in, not me. I'm useful, I'm helpful, I'm there for Tommy and anyone who needs me. But this isn't my story. This isn't my universe. I've just been sucked into it by some goofball who needed some help figuring out the ropes of college. I'm not built for your antics, yours or Tommy's or Conner's or anyone else's. I've never been kidnapped or shot or visited another planet or had a vision quest! I need time and space to process things because I don't live in a world where weird is commonplace and normal is simple. Normal is _hard,_ Kim. It's hard for _me,_ anyway. If my best friend finds out that the girl who dumped him didn't actually dump him but rather thought he dumped her because some lunatic they used to know was taking a self-help course, I'm gonna need a minute to handle that. I don't change gears the way you people do. I haven't had nearly enough practice."

Kimberly regarded Hayley thoughtfully for a moment. "Are we really that weird?"

Hayley grimaced. "I wish I could say something comforting, or at least tactful, but in a word? Yes. You _are_ that weird and you always have been. Before Zordon recruited you, before Rita kidnapped Tommy, before any of that ever occurred. That's _why_ it happened to you, Kimberly—it didn't make you that way." She shook her head ruefully. "When I first met Ethan, I thought there was something different about him. I thought, 'Here's an unusual kid,' but I couldn't think _how_ he was unusual. He was smarter than most, nicer than most, had a good sense of humor and a thirst for life and a cheerful disposition, but none of that was really _strange;_ you can find those qualities in a lot of people. Yet he kept… well… reminding me of _Tommy."_ Kimberly burst into giggles.

"Who reminded you of Tommy?" Tommy asked, pushing open the hotel room door.

"Ethan did," Hayley replied.

"Oh, yeah," Tommy said vaguely. "I remember you telling me about him before he became a Dino Ranger. We could never figure out _why_ he reminded you of me, though, right?"

"Nope," Hayley said dryly. Kimberly's giggles increased in volume.

Tommy looked at Kimberly curiously, then decided not to ask. "I need a shower," Tommy told Hayley. "Jason just called; he's on his way with Trini and Billy. You look tired; are you okay?"

"I'm hanging in there," she said wearily.

Something about her tone sent Kimberly into hysterics. Tommy cast Kimberly a suspicious look, then turned back to Hayley. "Do I want to know what you did to Kimberly?"

"Nothing important," Hayley said.

Tommy shrugged. "Okay. Hey—why am I remembering something involving you, Ryan and a lizard?" Kimberly began choking on her laughter.

"Don't worry about it," Hayley told him. "Ryan and I forgave you."

Tommy frowned, then shrugged. "Whatever. Hey, see if you can find where I put my earrings for me?" Hayley nodded. "Thanks."

Tommy disappeared into the bathroom and Hayley looked at Kimberly, who was clutching her stomach as she fought to regain control of herself. "And there you have it," Hayley said. "Now that I've coordinated his wardrobe I just have to wait until he's clean so I can force him into a replica of his own superhero costume and take him to the park so he can sign autographs without revealing his identity. And the boy doesn't even blink about how _weird_ that is."

"I'm sure you'll get used to it," Kimberly consoled her.

"I don't _want_ to get used to it," Hayley retorted darkly. "I want to keep blinking about how weird it is, thank you very much. The moment you're used to it, the weirdness has _won."_

Kimberly grinned. "I think I'll just go see how the others are doing." Hayley nodded and returned to sorting Tommy's stuff. Kimberly stood up and headed for the door, then paused and turned back to ask, "Hayley? Do you ever regret it?"

"Regret what, specifically?" Hayley asked.

"Tommy. Being a part of Tommy's world. I know that can't be easy for you. It wasn't easy for me, and I'm… 'built for it,' to use your words."

Hayley gave her a faint smile. "On the bad days, the really weird and stressful ones, sometimes I think to myself, 'What am I doing here?' But in the end, no. I don't regret it. I wouldn't give him up for the world, insanity and all. I might be normal, but… I think Tommy needs a little normal. And I need to be needed."

Kimberly nodded and turned to go, but Hayley called, "Do _you_ ever regret it? Your history with Tommy?"

"Never," Kimberly replied, and left without looking back.

* * *

At eight fifteen, Jason, Trini, Billy and Conner found everyone in Ethan and Trent's room, Zack and Kimberly telling Ethan, Trent and Kira about the day Zordon had recruited them. "We have a problem," Jason announced the minute Billy closed the door behind him.

"Does it have anything to do with why Conner's wearing Billy's helmet?" Kimberly asked.

"Huh?" Jason shook his head. "That's just cuz he's banned and we didn't want any trouble from the hotel staff."

"Isn't that kind of conspicuous?" Trent asked.

"Actually no," Jason replied. "We saw all sorts of costumes and stuff on the way here. That's when we got the idea to put it on him; we were just gonna leave him in the car."

"It's mostly Ranger suits, but I also saw Wonder Woman, Batman, a crowd of Sailor Scouts and what I think might have been a bunch of people from _Street Fighter,"_ Conner added. "And we almost pulled over to kick a monster's butt before we realized it was fake."

"Lord Zedd, no less," Trini said dryly. "It was an excellent representation."

"Who in their right minds…?" Kimberly wondered, then shook her head. "Never mind. Tell us what the problem is."

"Basically," Jason said, "we just realized that the last time we did this, we were all able to morph. Now you and Tommy and Billy have to change into the suits. How exactly are we going to get you guys into them in the middle of the park?"

An uneasy silence settled over the group. "They have public bathrooms," Zack suggested.

Jason shook his head. "That place is going to be packed. Throwing on a real Power Rangers costume in a public restroom could get a little dicey."

"Just go in costume," Conner suggested. "Boots, gloves, the works. Plenty of people are doing it; no one would notice you."

"There's something to be said for hiding in plain sight," Kira said.

"Way too risky," Jason argued. "First of all, I doubt they have suits of this quality."

"They're not even made out of fabrics commonly found in this solar system," Billy agreed.

"Not to mention it probably isn't good to connect us with our actual colors," Tommy added.

"Who would notice with _you,_ Dr. O?" Conner pointed out. Tommy rolled his eyes.

"You could go Clark Kent style," Trent said. "A lot of superheroes wear their costumes under their clothes."

There was no immediate argument for this. "Huh," Jason said thoughtfully. "That could work."

"We could take a bag along for the gloves and helmets," Trini mused.

"Belts and boots and Tommy's shield, too," Zack said. "Might need a full-on duffel bag. Probably don't want to be carrying that around all day til it's time for the Rangers to show up."

"We could leave it in the trunk of someone's car," Kira suggested.

"No," Tommy said firmly. "That's all we need, someone breaking in to the car and finding our helmets."

"Is carjacking that big a deal in Angel Grove?" Trent asked skeptically.

"No, but chaos is," Tommy retorted. "It would be just our luck for Angel Grove's one carjacker to take off with our stuff or expose us or, I don't know, claim he's the White Ranger."

"Backpacks," Ethan suggested. "I've got one; Trent does too. Don't know if we could find a pink one, but we can probably find one for Kimberly somewhere. Not that they need to be color-coded or anything, I just… you could each fit your helmet, gloves and boots in there, and keep it on you all day."

"Then you'd have somewhere to store your clothes when it came time to appear in the suits," Hayley said. "We can hold your clothes for you once you're in 'morph,' so you won't have to find a place to stash them."

"The same people should probably carry the bags all day," Jason said. "Just in case anyone is watching. We don't want someone to notice that a guy carrying a book bag is now missing and someone else has the same bag."

"Would anyone really care?" Kira asked.

"Situation like this? Everyone's going to be wondering who the Rangers are and where they've been," Jason said. "It's better to be more careful than less, anyway. By the way, do not, under _any_ circumstances, brush up against a public-identity Ranger. We stay separate. The Lightspeed team, Time Force, the Space Rangers, even Lost Galaxy. Keep your distance from anyone who was ever a Ranger and didn't have a secret identity. Ninja Storm, Wild Force, that's fine, but otherwise you only talk to Mighty Morphin and Zeo, understand?" The Dino Rangers nodded. "Good. Okay. Let's get these suits on; Rocky, Adam, Aisha and Tanya are supposed to meet us at the park in less than an hour."

Conner stayed behind with Ethan and Trent in their room, intent on telling them all about the wacky things people were doing for Power Rangers Day and discussing what might happen at the park, while the others went over to Tommy and Zack's room. Kimberly, having retrieved key pieces of her luggage from her car before leaving Los Angeles, took her own suit into the bathroom with Kira and Trini, while Tommy and Billy changed in the main room.

Kimberly was pleasantly surprised to realize that the suit wasn't difficult to get on. She had never tried it on before; it was her most prized outfit, which given her shopping habits was saying something, and she hadn't wanted to damage it. It was actually three pieces, not one—the white, high-necked part that extended down to her waist, like a sleeveless turtleneck; the shirt and skirt, which were one single piece, and the pants. It was snug, but not uncomfortably so, and once she had it on it seemed to contour to her body. She pulled on the belt, boots and gloves, just to make sure they fit, and the suit was complete.

"Wow," she said, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"Yeah," Trini said, smiling. "The resemblance is exact."

Kimberly nodded, but that wasn't what she'd meant. Unlike Jason, Trini and Zack, Kimberly didn't have the power to change into her original suit at will; this was the first time she'd been clothed as the original Pink Ranger since she'd handed over her Power Coin. For a moment, she almost felt like crying—and she might have, if a thunderous crash hadn't sounded from the bedroom.

The three girls bolted out of the bathroom and discovered that the crash had been Billy, toppling over in an attempt to get the pants of his suit on. Apparently both he and Tommy were having a harder time of it; Hayley was trying to force the top half of Tommy's suit over his head, and Billy had only managed to get the white undershirt on; his pants were giving him trouble.

"Perhaps one leg at a time is not a viable option," Billy said dryly. Jason snorted and offered him a hand up.

Tommy's face finally appeared through the collar of his suit and his eyes widened at the sight of Kimberly. "Wow," he said.

She smiled sheepishly. "I know, right?"

"Arms up," Hayley ordered Tommy. He looked away from Kimberly, his face a tad red.

"Are you okay, Billy?" Trini asked as Billy sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I'm fine," he assured her. "Earth's gravity complicates my balance a little, that's all." He bent down and began tugging the legs of his suit up, this time in tandem with each other. "I hope these fit."

"Once you get it on, it's like the suit stretches and molds itself to you," Kimberly told him. "Don't worry about ripping it; it's pretty strong too. I didn't have any trouble."

"You wear leotards every day," Tommy pointed out. "I had a hell of a time getting my pants on. You're right, though—it _does_ seem to fit when it shouldn't."

Kimberly nodded and started to say something, but she suddenly realized Tommy was averting his gaze from her. A wave of panic gripped her; the last thing she needed after the week she'd had was to see Tommy decked out as the White Mighty Morphin Power Ranger.

"Um… I need my suitcase," Kimberly said, embarrassed to hear her voice wavering a bit. "I have no idea what I'm going to wear over this thing. I didn't bring a lot of winter clothes, it being June and all."

Kimberly grabbed the three cases she'd salvaged from her car and hurried back into the bathroom, Kira and Trini both noticing something was up and following her. Kimberly pushed the door shut behind them, embarrassed to hear Zack teasing Tommy about acting like Kimberly's prom date when he'd seen her in her suit.

"You okay?" Trini whispered.

"Oh, god, this is going to be hard," Kimberly moaned quietly. "I just found out he really didn't dump me and now we have to walk down memory lane in the _suits?_ Trini, I don't know if I can do this."

"You're going to have to," Trini told her firmly. "It's too late to back out of Power Rangers Day now. Just relax. Worry about Tommy later."

"I can't relax!" Kimberly wailed as loud as she dared. "We've got to get me out of here! Quick, Trini, tell everyone I'm dead!"

Trini stared at her. "Three years as a superhero making excuses for strange behavior, and _that's_ all you've got? Tell them that you're dead?"

Kimberly chose to disregard that comment. "Oh, my god! What made me think I could do this _before_ I found out that Skull accidentally dumped me? He's… he's… Tommy's…"

"He's in love with you," Kira said. Both Trini and Kimberly stared at her, wondering where _that_ had come from and why it was something Kira felt necessary to say. Kira just shrugged. "What? He is. He's in love with you, you're in love with him, you both found out that you didn't actually mean to break up, what is the problem? Are you afraid you're going to try to make out with him with your helmets on?"

Kimberly giggled, the imagery too amusing to be quashed by her panic. "Well, no, but…"

"So what's the problem?" Kira repeated. "Kim, you have a thing for Dr. O. As much as that weirds me out, own up to it already. Get over whatever the hell happened between you two and ask the guy out. We've _always_ said the man needs a date."

Trini snorted. Kimberly gaped at Kira for a moment, then turned to look askance at Trini. "She _does_ have a point, Kim," Trini said. "I know it's awkward, but… you've got to move on now. Look past your history and start thinking about your future."

"Sooner or later? You gotta stop freaking out," Kira said. "I get the whole panic-in-the-face-of-a-guy-you-like thing—I did the same thing with Trent. At first. But you and Dr. O have danced around each other enough. Even _before_ you two found out about that weird guy and the letters and everything, I was waiting for one of you to ask the other out. Kim, just…" She sighed. "I say this as a friend, Kimberly—knock off the hysterics already."

Kimberly took a deep, steadying breath and let it out slowly. "You're right. I can do this. I can." She squared her shoulders and tossed her head back. "Now. Help me figure out what to do with my hair so it'll fit under the helmet."

* * *

It took some careful planning to disguise the suits. Kimberly didn't often wear baggy pants, and as such her skirt had to be concealed by tucking it up under her shirt, pressing it flat and tying it into place with the rope from Zack's suitcase. Billy's clothing was at Jason and Trini's house and he was forced to borrow a long-sleeved red T-shirt from Tommy; Tommy had been planning to wear the shirt himself, but Hayley said it clashed with the only pants he had clean and insisted that a large group of color-coordinated people was going to be conspicuous enough without Tommy looking like a fashion disaster as well. Tommy could find no suitable way to wear his shield and none of the backpacks they had on-hand were big enough to hold it; eventually he was reduced to putting it in a duffel bag of Zack's much to his disappointment (it smelled rather… unusual), which Trent offered to carry. Finally, however, they were adequately disguised and headed for the park.

Traffic was already getting rough, though it wasn't quite nine in the morning. As Angel Grove natives, however, the Rangers had the advantage over the baffled tourists peering at street signs; they kept off the main roads and wove through the streets to the park, parking in a lesser-known lot near the hiking trails and bike paths.

"The internet says they're holding the activities in the big field by the main parking lot," Trini said as they climbed out of the cars. "We should get going; we've got about five minutes before we're supposed to meet the others."

It wasn't far to walk, especially not when the older Rangers knew every path in the park. They entered from the back of the field, which had been transformed from a long expanse of grassy meadow into something resembling a county fair. Booths had been erected all over the place, selling food or memorabilia. A stage was set up in the center of the field, with six empty chairs arranged on either side of a podium; its base had been painted with a mural of the Power Rangers. Streamers and balloons ranged between the vendor's stalls. Everything was brightly colored, from the decorations to the people; any worries the Rangers might have had about their color-coordinated outfits standing out were alleviated by the fact that nearly everyone was wearing a Ranger color. The crowd wasn't too thick yet, and the Rangers wandered through it, looking for Rocky, Adam, Aisha and Tanya, occasionally waving at someone they knew.

Conner lagged behind once they entered the field, looking around with interest. He had expected only the Mighty Morphin Rangers to be honored here, but other teams were represented, too. Action figures, posters, replica helmets and weapons and other types of Power Rangers swag were being offered by vendors, and some of the people in costume were dressed as teams that had debuted long after the original one; he was shocked to see someone in a Triassic Ranger suit getting his picture taken with two girls in Reefside Tech T-shirts.

He was just about to call out to the others to see if they'd mind letting him go get his picture taken with the Triassic Ranger when he saw the girl. The tall, blond, leggy, gorgeous girl. No, not girl—woman. She had to be a few years older than Conner was, but definitely not creepy-old. Maybe a year or two on the wrong side of college-aged. Not old enough to matter. After all, Carmen Electra was thirty-two, and she was way hot.

Conner scanned the surrounding area for anyone who might be with the girl, but she appeared to be alone; she was, however, glancing around as if looking for someone, so he had to act fast. He gave himself a moment to compose himself, tried to find something to check his appearance but failed to see anything reflective enough, and then pasted a half-smile on his face (never overdo it, that was key) and walked over to her.

"Hi," he said as charmingly as possible, holding out his hand. "I'm Conner."

She shook his hand, looking a bit confused at his approach. That was important, knocking her off-guard. Less chance that she'd respond with "Beat it, creep," if she was too startled to realize he was hitting on her before she got to thinking highly of him.

"Katherine," she replied. She had an accent. A very sexy accent. A _foreign_ accent. British, maybe, but Conner knew better than to guess after that incident with the Latvian. She gave him a tentative smile, as if waiting to see how the situation would play out. Good; if she hadn't shooed him away yet, he had a shot.

Conner dialed up the smile just a smidge. "You have a very beautiful voice."

"Why thank you," she said, embarrassed but smiling. _Score._

Conner went for the full-on grin. "You're welcome, Katherine." _Katherine—commit that name to memory,_ he told himself sternly.

"Oh, please, call me Kat," she said, slightly flustered now.

"I love your accent, Kat," he continued, struggling not to end up doing a victory dance. Nickname usage was always a plus. "Where's it from?"

"Australia."

"Really? I've never been there before—is it nice?"

"It's a lovely place," she confirmed.

Crap. "Do you live there now?" he asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

"Mm-hmm. I'm only here for a few days."

Conner's smile slipped a bit, but he forced it back; a few days was long enough. "Long way to come, just for Power Rangers Day."

"Oh… well… I lived here in Angel Grove when the Power Rangers were still fighting Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd and the Machine Empire and Divatox. I left after high school, though. I only came back because I thought I might get to see some of my old friends." She swallowed, looking a little anxious, and smoothed her skirt. "How about you? Do you live here?"

"Oh, no, I'm from Reefside," Conner said. "My friend's dad offered to send me and some buddies on a graduation trip, and Trent's always had a bit of a fascination with Power Rangers."

"They're great," she said emphatically.

"Oh, yeah. I… can't wait to meet them." The irony in that statement made him fight not to chuckle. "The Red one is especially awesome. Uh, so I hear."

"I like the Red one a lot, too," she said, and he got the feeling she, too, was seeing some sort of irony in something, though he couldn't think what it could be in regards to. "At least, I did." She glanced around the park again, taking her eyes off Conner for the first time.

"Looking for your friends?" Conner asked, determined to keep her interest.

"Yes. I haven't been able to get in touch with them since I got off the plane—they must already be here. I hope I find them. I couldn't get a hotel room to save my life. All my luggage is still in the rental car; I just got in an hour ago. I'm sure Rocky will be willing to let me stay with him, though." Her eyes widened a bit and she looked back up at Conner. "Rocky's an old friend," she explained quickly, with just enough emphasis on the word "friend" to make it clear that Rocky was nothing _but_ a friend. "My cell phone got run over and I forgot my c—my satellite phone in Australia and I didn't think to bring my address book, so I couldn't get in touch with my friends once I got here and I looked a few of them up in a phonebook at a pay phone but no one answered so I figured they must already be here and…" She trailed off and sighed. "I'm sorry for rambling. I'm just a little nervous about seeing some of my friends again and I'd really like to know I've got a place to sleep tonight."

"I don't mind," Conner assured her, "and don't worry—if you can't find them, the Angel Grove Inn has a spare room or two. That's where I was staying."

"Was? You've already checked out?"

Conner struggled with himself for a moment before deciding that everyone loved a rebel, though he tried to look a little sheepish, going for somewhere between "bad to the bone" and "heart of gold." "I was banned, actually," he confided. "Kicked out."

"What on earth for?"

"Um, it's a long story. There was a pool and some orange paint involved. Also a monkey."

"A monkey?" she prompted curiously.

"Well, let's just say hotels don't take kindly to people who help their friends scrub a painted chimpanzee in the shallow end."

She laughed. "You're very amusing."

"Thanks," Conner said. It suddenly occurred to him to see what his group was currently up to, and he glanced around only to realize that they'd all wandered off without him. Perfect. "You know, I seem to have misplaced my friends at the moment, so if you'd like some company, we could look for our friends together…"

She beamed. "I'd like that."

Conner grinned back. Power Rangers Day was off to an excellent start.


	111. Orchestral Maneuvers in the Park

**Chapter 111**

_Orchestral Maneuvers in the Park_

"Ooh, programs!" Ethan exclaimed, stopping as they passed a table manned by a tired-looking woman in a purple T-shirt that said "STAFF." "Anybody else want one?"

"Sure, considering we _are_ the programs," Jason muttered to him. Raising his voice, he added, "We should probably get some, yeah." He picked up one of the booklets and leafed through it. On the cover was a picture of the White, Red, Yellow, Blue, Pink and Black Rangers, along with the caption "Power Rangers Day 2004." Inside was information on the Power Rangers, Angel Grove in general and the event itself, along with several blank pages for autographs, more photos, special thanks to the event's organizers and sponsors, and a schedule.

"Can we have a few extra?" Trini asked the woman sitting at the table. "Our friends are going to be meeting us here later."

"Oh, sure," she said, forcing a note of cheerfulness into her otherwise-weary tone. "The mayor printed up fifteen thousand of these things."

They stared at her. "Fifteen thousand?" Billy repeated, his voice cracking in horror.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll only get about half that here. Ten thousand, tops."

"Ten thousand people?" Ethan repeated as they wandered away with a handful of extra programs. "Am I glad I wasn't an original Ranger. Talk about pressure."

"Thanks, Ethan," Tommy said dryly, grimacing. Unlike the others, he hadn't done a Power Rangers Day before—at least, not as a Ranger.

"Let's see here… 'Arrival Time, 12:00 P.M.,'" Jason read aloud. "Good—now we know when to show up. Followed immediately by opening speeches by the mayor… and all six Rangers."

"'The Rangers Tell All, 1:00 P.M.,'" Billy read nervously.

"Um…" Tommy coughed. "Did anyone ever actually bother… writing a speech?"

"Oops," Kimberly said, wincing. The others all stopped walking, looking worriedly at each other.

"Well… we've still got four hours," Trini pointed out.

"Four hours? To write a speech? A speech like _this?_ Oh, god, are we allowed to use note cards?" Zack demanded.

"Breathe, buddy, you'll be fine," Jason assured him, though he looked worried himself.

"What am I gonna _say?_ I'm not good at writing speeches from _me,_ let alone speeches from the _other_ me!" Zack wailed.

"SHH! Come on. We'll figure it out," Trini said soothingly.

"Yeah—we're Power Rangers," Kimberly said. "These people love us."

"Hey—Jason! Tommy! Guys!"

Everyone turned to see Tanya coming towards them, accompanied by Adam, Aisha… and the Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger.

_"Rocky?"_ Jason demanded, horrified.

Rocky grinned. He was dressed up as the Red Ranger—but not in the replica suit he possessed. His suit was made of a thin polyester material, a little baggy in the legs but stretched tightly over the torso, covering what the others assumed was some sort of fake muscle suit. His boots were plain hiking boots starched white with what looked like liberal doses of shoe polish, and his gloves were plain white dress gloves with white poster board rolled around the cuffs so that they extended up to his elbows, where red diamonds had been added with marker. Only the helmet he carried, tucked under one arm, seemed to be of decent quality.

"I tried to talk him out of it," Adam said with an exasperated sigh.

"What… what… how?" Jason moaned. _"Why?"_

"Oh, someone take a picture of the look on Jason's face for me," Rocky said, cracking up.

"Nice costume," Trini commented, struggling to keep the amusement from her expression for Jason's sake—none of the others were bothering.

"I know, right? It didn't have gloves or boots and it just came with a mask, not a helmet, but thankfully I had one lying around," Rocky said, lifting up the helmet—which, on closer inspection, was the only part of his costume that had been part of his real replica suit. "I've taken pictures with three or four people and one little kid even started shouting, 'Look, Mommy, it's him!'"

Any of the others who had been able to contain their mirth promptly gave up. Jason glared at Rocky, but even he was clearly fighting the urge to smile. "Don't you think that's a little suspicious?" Jason asked dryly.

"Are you kidding? Everyone knows the _real_ Red Ranger would never come here in costume," Rocky joked. "That's just nuts! Besides, what's he need a costume for? _He_ has a morpher."

Jason finally chuckled. "I don't know whether to smack you upside the head or tell you I wish I'd thought of it."

"I did both," Adam said. He gestured broadly at the grounds. "This is crazy, isn't it?"

"I'll say," Jason said. "We were just panicking about how we've got to give speeches and answer questions. None of us are really prepared."

"Oh, I can help you there," Tanya said brightly. "I've got the spontaneous speech thing down pat. Had to, after my first Grammy Award."

"I remember that," Kira said. "You were funny. You said—" Kira frowned for a moment, thinking. "'This is what happens when you procrastinate. You wind up giving a speech in front of hundreds of people while on live TV.'"

"You really are a fan!" Tanya said, grinning at her. "I can't even remember that word for word."

"Oh, I'm a _huge_ fan," Kira assured her. "And I watch the Grammy Awards every year."

Tanya slung an arm around Kira's shoulder; Kira struggled not to look as star struck as she felt. "Well! If you're all done laughing at Rocky, let's duck off into the trees and get you guys ready to do this. I need to stay out of the majority of the crowd anyway. I already got mobbed in the parking lot; I used Rocky as a decoy."

"Thanks for that," Rocky said, giving her a playful shove. "They charged me so fast I almost ninja-streaked."

The Rangers turned and, joking and laughing, headed for the relative safety of the trees, never realizing that one of them was missing.

* * *

"A dancer, eh?" Conner grinned. His day was getting better and better. Hot, athletic, and flexible. _Ooh._

"Yes."

"Have you always wanted to be a dancer?"

"Actually, I always wanted to be a diver."

"Really?" Conner winced. "…As in _swimming_ and diving?" Kat nodded. Drat. "Water's… nice."

"Not much of a swimmer?"

"Well… I like going to the beach and everything… but I can't swim." Conner decided to go for the vulnerable approach, hoping she'd find it sweet instead of weak. "I'm kind of… well, I'm a little scared of the water. I get too far from land and I panic."

"I used to be scared of the water too," Kat told him. "I had a diving accident during the Pan Global trials and it was a long time before I got over my fear. I'm sure you can overcome your fear, too."

Conner smiled, figuring it was too early to say something about her teaching him to swim sometime, but he thought things were going pretty well. She hadn't looked down on him for being afraid of the water, and her confession meant she liked him enough to open up to him. "So what do you do for fun?" he asked.

"Well, I like surfing and skiing—"

"Wow, you're just all kinds of adventurous, aren't you?"

Kat blushed. She was his for the taking.

* * *

"Wait!"

Tommy flung out his arms, halting Jason on one side of him and Billy on the other and nearly causing an epic pileup.

"Jeez, Dr. O! You could give us just a little more warning, you know," Ethan admonished as he dove to the left to avoid being squished between Hayley and Billy. "What's up? Sensing a disturbance in the Force?"

Tommy turned around to look at them all, not bothering to answer. His eyes widened. "Where's Conner?"

"Oh, not _again!"_ Kira groaned.

"Whoa, he really _did_ sense a disturbance in the Force," Ethan said in awe. "He was at the front of the group. He wouldn't know Conner wasn't behind us."

"Everyone split up," Jason called immediately. "Aisha, Tanya, Trini and Hayley, you head that way. Billy, Zack, Ethan, go that way. Tommy, Kim, Kira, Trent, over there. Adam, me and Rocky will go this way. _No one panic."_

"What's going on?" Aisha demanded as Trini grabbed her arm and hauled her off in the direction Jason had pointed out.

"Does he do this a lot?" Adam asked as he followed Jason.

"I've only known the kid for a week, so I couldn't tell you, but the last time he did it, it sure as hell wasn't fun," Jason replied tersely.

Thankfully, the crowd wasn't very large yet, but there were still plenty of people around to confuse things. Jason, Rocky and Adam kept their eyes peeled for bits of red… but unfortunately, this was Power Rangers Day; red glinted on decorations, posters, action figures, and all sorts of ready-to-autograph memorabilia, and plenty of people were wearing red in honor of Jason and Rocky, be it from normal clothing or imitation Rangers costumes and other outfits related to Power Rangers. Jason couldn't help but feel a tad uneasy at the turnout; thoughts of going crazy in Angel Grove High and firing his Blade Blaster at the roof swam through his mind, so much so that he walked right past Conner without realizing it at first and had to double back once it hit him.

Conner was currently chatting to a blond woman who had her back to Jason, Rocky and Adam; she was laughing at something he was saying as Jason changed direction and stomped over to him.

"Conner! Don't _do_ that! After that bit at the mall on Thursday—" Jason chided.

The blond woman jumped at his tone and turned to look at him. _"Jason?"_

_"Kat?"_ Jason breathed.

"KAT!" Rocky shouted, flinging his arms around her.

"Rocky! Oh, it's so good to see you! Where have you been? Adam!"

"Hey, you!" Adam hugged her as well, though without as much swinging and lifting as Rocky. "About time you got here!"

"I know! Between the flight out of Maui and traffic on the way from San Diego, I'm surprised I got here at all!"

"You guys know each other?" Conner asked, confused.

"These are my friends I was telling you about," Kat explained. "Guys, this is Conner. He's—"

"We know who he is," Rocky interrupted. "How do _you_ know him, Kat?"

"He's been keeping me company while I looked for you guys," Kat replied. "Conner here is quite the charmer." Jason started to say something, but just then Adam burst out laughing. "What?" Kat asked.

Adam shook his head, laughing too hard to speak. Rocky shrugged. "He's had a rough week. What with Zack setting Adam's butt on fire and us having to spring Zack and Kira out of prison and the aliens last night…"

Kat stared at him. "I guess I've got some stories to catch up on."

"You have no idea," Jason told her, shaking his head.

"Don't you get it?" Adam choked out through his laughter. "Conner… Conner was… oh, wait til I tell T-T-T—hahaha!"

Rocky, Jason and Kat looked questioningly at Conner. Conner shrugged, having no idea what was going on. Then realization hit Jason—Conner hadn't known who Kat was. Kat thought Conner was "quite the charmer."

In other words, less than twenty-four hours after Tommy and Kimberly began their journey down the path to reconciliation, Tommy's ex-girlfriend was flirting with Tommy's protégé.

Jason died laughing right then and there; it happened so suddenly that Rocky jumped and edged away from him.

"Dude," Conner said, looking nervously at Rocky, as if he might suddenly go crazy too, "what's going on?"

"No idea," Rocky said, stepping further away from Jason and Adam, who were now doubled over and gasping out random phrases that they both seemed to understand but were unintelligible to the others. Rocky sighed and pulled out his cell phone, dialing Tommy. "Zack? It's Rocky. Jason, Adam and I found Conner. No, he's fine. He was with Kat, actually. Yeah, our Kat. We're on the west side of the entrance, by the trees. Call the others for me? Thanks."

Kat shook her head at Jason and Adam, who were still laughing, and turned to Rocky. "So, how do you guys know Conner?"

Rocky glanced around for eavesdroppers, but there weren't many around; Kat and Conner had retired to the shade of the trees where they'd be able to see the flood of people from the entrance, but they had a good fifty feet of open space between them and the archway the staff had set up, and the closest vendors' stalls were unused. "You know Tommy's new team?" Rocky asked. Kat nodded. "Conner's the Red one. Tommy brought them along."

Kat's face lit up as she turned to Conner. "Oh, wow, you're a Red Ranger? I _knew_ there was something special about you!" Adam and Jason's laughter increased. "I'm Kat Hillard, the second Pink Power Ranger!"

"Awesome," Conner breathed, downright thrilled at this turn of events. She didn't have to be some faceless girl he chatted up for a weekend—she was a Ranger. They could keep in touch and he wouldn't have to hide anything from her and he'd probably be seeing her at other Ranger shindigs and they'd get to spend the entire day together. He beamed at her. "I should have guessed you were a Ranger. You're too cool _not_ to be a Ranger."

"What a small world!" Kat gushed.

"It all makes sense now," Conner continued. "You're athletic, adventurous—they told me there was a Ranger named Kat, but it's such a common name… I probably should have guessed when you said you had a friend named Rocky…"

Kat shook her head. "I knew your name was Conner, too—they mentioned the Dino Rangers' names, I just… this is so strange. It's almost like fate, don't you think?"

"Definitely," Conner agreed. Adam collapsed on the ground by the nearest vendors' booth, Jason sinking down next to him.

"Seriously," Rocky complained, glaring at them. "What is so _funny?"_

Adam pointed at Kat. Jason pointed at Conner. "T-T-T-Tommy," Adam choked out.

Conner rolled his eyes, deciding to ignore them as he turned back to Kat. "So, I guess you and me will be hanging out today, then," he said casually. "What with our mutual friends and all."

"Of course," she said, grinning her head off. "You'll have to tell me about your team, I want to know everything—"

"You'll have to tell me about fighting with Dr. O, too," Conner said. He gestured at Rocky, Adam and Jason. "These guys have some killer stories."

"Dr. O?" she asked blankly. "Oh! Dr. Oliver. Right. Sure! We'll have something to do during the ceremony."

"I think we're all getting together tonight after the show," Rocky said. "Adam said a bunch of us were talking about the beach. We can't mix with the public-ID guys while we're here, so…"

"That would be lovely," Kat said. She winked at Conner. "Maybe I can give you that swimming lesson."

Conner tried not to look as gleeful as he felt. "Sure," he said. "I can't promise I won't be terrified, but you must be a _great_ swimmer if you were in the Pan Global trials; I'm impressed."

Kat was just about to respond when Kira shouted "Conner!" and, to his complete dismay, came running up to him and seized his arm. Then she thrust a box into his face and exclaimed, _"Look_ what Trent bought me!"

Conner's jaw dropped. It was a box of seven twelve-inch Barbie-style dolls, one each of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, complete with helmets and a spare change of street clothes next to each one. "Awesome," he breathed. Remembering himself, he tried unsuccessfully to disentangle himself from Kira's grip. "Uh, Kira… this is Kat. The second Pink Ranger. Kira's, um, the Yellow on my team," he added for Kat's benefit, praying Kat didn't read anything into Kira's display.

"Hi," Kira called obliviously. She flipped the box over. "On the back, you can see what they look like without the helmets!" Conner gaped down at the picture. The colors were all wrong, but the dolls looked suspiciously like Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly, Zack and Tommy, with a redheaded man in the Green Ranger's stead.

"Hey, guys," Trent called, coming over to them.

"This is Trent!" Conner told Kat desperately. "He's Kira's boyfriend. And the White Ranger. Trent, this is Kat."

Kat extended her hand to Trent. "Kat Hillard. I was the second Pink Mighty Morphin Ranger, the Pink Zeo Ranger, and the first Pink Turbo Ranger."

"Trent Fernandez," Trent replied, shaking her hand. "Just White Dino."

"He's also the best boyfriend on Earth," Kira sighed happily. She bounced over to Rocky. "Look what Trent bought me!"

"Oh, weird," Rocky said, his eyebrows raising as he took the box from her. He flipped it over and laughed. "Wow. The others will get a kick out of this. Huh—the Green one looks just like Robert Patrick from _Terminator 2."_

Kira peered down at the Green Ranger's picture for a closer look. "I thought he looked familiar."

"Where's Dr. O and Kim?" Conner asked, glad Kira had finally released him.

"We lost Dr. O when Kim stopped to look at action figures, and Kim's right over there," Trent said, pointing at a vendor's booth. "They're selling miniatures of the zords and she's trying to figure out if she wants to buy the Crane, the Pterodactyl or the Firebird."

"She's limiting herself to one?" Rocky asked in surprise.

"No—she's gonna buy them all, but she's getting the other two shipped to her house," Trent explained. "She just can't figure out which one she wants to carry around and show off." He jerked his head at Jason and Adam. "What's wrong with them?"

"General madness," Rocky replied.

Conner turned to Kat, intending to keep her interest, but just then she spotted Billy, Zack and Ethan approaching. "Billy!" Kat shrieked, rushing off to greet them. Conner watched, feeling a tad frustrated as she hugged Billy and Zack, shook hands with Ethan, and then started chatting animatedly with Billy, just far enough away to be out of earshot.

"So Kat's here," Zack said brightly as he and Ethan came over to Conner and the others. "That should be interesting, what with Tommy and Kim and all."

"How so?" Conner asked.

"Oh, she's _the_ Kat?" Ethan asked.

Zack started to explain, but just then Kira shoved her box of Ranger dolls into Ethan's face. "Ethan, look!"

"Oh, _sweet!"_ Ethan exclaimed, seizing it and holding it up for a closer look. "It's _amazing!_ The detail's so accurate! I want one! Where did you get it? How much was… oh my god, will you look at this price tag? How the _hell_ could you afford this?"

"Trent," Kira said proudly. "Isn't he the _best?"_

Ethan glared at him for a moment over the top of the box, then gave him a cheesy smile. "Hey, Trent," he said, with a bad attempt at a come-hither look.

Trent laughed. "Sorry, Ethan. I'm taken."

"Well, let me know if you and Kira ever break up," Ethan joked with a sigh. "Check it out, Zack."

Zack's eyes widened as he saw the dolls and he took the box from Ethan, flipping it over to see the pictures on the back. "What the… I'm the _Blue Ranger?"_

"The Red one looks kind of like Billy," Rocky pointed out. "I wonder if T.J. had anything to do with it, what with him being in charge of Ranger merchandise and all."

"You can totally swap their outfits," Kira said. "I'll fix it when I get home. Kim nearly had a heart attack when she saw that they all looked just like them with mismatched colors. That's the only set like it that they sell, too."

"Did they have any that looked like me?" Rocky asked.

"Probably. They sell all these dolls that look different, Asians and Hispanics and blonds and brunettes and everything, but I wasn't really paying much attention. I just thought this one was cool. Isn't Trent the _greatest?"_

"What's wrong with you guys?" Ethan asked Jason and Adam.

Jason shook his head. "Later," he said, clutching his stomach as he fought to recover. "If I explain now, I'll just start laughing again.

Kat and Billy came walking up, arm in arm, both grinning. "It's so good to have you home," Kat was saying. "I haven't seen you since Jason's wedding and we barely got to talk, what with that Corcus guy trying to seek vengeance on the bartender—"

Billy chuckled. "I had to sit on him in the handicapped parking spot," he recalled fondly. "Delphine and I both, though she thought he should be allowed to duel with those who insulted him."

"He didn't insult Corcus!" Jason complained. "He just asked Corcus what he wanted to drink."

"I'm aware of that, but 'What's your poison' was a poor choice of words. They're an aquatic species, Jason. Alcohol is dehydrating. Even small quantities of alcohol could kill them. He thought it was a death threat."

"Yeah, well, try explaining that to my mother," Jason retorted. "All of the Aquitians terrified her."

"At least they didn't salute like Lightspeed," Billy said defensively.

Jason started to respond, but just then Kimberly came walking over. "Okay, we have _got_ to figure out a way to keep me away from the merchandise," she said. "I've already maxed two of my credit cards and I've only done the west side of the park." She started to reach into a shopping bag, at which point she caught sight of Kat. "Oh. Kat. Hi."

"Kim," Kat replied, stepping uncertainly away from Billy. "I… _wow._ It's been ages."

"Yeah. Um…" Kimberly floundered for a moment, then smiled. "I like your shirt."

Kat looked down at her shirt; it was pink and sleeveless with a high neck and looked exactly like Kimberly's, minus the long sleeves that were hiding Kimberly's suit. She let out an amused snort. "Gotta love pink."

"Definitely." Kimberly giggled, but then her expression grew nervous. "Hey… you wanna take a walk?"

Kat's eyebrows rose. "Um, okay," she said uncertainly. "See you guys soon," Kat told the others. She looked at Conner. "Don't go anywhere?"

Conner drew his finger across his heart in an X-shape. "Wouldn't dream of it." Adam and Jason burst into giggles again.

Kimberly and Kat walked off together, heading for the parking lot. Ethan frowned at Conner. "Were you just… was that… were you _flirting_ with Kat?" he demanded.

"Yeah, til Kimberly stole her," Conner said with a sigh. "What was up with that? They looked kind of awkward."

"Oh, _that's_ Kat?" Kira asked, her eyes widening in realization.

"Conner… I don't know how to tell you this," Trent said apologetically, "but… you were hitting on Dr. O's ex-girlfriend."

Conner blinked, startled by this information. Then he whistled. "Wow. Dr. O's got _taste._ I know he's an old guy and everything, but he chased some _serious_ skirt back in the day."

_"Conner!"_ Kira complained.

"What? They're over. They _are_ over, right? Otherwise I locked him in a closet for nothing."

"Yeah, they're over," Rocky assured him. "Everyone's just a little freaked out what with, you know, the fact that he's trying to get Kim back and Kat's his ex and I don't think Kim and Kat have spoken since that time Kim and Jason came into town when they got kidnapped by Divatox but I'm a little hazy on the details because, you know, my back injury but… huh. Yeah, this is gonna get weird. Especially since no one's really sure if Kat's over Tommy."

"She is," Conner announced with certainty. "At least, I hope she is, cuz I got her house _and_ her cell phone number. She even taught me how to dial Australia. You have to punch in a code when you're calling another country…" He frowned. "Well, I might've missed some of that, but still. She was _way_ into me. I could tell."

Kira, Ethan and Trent exchanged looks.

"Hey! She _was!"_ Conner insisted indignantly.

Zack stared at him. "Conner… are you seriously scamming on Kat? _Tommy's ex-girlfriend_ Kat?"

Conner shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

Rocky's face lit up. "Oh, I get it _now!"_ he exclaimed, and promptly burst out laughing.


	112. A Different Shade of Pink

**Chapter 112**

_A Different Shade of Pink_

Kimberly led Kat over to a picnic table on the opposite side of the entrance from where the other Rangers were congregating. "Okay," Kimberly said as she and Kat sat down on top of the table, propping their feet on the bench. "I'm trying to work through everything I need to say and just say it, but I'm having a little trouble figuring out how to begin." Kat gave her an encouraging nod and they lapsed into silence. Finally Kimberly sighed. "Well, awkward small talk is as good an opener as any. How've you been?"

"Good, you?" Kat asked automatically.

"Fine. Teaching. Gymnastics. In Los Angeles. You?"

"Dancing. Ballet. Australia."

"Ah." Kimberly sighed again. "Well, that about sums it up for small talk. Here goes. It turns out that letter Tommy sent me when he—wait, you don't know about that letter, do you?"

Kat's brow furrowed as she struggled to think what Kimberly might be talking about. "You mean the letter you sent Tommy when you broke up?"

"Yes! That letter. Sort of. Um… you remember Skull, right?" Kimberly asked. Kat nodded emphatically. "Of course you remember Skull, who wouldn't… it turns out that letter was actually a fake one from me to Tommy that Skull used to write to himself as part of some sort of process in a self-help book."

Kat gave her a blank stare. "…What?"

Kimberly grimaced. "Sorry. It's just you're the only one who doesn't know and given, you know, that we both dated Tommy and things were kind of awkward between us the last time we saw each other it's kind of just… okay. I never dumped Tommy, Kat."

"…Oh," Kat said uncertainly.

"Skull dumped Tommy. Apparently back when Skull had that huge crush on me he used to write fake letters between me and Tommy, where I'd dump Tommy and run off into the sunset with Skull. He dropped one of those in the Youth Center and Ernie found it, picked it up, and gave it to Tommy. Then Tommy wrote me a letter, saying he didn't blame me, and I thought _he_ was dumping _me._ And now… we broke up like seven or eight years ago for no real reason, Kat. We just found out yesterday that our whole breakup was an accident."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Kat said sympathetically. "That sounds awful."

"…Right," Kimberly said, nodding. "Not exactly the reaction I was expecting, but thanks."

Kat frowned. "What were you expecting?"

Kimberly shrugged. "I don't know. You dated Tommy, I dated Tommy, and now I might be… well… dating Tommy again…"

"You're back together?"

Kimberly shook her head wildly. "No, no, no… not yet… but we… m-might be… talking about it. Thinking about it. Maybe… I don't know. We're working on it. It's all kind of new, and what with the Ranger kegger and the week we've been having…"

Kat patted her knee. "Don't worry. You'll get it all sorted out. So! What did you want to talk to me about?"

Kimberly stared at her. "That _was_ what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh." Kat looked confused. "You could have told me that without coming all the way over here. If the others know, why are you telling me in private?"

"I didn't know if you'd be… y'know, upset or whatever. About me and Tommy."

Kat rolled her eyes. "For goodness sakes, Kim, Tommy and I were together for four months seven years ago. I'm not exactly shackled to him with a ball and chain. If you want to date Tommy, be my guest."

Kimberly gaped at her for a moment. "Oh. Um… okay. Right. Okay, then."

Kat gave her a tentative smile. "I know we haven't spoken much, ever since…" She sighed. "Look, as long as we're here, maybe it's time we talked a few things out." She looked away from Kimberly, folding her arms over her stomach. "First of all, I'm sorry I didn't send you a lot of letters after you broke up… after Skull broke up with Tommy, or… well, whatever did happen there. I just wasn't sure how to approach the subject."

"I wasn't either," Kimberly said.

Kat nodded and continued, the words tumbling out of her in a rush. "I fully intended to tell you that I was dating Tommy. It was just so new, when you and Jason came back to Angel Grove; I wasn't even sure it was worth mentioning then, we weren't even serious yet. I'm sorry I didn't just tell you and I'm sorry I didn't make more of an effort to keep in touch with you in spite of Tommy. I was really freaked out, Kim, and after Trini said what she did—"

"What did Trini say?" Kimberly demanded. Trini had mentioned meeting Kat before, but she had never really mentioned any conversations of interest.

Kat smiled, looking embarrassed. "After you and Tommy broke up, when Trini and the others came to town to cheer Tommy up, Trini took me aside and explained myself to me."

"Ooh, I hate it when she does that," Kimberly said with a sympathetic wince.

"She said that I was trying to set Tommy up with Heather as a way to alleviate my own guilt over being glad that Tommy was single," Kat said, shaking her head. "She was right, too—I _was_ trying to use Heather to hide the fact that I was happy that Tommy was available. I just… I want you to know I never had any intention of stealing him. Once Rita's control was broken, anyway. Before or after you left for Florida. I never would have done that."

"I know," Kimberly assured her, surprised. "I never would have thought you would, Kat."

Kat didn't look convinced. "Really?" she asked hopefully.

Kimberly stared at her. "Kat, I trusted you with my _Power Coin._ The most… most _sacred_ possession I had. I wouldn't have left that in the hands of anyone I thought might be a boyfriend-stealing bitch. Don't be ridiculous." Kat let out a shaky laugh. "I mean," Kimberly continued earnestly, "I had faith in you, as a person. Why would you think I would… would _doubt_ you like that?"

"I tried to steal him while evil," Kat pointed out. "I thought… I thought when you saw us together, maybe you'd think I'd been… been planning it all along. You didn't really seem… surprised."

Kimberly snorted. "No offense, but that's stupid." Kat chuckled. "I mean, come on. Why _would_ I be surprised? I didn't think you were going behind my back and seducing him; I just knew Tommy and I knew you and any idiot could see you two were compatible. Besides, he was a superhero in disguise with a fondness for girls in pink. Who _else_ was he going to date?" Kat laughed. "Plus Jason already told me. Right before we went scuba diving. By the time Divatox got us, I was already used to the idea."

"You were never mad at me?" Kat asked.

"Of course not!" Kimberly exclaimed, throwing up her hands. "Why would I be?"

Kat smiled weakly at her. "I've waited years to tell you that. I… I also… after Muiranthias…"

"I'm sorry," Kimberly said. "I never really apologized for everything, I just… oh my god, things were so awkward…"

Kat shook her head. "No, no, _I_ kept meaning to apologize to _you._ I know it's terrible to be made evil and I could barely even speak to you because I was so terrified about Tommy and I… I should have been there for you, Kim."

"That's crazy talk," Kimberly said. "I kicked your butt. I totally—"

"Oh, please, I did _much_ worse to you while evil."

"No, you didn't! At least _you_ could fight your spell off."

"That's just it. Maligore had _you_ in complete control; _I_ was still conscious occasionally—"

"Oh, wow, we're not really doing the 'I'm sorry I went evil thing,' are we?" Kimberly interrupted. "I forgive you. _So_ in the past. Done."

"Me too!" Kat exclaimed, throwing her arms around Kimberly for a hug, which Kimberly returned. "We've got to get back in touch, Kim—it's been too long. I owe you so much…"

"Are you kidding?" Kimberly pulled back and slapped Kat playfully on the arm. "If it weren't for you I wouldn't have been able to go to Florida, I'd never be a professional gymnast, I'd—"

"You gave me the _power,_ Kimberly," Kat said. "Nothing could ever top that. I owe you everything."

Kimberly shook her head. "You deserved it, Kat. I've always believed that."

Kat hugged her again. "Oh, I feel so much better."

"Me, too. I'm so glad we cleared the air between us."

"Yes, me too." Kat let go and sat back. "So! Tell me everything. What's been going on?"

"All kinds of things! It's been seven years, we have so much catching up to do… wow." Kimberly grinned. "You know what? Let's not even get into it now. I've got less than three hours before I have to get up on that stage and I have no idea what I'm going to say but we are _definitely_ going to catch up just as soon as we can."

"Definitely," Kat agreed. "Oh, hey—you've been hanging out with Tommy and the Dino Rangers all week, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well… what's the scoop on Conner?"

Kimberly stared at her. "The scoop how?"

"He's kind of cute, don't you think?" Kat asked, twisting her hands in a nervous gesture.

Kimberly's jaw dropped. "Uh… I never actually thought about it," she confessed, uncertain if she was more horrified or shocked. Recovering as quickly as she could, Kimberly tried to come up with something Kat might be interested to know. "But, let's see… he's funny. From Reefside. Has a twin brother who goes to the Wind Ninja Academy."

"Really?" Kat asked, surprised. "The Ninja Storm school?"

Kimberly nodded. "Mm-hmm. Conner's friends with the Ninja Rangers; they helped the Dino Thunder team out once, if I remember correctly. Oh, soccer! Conner's great at soccer; Carlos says Conner has the makings of a pro."

Kat's eyebrows rose, impressed. "Hmm. He was a Tyrannosaurus, wasn't he?"

"Uh-huh. And his Dino Gem gave him the power of super speed, but that's gone now. Let's see… he likes animals. Got along real well with Cole. Oh! And he's kind of the one who got me and Tommy back together. Sort of."

"Really? How sweet of him!"

"I know, right? Granted I was totally mad about it at the time—you know the Secret Chamber in Jason and Trini's house?" Kat nodded. "Conner locked me and Tommy in there. Handcuffed us, too, but they were cheap novelty handcuffs with safety latches—"

"Conner has handcuffs?" Kat asked, startled.

"No, actually, Jason and Trini had some—well, last Thursday, Tommy and I got trapped in a Spencer's and we damaged some merchandise. Tommy had to buy like eight hundred dollars worth of fuzzy handcuffs and pole-dancing kits."

"They make _kits_ for that?"

"Yeah! They come with these instructional DVDs. Tommy said I could have them, and I've got like four of them left—gave some away at the party last night. Want one?"

"I'll get back to you on that," Kat laughed. "Never mind that now—tell me everything. You haven't seen Tommy in years, have you? What was it like, seeing him again?"

Kimberly winced. "Well, it started with an ice bucket last Friday," she began, and launched into the tale of the past week.

* * *

"Oh, thank god you're here," Jason groaned as Trini, Aisha, Tanya and Hayley came walking up. "Tommy's gonna be here any minute, and someone sensible has to break the news to him."

"What news?" Hayley demanded.

"What's up with Zack and Rocky?" Aisha asked before Jason could reply.

Jason shrugged; he had laughed himself out, and Adam was down to the occasional chuckle, but Rocky had clued Zack in on the joke and the two were now laughing themselves sick. "It's complicated. Did Zack tell you Kat was here?"

"Kat's here?" Tanya asked, her face lighting up.

Jason nodded. Trini bit her lip. "That's going to get tricky," she commented. "Kimberly and Kat haven't spoken in years, and Tommy used to date both of them, and now with this Skull complication…"

"It gets worse," Jason said ruefully. "Conner was flirting with her."

"Huh?" Tanya asked.

"Conner was flirting with her," Jason repeated. "He was flirting with Kat."

_"What?"_ all four girls demanded.

"They were flirting. She said he was 'quite the charmer.' He had the patented guy-moving-in-for-the-kill face when we showed up. Tommy finds out, he's gonna have kittens."

Hayley snorted, all too familiar with Conner's romantic antics. "Jason, they can't have known each other for an hour. I doubt there are wedding bells in the air."

Jason shook his head. "Hayley, picture yourself having the week Tommy's been having. Now top it off with your ex flirting with Conner."

A shudder went through Hayley and the three Yellows. "Is Conner doing well with her?" Trini asked.

"Surprisingly well," Jason confirmed. "In fact… it kind of reminded me of when Kat and Tommy started going out."

"Oh, boy," Tanya said, eyes widening.

"And to make matters worse, she and Kim are off talking. Alone," Jason added. "You know _that's_ gonna end well."

"Dr. O!" called Kira, who was standing with Ethan, Trent and Conner under the shade of the trees. She waved her box of action figures. "Come look what Trent bought me!"

Jason, Trini, Aisha, Tanya and Hayley looked up to see Tommy approaching. "I'll go head him off," Trini muttered.

"Thanks," Hayley said. "I forgot how nice it was to let other people take care of Tommy."

"I'll come with," Jason told Trini. They started across the grass; Tommy, seeing them coming towards him alone, realized something was wrong and slowed to a halt. "What's your game plan?" Jason whispered to Trini.

"You'll see," she replied. They stopped a few feet away from Tommy.

"What's up?" Tommy asked.

"It's like this, Tommy," Trini said. "Kat is here, she's currently having a private conversation with Kimberly, and we think she may have a crush on Conner."

Tommy and Jason stared at her. "That's it?" Jason demanded incredulously. _"I_ could have done that!"

Trini shrugged. "Sometimes blunt is best."

"…Say that again?" Tommy asked, frowning.

"Kat is here. Conner's been flirting with her and Jason seems to think she's pretty taken with Conner. Kimberly's having a private conversation with her right now," Trini repeated patiently.

Tommy sighed. "Remind me again what I did to deserve this?"

"Nothing, man," Jason said sympathetically. "That's just what happens when you move to Angel Grove."

Trini reached out and gave Tommy a consoling pat on the shoulder. "Cheer up, Tommy. Sooner or later it'll stop getting worse."

"Do you actually believe that, or are you just trying to keep me from bursting into tears?" Tommy asked dryly.

"Both."

Tommy sighed again. "Please, please, _please_ tell me you're making this up. At least some of it?"

"Hey Tommy," called Kimberly. Tommy whirled around to see her and Kat walk by, joking and laughing. Kat waved and called out a hello as the two girls passed Jason, Trini and Tommy and headed for the larger group of Rangers by the trees; Tommy distinctly heard the words "clown fight" before they moved out of earshot. He stared, numb, as Kat greeted Aisha, Tanya and Hayley and then Conner came over to Kat. She started talking with him, both of them all smiles. Hayley rolled her eyes and went to go sit down by Adam, while Aisha and Tanya whispered to each other and watched Conner and Kat with avid interest. Tommy found himself horrified to remember some of Kat's actions from his own days of flirting with Kat—the way she brushed her fingertips against Conner's forearm, the nervous gesture of tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, how she blushed and grinned when Conner complimented her…

"This can_not_ be happening," Tommy said firmly. "It can't be."

"Sorry, bro," Jason muttered.

Tommy looked pleadingly at Trini. "Make it _stop."_

She shook her head. "You're going to have to deal with this."

"I just got Kim back," Tommy complained. "Well, sort of back. And now Kat's here, and Kimberly's chummy with her when I know they haven't spoken since Divatox, and to make things worse Conner's flirting with Kat and she's _falling_ for it."

Trini smiled sympathetically. "I know, Tommy, but to be perfectly honest? There's nothing you can do about it."

"I could kill Conner," Tommy insisted. "That would solve a lot of my problems."

"Might create a few more," Jason pointed out.

"Come on, Tommy," Trini said, rolling her eyes. "Conner's a good kid and Kat's taken with him. Deal with it."

Tommy glowered over at Conner and Kat. "I feel nauseous. I've met her boyfriends before. Why do I feel nauseous?"

"Technically, it's 'nauseated,'" Trini replied. _"Nauseous_ means 'to cause feelings of nausea,' as in 'nauseous fumes.' _Nauseated_ means 'afflicted with feelings of nausea.'" Trini paused, waiting while Tommy made a mental note of that before continuing. "It's natural that you feel sick, Tommy. You care about Kat. You may not have felt sick when you've seen her express interest in other men before, but this is different. This is different because Conner knows you, reminds you of yourself, and being a Ranger has an edge over every other guy she's dated, albeit a small one. You also haven't seen Kat in awhile, and usually the moment you see her there are shy smiles and a little nostalgia. This time it's a passing 'Hi, Tommy' and her flirting with your goofball protégé."

"I have Kim. I shouldn't care."

Trini shrugged. "You _don't_ have Kim, Tommy. You have more of Kimberly than you used to have, and that's a start, but it isn't enough. What you're feeling now has less to do with how you feel about Kat and how you feel about Conner and more to do with seeing a door slam shut in your face. Kat is no longer an option, not because of Conner but because she simply _isn't,_ and even when you met some random man she was dating you were able to ignore that she was no longer an option because you knew her, knew her type, knew that her dates didn't know her secret, knew they couldn't compete with you if you wanted to pursue her, even though you knew that if you _did_ pursue her your relationship would eventually fail because you and Kat are not compatible enough to survive in the long run. You've avoided facing that she wasn't an option until now and it isn't fun to face, I'll give you that, but in the end… so what?"

Tommy frowned at her thoughtfully. He wanted to say that it mattered, to come up with a perfectly logical excuse… but he knew that was what it would be. An excuse, not a reason.

Trini stepped closer and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You care about Kat, sure, maybe even love her—I've never asked. Yet you know, deep down, it wouldn't be Kat. If it was ever going to be Kat you wouldn't have chased Kimberly in the first place; you would have chased Kat. So whatever happens with Kimberly, or any other woman that enters your life from here on out, you don't need that door open. Let it close, Tommy. At the end of the day, you've made some real progress at getting Kimberly back, and she's the love of your life, and you know it. Not to mention the fact that Kat lives in Australia, Conner lives in Reefside, and they're roughly eight years apart in age. I doubt it can last. Use the time Kat's flirting with him to bond with Kimberly—she and Kat haven't talked in years, and obviously they mean to catch up. This could be your only chance to talk with Kimberly before we have to go up on the stage and when we come down? There will be dozens of Rangers to steal Kimberly's time. You're running out of opportunities to spend time with her before the vacation's over, and you of all people know that physical distance makes it difficult to bridge emotional distance. Prioritize, Tommy—forget about Kat and Conner and everything that isn't a part of getting Kimberly back."

Trini waited patiently as emotions flickered across his face. Confusion, hesitation, annoyance, anger, disgust, resignation, and then finally he was smiling, his gaze turning from Kat to Kimberly. He muttered an absent, "Thanks, Trini," and headed towards the group, his mind already fully focused on Kimberly.

Jason sighed as he watched Tommy go. "How do you _do_ that?" he asked Trini wistfully.

"What, exactly?" she asked.

"That." He gestured after Tommy. "The Yellow thing. Hell, until the end there I was pretty sure it wasn't going to work. I thought Tommy made some good points, til you steamrolled them. You blindsided him with the problem, almost knocked him on his ass from shock. You corrected his _grammar,_ for crying out loud. And yet there goes Tommy with a smile on his face, hugging Kat hello without a care in the world and chatting up Kimberly like a man on a mission and how do you _do_ that, Trini?"

"First of all, I was doing it long before it was a 'Yellow' thing, and second, every situation has a protocol, and this required getting everything into Tommy's head, letting him process it, and letting him discard it before he could work himself up about it. I dumped the information on him too fast for it to sink in, distracted him temporarily with a bit of inane trivia about word usage, and forced him to quickly and methodically deal with how he felt before the shock of the problem could wear off. I'm not sure why—maybe it hurts too much, or maybe they just don't understand themselves well enough—but people don't like to examine their true feelings about something that bothers them, and Tommy's no exception. Once I figured out how he was probably feeling about the problem—which I did long before I told him the problem—all I had to do was force him to examine it and point out ways to overcome it before it could hurt him badly enough to cause actual heartache." Trini shrugged. "No big deal."

Jason shook his head. "You really are amazing, you know that?"

Trini took his hand and smiled at him. "I've been told. Now let's get back in there before something else goes wrong."

* * *

"Hey, Kat," Tommy called, opening his arms to her. "How've you been?"

"Hey, Tommy," she said, giving him a quick squeeze and stepping back. "Good, how are you?"

"Good." He smiled, and to his complete horror found himself blurting out, "Conner's seventeen, you know."

Conner gave him a wounded look, feeling that as a guy who'd just reconciled with his ex-girlfriend—however tentatively—and a guy who'd had years of dating experience, Tommy should know better. Kimberly, to Tommy's further embarrassment, let out a muffled giggle.

Kat's eyes widened in surprise. "He is?"

"I'll be eighteen in a couple weeks," Conner told her as calmly as he could, trying to make his age seem like a total non-issue.

"Oh." Kat relaxed and smiled at him. "I never would have guessed. You seemed so mature for your age."

"Oh, I get that all the time," Conner assured her.

Ethan, Kira and Trent didn't so much go into a coughing fit as go into a choking-to-death-on-toxic-gas fit. Tommy stared incredulously at Kat for a while and considered correcting whatever brainwashing had led her to this conclusion, but then decided it might be best to extricate himself from the situation before it got any worse. Tommy turned to Kimberly. "Hey—did you see the zord miniatures at that booth over there?" he asked, hoping Kimberly would say no so that he could ask if she'd like him to show them to her.

"Yes, I did," Kimberly said, but before Tommy could get disappointed, she reached into a shopping bag and pulled out a replica Firebird Thunderzord. "Isn't it amazing?" she gushed.

"They have our other zords, as well," Tommy told her. "I was just over there—" He fumbled in his own shopping bag and pulled out a miniature of the Dragonzord. "Found the White Tigerzord, too."

"I bought all three of mine," she said. "I was going to have two of them shipped to my house so I wouldn't have to carry them around all day but then I remembered _I'm_ going to be in the suit here soon and someone _else_ will have to carry them around all day, so they're in the bag, too. Did you see the Megatigerzord and the Ultrazord? They were _way_ expensive."

Tommy smirked. "That's what Anton's credit card is for. I couldn't carry all the ones I wanted to buy, but now that I know they have shipping… want to head back over there and grab a couple? One for you, one for me? And since I'm feeling generous, maybe even one for Anton."

Kimberly let out a noise of pleasure that made Tommy's brain die for a moment. "Oh, my god, _yes,"_ she hissed, grabbing his arm and hauling back towards the booth.

Tommy grinned. He was facing a long day of mixing with fans while wearing nothing but a powerless replica of his suit; his ex was flirting with, of all people, _Conner;_ he was completely unprepared for his public appearance; and he was fully aware that at some point chaos would probably smack him upside the head. Yet somehow, none of that mattered right now. Nothing mattered except Kimberly.

* * *

_End Notes:_ Congratulations to monkeerangerfan, our four thousandth reviewer! It's been over five years since we started this fic… hard to believe it's almost finished. (By "almost" we mean "hopefully almost," of course.) Apologies for the late update; we spent so long torturing the Rangers while getting them to Power Rangers Day that we totally forgot to come up with ideas for ways to torture them _at_ Power Rangers Day, so we're a tad stumped. We're working on it, though, and we welcome any and all suggestions y'all might have.

By the way, we now have a blog open for "Of Love and Bunnies" at blogspot, the link to which is in my profile, where we intend to occasionally ramble about OLaB. Also, a dear sweet person dubbed krinsbez created an "Of Love and Bunnies" page at TV tropes (again, link is in my profile). We've been on TV Tropes for a while now on the fanfiction recommendations page, but now we are one of the few fanfics with its own listing and the only Power Rangers fanfiction that is listed in a favorable light. Feel free to check it out or add to it; I sometimes swing by and throw in bits and pieces myself, though it usually leads to me spending the next forty-eight hours randomly clicking links, so beware the tendency of the site to suck you in. Oh, and I've decided that I hate smart quotes after all, and am slowly converting to straight quotes.

We still plan to do sequels to this story, if we ever finish this one, and maybe prequels; at the moment we're working on a story describing the events of the Dino Rangers at prom. I'd also like to point out that Freyja SilverWillow's story "Wow" is part of the OLaB universe, detailing Kira and Trent's relationship as per the "Of Love and Bunnies" storyline, so reading it would be beneficial and as always reviews are awesome, so please read and review "Wow."

P.S. For those of you who don't know, Saban has reacquired the rights to the Power Rangers franchise and new episodes are set to air on Nickelodeon in 2011.


	113. The Ninja Encounter

**Chapter 113**

_The Ninja Encounter_

Jason and Trini were just starting to head back to the others when Kimberly rushed by, Tommy in tow; Jason and Trini stopped to watch as she dragged him to the zord miniatures and began talking excitedly to the guy manning the booth. Within moments she was flinging her arms around Tommy and Tommy was putting Anton's credit card on the counter with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Look at those two," Jason commented happily. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"I planned and I planned and I planned," Trini said with a sigh, "but no matter how much I prayed I'd succeed, I still didn't think it would feel this good to see it happen."

They stood there watching Tommy and Kimberly for a moment, Kimberly squealing and beaming up at Tommy, Tommy looking like the luckiest guy on Earth. "High school all over again," Jason said proudly. "I could kill Skull for taking this away from us."

"Look on the bright side," Trini said. "At least now we'll appreciate it. Tommy's got Kimberly, I've got you, we've all got each other. All's right with the world." She grimaced. "They've got a long road, though. It's gonna take work, and time, and probably a hell of a lot more in the way of strategy."

"Don't forget the chaos," Jason said comfortably. "And at least now we know that if they ever break up again all we need is to throw them in the Secret Chamber and follow it up with some duct tape."

Trini frowned. "I can't believe Mr. Greenlee broke my chainsaw."

"Yeah, but now we can be offended that he broke it instead of explaining why we really needed it," Jason pointed out.

Trini was about to respond when they heard an unfamiliar voice shout "KIRA!" They turned to see a boy with dark hair go rushing by, waving at the Dino Rangers. "Who's that?" Jason asked.

"No idea," Trini said. "If he's a Ranger he's probably Blue, he was wearing jeans—"

"Check it out," Jason said, nodding. A group was following after the dark-haired boy, but they weren't exactly properly color-coordinated, as far as Jason and Trini could see, and the numbers were wrong—four boys and three girls. "Any ideas?"

Trini shrugged and the two headed back towards the group, where the newcomers were enthusiastically greeting the Dino Rangers and Hayley. "Are you guys here to meet the original Rangers, too?" the first boy was asking Kira as Jason and Trini approached.

The Dino Rangers stared blankly at him. "Yeah… about that…" Ethan said hesitantly.

"Hey guys," Tommy called, coming over to the group with Kimberly and Justin. "Look who I found."

"Justin!" Kat exclaimed happily.

"Kat!" Justin ran over to her for a hug. Those who knew him called out a greeting, which Justin returned with a wave.

Justin and Kat were about to engage in a steady stream of long-time-no-see chatter when Tommy jerked his head towards the entrance, which was now being flooded with people, and said, "So, I was thinking—maybe we should head back into the forest for a bit. Talk a little more freely. We won't stand out as much."

The others agreed and ducked into the forest, praying that no one saw twenty-five people plunging into the trees and thought it suspicious, but no one appeared to be making a fuss. Zack took point and led them all to a clearing off the trail, far enough from the field to be discreet.

"So! Who's your friends, guys?" one of the newcomers asked the Dino Rangers.

"Oh, sorry—thought the introductions were over by the time me and Kim showed up," Tommy said, turning to the older Rangers. "Guys, this is Shane Clarke, Tori Hanson, Dustin Brooks, Hunter Bradley, his brother Blake, Cam Watanabe, and his cousins, Marah and Kapri." He turned back to the Ninja Storm crew. "Guys, my friends here are the first twelve Power Rangers. I think you know I was the first Green Ranger and the first White Ranger, and Red Zeo and the first Red Turbo—"

"You guys are the _original Rangers?"_ Dustin interrupted, his eyes wide.

Jason stepped forward and offered his hand to Dustin. "I'm Jason Scott. Original Red Ranger, also the Gold Zeo Ranger."

Dustin reached eagerly for Jason's hand, but Shane and Hunter both leaped in front of Dustin, knocked shoulders, glared at each other, and started shoving against one another with all their strength; Shane won, leaving Hunter to sprawl on the ground at Conner's feet. Conner helped him up, completely understanding how Hunter and Shane felt. Shane seized Jason's hand and jerked it up and down.

"Shane Clarke. Red Wind Ninja Ranger. Leader of the Power Rangers. The Ninja Storm Power Rangers, anyway. Wow. What an honor. It's so great to meet you. I've always wanted to meet you. It was why I joined the academy in the first place. Is it true you once defeated—?"

"It's my turn!" Hunter yelled, knocking Shane bodily away, practically ripping Jason's fingers off in the process. "Hi. I'm Hunter. Bradley. Hunter Bradley. Crimson Ranger. Crimson Thunder Ninja Ranger."

"Crimson?" Jason repeated, frowning slightly as Hunter grabbed his hand to shake.

"Yeah, you know, it's a shade of Red. Practically Red. Mostly Red. I'm a big fan. Is it true what they say about you being the best fighter out of all the Red Rangers ever?"

"Of course," Jason replied promptly, fighting the urge to smirk.

"Hey!" Tommy, Rocky and Conner complained.

"That is so cool!" Hunter exclaimed, letting out a gasp that sounded halfway to a squeal.

Shane picked himself up and gave Hunter a pointed look. "Dude…"

Hunter paused and looked at Shane; as one, they turned to Jason, worried that Jason might think ill of their display of hero worship. They both stepped back, Hunter releasing Jason's fingers, and drew themselves up proudly, trying and failing to appear nonchalant.

"Honor to meet you, sir," Shane said.

"Yes, sir," Hunter added.

"There's no need for the 'sir' stuff," Jason said, trying desperately not to laugh. "You can call me Jason."

Shane and Hunter looked at each other. "We can call him _Jason!"_ they hissed in unison, grinning like teenage girls who'd just been winked at by one of the Backstreet Boys. Then Hunter and Shane simultaneously winced and cleared their throats, turning back to Jason with barely-concealed elation. "Thanks," they muttered helplessly. Jason put his fist to his mouth and bit down on a finger to keep from laughing.

"Can I call you Jason too?" Dustin asked hopefully.

"Uh, sure," Jason said, struggling to conceal his mirth. "…It _is_ my name."

"WHOO!" Dustin exclaimed, pumping both fists in the air.

"Does that mean we can _all_ call him Jason?" Blake asked dryly.

"Yes. I am perfectly fine with being called Jason," he confirmed, trying to keep the exasperation from his tone. "Anyway, this is Rocky, he's the second Red Ranger—" Hunter and Shane promptly turned awestruck gazes upon Rocky, who managed to grin without snickering— "and the Blue Zeo Ranger. This is Adam, second Black Ranger, Green Zeo Ranger and first Green Turbo, and Kat Hill—"

_"Katherine Mary Hillard of Earth!"_ Kapri shrieked. Both she and Marah looked wide-eyed at Kat, to Kat's complete surprise. Kat hadn't been expecting any hero worship—she knew there hadn't been a Pink Ranger since Jen, whom Kat had already met, and generally there was more camaraderie than adoration aimed at her anyway, as she hadn't been the first Pink Ranger. Yet there was no mistaking the enthralled expressions on Marah and Kapri's faces as they bounced over to Kat.

"Oh, wow! I've dreamed of meeting you since I was a little girl!" Marah gushed.

"You… you have?" Kat asked hesitantly.

"Sure! Auntie Divatox told us _all_ about you," Marah exclaimed. Before Kat could process the shock of "Auntie" Divatox telling stories about her, Marah continued with, "Is it true that you singlehandedly defeated the Pink Ranger and seduced the White Ranger into your bed?"

Kimberly burst into giggles, but Tommy was absolutely mortified. Several of the older Rangers started laughing, but Ninja Storm and Dino Thunder mostly just stared.

"You're related to _Divatox?"_ Justin asked, torn between horror and amusement.

"Uh-huh! She's our father's sister," Marah replied.

"She always expected great things of us, what with her DNA and Uncle Lothor's connections," Kapri told him proudly before turning back to Kat. "She told us all about you, the great Kat Hillard who infiltrated the Power Ranger team. There were rumors that you had _really_ been turned good, but anyone who knew Rita Repulsa insisted that it was all an act to get access to Zordon's inner circle. Is it true you're really good?" Kat nodded vaguely, rather overwhelmed.

"Oh, cool! Today _so_ would have been awkward if you weren't," Marah said.

"Yes," Kat said faintly. "That would have been _terribly_ awkward."

"We're good now, too," Marah went on. "We go to the Wind Ninja Academy and everything, although Cousin Cam keeps trying to get us to transfer to the Thunder Academy. Anyway, you are _so_ our idol. I wanted to be just like you when I grew up. Kapri did, too."

"We even did a skit about you at alien band camp," Kapri added. "We won an _award_ for it!"

"Kapri made me play the Pink Ranger," Marah grumbled.

Kapri rolled her eyes. "Marah, I told you I don't know _how_ many times, you _had_ to play the Pink Ranger because she had brown hair." Marah muttered something about Kapri's roots while Kapri turned back to Kat. "You were like… an _inspiration_ to us! Marah totally stole her idea to seduce Dustin from you, and I had my hair pink for _years."_

"Well, um… thank you," Kat said helplessly. "I… appreciate the… well, the sentiment…"

_"That_ explains why Karone talks about you a lot!" Justin exclaimed. With the exception of Tommy and Kat herself, Justin was the only one of Zordon's Rangers present who had yet to start laughing maniacally. "You're an evil villain's urban legend!"

"Thank you, Justin, for… making it sound so glamorous," Kat murmured. She looked askance at Tommy, hoping that as a fellow Ranger who had once been bewitched into doing Rita's bidding he might have some advice for her, but one glance at his expression made the urge to burst into giggles an almost overpowering thing. Kat turned back to Marah and Kapri fully aware of the humor in the situation and gave them a genuine smile. "Well, you simply _must_ show me the skit you put together sometime, and I want to hear all about this Wind Ninja Academy. I was a Ninja Ranger myself, but I used Kimberly's powers—I never found my own power animal. Is it true your talents are elemental?"

Marah and Kapri both began talking at once, each trying to impress Kat. Tommy continued to stare at them, unable to help wondering how Kat's story had gotten so exaggerated… and what bizarre tales the evil villains were telling about _him._ He looked mournfully at Hayley, silently asking her to make sense of the madness. Hayley did him the service of not laughing, but it was obvious that it was quite a struggle. Tommy's eyes narrowed at her, finding this less than helpful, and a strangled sound escaped from Hayley's throat. He sighed and Hayley hurriedly turned away from him to compose herself.

Hayley decided that the only help she was capable of giving Tommy at the moment was doing him the service of not making things worse by laughing at him, so instead she turned to the Ninja Rangers. "Cam," Hayley called, beckoning to him, "I want you to meet Billy Cranston, the Blue Mighty Morphin Power Ranger."

Cam's eyebrows rose; he'd heard all about Billy from Hayley, whom he spoke with on a regular basis. "Hayley told me you were the smartest Ranger ever."

Billy struggled to control his amusement at Marah and Kapri so that he could straighten up and shake Cam's hand. "I wouldn't go that far," Billy said, embarrassed.

As Cam, Tori and Blake converged on Billy, Dustin looked eagerly around at the others. "So! Spill. Which of you is the first Yellow?"

Trini stepped forward. "That'd be me. Trini Scott." She held out her hand to him, only to find Dustin glomped to her like a long-lost twin. Startled, she hugged him back. "It's, um, good to meet you."

"Dustin Brooks," Dustin said as he pulled back, his hands still on Trini's shoulders. "This is sick! The first person to ever wear my color! How cool is that? Wow! Do you still have your powers? I don't. Not my Ranger powers, anyway. I still have my Ninja powers. I can control earth, wanna see?"

"Um… maybe later," Trini told him, struggling to follow his rapid-fire questions and exclamations. "I—"

"Your last name is Scott? Are you and Jason related? You don't look related, but neither do Hunter and Blake—are you adopted?"

"Jason's my husband," Trini replied.

"Cool! You married a Gold Ranger? And a Red? The first-ever Red Ranger? Wow. Awesome. Two of the first-ever Rangers married. He was the first-ever leader, too, wasn't he? Hey, Trini, is it true you had a saber-toothed tiger as your first zord? And I heard you had a griffin, too. Mine was a lion. How come your uniform doesn't have a skirt? The Pink Ranger had a skirt, right? Tori didn't like her skirt. Wow, it must have been _so cool_ to be handpicked to be a Ranger without training in an academy or anything. Not that I don't love the academy—I'm a sensei now, in charge of _all_ the Earth Ninja students—but it must have been cool to end up a Ranger without having to get the rest of your school sucked into space first. Are we gonna get to see you guys morph? I'd kill to see you guys morph. _This is so sick!"_

"Let me introduce you to the others," Trini said the moment Dustin paused for breath. "This is Aisha Campbell, the second Yellow Mighty Morphin Ranger, and Tanya Sloan, the Yellow Zeo Ranger and the first Yellow Turbo Ranger."

Dustin flung himself at his other two predecessors for hugs; Aisha seemed a little nonplussed, but Tanya was used to embracing overenthusiastic fans. Dustin was thoroughly impressed with all three of them; while Trini was the first to wear Yellow, Aisha was a fellow Ninja and Tanya was a famous singer. He began firing questions at them, hugging them whenever they said anything especially cool, like when Aisha said her power animal was the bear, marking her as not only a Yellow Ninja but an Earth Ninja.

After a good twenty minutes, Marah called him over to play the White Ranger in the skit she and Kapri were reenacting for Kat and Kimberly (who had introduced herself as "Kat's arch nemesis, the Pink Ranger Kimberly" and nearly had to fight Marah and Kapri before Kat managed to assure them that Kimberly was her friend now). Tanya smiled at Dustin as he left. "Whew! That boy's got some energy," she commented to Aisha and Trini.

"I couldn't follow half of what he was saying, but he's a real sweetheart," Aisha agreed.

Trini glanced around. By now the rest of the group had spread out. Blake and Tori were chatting up Rocky, as they couldn't understand a word of Cam, Hayley and Billy's conversation, and Hunter and Shane were listening enviously while Conner told them all about getting to spend a week hanging around Jason, even staying in Jason's house. Tommy was looking extremely put out as he watched the severely rewritten version of Kat's arrival in Angel Grove, as told by Marah, Kapri and Dustin. Ethan and Justin were discussing video games, while Adam and Zack had started up a game of hacky sack that Kira and Trent were watching while reclining together against a tree.

"Where'd Jason go?" Trini wondered aloud.

"He went to go pick up Wild Force and show them where we are," Adam called. "They called a few minutes ago." Adam caught the hacky sack ball and sighed. "It's not as much fun with two people. Want to spar?"

"Okay," Zack said with a shrug, and lunged at Adam.

Jason returned shortly, along with Cole, Max, Danny, Taylor, Alyssa, Anton and Elsa. "Dad!" Trent called, standing up. "I thought you were gonna call when you got here."

"I was, but I ran into Cole in the parking lot and he told me he was on his way to meet up with the rest of you," Anton explained. "Ah! The Ninja Rangers. I've got something to discuss with you."

"We're almost done—you can have Dustin, but Marah and I still need to do the epic fight scene," Kapri called, sitting up from where she had been curled on the grass with a now-shirtless Dustin. "We don't really need him for the part where she catches us together; he sleeps through it."

Tommy snorted. "Of course he does."

"Hey, Dr. Mercer, Ms. Randall," Blake said as he, Shane, Tori, Dustin, Hunter and Cam converged on Anton and Elsa, the Wild Force Rangers going to greet the others. "Glad to hear you reformed."

"Thank you," Anton told him. "I wanted to apologize—"

"Eh, we've all been evil at some point," Dustin said as he shook the leaves, grass and other forest debris from his hair and pulled his shirt back on. "Except Cam, but he has a robotic twin that likes to tie him up and impersonate him." Cam rolled his eyes.

"Apology accepted," Shane said hastily, seeing the startled look on Anton and Elsa's faces. "No hard feelings."

"Thanks," Elsa said.

"And thank you for the greeting card, Dustin," Anton added. "I was going to send a reply, but I didn't think it would reach you before Power Rangers Day—but I do have a gift I'd like to give you. All of you."

"A gift? You shouldn't have," Tori said.

"It's just a little something I found lying around Mesogog's lab," Anton told her. He reached into his bag and pulled out a large gift-wrapped cylindrical object. He presented it to Dustin, who took it and tore the paper off, revealing a glass canister filled with liquid tinged faintly purple. Inside the liquid was—

"Oh, _cool,"_ Dustin said. "It's a Lothor doll."

"No," Anton said as Elsa struggled not to laugh, "it's really, really not."

"Oh," Shane said. The Ninja Storm Rangers peered down at the canister in confusion for a moment until Shane finally looked back up at Anton. "Then what is it?"

"That," Anton announced, "is _Lothor."_

"What?" Dustin stared up at him blankly, and then his eyes widened in realization. "Oh, my god!"

"This is _actually_ Lothor?" Tori demanded. Anton nodded.

"Sweet," Hunter said, looking at Lothor with a feral grin. "I can't _wait_ to play with him."

"We wondered what happened to him," Cam said, glowering down the canister. "How'd you get him in the jar?"

"It was a talent of Mesogog's," Elsa explained. "He could channel his psionic blasts to shrink a target."

"Can he breathe in there?" Shane asked.

Anton nodded. "He's fully aware—he can see, hear, and think. He's just… in suspended animation, I guess you could say. He'll remain alive in that solution indefinitely, long beyond his normal lifespan, but the liquid prevents movement of any kind and blocks his mystical abilities—it's worked on all sorts of monsters so I presume it'll do just fine for a rogue ninja. I wasn't sure what to do with him, and the lab was falling apart—was even infiltrated by some poor kids who used to work at the China Express on Hanover Street—so I figured he'd be safest with a Ranger team."

"The jar is sealed, and it needs to stay that way," Elsa added. "Once out of the solution, he'll be able to move and access whatever superhuman abilities he has, and his own powers might be able to return him to normal size. Mesogog isn't around anymore to shrink him again; Anton can't access Mesogog's power."

"Sensei Kanoi will know what to do with him," Shane said.

"Shouldn't we toss him back in the Abyss of Evil?" Blake asked.

"He already got out of there once," Hunter pointed out.

"Can't we just shake him a lot?" Dustin begged.

"He's not a _snow globe,_ Dustin," Tori chided. She gave Lothor a contemplative look. "Although… I think we could come up with a few ways to… _entertain_ him."

"No," Cam said, snatching the jar from Dustin. "We aren't confining him to the Abyss, and we aren't going to torture him." All of the Ninja Rangers looked disappointed, but Cam held Lothor up to eye level and smiled darkly at his uncle. "We… _are going to give him to Marah and Kapri."_

The other Ninja Rangers gaped at him. "Dude, that is _cold,"_ Dustin said, sounding impressed.

"Yeah," Hunter agreed. "I wish I'd thought of it."

"Let's wait til we get back to Ninja Ops, though," Cam said. "I want to put a few modifications on it to make sure the glass doesn't crack before we hand it over, and the last thing we need is those two dropping him in the park."

"I trust you'll be careful with him, then?" Elsa asked; she wasn't entirely sure she approved of Anton's idea to give Lothor to the Ninja Rangers.

"Don't worry," Hunter told her. "We have no intention of letting him out."

"And even if he does get out, it's not like we haven't beaten him before," Shane said.

"We totally kicked his butt even _without_ our Ranger powers," Dustin added. He tapped on the glass. "Hi, Lothor! Did you miss us?"

A chorus of evil chuckles went through the Ninja Rangers. "I'm glad you like him," Anton said.

"'Like' is a strong word," Tori quipped, "but he does make an _excellent_ gift."

"Dude, _thank you,"_ Dustin added. He looked pleadingly at Cam. "Can't I shake him just a little?"

Cam attempted to glare at him, but the expression flickered with reluctant amusement. Shane grinned, sensing Cam's weakness. "Come on," he cajoled. "A few rounds of Lothor hot potato couldn't hurt."

"I'm in!" exclaimed Kira, hurrying over to then with Trent. The Ninja Storm Rangers looked at her, startled. "What? This guy is the reason you three kept knocking me and Conner and Ethan on our butts."

"Can I play?" Zack asked, coming over. "It's too bad nobody ever trapped Rita and Zedd in a snow globe."

Before Anton knew what was happening, every last Ranger in the clearing was shouting, laughing, running and jumping, tossing Lothor through the air with nothing short of glee. Anton frowned and looked at Elsa, who looked as uncomfortable as he felt. "Do you think…?" he began.

"They want to do this to _us?"_ Elsa finished. Anton nodded and Elsa shrugged. "We're reformed. Things are different now."

Anton started to agree with her, but was struck by a sudden, horrifying thought. "Do _you_ ever want to do that to me?"

Elsa smiled. "No. Now, if your alter ego was trapped in a jar somewhere…" Elsa trailed off, looking less disturbed and more worried as she watched the jar. "We _did_ say that jar was breakable, right?"

Anton sighed. "Well, if it breaks, there will be plenty of people around to handle Lothor. I can't imagine a better place to release Lothor than in the midst of several dozen Power Rangers." He laughed in a manner that was just slightly malicious. "I wouldn't mind seeing the look on his face when he escaped and found himself surrounded by more Power Rangers than he'd ever imagined having to fight."

Elsa stared at him. "You want to join in, don't you?" she demanded.

Anton grinned at her, completely unrepentant. "Would it be terrible of me to admit that I think I was a much better evil villain than Lothor?"

She continued staring for a moment, then laughed. "Not so terrible." She jerked her head at Marah and Kapri, who were apparently fairly clumsy for ninjas-in-training. "Look at his generals. I could have destroyed them both in a matter of moments, even in Lothor's heyday."

"We were terrific villains, you and I."

"That we were." Elsa slipped her arm through Anton's and nudged him with her elbow. "Think these goody-goodies will let us play with them?"

Anton watched Lothor's canister fly through the air, following its movements carefully. As Adam sent it sailing towards Blake, Anton leaped forward and snatched the jar in mid-flight. He smirked at Elsa and tossed to her. "Why ask nicely?" he joked.

She let out a vaguely evil chuckle and ignored Marah and Kapri, both of whom were eagerly shouting that they were open, instead launching Lothor's canister across the clearing towards Trent. Then she and Anton gleefully joined the Rangers in the first-ever game of Lothor Hot Potato.

All thoughts of Power Rangers Day were forgotten in favor of Lothor Hot Potato. No one wanted to stop playing; even those without a personal grudge against Lothor found the act of batting around a miniaturized evil villain extremely therapeutic. It wasn't until a deafening roar sounded from the direction of the meadow that anyone remembered Power Rangers Day. The group paused, trying to figure out if the crowd was screaming in excitement or terror. Jason caught the canister, tucked it under his arm and checked his watch—they now had only a half hour until the six Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were supposed to make their entrance.

"Someone go check that out," Jason called, jerking his head at the meadow.

"I will," Hunter offered, vanished in a blur of crimson. Jason stared at the spot where Hunter had once been, then shook it off and prepared to point out that the originals had to stop procrastinating when Hunter reappeared. "There are other Power Rangers here," Hunter reported. "Public identity ones. I can't see much, cuz the crowd's swarming them, but they've got a black SUV."

"That'll be Wes and Eric," Taylor said. "We decided to arrive separately, since their identities aren't secret anymore. They should have a few of the higher-ranking Silver Guardians with them, too."

"Is anyone else here yet?" Tanya asked.

Hunter shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I haven't met any other teams besides you guys. I wouldn't have known those guys were Power Rangers if the crowd wasn't shouting at them to morph."

"I'm gonna go look," Jason said.

"I'll come too," Zack said. "Wouldn't hurt to scope out the others' entrance. You know we gotta top the others."

"How _are_ we going to make our entrance?" Kimberly asked.

"I hadn't thought about it," Jason admitted. "This week's been so hectic that none of us did any actual planning."

"Wish we could morph," Kimberly complained. "Or teleport."

"Last Power Rangers Day's entrance was the best," Zack said. "The whole town being shifted into another dimension and then being shifted back and saluting us as their heroes."

"Maybe for _you,"_ Tommy said dryly. "I was _in_ that dimension."

"We were, too," Aisha said, gesturing at Rocky and Adam. "That was before we met you guys."

"Definitely not a fun day," Adam said.

"Hey, I'm not saying it was a good thing," Zack insisted. "I'm just saying as entrances go, that one was pretty cool."

Jason led the way back towards the meadow, everyone following him. They came out of the trees as one enormous group; it might have looked suspicious, if anyone was paying the slightest attention to them, but none of the townspeople seemed to care about much besides Wes and Eric, who were still standing next to their SUV, unable to leave the parking lot for the mob. Eric looked rather disgruntled, but Wes was cheerfully greeting people and signing all manner of objects shoved in his direction. Four men in Silver Guardians uniforms were attempting to push the crowd back and failing miserably.

"Wow," Kimberly said, shaking her head. "This is gonna be crazy."

"I totally want to run up and beg them to autograph something for me," Rocky joked. "Hey, someone take a picture of me and Jason!"

"I can't believe you showed up in costume," Jason said, shaking his head but obediently posing with Rocky while several of the others snapped pictures.

"Hey, I couldn't let you hog all the glory," Rocky teased. "I'm _definitely_ getting a picture with you in morph, too." He put on a high, breathy voice. "I've _always_ wanted to meet the original Red Ranger!" Jason smacked him lightly upside the head.

"You know what?" Tommy said, eyeing the crowd with unease. "I'm thinking once we get ready to make our entrance, the rest of you should split up. Mingle with people a bit, try to blend in with the tourists… someone keep an eye on Conner."

"I will," Rocky offered.

"I don't think so," Tommy growled. "No more making out with axe-murderers."

"Dude," Conner hissed indignantly, "you're _killing_ my game here. Isn't it bad enough Marah and Kapri won't leave her alone?"

"I don't mind hanging out with him," Kat called from the back of the group, where Marah was clinging to one arm and Kapri was clinging to the other. Kimberly, whom Marah and Kapri had yet to refer to by name, was now hanging out with Aisha.

Conner's annoyed expression transformed into a wolfish grin. "Never mind," he muttered.

"But _we_ want to hang out with you all day," Kapri whined to Kat.

"Actually, that's not a good idea," Jason said, for which Kat shot him a grateful look; she was beginning to like the two girls, but having them glued to her was already making Kat claustrophobic. Jason, who knew all too well about hero worship, grinned at Kat before continuing. "This place is packed elbow-to-elbow with people, so we need to keep the suspicious behavior to a minimum. You two hanging all over her might turn some heads. We need to be on high alert here—no talking about _anything_ someone might overhear and link to our identities. Spread out, stay in small groups—try to keep it under five, four tops." Marah and Kapri made noises of protest and hugged Kat tighter, as if trying to make up for the time they'd lose. "By the way," Jason added, "we're planning to hit the beach later tonight, anyone in on the secret is welcome to come—we meet at the Youth Center at ten. Just make a right out of the park and it's straight down Main Street; it's not hard to find."

The crowd began to roar again; Lightspeed Rescue had just shown up in the Rescue Rover. They had a reserved parking spot next to Wes and Eric's SUV, but the crowd surged towards the Rover and prevented it from getting even close.

"That's gonna get dangerous," Jason commented. "All those people running around in the parking lot…"

"Look!" Danny exclaimed, pointing up in the sky. Flashes of color were swooping down towards the parking lot—the Space Rangers had arrived on their Galaxy Gliders. The group ducked low over the crowd, under the entrance arch in single file, and into the park itself; most of the crowd was quick to follow them, abandoning Wes, Eric, the Silver Guardians and the Lightspeed Rangers in the parking lot. The Space Rangers flew over to the stage, circling it in a spiral that went higher and higher, the crowd staring up at them in awe and screaming their approval. Then the Rangers leveled out, and in perfect unison leaped down onto the stage, struck a pose, and demorphed to thunderous applause.

"Showoffs," Zack complained good-naturedly.

Jason's eyes narrowed. "Oh, it is _on_ now," he growled.

"We have _got_ to top that," Kimberly exclaimed.

Jason grinned. "Don't worry," he said. "We are going to make Power Rangers Day a day to remember."

* * *

Noon found Mayor Anderson standing nervously by the stage, wringing his hands and glancing about like a hyperactive squirrel. He hadn't been in contact with the Rangers since they had come to his office last week, and they hadn't stayed long enough to finalize a lot of important details. He had no idea _how_ the Rangers were going to show up—if they would teleport in, if they would soar overhead like the Space Rangers, if they would pull in on a charter bus—and come to think of it, he wasn't even sure they would know when to make their entrance.

As such, Mayor Anderson had waylaid T.J. Johnson the moment the Space Rangers had arrived, and T.J. had told him not to worry, that the original Rangers were ready and waiting and would appear onstage promptly at twelve. Anderson had asked how they would appear and T.J.'s only response had been to mutter something about not spoiling the surprise. Anderson prided himself on his power of perception, and he didn't miss the nervousness in T.J.'s chuckle or the glances exchanged by Carlos Vallerte and Cassie Chan.

So Anderson had ordered the technicians to turn on the smoke machines and release the confetti and balloons once the Rangers arrived and fretted until his watch read precisely twelve o'clock. Then he nodded at the sound guy, and music began blaring out of the loudspeakers set up above the stage. Anderson figured that if the Rangers didn't show he could just keep replaying it and cut it off when and if they did show, though it was a one-minute piece written especially for the event, with simplistic lyrics and lots of guitar riffs, and would probably get annoyingly repetitive fast.

A slight tremor went through the ground, as if the Earth itself was growling. Several people yelped and several California-natives groaned. Mayor Anderson felt like sobbing. An earthquake? Really? _Now?_ At least it was a faint tremor—

Lightning suddenly erupted across the stage, making the technicians back away in alarm. Bolts of energy danced across the platform, coming from no apparent source and completely missing all of the electronic equipment. Then the lightning vanished and a gentle wind began to spiral around the edge of the empty stage, increasing in intensity until the chairs and podiums began to rock. Soon it was a miniature tornado, contained entirely around the stage, twisting higher and higher—until the six Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fell from above and landed safely on the torrents of wind. The crowd roared with excitement as the Red, Yellow, Blue, Pink, Black and White Rangers began striking poses, showing off the moves that had once kept Rita and Zedd's worst monsters at bay; the Red, Yellow and Black Rangers even removed their Blade Blasters from their holsters and fired a few blasts up into the air.

The Rangers sank slowly on the magic torrents of wind, lowering the Rangers gently down towards the stage; when they were still several yards up, they all flipped one at a time out of the wind to land safely on the platform, each putting a different twist on the move. The wind died, and lightning crackled across the stage one more time. The earth trembled again, slightly harder this time, and in spite of the fact that the sky was a crystal-clear blue a booming thunderclap sounded. The technicians belatedly rushed forward and Ranger-colored smoke and confetti exploded over the stage just as the music concluded with a final guitar riff.

The people screamed ecstatically, pressing as close to the stage as the event security would allow, awestruck by the Rangers' arrival. Relieved, Mayor Anderson waited for the smoke to clear a bit, then rushed for the stairs up onto the stage.

* * *

_End Notes:_ Fair warning, we're getting low on usable episode titles to name our chapters. We may have to expand to other seasons of Power Rangers, or else just start calling stuff things like "An Oyster Stew" for no reason.

Anyway, we'd like to point out a few things about OLaB and canon. We intend to use everything up through Operation Overdrive as canon, with the exception of the S.P.D. episode "Wormhole," because it wasn't aired as part of the original lineup (it was available at first only on DVDs) and is so full of plot holes we'd never blend OLaB around it. Also things like "The Hidden Episode" from Dino Thunder, which wasn't actually an episode but a preview of S.P.D., and a few other specials. We're not sure if we'll include anything from Jungle Fury just yet, or the upcoming season of Power Rangers, but R.P.M. is out, because it doesn't generally fit with Power Rangers continuity.

As a reminder, please let us know if you have any ideas whatsoever for Power Rangers Day or the fic in general. I can't promise we'll use them, but if we do we'll credit you, and coming up with this stuff on our own isn't easy. I still have no idea where I got the chainsaw thing.


	114. A Star Is Born

**Chapter 114**

_A Star Is Born_

"Showoffs," T.J. complained good-naturedly. He was sitting at a table at the back of the field with the other public-identity Rangers, where they mayor had asked them to sign autographs. They had no sooner sat down than they'd been set upon by townsfolk and tourists, until everyone in the autograph lines had abandoned them to rush the stage.

"Aw, I thought we'd have the best entrance for sure," Cassie said. She motioned to T.J. with a Pink Turbo Ranger plushy a little girl had handed her to sign and promptly forgotten in the mad dash to witness the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' arrival. "Isn't this thing great?"

"I sent you a box of those," T.J. pointed out. As all Power Rangers merchandise had to be approved by him, he was rather desensitized to its novelty.

"I've got writer's cramp already," Wes said ruefully.

"How long are we planning to do this, anyway?" Zhane asked.

"I don't know," Chad said, "probably until it's the Mighty Morphin Rangers' turn."

"They have a separate table," T.J. said, gesturing to a table set up on the east side of the field.

"How did they do that?" Carter wondered aloud, staring up at the sky. "They can't fly, can they?"

"I can answer that," said Justin, coming over to the table with Rocky, Adam, Aisha, Tanya, Kat, Anton, Elsa, Hayley, the Wild Force Rangers, the Ninja Storm group and the remaining Dino Rangers. He held up a remote control device. "Billy has a flying car, did you guys know that?"

"The RADBUG," T.J. said, nodding. "I'd forgotten about that. Trini told me about it."

"Apparently it can fly by remote," Justin said. "Since only Jason, Trini and Zack have powers, they had me operate it so that they could jump out way up above the stage."

"We did the rest," Hunter said proudly. "Jason asked us personally."

"Hunter and I do lightning," Blake added. "The wind was Shane, and Dustin did the earthquakes."

"Wish we'd thought of that," Ashley said enviously. "That was incredible."

"You know, guys," Chad said, "no offense or anything, but I don't think it's a good idea to be talking to us. We're public identity, you're—"

"We're not _talking_ to you," Kira interrupted, her eyes wide with fake awe. "We're _meeting_ you."

"Yeah, we're taking advantage of the fact that everyone else is watching the Mighty Morphin guys to get your autograph without standing in line," said Rocky.

"We weren't actually planning to do autographs," Joel said. "Mayor asked us after we got here. We were just planning to wander around, see the sights, maybe take some pictures…"

"And now we're second stage," Carlos said. "Probably should have expected it."

"We should make with the autograph books," Rocky said. "Before anyone comes running back to the line. And then we're splitting up, right?" Several of the others nodded.

"We'll meet you at the Youth Center for the beach party," T.J. said. Then, raising his voice, he pasted a smile on his face and winked up at Kira. "And what's _your_ name, little girl?"

Kira snorted and handed him an autograph book. "Kira. K-I-R-A."

The secret identity Rangers lingered at the autograph table for a while, having fun pretending to be in awe of the Power Rangers. The only exception was Ninja Storm, who actually hadn't met any of the other Ranger teams before and really _were_ in awe of the Power Rangers. The lack of familiarity produced some interesting moments—Marah and Kapri were thrilled to meet both Karone and Ryan, Dustin was eager to meet everyone in general, and Cam stalled the line completely to ask Andros about space travel. Thankfully the mayor's speech was lengthy, and most of the crowd was still surrounding the stage, waiting impatiently for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to speak.

Eventually, however, people began drifting back to the autograph line, especially those who had been talking to one of the public-identity Rangers before the original Rangers' entrance. A girl ran up in a panic about the fate of her Pink Turbo Ranger plushy. An older woman shook Karone's hand and said, "I forgive you," which earned her a nearly tearful hug from a grateful and apologetic Karone. A teenage boy asked Andros why he dyed his hair like that, and another teenage boy proudly displayed his own Andros-inspired streaked hairdo. As the line swelled with eager fans, the incognito Rangers felt it best to quietly slip off.

* * *

"Hey," Dustin said, frowning as he and Trent wove through the crowd together, "I thought we were gonna go check out the guy selling the comic books."

"We are," Trent assured him.

"I thought the comic books were over there," Dustin said, jerking his thumb in the opposite direction.

"We're taking the scenic route."

Dustin frowned and started to reply, but just then he caught a glimpse of blue and realized Blake and Kira were maybe thirty feet ahead of Dustin and Trent. Dustin was about to point this out when Kira hesitated to look at something on a vendor's table and Trent came to a halt. Dustin stopped also, watching Trent suspiciously—sure enough, as soon as Kira and Blake started moving, Trent did too.

"Are… are we _following_ Blake and Kira?" Dustin asked, confused.

"Not following," Trent replied absently, his gaze focused on Blake with laser intensity. "Going in the same direction as nonchalantly as possible."

Dustin thought about this for a while. He watched Blake and Kira, trying to figure out _why_ Trent wanted to follow them. Finally, when Trent's eyes narrowed dangerously at the vision of Kira laughing at one of Blake's jokes, it clicked.

"Dude, you know Blake's totally into Tori, right?" Dustin asked Trent.

"I know," Trent confirmed without glancing away from Blake.

"…And Kira's totally into you," Dustin continued.

"I know."

"So… there's no need for us to follow Blake and Kira."

"We're _not_ following them. We're going in the same direction as nonchalantly as possible."

"Right," Dustin said, shooting a wistful look in the direction of the comic books.

* * *

After the initial greeting from the mayor, Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly, Zack and Tommy were happy to sit in their color-coded chairs while the mayor gave a rousing speech and listed their accomplishments. All too soon, however, the mayor concluded his speech and turned expectantly to the six Rangers, waiting for them to begin their own speeches.

"Morph order," Jason hissed out of the corner of his mouth.

"Zack, you're up," Kimberly whispered.

"No names—colors only," Jason ordered.

"You're one to talk," Tommy muttered. "Does the Ranger parade ring a bell?"

"Black! Go!" Kimberly hissed.

"White goes first! White goes first!" Zack wailed as quietly as possible.

"He's going last. Do it, Black," Jason hissed.

Tommy helpfully put a hand on Zack's shoulder and shoved; Zack gulped and climbed to his feet, approaching the podium slowly. The crowd cheered as he moved into position and cleared his throat, at a loss for words.

"Hi," Zack said nervously. "I'm, uh… the Black Ranger." A roar went up from the crowd. "For those of you who are colorblind." The crowd laughed. Zack fought to come up with something, anything. "I, uh… well, what can I say? I'm a Power Ranger. I like being a Power Ranger. Do a lot of good, you know?" The crowd cheered. "Yeah. Fight a lot of bad guys. I like fighting bad guys, you know… being a hero… I also like dancing. Yeah, dancing is cool. And I like football. And sports in general, you know, basketball and volleyball…" Behind him, Jason groaned, Kimberly giggled and Tommy put a hand to his forehead. The crowd, however, seemed to enjoy Zack's diatribe. "Surfing, you know, I like that too… and skateboarding…" Zack floundered for a moment before struck by sudden inspiration. "But most of all, I like being a hero. We can all be heroes, though, Power Rangers or not. You don't need weapons or zords or costumes—all you need is to care about the world and about helping your fellow man. So… remember that, and be a hero." Zack left the podium to thunderous applause and returned to his seat, practically collapsing into it from relief.

Kimberly was still giggling as she went up to the podium. "Hi. I'm the Pink Ranger," she said, to applause from the crowd. "Which you may have noticed. I'd just like to say that I love Angel Grove." She waited a moment for the cheering to die down. "This city will always be home to me, no matter where life takes me—and let me tell you, it's taken me lots of places. And even though we're not here defending the city from Rita, we will always be here when Angel Grove needs us. Thank you, Angel Grove!"

The crowd roared its approval and Kimberly waved as she went back to her seat. Billy let out a terrified groan before making his way up to the podium. "Hi. I assume you are all aware that I am the Blue Ranger. I am very proud to be a Power Ranger, and to defend this fine city. I am, however, completely unprepared to adequately deliver a speech on my behalf, for which I apologize. I will hopefully be more articulate once fully acclimated to my surroundings." He hurried back to his chair amidst cheers, laughter, and a few confused shouts of "Huh?" Trini clapped him on the shoulder before taking her turn.

"We have faced a lot, as a city, as a people," Trini said. "The invasion of Rita began an onslaught against our city by numerous beings that would have exterminated us. Fighting against that evil wasn't easy, but fighting for this city and this world was easy. The city of Angel Grove is worth protecting and no matter how much terror and trauma I experienced, I would face it all again. Being a Power Ranger taught me a lot—honor, strength, integrity—but it was Angel Grove that taught me to never give up."

Trini returned to her seat and Jason took the podium. Once the cheering died down, he said, "So I'm the Red one," and received the largest cheer yet. "I was the leader of the original Power Rangers, as I'm sure most of you know—" the crowd roared in response— "but what most of you probably don't know is that I wasn't a hero. I was a guy. An average guy with an average life who found myself in control of a superhero team and had a lot of hard choices to make and a lot of tough enemies to fight. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that it doesn't take an extraordinary person to be extraordinary. You can call me a superhero, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm more than a superhero—I'm a person. Any one person can achieve great things, like Einstein or Washington or Lincoln—they don't even have to wear spandex." The crowd laughed. "So what's to stop you from being that person? Not a thing. Get out there and be it, because greatness is found by those who are looking for it, and every single person has the potential to find it."

The crowd screamed as Jason returned to his seat, and didn't bother stopping as Tommy stood up and came to the podium. "Well," Tommy said, "being a Power Ranger was fun while it lasted. I miss it every day, even though, to be perfectly honest, I _don't_ miss Rita." The crowd laughed. "I think my team has said it all, so I'll just say thank you, for all your support, for making this town a place I was ready to fight for. Here's to hoping the fight is over."

* * *

As Tommy returned to his seat, the mayor climbed back onstage, along with a technician carrying handheld microphones. The mayor came up to the podium and called, "Let's have another round of applause for our city's heroes!" and gestured for the Rangers to take a bow. The crowd went nuts.

"Wow," Shane called to Hunter and Cole over the noise, "we keep standing out here and we're gonna go deaf by the end of the day."

"Tell me about it," Hunter shouted back.

Cole winced even as he clapped enthusiastically. "I have very good hearing," he yelled.

Finally the roar died down, and the mayor announced the next step for Power Rangers Day. Two podiums had been set up at opposite ends of the stage, and people were now invited to queue up at them to ask the Rangers questions.

"Brace yourselves," Shane said, and all three boys dug in their heels as the enormous crowd began to stampede.

"Wow. It's worse than a mosh pit," Hunter commented, casually throwing an elbow at someone who was attempting to go through him rather than around him.

"Mosh pit?" Cole asked curiously.

"It's like this with fewer people and less noise," Shane replied through gritted teeth as a posse of teenage girls crashed against him.

The mayor asked everyone to calm down—to no avail—and a number of security personnel and miscellaneous staff members did their best to control the situation; it wasn't until people began to give up hope of getting into one of the two lines that order was more or less restored. By that point, each of the six Mighty Morphin Rangers had been given a handheld microphone, and once everyone had settled in, the mayor pointed to the podium on the west side of the stage and told the man behind it to ask the first question.

"We'll never get through the line," Cole said with a sigh. "Even half the line will take at least an hour."

"Don't worry, man, we're card-carrying members of the Ranger club," Shane pointed out. "We can ask our questions at the beach tonight. Hey—where did Hunter go?"

Cole looked around, then shrugged. "He must have got swept up in the crowd. So. What do we do now?"

Shane grinned. "I guess we make our own fun."

* * *

"How lame," Conner complained as the applause for Tommy died away. "All those science lectures I had to sit through, and these people only get a few words?"

Kat chuckled. She and Conner had ducked out of the autograph line together, while Marah was asking Karone questions about Astronema and Kapri was asking Ryan if he had a girlfriend. "So you were Tommy's student?" she asked Conner.

He nodded. "Yeah, for senior year. Then me, Kira and Ethan got detention together and—"

"Why'd you get detention?"

"Oh, well… I kind of skipped class to play soccer," Conner admitted. "It was the first day of school, I didn't think anyone would miss me… but it turned out the principal was an evil villain in disguise and she caught me. Caught Kira and Ethan, too."

"Kira and Ethan play soccer?"

"Nah. They got detention for different stuff on the same day. Anyway, Dr. O was put in charge of detention that day and he took us to a museum on the outskirts of town. He went to check out the museum and sent us into the forest to find something prehistoric, we fell in a sinkhole right above the tunnel network leading to Dr. O's secret lab…" Conner shrugged and nodded at his bracelet. "Found these."

"Well, they _are_ prehistoric," Kat quipped.

Conner grinned. "Hayley says something that ironic could only happen to Dr. O."

Kat laughed. "That _does_ sound like the sort of thing that would happen to Tommy."

"How'd it happen to you?" Conner asked.

Kat winced. "It's a rather long story." She nodded at the crowd. "A delicate one, too."

"We could go into the trees," Conner suggested hopefully.

Conner was all set to give her a list of excuses about how they could probably hear the loudspeakers from in the forest anyway and there would be less chance of Marah and Kapri finding Kat and they probably shouldn't spend the entire day in the sun, but Kat needed no convincing. She just smiled and slipped her arm through Conner's. "I'd like that."

* * *

"You are _so_ lucky you got into MIT, Justin," Ethan said enviously as he wandered between the vendors' stalls with Justin and Cam. "I have _always_ wanted to go there. No way could I afford it, even with scholarships."

"I always wanted to go there too," Cam admitted. "Dad needed me to help out at the academy, though."

"Cam's dad's in charge of the Wind Ninja Academy," Ethan whispered to Justin.

"Oh, cool," Justin said. "I want to hear all about it when we can actually, you know, talk about it."

"Sure," Cam said. "In the mean time, what's MIT like?"

"It's a great experience," Justin said with relish. "Not only do you get to learn cool stuff about whatever your classes are teaching you, but you really learn about _life._ How things work, how people work… it's like I'm finally living in a world I never realized existed."

"Crazy party life, huh," Cam drawled.

Justin nodded fervently. "The _best."_

"Oh, man," Ethan whined. "I'll probably end up at Reefside Tech."

"That's a good school, though, isn't it?" Cam asked.

Ethan shrugged. "Oh, sure. It's just not MIT. It still ranks among the best tech-based post-secondary institutes in the country, though. Both my parents went there; that's how they met."

"Ethan!" Trent came over, looking annoyed. "Have you seen Kira? Or Blake?"

"No," Ethan replied. "Weren't they hanging out together?"

"I lost them," Trent grumbled, practically growling in frustration.

"Weren't you hanging out with Dustin?" Cam asked Trent.

"Was, but we ran into Taylor; she said Marah and Kapri challenged Randall to some sort of ex-villain duel," Trent replied. "Dustin left with Taylor—said it sounded like more fun than following Kira and Blake."

"Why were you following Kira and Blake?" Cam asked.

"Not following," Trent insisted. "Going in the same direction as nonchalantly as possible."

Justin, Cam and Ethan frowned at him. "Um… okay," Ethan said. "Haven't seen them. Sorry, Trent." He turned to Cam. "Listen, Randall can _fight._ You think we should go break it up before Marah and Kapri get hurt?"

Cam stared at him for a moment and replied, quite simply, "No."

Ethan was about to argue when someone called _"Ethan!"_ and he turned to see Cassidy running towards him.

"…Marah?" Cam asked, confused.

"Cassidy!" Ethan called, waving eagerly at Cassidy.

"That's Cassidy Cornell," Trent told Cam. "You're right, though—she does look a lot like Marah. Maybe she's your cousin, too."

"Actually, they're my step-cousins," Cam said. "Their dad married my dad's sister. Lothor's sister, too."

"So your aunt's evil like Lothor?" Trent asked.

Cam winced. "No, just… weird."

"I used to think my family was weird," Justin commented. "Then I started talking to Power Rangers. Tanya's parents vanished for years, Tommy's adopted and has a long-lost brother, your dad's a ninja sensei and Trent's dad use to be Mesogog. My family's practically normal in comparison."

"Wait til you meet Conner's mom," Trent said dryly. "I can tell you _stories."_

Cassidy reached them, drawing up short a few feet away from Ethan. Suddenly her enthusiasm was replaced by awkwardness. She smiled tentatively at Ethan, who returned the gesture, also looking rather uncertain.

"Hey," Cassidy said.

"Hey," Ethan replied.

"Hey," she repeated.

"Hey," Ethan agreed.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Hey, Cassidy," Trent interrupted loudly.

"Oh—hey, Trent," Cassidy said, looking startled to realize Trent, Cam and Justin were there. She held out her hand to Cam. "Hi. Cassidy Cornell."

Cam shook her hand, frowning at her oddly Marah-like appearance. "You're not an evil alien space ninja, are you?" Cam asked before he could stop himself.

Cassidy gave him a look of such wounded dignity that Trent hastily stepped in. "Sorry, Cassidy. Cam's got a weird sense of humor. Um, this is Cam Watanabe and Justin Stewart, they're… friends of ours."

"Oh." Cassidy dropped Cam's hand and then shook Justin's, glaring at him as if daring him to equate her with anything remotely related to aliens. Justin refrained from speaking, his entire mouth twitching as he tried not to laugh.

"I'm sorry," Cam said. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"You look like this really hot actress in a movie about evil alien space ninjas," Trent added, hoping to diffuse Cassidy's temper.

"Oh," she said, obviously mollified by this. She cleared her throat and looked back at Ethan. "I meant to call you."

"I meant to call you," he said.

"Is this gonna be like the 'hey' thing?" Cam asked.

Trent rolled his eyes at Cam. "Maybe you shouldn't speak."

"Where's Devin?" Ethan asked, in the desperate tone of one who wants to hide.

"Um… over by the comic books," Cassidy said. "I got bored waiting for him to…"

Cassidy trailed off and she and Ethan stared at each other, eyes wide. Justin and Cam looked askance at Trent, but he was more confused than they were—he hadn't really seen Cassidy and Ethan this awkward before, and he couldn't think what might've caused it.

"You know what?" Cassidy asked with a suddenness that made Ethan jump slightly. "This is stupid. We're friends, Ethan."

"Yeah," Ethan said. "Yeah. I mean, we're just… yeah. Friends."

Trent frowned suspiciously at them both. "I thought we established this months ago."

They ignored him. "This is so not a thing," Cassidy continued.

"Exactly," Ethan said. "Hey, do you want to go somewhere and talk? Like old times?"

"Graduation was three weeks ago," Trent reminded them, and was again ignored.

"I'd like that," Cassidy agreed, beaming at Ethan. She slipped her arm through Ethan's and began marching him towards the trees. "Bye, Trent! Guys." Ethan called a vague goodbye over his shoulder.

Trent blinked after them. "What the heck was _that?"_ he wondered aloud.

"You tell us," Cam said. "You're the one who knows them."

"If I had to guess, I'd say sexual tension," Justin said brightly. Trent gave him a horrified look. "What? I was the youngest Ranger ever and I started high school at twelve. Spent _way_ too much time hanging around teenage relationships. It gets easy to read the signs."

Trent let out a disgruntled sigh. "Great. That's a thought that's gonna fester."

"Does anyone else have an urge to go in the same direction as them as nonchalantly as possible?" Cam asked. Justin raised his hand in the air and they both looked at Trent.

Trent shrugged. "Either it'll turn out to be nothing or completely scar me for life. Might as well play the odds."

* * *

_End Notes:_ We've gotten quite a few great ideas for upcoming chapters from several of our reviewers, and we're looking at a few more. Thanks to everyone who submitted one, and feel free to keep doing so if something strikes you. When and if we use it, we'll credit you in the chapter(s) it comes up. Although we do have to say—**SPOILER ALERT**—we can't have Rita and Zedd show up. We're planning to use them later, and also we figured that the minute they heard about Power Rangers Day? They would run in the opposite direction as fast as possible. Wouldn't you, if you were them?

Also, a huge thanks goes out to psychochick32, who pointed out that as far as questions for the Rangers go, we should ask the reviewers. So we'd like to ask—if you met the original Power Rangers, what would you ask them? What would you want them to sign?


	115. Big Sisters

**Chapter 115**

_Big Sisters_

Hunter had been caught by a group of middle-aged women in matching T-shirts who, upon realizing that they couldn't squeeze around him, decided to push him along in front of them, turning an obstacle into part of the path. By the time he was able to extricate himself without breaking any bones (his or anyone's in the crowd's), he had completely lost sight of Shane and Cole.

Deciding he may as well ditch the bulk of the crowd and take advantage of the shorter lines at the vendors' booths, he began pushing his way through the mass of people, moving parallel to the nearest line rather than towards it, figuring that, as squeezing through the crush of people packed into the line, it would be best to go around it. Surely the line had to end. Somewhere.

Just as he dodged around a big guy with a beer gut into a relatively open space, a person came crashing into him, shoved by someone else in the crowd. Hunter stumbled but managed to keep his footing, catching the person who'd hit him—whom he could tell was a girl, because even as she fell she was shouting.

"Hey! Watch where you're going! Toad!"

Hunter looked down at the girl in his arms as he set her back on her feet. She was a teenager, with short dark hair featuring a couple red streaks, her expression livid. Hunter stared at her, amazed. She was nothing short of electrifying. Not that he would ever say that aloud, but the fact remained that he was suddenly quite certain he was going to spend the rest of his life with her. She was beautiful. She was perfect. She was—

"Let go!" She jerked herself free from Hunter's grip and began glancing around, frowning. "CHIP!"

"Are you okay?" Hunter asked, just as soon as he felt he could speak without asking her to marry him.

"I'm fine," she said shortly. "I'd be a lot better if stupid rubberneckers would watch where they're _going!"_ she added, twisting her head in the direction of whoever had knocked her over, getting louder with each word until Hunter cringed at the volume.

"There you are!" A freckled, redheaded teenage boy came bounding up to the girl. "I thought I lost you in the crowd!"

"Wouldn't want that, would we?" the girl grumbled. She looked at Hunter as though wondering why he was still there. Her gaze darted over him; Hunter hoped he wasn't imagining the appreciative look in her eye. "Well. Thanks for breaking my fall," she said. She grabbed the redheaded boy by the arm and made to pull him through the crowd. "Come _on,_ Chip—we've gotta find Madison and Xander."

Hunter watched the girl storm off, towing her friend in her wake, and abruptly found himself following them. After a few paces she glanced back and saw him, shooting him a dark frown that did nothing whatsoever to deter Hunter. She marched purposefully through the crowd as though hoping to lose him in it, but being a ninja Hunter had no trouble keeping up (though poor Chip was pretty much being dragged) and when it became apparent that she would have no success in ditching Hunter she rounded on him. Chip yelped as he was flung in a circle; the yellow cape pinned to his back whipped around to smack him in the face, eliciting another yelp.

"What?" the girl demanded of Hunter.

It took a lot of concentration not to profess his love for her, so, "Do you have a name?" was all Hunter could think to say.

She glared at him, looking mildly offended. Her shoulders tensed; apparently her grip on Chip's arm tightened too, if the wince on his face was anything to go by. "No," she ground out.

"No, huh?" Hunter grinned. "Guess that means I'll just have to make up something to call you."

"Or," she growled, "you could go very far away before _I_ start thinking of things to call _you."_

"My name's Hunter," he offered.

"Are you sure it isn't Stalker?" she retorted.

"I'm sure," he replied, completely unabashed by her tone.

She dropped Chip's arm and took a step towards him; in spite of himself, Hunter took a step back, catching himself just before the instinct to pull a fighting stance set in. "Look," she snarled, "my friend has to be a dork, and I've got to keep an eye on him, and I'd rather do that without you following us. Get lost."

"That's not very nice," Hunter said. "I'm not a bad person, you know. You just have to get to know me."

She stared at him. Then she took in a deep breath, allowing Hunter to brace himself for the shouting that ensued before she cut loose. "Look, pretty boy, you've got ten seconds to back off before _I remove your skin!"_

Hunter's eyebrows rose. "Pretty boy?" he repeated, unable to keep the note of hopefulness out of his voice.

Her face twisted in a scowl and Chip was quick to put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," Chip told Hunter. "She's usually like this."

"Is she?" Hunter asked mildly.

The girl started to round on Chip, and Hunter was struck by an abrupt need to rescue the kid, who reminded Hunter of an odd cross between Dustin and Blake. "You're really hot when you're angry," Hunter announced.

Her jaw dropped and she spun back towards Hunter, the rage on her face so exquisite that Hunter couldn't help smiling, even though some distant part of his brain labeled "common sense" knew that smiling would probably be the last thing he ever did.

The kinship he felt towards Chip was apparently mutual, however; Chip lunged forward and flung his arms around her. He seemed aware of the fact that he wasn't physically capable of holding the girl back, though, and it seemed more like a hug than an attempt to restrain her. "Don't do it, Vi!" Chip wailed. "If you get us thrown out of Power Rangers Day our friendship will never recover!"

She shrugged him off with minimal effort. Chip went flying, but she and Hunter were too busy staring each other down to notice where he landed. She seemed to be warring with herself, while Hunter was currently trying to recall as many ninja moves as possible. Finally she hissed, "Stop. Following. Me."

Hunter swallowed but his voice was steady as he responded, "Sure. If you give me your phone number."

_"Excuse_ me?" she demanded. "You cannot _stalk_ a girl and then ask for her digits."

"I just did," Hunter pointed out. "Come on. I think we could have some fun. At least let me buy you lunch or something. We can go hit a vendor's booth."

The girl dubbed "Vi" really was more attractive when angry, and right now she was just about the most attractive thing Hunter had ever seen. "Sorry," she snapped. "I don't date men who wear pink."

"It's not _pink!"_ Hunter protested, deeply wounded. "It's _crimson!"_

Chip came running up. "Oh, thank god you're still alive," he said, smiling in relief. Then a thoughtful look crossed his features. "Huh. She must like you or something."

"Really?" Hunter asked eagerly, but before Chip could answer Vi let out a primal noise of fury and Chip went flying again.

By the time she turned to face Hunter she was breathing heavily, practically foaming at the mouth, but Hunter was beaming. "I like you too, Vi," Hunter told her.

Somehow that comment seemed to take the wind out of her. She let out a shaky sigh, spun on her heel, and stalked off.

Hunter made to start after her, only to trip over the prone form of Chip. Sympathetically he bent down to offer his hand to the poor kid. "You okay?"

"I've had worse," Chip said, accepting Hunter's hand up with an irrepressible grin. "Like I said, she's usually like this."

Hunter helped him up and dusted him off, then turned to start off after Vi again… only to discover she had vanished. Horrified, Hunter turned to Chip. "We lost her."

Chip shrugged. "Well, she's the one who drove me here and Madison won't let her leave without me. I'm sure I'll track her down at some point. Or she'll track down me."

Hunter growled in frustration. "Tell me everything you know about her. Everything."

Chip gave him an apologetic smile. "I can't. Me and Vi go way back."

"Come _on!_ You gotta give me something. _Anything._ What's her last name? Hell, what's her _first_ name? Is 'Vi' short for something?"

Chip frowned in confusion. "Why? I mean, no offense or anything, but why do you care?"

Hunter stared at him. "How could I _not?"_

Chip still looked a little blank, but he shrugged. "Sorry, man—you're on your own. Like I said, me and Vi go way back, and in case you haven't noticed? She's not a person you want mad at you." Chip grinned. "Nice meeting you, Hunter," he added, and darted off into the crowd, cape flapping behind him.

Hunter sighed. He couldn't fault Chip for his loyalty, but he did find it frustrating. Now he not only had to find her in the crowd but also convince her to like him. He wondered how the Chip kid had managed to get in her good graces—apparently it wasn't easy.

It didn't matter how easy it was, though. Hunter was no stranger to making an effort, and he was beyond convinced that she was worth it.

* * *

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Alyssa asked Hayley as the two wandered between the vendors' stalls. Hayley shot her a startled look and Alyssa grinned. "Sorry. I'm pretty good with people."

"I know you are," Hayley said, "I'm just not used to having people figure me out."

Alyssa smirked. "I know how you feel. Max, Danny, Taylor and Cole aren't exactly socially inept, but I'm still the resident expert. I try not to let it go to my head, but I get so used to being the one with insight that it always surprises me when someone else does it."

"Sorry for being so discreet," Hayley said. "I should have just come out with it, but I wanted to talk to you without raising red flags with the others."

"No problem. So what _do_ you want to talk to me about?"

Hayley sighed. "Tommy."

"Ah. So you _do_ know Tommy and I are—were—um… you know…"

"Having the occasional weekend fling?" Hayley suggested. Alyssa nodded, grateful that Hayley had found a polite way to put it. "I know, yeah. Tommy tells me pretty much everything, and what he doesn't tell me I tend to guess."

Alyssa frowned. "Are you trying to warn me off of him, now that he and Kimberly are… whatever he and Kimberly are?"

"What? No. Quite the opposite. I need your help."

"How so?" Alyssa looked suddenly alarmed. "You don't actually want me to break them up? Because I don't—"

"No, no, of course not," Hayley cut in hastily. "I just… Tommy and Kimberly are new to me, and I think you might understand where I'm coming from."

"How so?"

"Well… Tommy always told me that he didn't want Kimberly back. And until yesterday—god, was it really only yesterday?—I believed him. He had managed to convince _himself_ that it was over, and I assumed it was. And now… well, it seems like I have some catching up to do. I figured you were just as shocked as I was when you heard, that it must have seemed like a one-eighty."

"Actually, no," Alyssa admitted. Alyssa glanced around for eavesdroppers and lowered her voice, only to realize that among the Power Rangers Day crowd everyone was talking about Power Rangers and acting shifty was more suspicious than mentioning Rangers. "You probably haven't spent a whole lot of time around other Rangers without Tommy, have you?"

Hayley shook her head. "A few times with Trini and some conversations with Cam and Billy, and there was this one time with Zack that I won't get into, but other than that, no."

"Well, I hang out with Rangers all the time—particularly Time Force, since they helped us out that one time with the Mut-Orgs and Taylor's dating Eric and everything—and pretty much every Ranger knows all know about it. Tommy and Kimberly's relationship is practically an urban legend to them. Tommy himself didn't mention her much, but knowing what I did from everyone else, it was easy to see past what was on the surface when he did try to tell me he was over her. So I probably had an unfair advantage over you when it came to understanding what Tommy really wanted."

"That doesn't surprise me, now that I think about it," Hayley mused. "I may be friends with the others, but they see me as an extension of Tommy. They like me well enough, consider me a friend, but generally when we get together they'll call one of us and tell us to bring the other. It's always 'How's Tommy doing?' and 'Hey, see if Hayley wants to come.'"

"And since nobody mentions Kimberly to Tommy, no one ever mentioned her to you," Alyssa guessed.

Hayley nodded. "And I never asked. Kimberly was an annoyance to me; I always thought of her as 'the girl who broke Tommy.' I never really cared to know anything else about her."

Hayley sighed, and Alyssa's eyes narrowed at her, which Hayley found somewhat disconcerting. Hayley wondered if this was how other people felt when Hayley was employing her shrewdness against them. "You know," Alyssa said slowly, "it occurs to me that although Tommy's always said you two are just friends, I never knew if _you_ were—"

"Don't even go there," Hayley interrupted flatly. "Dating Tommy was downright nauseating, we are that platonic. I have zero interest in him. I know our friendship seems weird on the surface—"

"It does," Alyssa agreed. "I often wondered if Tommy was lying about the whole 'we're both better off' thing, and when I figured out he wasn't I started to wonder if _you_ secretly wanted more."

Hayley snorted. "I get that ninety-nine percent of the time when a man and a woman are friends one of them wants to be more, but trust me, me and Tommy are definitely in that last percent. Our friendship has always been weird, though, and I can't blame people for wondering. Tommy and I became friends the way most people fall in love. It just sort of _happened,_ and there was no making it go away. We don't even have all that much in common. I'm all about computers and learning and people, and he's all about sports and heroics and he can be downright shy. He's just… the long-lost kid brother I never knew I had. Can't really live without him, but that doesn't mean I want to _date_ him." She shuddered.

Alyssa chuckled. "Well, that's good to know. So why are you worried about him and Kimberly?"

Hayley sighed again. "No one cares how I feel about Tommy."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been there for him from the minute we met. He can even confide in me about things he can't tell the others, because my loyalty is to him first and the others second, so he can tell me how he really feels about things he would be leery of sharing with them, but… Tommy divides himself between me and them without meaning to. In the beginning of our friendship, if he needed guidance, he went to Jason. If he needed comfort, he went to Trini. If he needed something mechanical or technical, he went to Billy. If he needed to have fun, he went to Zack. Over time, I slowly became the top go-to person, though, because in a lot of ways I'm all of them rolled into one. I'm strong like Jason, I'm compassionate like Trini, I'm smart like Billy, I know how to party like Zack… hell, I even dated the guy like Kimberly. I can be there for him in a way that they can't, individually. Yet they trump me. They _always_ trump me."

"How so?"

"Whenever I'm building something delicate and it isn't going smoothly, he runs to the Aqua-phone for Billy's input. If I give him advice on how he should deal with a particular person or situation and he isn't one hundred percent convinced, he'll run it past Trini, too. If I hear about a club or bar I want to try, he calls Zack and Zack lets us know if it's really awesome or if it didn't live up to the hype or they had bad food or he'd been banned for some zany freak accident. And Jason? If Tommy talks to Jason about _anything,_ Jason's word is law. Absolute and final."

"And that bothers you," Alyssa said, nodding.

"Not because I want Tommy to listen to me and only me," Hayley said hastily. "It's because—"

"It's because it makes you feel like Tommy doesn't trust you as much as he trusts them," Alyssa cut in. Hayley stared at her, shocked, and Alyssa smiled. "Like I said, I'm pretty good with people."

Hayley grinned back at her, relieved to finally be able to pour her heart out to someone who might understand. There were other people she might be able to talk to—Trini came to mind—but unlike Alyssa all of them were specifically oriented on the Tommy-and-Kimberly side and no other viewpoints would matter. Besides which, most of them were involved in Hayley's current problem.

"Exactly," Hayley said. "I feel like I'm not as important to him as they are. I know, deep down, he doesn't mean to come off that way. I know their shared experience means he unconsciously relies on them and always will. Most of the time, I'm fine with being the reserve. I even like it—backups don't have to deal with as much as the people on the front lines. It's just… this Kimberly thing."

"You wish they didn't outrank you?" Alyssa guessed.

Hayley shook her head. "That's just it. This isn't a question of rank. I can handle being trumped; I can't handle not being a part of the team. If I said, right now, 'Tommy, I think you should stay away from her,' Tommy would completely ignore me. Hell, I _did_ say that earlier this week, back when I thought Tommy was just being nostalgic and missing the old days, before I realized he's been hiding how he truly feels about her from me all along, and on just about any other issue, my saying 'No' would have been enough for him. He might have asked one of the others for confirmation, but nine times out of ten he listens. Yet I told him to back off of Kimberly and here he is, putting the past behind him and moving forward."

"You deserve a say," Alyssa said. "You've been there for him. You're his friend, too."

"I'm his _Hayley!"_ Hayley practically shouted. "I'm his confidant, his mentor, his inventor, his… his everything! I'm his Hayley! I damned well get a say!"

"Okay," Alyssa said slowly, "practice run. Pretend I'm Tommy. What do you want to say?"

Hayley spluttered for a moment. "I don't _know!"_ she wailed. "I don't have an opinion yet! Everything's moving so fast! I just got slapped with this yesterday!"

"Me, too," Alyssa said. "Tommy took me aside at the party, told me he was going to try working things out with Kimberly, and asked if we were still friends. I said yes, there was an awkward pause, he left. Then I got drunk with Trent."

Hayley gaped at her. "You want me to smack Tommy for you?"

Alyssa laughed. "No. All I meant was that I may not have the same sort of epic longstanding friendship with him that you do, but I see how you feel. Tommy and I had fun together. There wasn't much between us romantically, but I kind of felt like he was a male version of me or something, and we were really compatible. We were both White Tigers, we were both teachers, we were both martial artists, we were both interested in archaeology… we even liked the same TV shows. Now he's reconnected with the Ghost of Girlfriends Past and from what I understand about Kimberly he's not coming back. So I'm bummed. Not because I want him for myself or I want to be in a relationship with him, but because I'm worried I've lost that platonic connection and I enjoyed it."

"But you can't let this thing with Kimberly take that connection away from you," Hayley said. "You have to remind him that whatever else you were, you guys were friends and that shouldn't change just because he has a new love interest."

Alyssa shrugged. "I know, but it's different this time—it's not like that Maria girl he dated, or anyone else. This time it's the love of his life."

Hayley froze, horror washing over her. "Oh, _god,"_ she whimpered. "Kimberly's the love of his life."

Alyssa tilted her head at Hayley, confused by Hayley's reaction. "What?"

"The love of his life." Hayley's knees felt weak and she clutched at a nearby vendor's booth for support. "Kimberly is the love of Tommy's life."

"Are you okay?" Alyssa asked in concern.

Hayley shook her head. "It hadn't sunk in yet. I was too used to Kimberly as Tommy's ex, nothing more than a first love gone wrong… I hadn't realized it yet. I'm going to be dealing with this for the rest of my life. Absolutely _for the rest of my life."_

Alyssa patted her back, afraid Hayley might throw up; she certainly looked ill enough. "Well… look on the bright side. At some point it has to end, right? One way or the other. Either they'll get together and stay together or they'll—"

"Or they'll break up!" Hayley finished in alarm. "What will I do if they break up? If it doesn't work? None of them are prepared for that. I'm gonna have to pick up the pieces. It was hard enough the first time! Getting Tommy to do something normal is difficult enough without throwing more baggage into the equation! If this fails he'll never function again! And the others, they've got so much riding on this _I'll_ have to comfort all of them…"

"Hey, hey, calm down," Alyssa said soothingly. "You've got the advantage here. You're not invested in this, not like they are, and you can guide him through this."

"If he listens to me," Hayley muttered bitterly. "I'm going to be second string."

"Hayley, you don't have to be ignored here," Alyssa insisted. "The more you make yourself a part of his little quest to reconnect with Kimberly, the more he'll listen to you."

Hayley nodded wearily. "I know. You're right. I'm just pissed off that I have to earn the right to make him trust me. I've earned that right when it comes to everything else—why should I have to earn it about this?"

Alyssa grinned. "You know what? I say we take back our Tommy."

Hayley gave her an incredulous look. "What, you seduce him and I poison his mind against her?"

Alyssa laughed so hard she needed a moment to recover. "No, no… what I _meant_ was, we can't let him shut us out. I shouldn't get demoted to awkward smiles and uncomfortable pauses just because I slept with the guy, and you shouldn't get demoted to unworthy of voicing an opinion just because his history with Kim predates his history with you. I say we refuse to allow Tommy to shut us out. I saw we refuse to allow _anyone_ to shut us out."

"Hmm. You've got a point. It's not that I don't want him to chasing after Kimberly—it's just that if I told him not to he'd _ignore_ me, and I deserve better than that."

"Of course you do," Alyssa agreed. "But he can't push us out if we don't let him, and neither can anyone else. Hell, _we're_ the smart ones. We think in circles around _them,_ not the other way around, and we will not be cast out."

"The sad thing is, they don't even realize they're doing it, either," Hayley added. "It's just that Tommy reconnecting with Kimberly has unified their team in a way it has been in years. They don't mean to push us away. They're just protecting that bond, solidifying their unit. Making it harder for anyone who wasn't a part of that team to be close to them." She smiled. "We can keep them in line, if we work together."

Alyssa looked shocked. "Are you kidding? We can't team up—we're too good. You and I, working together against _Tommy?_ I've got too much in common with him and you compliment him too well. It would be like teaming up to beat up a preschooler. We'd destroy him."

"You're right," Hayley admitted sadly. "We'll be fine on our own. Still, it would have been fun to team up."

"Totally," Alyssa agreed. "Hey, if I ever go evil? I am totally recruiting you to be my number one general."

"That is so sweet!" Hayley exclaimed. "Same here. I mean, if I don't brainwash you, you'll ultimately bring about my downfall, so…"

"You really think so?" Alyssa asked. Hayley nodded. "Aw! I'm touched."

"We _can_ help each other, of course," Hayley said, "but if we become a unified front you _know_ Trini will figure it out, step in and destroy us."

Alyssa winced. "Yeah, we have to be careful. Trini and some of the others might throw a wrench in things."

"Plus if a Ranger smells a fight, they'll beat you up on general principles—no offense."

"None taken," Alyssa replied with a shrug. "Anyway, I think in the end we'll both be fine. I feel better already, in fact."

Hayley nodded fervently. "Me, too. Hey, let me ask you something—you've met Kimberly before, right?"

"Yeah, sure. You mean you haven't?"

"Never. Not before Friday morning when we got them out of the closet."

"Closet?"

"Don't ask. Anyway, before then I'd only seen photos of her and heard about her through Tommy. If I'm going to do this…" Hayley trailed off, shrugging. "I'm going to need some insights into her character and most of what I have comes from Tommy drunkenly waxing poetic."

Alyssa frowned. "Just to be clear here, are you… you're _not_ going to break them up, right?"

Hayley snorted. "Of course not. Do you have _any_ idea how much easier my life would be if Tommy had an actual girlfriend? Someone to clean up after him, remind him of things, help him do his laundry? Someone else to keep him… oh, my god." Hayley's eyes widened and she turned to look up at the Pink Mighty Morphin Ranger up on the stage. "I have to make this happen."

"Make what happen, exactly?"

"Make _them_ happen," Hayley growled. "I have to get Tommy a girlfriend. Suddenly it's all so clear. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. Before he… well, he had a few serious girlfriends here and there, but never anything like what _Kimberly_ could be."

"So you want to… what? Marry Tommy off?" Alyssa asked uncertainly.

"I can dream, can't I?" Hayley demanded, her tone a tad defensive. "Think of it. No more 'Hayley, I can't find my reading glasses' or 'Hayley, I'm invisible and my foot is stuck in the kitchen sink drain' or 'Hayley, my former employer unleashed an army of mutant dinosaurs on the city where you live.' I could be… could be…"

"Unnecessary?" Alyssa supplied.

Hayley snorted, shaking her head. "Oh, I'll never be that. I'm _hopeful,_ not delusional. But having someone else around to pick up the slack… help with the chores… handle some of the chaos… this isn't a nerve-wracking foray into a potentially disastrous situation. This is my ticket to separate vacations. _Separate vacations,_ Alyssa! Think of it!"

Alyssa stared at her, confused. "…I'm trying…"

"He left town last Friday and by Thursday night I was on my way to Angel Grove. But if he has a _Kimberly_… oh, how _calm_ life could be. Not perfect. I wouldn't want it to be as quiet as it used to be, back in college before I met Tommy when drinks on a Saturday night was a wild time and difficulties were caused by things like money and family and friends and school and work. Still…" Hayley's eyes narrowed. "Kimberly is my ticket to chaos reduction. Hell, it doesn't even have to be Kimberly, come to think of it." She gave Alyssa a speculative glance that made Alyssa distinctly nervous. "Regardless, I'm going to help them. You can be sure of that. And no _way_ can I let the boy shut me out; he'll make a mess of everything, my life included. Tommy needs his Hayley to get his Kimberly." She nodded determinedly. "It all makes sense."

"If you say so," Alyssa said with a shrug. "So. Want the dirt on Kim?"

"Everything you've got," Hayley confirmed. "I have a feeling I'm going to need it."

* * *

_End Notes:_ I just sprained my foot while trying to throw together a wedding in under four days, so fair warning, I'm posting this after two vicodin and a bad day. I can't even recall if this chapter has been proofed so try to forgive me if it turns out it wasn't ready for posting because all vicodin does for me is make me dizzy and loopy and nauseated without actually dulling the pain, which was already making me dizzy and loopy and nauseated, although hey on the bright side I have a new ace bandage. I wish I had a cat. I would call it Butterscotch if it was orange and I haven't had a cat since that time we opened the front door and a stray cat walked in and rubbed its head all over our dog and went and ate its leftover dog food. Its name was Meow-Meow. I tried to tell my mother that you're not supposed to name cats like Pokémon but she wouldn't listen. My dog was thoroughly nonplussed when the cat adopted us. My dog was weird. He was like really super smart, like an alien trapped in a dog's body. Once he pulled a Homeward Bound and walked home through the Smoky Mountains and he used to run away to the dog pound because he knew how to hop the fence and he knew the guy wouldn't kill him if he was wearing a collar and nobody ever believed half the stories we told about him but that's to be expected because normal people just don't understand that weird people even have weird pets. My favorite animals are panthers, though, black jaguar panthers and monkeys. I like dolphins and frogs too. I also like _Ouran High School Host Club._ I just started watching the anime and Freyja tells me I really should read the manga but I don't have the manga and I'm poor so I rent the anime at the library and it would be cool if I could actually like buy the series but hey, cool, I think I found my hairbrush. I have to hide my hairbrush sometimes but I sometimes forget where I put my hairbrush. I wish my foot would stop hurting. I don't like hurting. Hurting is annoying, man. It's a pretty bad hurt. Stupid vicodin. If it's going to make me sick and dizzy and loopy the least it could do is make me not hurting. I feel so bad for that nice lady with the blue scrubs and the pretty dread-lock-braid-thingies because I was in so much pain I had a cataplexy attack and she got really freaked for a minute but I remembered how to talk all by myself and after a few garbled words she ran and got that person I went to the waiting room with but I can't remember their name now but that's okay cuz you're supposed to be anonymous on the internet right? Right. Except on Facebook. Facebook is retarded. I hate Facebook. I have a Facebook, though, because Ninja Saga isn't retarded. Ninja Saga is awesome. I really wish I had a Ninja Emblem so I could learn all seven types of jutsu but let's be honest, you can learn Taijutsu and Genjustu and two kinds of elemental jutsu without an emblem and Fire and Water are the best, but it would be nice if I could learn Earth too because Earth can stun people at low levels without Genjutsu which uses more Chakra points. I love Ninja Saga. I friended all these hot Indonesian boys so that we could learn jutsu off each other and stuff and I like looking at their pictures. There aren't any hot Indonesian boys in Michigan. Not that I've found. I can't really complain though, because there are enough hot boys in Michigan that if you don't look too closely at their personalities they're still usable. I'm hungry. I had a garlic-bologna-and-Swiss-cheese sandwich like six or eight hours ago, though, so sure I'll be fine if I don't eat. Garlic bologna is a highly underrated lunchmeat. My chair is broken and won't tilt back anymore which sucks cuz it's hard to prop my feet up on the desk bar without having a little oh you know what? I should back up my documents on my external hard drive before I forget. Bye now. Oh, yeah, like review and stuff, and leave us ideas and stuff, and my hair isn't nearly as long as it should be. I used to have waist-length hair and I liked it and I miss it and maybe I should grow it back out but I don't know, I guess we'll see. My last haircut was this totally improvised thing where I handed my sister a pair of scissors and said "Hey, cut my hair!" and stuff. Hairdressers make me nervous. Ever since I got into witchcraft I don't really like leaving my hair lying around, ever since that one friend of mine found a bunch of forgotten curses in the back of his closet and couldn't remember which curse was which but said he had a pretty good idea because there were only so many people who had made him so mad he'd reached over and yanked out a hunk of their hair but I don't curse people much because it takes a lot to make me angry and I prefer good old-fashioned ways of getting even with people and oh hey, my food is here! I wonder if they remembered no onions. Onions are insane and evil and they should not exist you know why? Because they taint everything around them with the evilness of onion. Kind of like love. Everyone always rambles about love as if it's the coolest thing on Earth but let me tell you something, love? Sucks. It's maddening and illogical and all you want to do is be with the person you're in love with and once it hits you nothing is ever okay again because the love takes over and makes you do stupid stuff with stupid people and I strongly recommend avoiding it because even if it works out it will be hell and if it doesn't? Oy. Which is why I don't give out my phone number until at least the third date. It's a tricky thing to pull off but if you can keep a love interest from obtaining your number you save yourself the headache of all those calls and text messages and so on begging to know why you don't love them. Which is ridiculous. If we could choose who we fell in love with then only oil billionaires and supermodels would get married. I had a pet bearded dragon iguana once. It ate live crickets that chirped all night and occasionally committed suicide in his water dish. I never understood crickets. You know for like six months a few years ago I had an ambition to become a bobblehead? Huh. I should get on that.


	116. Along Came a Spider

**Chapter 116**

_Along Came a Spider_

"Blake _Blake __BLAKE!"_

Kira and Blake looked up to see a frantic Hunter bearing down on them. "Oh, hey, bro," Blake called cheerfully. "Kira and I were just gonna—"

"You've got to help me," Hunter interrupted, his eyes wide and his hair wild, as if he'd been running his hands through it over and over again. "I lost her. I lost her and I can't find her."

"Who? Tori?"

"No. Vi."

"Who's Vi?"

"The girl I'm in love with."

Kira and Blake stared at him. "Huh?" Blake said blankly.

"The girl I'm in love with," Hunter repeated. He held up a hand to indicate her height. "She's about this tall, thin, teenager but she's old enough to drive. She's got short dark hair with red streaks in it and she dresses like Kira."

"Hey," Kira complained.

"Hey, Kira," Hunter said, barely sparing her a glance and completely missing the indignation in her tone. He turned back to Blake. "You have to help me find her. She's got two friends named Madison and Xander that I haven't met and one named Chip who's about this tall with red hair and he's wearing a cape."

"A cape?" Blake repeated faintly, lost.

"Yeah, a cape. It's yellow with one of those symbols from that comic book Dustin likes on it. They're just friends, but I'm not sure about this Xander guy. Although you'd think if she was seeing someone she would have told me. Madison's not really a boy's name, is it?"

"Hunter," Blake said in the slow, careful tone one uses with the mentally unbalanced, "what are you _talking_ about?"

Hunter rolled his eyes. "Would you pay attention? I'm in love with Vi and I can't find her in this stupid crowd."

"I just saw you like an hour ago," Blake pointed out. "How can you be in love?"

"Trust me, if you saw her, you'd get it." Hunter glanced around in frustration, adding as an afterthought, "Although be careful if you see her. She's really quick to anger."

Blake decided that if he ignored the situation, it just might go away. "Um… Kira and I are going to go get something to eat. Why don't you come with us?"

Hunter looked halfway to offended. "I can't eat at a time like this! Neither can you. You have to help me find her."

"Hunter, at this point I'm willing to bet she's a hallucination," Blake replied dryly. "You're talking crazy, bro. You gotta just calm down and come have a slice of pizza with me and—"

"I need to find her!" Hunter snarled so furiously that Blake and Kira jumped. "Quit looking at me like I'm crazy. I'm telling you, I found my soul mate. She's perfect for me. There was lightning in her eyes, Blake. Lightning in her eyes and thunder in her soul and I'm going to marry her. I'm going to find her, I'm going to get her to tell me her full name, and then I'm going to marry her. She's my future, Blake. She's The One. The one girl in all of creation that's meant for me and I am going to find her no matter what it takes. Now are you going to abandon your big brother the one time he asks you for something, or are you going to help me track down your future sister-in-law?"

Blake swallowed, fearful for his brother's sanity but resigned to support him. "I'll help you, Hunter, don't worry. I just…" He sighed and looked at Kira. "Get out while you can."

Kira gave him a look of mixed relief and reluctance. "Are you sure you don't want me to help?"

"No, that's okay," Blake said before Hunter could reply. "Hunter's big on the single-minded focus and from what you've told me about the week you've been having you deserve some normal. I'll catch you later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. And thanks." Kira smiled at Hunter. "Good luck falling in love and all."

"You too," Hunter muttered distractedly, already scanning the crowd. "Come on, Blake." Hunter grabbed Blake's arm and hauled him away, Blake waving over his shoulder at Kira.

* * *

"He's moving again," Justin whispered to Trent and Cam. They had been following Ethan and Cassidy through the woods for quite a while until Conner and Kat, who'd been sitting together under a tree, had spotted Ethan and Cassidy and called out to them. The three boys had taken cover behind a tree to avoid being caught, and were now at a loss for ways to keep Ethan in their sights without getting spotted by Conner.

"Any ideas?" Trent asked.

"I'm a ninja, and I still don't have a clue," Cam replied.

"Won't Conner just say hi and let us go on by?" Justin asked. "Or be curious about Ethan too?"

"Conner sees us, the first thing he's gonna do is shout our names at the top of his lungs," Trent told him. "Just like he did when he saw Ethan. Once Conner does that, Ethan will hear and know we're following him."

"If we don't go now, we're gonna lose Ethan anyway," Justin argued.

Suddenly a scream rang out from somewhere behind them, and all three boys turned towards the sound. "Elsa!" Trent exclaimed, bolting through the trees. Cam and Justin followed.

"Elsa, evil minion of Mesogog, Elsa?" Cam asked.

"Elsa, from the party last night, Elsa?" Justin asked.

"Yes on both counts," Trent replied. "…It also looks like she's Elsa, my future stepmom, Elsa."

"Nothing is ever simple," Justin remarked.

Trent raced in the direction of Elsa's voice, Justin and Cam on his heels, and soon the three of them were bursting into the clearing where the Rangers had been hanging out earlier. The three boys stopped dead. Taylor and Dustin were staring in horrified fascination at Marah, Kapri and Elsa, who were piled together on the grass. Kapri was lying facedown, Marah sprawled across her, Elsa sitting on both of them to pin them down.

_"Say __it!"_ Elsa roared.

"No! Get off!" Marah wailed.

"I _told_ you we shouldn't have agreed to no powers," Kapri growled at Marah.

_"Say __it!"_ Elsa ordered.

Justin snorted. "Your future stepmom is kinda awesome, Trent."

Trent sighed, wearily rubbing a hand over his face. "I should have known it would be something like this."

"We're not gonna—_ow!"_ Kapri shrieked. "Okay, okay. You're the greatest former villainess in the universe and we bow before your strength, agility and skill."

_"And?"_ Elsa snarled.

"And we—ow, ow!—we would not be fit to be slaves to the evil empire you would have if you hadn't joined the path of righteousness!" Kapri whined.

"Good," Elsa said smugly. She made a quick jab at Marah's shoulder blade. "Now you."

"Aw, why? Kapri already said it! Why should I have to _OW!"_

Trent turned away, rolling his eyes. "I can't watch this. I'm going to get out of here before anything weirder happens. You guys coming?"

Cam, who was watching the display with nothing short of glee on his face, shook his head. "No thanks."

"I'm staying too," Justin said. "We already lost Ethan, and besides, it's three hot chicks wrestling around in the dirt."

_"Ew,"_ Cam and Trent groaned in unison. Trent hurried off with a shudder.

"So those are your cousins, right?" Justin asked Cam.

"Yep. Kapri is the blond one. Marah's the brunette."

"Either of them single?"

Cam made a face. "Kapri is."

"Ah." Justin scrutinized Cam's reluctant expression carefully. "You're not one of those guys who's going to tell me to stay away from his female family members, are you?"

"No," Cam said emphatically, thinking how nice it would be to marry both of his cousins off to people who lived far, far away from him. Still… Justin _was_ a fellow Ranger, after all. Cam sighed. "Look, you don't want to go there, man. Whatever you're hoping for, it isn't worth it. Trust me on this."

Justin shrugged. "Fair enough. So they go to your ninja school, right?"

Cam grimaced, realizing that Marah and Kapri weren't really a testament to the success of the Wind Ninja Academy's program, especially at the moment. "They're not exactly model students."

"Some of the others talked about what it was like to have Ninja powers," Justin said. "Bet a bunch of us would like to check out your school sometimes, particularly the Ninja Rangers."

"I'd like that," Cam said, intrigued by the idea. "Most of our students are just average students. A few have prior martial arts experience, and some are descended from long lines of families that have attended the academy, but… actual _Rangers_… that would be a first. I wonder if you'd all have trouble blending your ninja training with what you already know or if you'd pick it up faster than the others."

Justin shrugged. "No idea. But it's something I'd love to check out. I've got the summer off—when does your semester start?"

"We don't have actual semesters," Cam replied. "We have tiers. Once you've mastered one tier, you move on to the next. Hunter's school—the Thunder Ninja Academy—works the same way."

"What's the difference between your school and his?"

"The curriculum, methods of instruction and routines are a little different, but it's still the same path, that of the ninja. Although our school teaches Wind, Water and Earth, while Hunter's school covers Thunder, Metal and Fire. There's another academy, too—the Rain Ninja Academy—but I don't know much about it. The three schools used to be kept separate, under the assumption that if one were infiltrated or attacked the other two would be safe; if it weren't for the Ranger team I wouldn't know that much about the Thunder Ninja Academy, either."

"How many different elements are there? Is Metal even its own element? Isn't it just a part of Earth?"

"Sort of. Earth powers are based on the actual earth itself, though. Metal is like a division of Earth that focuses on a different connection to the same power. Bonding with an element isn't simple—some people resonate with only one aspect of an element. There are students in Tori's class who can only bond with saltwater, and some in Shane's that work better with smoke or can only function in strong winds rather than still air."

"What element do you teach?"

"I don't teach one. Mostly I fill in if one of the others is busy or sick and oversee the academy as a whole. I wasn't trained as a ninja from childhood, though I did grow up in the academy and I picked up a few things along the way. I'm still discovering my own element. Hunter's convinced I'm actually a Thunder Ninja—which isn't going to make my father thrilled—he's the head of the Wind Ninja Academy."

"So I could come check out the school over the summer?"

"Sure," Cam agreed. "Let me know when you've got time to swing by Blue Bay Harbor and I'll get you in—the Wind Ninja Academy isn't the sort of place you can just drive up to and knock on the door. Who knows—maybe you'll like it enough to join the training program and stay on as an instructor. Become a Ninja Guardian someday."

"Maybe," Justin said noncommittally. "I took a year off after high school so I've still got one more year 'til I get my bachelor's degree, and I'm not sure what I'm doing after that. Wes and Eric are always begging me to come be chief tech advisor to the Silver Guardians, but then, they beg all of us to join up. And now that Jen's back with this huge important mission, that all may have changed."

"What huge important mission?" Cam asked. "Should I be worried?"

"Mm, that depends on how you look at it," Justin said. "From what I hear, your name's on the list."

"What list?"

"Jen and the other Time Force Rangers came back to our year to basically found something called Space Patrol Delta, which becomes Time Force," Justin explained. "They're gathering up a group of Rangers and I heard Jen still has to recruit a few people, you included. She wants Ethan in on it, too."

"Didn't she invite you in?" Cam asked.

"Nah." Justin shrugged. "I asked her about it—thought it sounded cool, of course—but she said I have a different destiny. Trip said he really wanted to tell me cuz it was going to be awesome, but he wasn't allowed to spoil it."

"Hmm. Well, the Wind Ninja Academy is already more than a fulltime job," Cam said. He jerked his head at his cousins. "Especially with those two around."

"Lots of the people Jen's recruiting have jobs," Justin said. "Hayley owns a café, Dr. Mercer has an entire corporation, Elsa's a high school principal. Still… I would take it, if I were you. Developing new technologies, having access to the things the Time Force Rangers know—besides, from what I understand? It's already history where she comes from, and the timeline is tricky business."

Cam grimaced, thinking of how he'd gotten the Samurai Amulet. "You're telling me."

* * *

Thanks to a lengthy conversation with Chad about Lightspeed Rescue's Aquabase, Tori was the last of the secret-identity Rangers to leave the autograph line. Everyone else had paired off and wandered away, so Tori decided to indulge herself with a little alone time—something that was rare for her, given her schedule at the academy—and went to investigate the vendor's stalls. She found one that peddled only merchandise related to the Ninja Storm team, and shortly after she left it behind she spotted a booth called "Something Blue" that catered exclusively to Blue Ranger fans. Not only did it sell all sorts of Blue Ranger merchandizing, but it also had things that were blue in general—blue clothes, blue Power Rangers Day commemorative items, blue Angel Grove souvenirs.

Tori spent quite a while browsing among the collection, lost in a sea of blue and trying to refrain from buying too much. After all, she had more than enough blue dolphin memorabilia, and she didn't really need yet another blue article of clothing. Finally she managed to confine her purchases down to two tiny figurines—a Blue Wind Ninja Ranger and a Navy Thunder Ninja Ranger—both of which would fit in her pocket and weren't terribly expensive.

As she turned away from the vendor, Tori's gaze was drawn once again to something blue—this time, a powder-blue tank top worn by a dark-haired teenage girl. "Excuse me," the girl said, and Tori nodded at her, pressing back against the wall of the booth to let the girl pass. The girl was followed by a brunette guy approximately the same age, who caught Tori's eye. Tori smiled politely at him, then groaned when she realized that he was apparently the sort to think a smile of acknowledgment meant "take me now." He stopped dead in front of her, uncomfortably close thanks to the small gap of space between Tori and the crowd.

"Hello," he practically purred in an Australian accent. If Tori hadn't been completely uninterested in flirting with anyone who wasn't Blake, it might have been charming. He grinned at her and stuck out his hand. "I'm Xander."

Tori forced another smile, wishing she hadn't been raised to respect social niceties. "Tori," she admitted. She extended her hand to shake his, but he gripped her fingers in an old-fashioned gesture instead. Tori stiffened, hoping he wasn't going to actually kiss her hand; she might just have to hit him for that, and she had a feeling that beating up an athletic teenage guy in the middle of a few thousand Power Ranger fans might be dangerous to her identity.

Thankfully, Xander must have felt that would be overdoing it. "Tori, eh? What a _lovely_ name," he said, giving her a wink.

"Thanks," she drawled, forcibly removing her fingers from his grip. "Nice meeting you," she added, heading purposefully away from the direction his friend had disappeared in.

Xander, however, followed after her—and something about his body language and tone told her that he knew damned well she was trying to escape and didn't care. "So," he said, "what brings you to Power Rangers Day?"

Tori frowned at him, feeling it should be obvious. _"Power __Rangers_ brought me to Power Rangers Day."

"Ah. For me, it was my good friend Chip. Bit of a geek, really, madly in love with elves and goblins and magic and all that nonsense, but he's alright. We're from Briarwood. Where are you from?"

Tori racked her brains for a way to get rid of him even as she continued exchanging small talk. "Blue Bay Harbor."

"Oh, that's home of the Ninja Storm Rangers, right? Chip ranted about it in the car for a while. Til our friend Vida threatened to pull over, throw him under the wheels and run over him until he stopped talking about Power Rangers."

Tori giggled. "She sounds nice."

"Yeah. In a violent way." Xander winked again, seeming pleased by her reaction. "Madison got him to play 'I, Spy' to shut him up."

Tori smiled. It reminded her of the ride to Angel Grove, when Hunter had threatened Dustin with bodily harm if Dustin didn't contain his excitement and stop rambling long enough for the others to sleep. Tori had been the one to keep the peace by suggesting Dustin try listening her MP3 player, but the peace had only lasted until Dustin had started singing along. Between Dustin's eagerness, Blake's zany questions, and Marah and Kapri's lack of boundaries, Hunter had been ready to fry the entire car by the end of the trip, himself included. Tori struggled not to laugh at the memory; Xander would probably take it as encouragement. She stopped walking, figuring a distraction would be more useful than trying to outrun him, and glanced around for someone she knew.

"Looking for someone?" Xander asked.

"My boyfriend," Tori replied, though anyone she knew, from Blake to a Wild Force Ranger, would be helpful at this point.

Xander looked momentarily disappointed, but apparently he wasn't the sort to give up without a fight. "I'll help you look," he offered, with a hint of challenge that implied he didn't believe she had a boyfriend at all. "What does he look like?"

Tori's eyes narrowed, but she didn't see a way to tell him to get lost without feeling like she was being rude; Xander was being so polite and friendly that "get lost, creep" seemed uncalled for. "He's about this tall, dark hair, dark eyes… handsome… wearing blue."

"Short, dark and handsome, right," Xander said cheerfully. Sure enough, he scanned the crowd and frowned when he spotted something behind her and to the left. Then he turned and started to speak, gesturing at something to the right. Tori spun around, facing the direction Xander had frowned in and praying she'd see Blake, or Trent, or anyone who vaguely matched Blake's description and would be willing to help Tori chase Xander off, but Xander had apparently been looking at a trio of Chinese teenagers wearing strange-looking swords strapped to their waists.

"You all right?" Xander asked, confused by her abrupt spin.

"I thought I heard his voice," she lied.

"Well, don't worry. I have no idea where my friends have got to and I might as well help you look for your boyfriend."

Tori warred with herself for a moment. She wanted to cut Xander loose, but she couldn't see a way to do it nicely. "…Thanks," she said finally.

Tori and Xander began wandering through the crowd together, Tori at a loss for a way out of this mess. Even if she found Blake, he wasn't the type to scare an unwanted guy off of her—Shane would, though. Shane. She needed _Shane._ He'd get rid of Xander whether Tori wanted him to or not.

She didn't see Shane, but after a few minutes of searching her eyes caught on one of the older Rangers—what was his name? Aaron? Austin? It didn't matter; he looked enough like Tori's description to serve her purposes. Hoping he wouldn't blow her cover, Tori flung herself at him and shouted, "Blake! I've been looking _everywhere_ for you!"

The Ranger—Alan? Aidan? Adam! That was it!—looked down at her in shock, but he caught her and put his arms around her uncertainly. She shot him a look that silently begged him not to blow her cover. Thankfully, he was smart enough to glance around for some sort of explanation and, when he spotted Xander, realization dawned on his face. "Hey… um…" he floundered for a minute, obviously unable to remember her name either. "…baby. I'm sorry; I must have lost you in the crowd." His regarded Xander in a vaguely menacing way. "Who's your friend?"

Tori decided to feign ignorance in the hopes of reinforcing the fact that Xander had no chance with her. "Oh, um… Xander, right?" Xander nodded, doing a good job of masking his disappointment, but it was still there. "He was helping me look for you, is all." She smiled up at Adam. "No need to get jealous." Adam's eyes narrowed at the comment, managing to pull off a decent impression of an envious and possibly dangerous boyfriend.

Xander smiled at them both. "It was nice meeting you, Tori," Xander called, with a flourishing little bow, "but I've got to get back to Madison."

He really was smooth, Tori had to give him that; backing away very politely and mentioning a girl's name without precluding it with "friend," implying that he was absolutely no threat to "Blake" when he had just spent the last few minutes cozying up to Tori. Tori watched him go in mild disbelief, not letting go of Adam until Xander was swallowed by the crowd.

"Sorry about that," Tori said as she and Adam dropped their embrace and took a step back from each other. "I needed to ditch him and I couldn't find my actual boyfriend, so…"

"That's okay," Adam said. "Tori, right?"

Tori nodded, aware that he only recalled her name because Xander had mentioned it, but she decided not to call him on it. She hadn't remembered Adam's either at first, and besides, she kind of owed him one. "Yeah. You're Adam?"

"Mm-hmm." He gestured at an ornate glass mastodon figurine and called to the vendor, "I'll take that one," handing over a couple of twenty-dollar bills. The vendor took the cash and began wrapping the figurine in bubble wrap for him while Adam turned back to Tori. "Want me to hang out for a while? Just in case he comes back?"

"Could you?"

"Sure." Adam took the figurine from the vendor and placed it carefully in a backpack, gently slinging the strap over his shoulder. Tori smiled gratefully at him as they began moving through the crowd. "I gotta admit, I'm pretty curious about your, uh… school."

"You were… like us, weren't you?" she asked, unable to think of a discreet way to say "Ninja Ranger."

He nodded. "Yeah. Probably can't go into detail until we hit the beach tonight…"

"I'll be there," Tori said. "I never miss a chance to go to the beach." They lapsed into silence, which Tori felt compelled to break. "So, um… how come you're wandering around alone?"

"I lost Rocky in the crowd, and Tanya got waylaid by a news crew."

"Waylaid by a news crew?" Tori repeated, confused.

"She's Tanya Sloan."

"Oh, right—the pop star." Tori had recognized Tanya—most people who had walked past a magazine rack in the last five years tended to recognize Tanya—but she wasn't a huge fan. "Sorry. Not really into pop music."

"That's okay. Sometimes I wish a lot less people were into pop music," he joked. "Anyway, I figured it might be nice to have some peace and quiet, browsing the vendors' stalls. It's been a pretty weird couple of days."

"How so?"

"Well, on Wednesday I got banned from a carnival in Stone Canyon, on Thursday I got my butt set on fire in a crowded theater and then had to help Billy return a stolen and somewhat orange chimpanzee to the Angel Grove Zoo, and yesterday I spent the morning hunting Kimberly, the afternoon hunting Skull, and the evening fighting off an alien space pirate attack that totally destroyed my lawn, my swimming pool and most of the patio."

Tori stared at him. "I guess it doesn't get much weirder than that."

Adam laughed. "Unfortunately there's always something weirder." He stopped in his tracks, looking suddenly alarmed. "Very unfortunately."

"What?" Tori asked. He just shook his head and didn't reply. Tori followed his gaze to see a girl with long dark hair standing alone near the edge of the meadow, glancing around as though searching for someone. "You mean that girl over there?" Tori asked Adam. He nodded mutely. "Old girlfriend?" Tori guessed. "Bad breakup?"

Adam snorted, his expression darkening. "Something like that." He pulled out his cell phone with his left hand and held it up to his ear without turning it on. Tori was about to ask what he was doing when he jabbed a finger at the watch on his left wrist. No, not watch—it didn't have a clock face. Tori was about to ask if it was a communicator when a series of tuneful beeps came from the stage, amplified by the park's loudspeaker system.

Tori turned to look at the stage as the Pink Ranger faltered in the middle of answering someone's question. The Red Ranger passed his microphone to the Yellow and lifted his wrist to the silver mouth plate in his helmet, whispering. Tori couldn't hear anything through the loudspeakers, but Jason's voice came quietly through Adam's communicator. Tori glanced around, worried, before realizing that everyone else would assume Adam just had a loud caller on his cell phone, if they bothered to notice him at all.

"Yeah?" Jason asked tersely.

"Mild emergency," Adam said. "I'll let you know if it gets any worse, but keep an eye out."

"Got it," Jason said, and the communicator went dead. Up on the stage, the Red Ranger dropped his wrist and took his microphone back; the Pink Ranger resumed speaking so abruptly that half the park jumped.

Adam's communicator came back on. "Hello? Hello?" asked a worried voice, male by the sound of it.

"Aisha here," whispered another voice.

"Meet me twenty feet east of the entrance, now," Adam said grimly. "Scorpina's in the park."


	117. Rita's Seed of Evil

**Chapter 117**

_Rita's Seed of Evil_

"What's a Scorpina?" Tori asked nervously.

"Scorpina was Rita's friend and general," Adam replied, not taking his eyes off the girl as he spoke. "I only met her once, and let's just say it didn't go well. That's her human form, Sabrina."

Tori's stomach dropped as the situation sank in. Thousands of civilians and a powerful evil villain in human disguise? "What do we do?"

Adam shook his head. "Not sure yet. I need to think this through."

Tori nodded and they lapsed into a silence so tense that Tori couldn't help but break it. "Can I help you think?"

Adam made a frustrated sound. "We can't fight her here, out in the open."

"We could call the Space Rangers," Tori suggested.

"They don't use the same communicator frequency as I do—Andros modified their communicators once they became Space Rangers. I could call their cell phones, but I don't know if they'd answer when they're in the middle of signing autographs; their phones might be off, and the same goes for Lightspeed and Time Force. Besides, if I draw any of the public ID guys out here, they're not going to know what Scorpina looks like unless I talk to them directly and point her out, which is _still_ dangerous to my identity and even if it wasn't, it's not a good idea to fight a monster as powerful as Scorpina in a field full of civilians. I think my best bet is probably to go Zeo and fight her myself without risking talking to a public ID Ranger, but I have to get her away from all these people first, and for all I know the moment she sees me she'll transform into her villain getup and attack me, at which point I'll have to morph and fast, and all these people…" He sighed. "Anyway, I've got to wait for backup. Kat forgot her morpher in Australia and Tanya's chatting up a news crew, but Rocky, Aisha and I can probably take Scorpina, especially since me and Rocky have Zeo powers instead of Mighty Morphin, but if she grows we'll be in trouble. I'm not even sure she _can_ grow, though. Argh, what kind of idiot evil villain shows up at _Power Rangers Day?"_

"Evil villains aren't known for their smarts," Tori quipped. "Well. Maybe we can—"

"Where is she?" demanded Aisha, stomping over like an enraged bear. "I'm gonna kill her like she's never been killed before. I'm gonna destroy her. I'm gonna _eliminate_ her. The thing with the duffel bag? Tying me to a tree? I'll show her. I'm gonna—"

"Shh! She's right over there," Adam hissed, pointing.

Aisha started to charge towards Scorpina, but Adam grabbed her arm and held her back. Rocky came jogging up, looking worried. "Hey! Are you sure it's Scorpina?"

"That's her, all right," Aisha growled before Adam could answer. "I'd know that ugly mug anywhere."

Rocky glanced around until he spotted her. "Huh. She looks exactly like she did that time she seduced Adam," Rocky commented. "I guess evil alien creatures don't really age, huh?"

"Let's do it," Aisha snarled. "It's morph—"

"SHH!" Adam clapped a hand over Aisha's mouth. "Calm down! We can't attack her in broad daylight in front of all these people! We have to come up with a plan!"

The moment Adam removed his hand, Aisha said, "Fine. As long as our plan involves me getting to stomp her. Nobody messes with my Adam."

"What exactly…?" Tori began.

Adam winced. "Don't ask," he said, but Rocky spoke over him.

"Oh, Adam needed a date for this dance and Scorpina tried to ask him," Rocky supplied brightly. "In her human form, of course. The three of us were new to the whole Ranger gig so we didn't know her. It ranks number three on our list of weirdest evil villain plans."

"Most inappropriate evil villain plans," Aisha corrected him. "Weirdest evil villain plans is the one with the pachinko."

"Oh, right," Rocky said. "I always get those confused. You'd think I'd remember what with most inappropriate being the list where Zedd wanted Kimberly to be his queen and everything." He laughed. "Ah, that cracks me up just thinking about it. Wish we had gotten to see _that_ one go down."

Adam snorted. "Yeah, Kimberly dressed like Rita is pretty high on my list of things I wish I hadn't missed."

"Um," Tori said, "that sounds really interesting and all, but about Scorpina…"

"Right," Aisha said, clapping her hands together. "I'm going to kill her. You guys wait here."

"Hey, I wanna help," Rocky complained. "Anyway, you don't have your full powers."

"Yeah, but I can still fight, and she was horrible to me," Aisha argued. "She was—"

"I made out with her," Adam interrupted. Rocky and Aisha stared at him, apparently shocked by this revelation. "When I went to meet her for the hiking trip we started kissing and I heard Aisha calling for me and I pulled away and we went hiking and then the tree and Goldar and I never saw her again but the fact remains _I made out with Scorpina."_

Aisha let out a huff. "All right, _fine._ You can kill her."

"Can we help?" Rocky begged.

"Of course you can," Adam said, a note of exasperation entering his voice. "In fact, I'm not sure just the three of us can take her. And we're down a Zeo Ranger with Tommy up onstage and I doubt Tanya can slip off without being missed and I don't know where Kat is—she doesn't have her cell or communicator."

"I can control water," Tori offered, as the three seemed to have forgotten her. "And I've got my own team if we need backup." They regarded her with surprise. "Yes, _we_—I'm helping too," Tori added firmly. Rocky, Adam and Aisha looked at each other and shrugged. "I think if you want to get her into the trees, then I should go. She doesn't know me, so I've got the best shot of luring her out of sight."

"True," Adam agreed. "Any ideas on how to do it?"

"I was thinking lame excuse and then when that fails, a ninja-streak," Tori said. "I'm pretty sure I can grab her and streak into the woods before she knows what hit her, if I have to, but I'll try the lame excuse thing first."

"Tell her that a guy in a weird costume named Goldar was looking for her," Adam suggested. "She and Goldar were pretty tight back in the day, from what I've heard—I don't know if he's dead or alive, but regardless she'll be curious to see him if you say he's in the park. And call her Sabrina; that's probably the name she'll use in human form."

"Got it," Tori said. "Follow a few feet back. Don't morph until we're out of sight."

"Sure thing," Aisha agreed.

Tori tossed her hair back, squared her shoulders and started across the meadow. Scorpina didn't notice her until Tori was almost within arm's reach, at which point she broke into a smile. "Hello, Power Ranger," Scorpina said. "Can you direct me to the Ranger named Adam Park?"

Tori blinked stupidly at her. "Huh?"

"I'm looking for Adam Park," Scorpina explained. "I've come to find him. You wouldn't know where he is, would you?"

"…Actually he sent me to ask you to meet him in the trees," Tori admitted, figuring she might as well run with it.

"Great. I wondered how we could have a decent conversation with all these _humans_ around." She made a face at the word "humans," as though she were discussing a cousin of the cockroach. "Lead me to him."

There was no way Tori was letting an evil ex-villainess get behind her, so Tori very carefully turned towards the woods and motioned for Scorpina to start walking. Scorpina nodded and fell into step beside Tori, seemingly without a care in the world. Tori wondered if Scorpina was powerful enough not to worry about Tori being a Ranger, or just too stupid to feel threatened. Maybe she should have asked Rocky, Adam and Aisha for fighting tips ahead of time; Tori didn't even know what Scorpina's powers were.

"So," Tori asked hesitantly, "how'd you know I was a… you know…" She didn't want to say the word, even though the crowd was pretty thin at this edge of the meadow.

"A Power Ranger? I get the newsletter."

"There's a newsletter?" Tori asked in confusion.

Scorpina nodded. "It features all sorts of information about Ranger teams throughout the universe and mentions which planets are vulnerable, things like that."

Tori frowned. "It isn't called _The Galaxy Gazette,_ is it?"

"You've heard of it?"

"My friends Marah and Kapri have a subscription," Tori muttered. She hadn't known the subject matter of it, but both girls had referenced it at one point or another.

"Oh, Marah and Kapri," Scorpina said, a tad sadly. "I was disappointed to hear they were ninjas now. We all had high hopes for them, what with their connections and background. Their father is _so_ embarrassed. I heard he got laughed out of a tavern on Onyx and there are rumors that his minions are looking for a new overlord."

Tori had no idea what to say to that, so she didn't comment. She and Scorpina entered the trees and Tori headed for the clearing where the group of Rangers had hung out earlier, not knowing where else to go. "So, um… you're evil?" Tori asked, just because Scorpina's serene expression was a little disturbing.

"No. A few years back Zordon's life force was freed from its confines and it swept through the galaxy, removing a lot of negative energy—including mine. Now I'm normal."

"Ah." Tori wondered if it would be rude to ask what "normal" meant exactly, and decided not to risk upsetting Scorpina when Scorpina was currently nonviolent. Still, a little clarification of her motives couldn't hurt. "So you're not, um, you know… trying to take over the world?"

"Oh, that was all Rita's plan," Scorpina replied, waving a hand dismissively. "She's always been a bit dramatic. I was only in it for the fun, but it didn't stay fun for long. There were other planets to conquer—ones without superheroes defending them. Of course, that was while I was evil."

"What do you do now?" Tori asked.

"I'm an intergalactic mercenary."

"Oh. I see. And you're here to challenge Adam?"

"Who said anything about challenge?" Scorpina asked, appearing genuinely surprised.

"Um…"

_"Scorpina!"_ came a sudden roar from behind them. Tori and Scorpina whirled around to see the Green Zeo Ranger flanked by the Blue Zeo Ranger and the Yellow Ninja Ranger, all of them in fighting stances.

"Adam!" Scorpina exclaimed happily. "It's so good to see you again! Why are you morphed?"

There was a pause, during which Tori carefully backed away from Scorpina. Finally Aisha shouted, "You're going _down,_ you twofaced witch!"

Scorpina glared at her. "Honestly, Adam, do you bring her _everywhere?_ I need to talk to you alone."

"Not a chance," Adam said flatly. "And don't try to trick me into demorphing, either. Tori's watching our back—" Tori hadn't been, actually, she'd been watching Scorpina, but she took Adam's suggestion and trained her eyes on the area behind them, looking for threats— "so don't bother trying to get your minions behind us. Let's just fight and get it over with."

"Yeah, how 'bout you be up front for once?" Aisha taunted.

Scorpina ignored her. "I don't want to fight, Adam. I came to apologize."

Adam snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Didn't you hear about Zordon's sacrifice?" Scorpina demanded. "It made the news pretty much everywhere with technology. It wiped out entire planets!"

"…We heard," Adam said slowly, sounding uncertain for the first time. "The Gold Ranger sent word through the Space Rangers about Rita and Zedd."

"They said to give you their regards, by the way," Scorpina said, as though just remembering. "When they heard there was going to be a Power Rangers Day they decided to take a second honeymoon. They said they wanted to put as many galaxies between them and Earth as possible come Power Rangers Day."

"Good to know," Rocky muttered. "Evil or not, the last thing we need right now is those two showing up."

"Anyway, I'm not evil anymore," Scorpina announced. "Neither are a lot of the people you used to fight. I've been looking for you for quite some time, actually, but you're not an easy person to find."

"Also good to know," Rocky said.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," Scorpina continued. "I feel terrible about accepting that contract from Zedd. You have to understand—it wasn't me, though. Not entirely. I'm normal now."

Adam exchanged uneasy looks with Rocky and Aisha. "You don't have powers now?" he asked.

"Oh, I have powers," Scorpina said. "Those were always mine. The evil, though—that was caused by Master Vile, when he first became corrupted and set out to conquer the universe. He offered us a potion, said it would boost our power—we didn't realize it it would corrupt us as well. But Zordon's energy destroyed all that. Now I'm just me, and I've come to ask your forgiveness and to tell you how much I care about you."

"How much you… what?"

Aisha snorted, dropping her fighting stance. "You're not seriously trying to pull _that_ lame trick again, are you? Cuz there's no vice-versa dance coming up and none of us are going to believe you really have a thing for Adam."

Scorpina favored Aisha with a disdainful glance before refocusing on Adam. "I swear it's true. I'm no longer corrupted. Everything is different now. Now we can be… I mean…" She sighed. "I know it will be hard to see me for who I am, but I'm willing to prove it to you. If you just give me time, you'll come to see that I am _not_ an evil villain anymore. Besides, we had fun, didn't we? Don't you remember that time at the park when we kissed, before _she_ showed up?" Scorpina glared at Aisha again.

Adam stared at her, completely frozen for so long that Rocky finally elbowed him, making Adam give a start of surprise. "Um," Adam said. "Um, power down."

His suit vanished. "Adam! What are you doing?" Aisha demanded. "You're not really buying this crap, are you?"

"It's not that hard to morph again if I have to," Adam mumbled, "and I'd rather not have any civilians come walking up while I'm in morph."

Rocky and Aisha hesitated for a moment, but they both followed suit and powered down. Adam stood there, frowning thoughtfully at Scorpina. Tori inched closer to the Rangers, uncertain of her next move.

"Let me get this straight," Adam said slowly. "You're here to tell me that not only are you good now, but _you have feelings for me?"_

"I've always had feelings for you," she replied, looking startled. "That's why I didn't kill you that day in the park. After I first met you, I went to Lord Zedd and said he could keep my fee if he gave you to me once he had the other Rangers. He said he thought that evil Power Rangers were all the rage and promised I could keep you so long as I dealt with the others first. When Goldar and I failed, I realized that between the new Thunderzords and that irritating White Ranger and the rest of your team making a mess of things… well, I decided it wasn't worth the effort and I left, but when the evil inside me was erased, I came looking for you. You'd be surprised how difficult it is to find one earthling."

"It took you six years?" Rocky asked.

"Did it really?" Scorpina frowned. "I don't really notice things like time. I just know that it wasn't until I heard about Power Rangers Day in _The Galaxy Gazette_ that I knew where you might be. Did you have any idea how many people are named 'Adam Park' on Earth alone? Also the Phantom Ranger refused to tell me anything, even after I saved his life that time on Centaur B, and the Gold Ranger said he would only tell me if I won a duel against the Triforian champion, which was completely unfair—there were _three_ of him. You Rangers are annoyingly tightlipped."

Adam's face scrunched up and he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Um… I'm not sure what to say here."

"Say you'll give me a chance," Scorpina urged him, and even Aisha had to admit that the hope in Scorpina's eyes looked sincere. "That's all I want. I was just paid to kill an army of Junar monks that had invaded Liaria and I have more than enough money to waste a few decades on Earth and I've been reading all about human culture and I think I can handle this whole human disguise thing until—"

"I'm seeing someone," Adam interrupted apologetically. "We're in love."

Scorpina's face twisted with rage. _"Who?"_ She glowered at Aisha. "That one?"

Aisha's eyes widened and her nostrils flared; Adam caught her wrist just as she began the arm motions that accompanied her ninja morph. "No, not Aisha," Adam told Scorpina, with just enough of an emphasis on "Aisha" to imply that he was reminding Scorpina of her name. "Someone else. But I'm very happy with her, and if you're really not an evil villain anymore then you'll respect that."

Scorpina continued to glare at Aisha for a moment, and then she burst into tears.

Rocky's jaw dropped. Adam looked alarmed. Even Aisha was too busy being amazed to be angry.

"Okay, then," Scorpina choked out through her sobs. "I suppose it was never going to last, even if I did go through a lot of trouble to buy an eternal life curse for you. I just… I'm really sorry. For everything, Adam. I never meant to hurt you."

"Right," Adam said, looking utterly wretched. "Um… it's okay. I'm… I forgive you."

Scorpina smiled through her tears. "Thank you, Adam. I'll… I'll leave you alone now. But… but if it ever doesn't work out between you and… and this girl you love…"

"I'll… come find you," Adam said uncomfortably. "Scorpina's probably a less common name than Adam Park."

"In this galaxy," she agreed, and turned to go.

"Hey!" Aisha called. "Where's _my_ apology?"

"Oh, um—sorry, Ada." Scorpina hurried off through the trees, picking up speed with each step until she was running. The four of them stared after her for a long moment, then—

_"Ada?"_ Aisha repeated incredulously. "ADA? _Excuse _me? _HEY!_ Come back here!" With that, Aisha went charging off after Scorpina.

"Do you think she was really good now?" Rocky wondered aloud as Aisha vanished into the trees.

"It's possible," Adam said. "And if this _is_ an evil scheme, her bursting into tears and running away is a pretty lame plan."

"I wonder where you buy an eternal life curse," Tori mused.

"According to the Space Rangers, you can get all kinds of things on various black markets in the universe," Adam said. He sighed. "I think I'm gonna go find Tanya and tell her how much I love her."

Rocky shrugged. "Should probably warn her that your ex-girlfriend the super villain's wandering the park."

"That, too." Adam sighed and headed for the meadow, Tori and Rocky following.

"So," Rocky said, "what was it like to kiss Scorpina?"

Adam rolled his eyes. "Rocky…"

"What? You should hear some of Zhane's stories about Astronema."

"Karone," Adam corrected him.

"Her, too."

Adam sighed. "Look, I just broke Scorpina's heart. I—" He stopped in his tracks. "I broke Scorpina's heart," he whined, sounding quite sure that this should not have happened to him.

Tori smiled sympathetically at him. "Well, hey, at least you were right. There _is_ always something weirder."

"Unfortunately," Adam said ruefully. He started walking again. "Although I definitely don't want to know what could be weirder than Scorpina professing her love for me and then crying when I told her I was in a relationship."

Rocky and Tori chuckled. "So that was one of the big bad evil villains you guys faced, huh?" Tori asked. "She didn't look so tough."

"We only fought her the one time," Adam said. "Like I said, we were pretty new the one and only time we met her." He sighed. "What was I supposed to say, huh? She shows up out of nowhere, tells me she was going to buy me off Lord Zedd in exchange for killing my friends, and then asks if I want to go out sometime? Who does that?"

"That was sad, man," Rocky said. "I almost feel bad that we let Aisha go after her."

"Eh, knowing Aisha she'll yell until she gets everything off her chest and then comfort Scorpina," Adam said. "Remember that time you accidentally shaved all those animals at the shelter she was responsible for?"

"That wasn't my fault!"

"I'm so not asking," Tori said.

They emerged from the trees and had only made it a few steps into the meadow when someone shouted, "There they are!"

Rocky and Adam froze, their heads turning automatically towards the sound. Tori copied them, and saw, to her complete surprise, no less than two dozen clowns and another dozen miscellaneous circus folk staring directly at Rocky and Adam. All of them looked furious, and most of them were armed.

"Oh, god," Adam muttered. "They've got _reinforcements."_

Rocky began glancing around wildly. "Can't fight them here. Too many people."

"You know these guys?" Tori asked, confused.

"We beat some of them up on Wednesday," Adam replied, biting his lip.

"Just where Elena said they'd be!" one of the clowns shouted triumphantly.

"Stupid psychic," Adam muttered.

"What are we waiting for?" yelled a small clown in the front. "Let's get them!"

The small army of carnies charged. Tori yelped and turned to Rocky and Adam for guidance, only to discover that they had disappeared. It took her a few seconds of glancing around before she caught a distant glimpse of Rocky's Red Ranger costume through the trees, and before she could start to follow the carnies went tearing past her with a dull roar worthy of any angry mob. Tori stared after them in disbelief.

"Huh," Tori commented. "Adam really _was_ right. There's _always_ something weirder."

* * *

_End Notes:_ Huge thanks to **ijnfleetadmiral** for the idea to have Scorpina show up! We'll be seeing more of her in OLaB. And thanks also to **viennacantabile**, for inspiring a clown fight rematch. You guys rock.

By the way, we're running dry on titles and are expanding our list to include other seasons of Power Rangers that are featured in this story—Turbo, In Space, Lightspeed Rescue, Time Force, Wild Force, Ninja Storm, and possibly S.P.D., Mystic Force and Operation Overdrive. I don't think we're going to be able to squeeze Lost Galaxy in (at least, not to this story, maybe later if we do sequels or prequels), so we'll only take titles from there if we're desperate. You'd be surprised how hard it is to apply a Power Rangers episode title to a chapter of OLaB. It's been one of the most challenging aspects of the entire fic.


	118. The Trouble with Shell Shock

_Author's Notes:_ As a reminder, this story takes place in June of 2004, right after the end of _Power Rangers: Dino Thunder._ Mystic Force hasn't happened yet; Nick hasn't moved to Briarwood and Xander, Chip, Madison and Vida have yet to become Rangers.

* * *

**Chapter 118**

_The Trouble with Shellshock_

"Oh, look, it's Rocky and Adam," was all Justin had time to say before his brain processed the entirety of what he was seeing. Rocky and Adam were racing through the woods as fast as they could while being pelted with balls, clubs, bowling pins and other sundry commonly found in juggling displays. Rocky was limping and there was a rip in Adam's sleeve that might have come from one of the throwing knives being employed by one of the thirty-odd people chasing Rocky and Adam. Most were wearing clown outfits, right down to the floppy shoes, but there were three acrobats, a bearded lady, what could have been a lion tamer and several others dressed in miscellaneous circus attire. Every so often, a member of the mob would shout the word "bonkers."

Justin and Cam froze in place, staring openmouthed as the bizarre little procession went by. A full minute after the scene had disappeared from view, Cam said, "Um, did you just…?"

"Don't worry, I saw it too," Justin assured him.

Cam breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh. Good."

Justin shook his head. "Only in Angel Grove could you see an angry clown mob chasing your friends through the woods and _not_ be hallucinating. Well, I'm gonna go check it out, see if Rocky and Adam need any help—you coming?"

"No, thanks," Cam said apologetically. "If I wanted to see clowns fight I'd be watching Marah and Kapri's rematch with Elsa."

Justin laughed. "Okay. Catch you later, man."

Cam nodded and watched as Justin jogged in the direction the clowns had gone, easily picking up the trail of circus props they had been throwing at Rocky and Adam. Cam sighed and started heading back towards the meadow, but stopped as he heard the faint sounds of sobbing.

Cam glanced around for the source, wondering if someone had been hurt in the crossfire between the clowns and Rocky and Adam. After a moment he spotted a glimpse of movement behind a nearby tree and headed towards it. On the other side was a girl with long dark hair, hugging her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth and sobbing so hard she didn't even notice Cam approach.

Cam stared at her, at a loss. He wasn't very good with crying females—though he got a little better every time Marah lost a goldfish—and he wasn't sure what to say. A cursory once-over told him that she didn't appear hurt, just upset, but he couldn't very well just leave her to sob uncontrollably without at least asking if he could help.

"Hey," Cam called softly. She looked up at him, and he could see she might be pretty if it weren't for the mess her crying was causing. "Are you okay?" She shook her head. "Do… do you want to talk about it?"

"I-I-I want to t-talk to _him!"_ she wailed between sobs.

"Him. Who's him?"

"A-Adam," she cried.

He frowned. "You don't mean Adam _Park_ by any chance, do you?"

"Yes, Adam Park!" A bit of anger creeped into her tone. "I came all this way and I finally found him and he has a-a-a _girlfriend!"_ She shook with more sobs. "I know it's been awhile and I know when we first met I wasn't the sort of girl he could love, but I really thought we _had_ something, you know?"

"I'm… sorry to hear that," Cam said, shifting uncomfortably. "But… um…"

"It probably really _is_ that horrible Amanda girl," she continued bitterly. "I _knew_ there was a reason he was always dragging her along."

Cam felt a need to say something useful. "Um… his girlfriend's name is Tanya. Not Amanda."

"Tanya? The Yellow Zeo Ranger?"

Cam stiffened. "What?"

"Tanya Sloan." The girl stopped crying, her eyes narrowing in cold fury. "Yellow Zeo Ranger. Of all the secret-identity Rangers on Earth she's the easiest to find. And she's…" She let out a shuddering breath. "But he told me I should respect their relationship. If I try to hurt her or break them up…"

"I think you should respect it," Cam said flatly. "If he's with Tanya then he's with Tanya. There's no reason to cause trouble for them."

She regarded him thoughtfully. "You think?"

Cam sighed. "Look. I believe that if something's meant to happen, it'll happen, but you can't force things like destiny. Destiny just happens, whether it's a school getting sucked into the sky to fulfill an ancient prophecy or running into an old flame at a moment when you're both ready to be in a relationship. Causing problems for him will get you nowhere but even more unhappy. He won't thank you for it."

She reflected on this for a moment. "You're right. I mean, I have all the time in the world. I can wait for it to end on its own, can't I?" She smiled weakly up at him. "You're very wise, Green Ranger."

Cam blanched. "Um…"

"I recognized you, of course," she continued. "You _are_ Cameron Watanabe, right?"

"You've heard of me, huh?" Cam asked slowly. "Like you've heard of Adam and Tanya?"

"I'm Sabrina," she said. "I used to associate with the Mighty Morphin Rangers."

Cam relaxed a little. "Oh. Well, like I said, things happen for a reason. All you can do right now is wait and hope and try to look for love in other places."

She grinned. "You're right. There are plenty of other available mates in the universe. I just haven't mated in awhile—I'll figure it out eventually."

"…Good for you," Cam said awkwardly. "Look. There's a whole festival going on for this Power Rangers Day—why don't you go back to the meadow and get some tissues to wipe up your face, maybe get some food and do a little shopping and everything? Try to enjoy yourself? Take your mind off him?"

"I'd be glad to," she said happily, holding her hand out to him.

Cam blinked. He had meant she should go cheer _herself_ up, but she seemed to have taken it as him offering to cheer her up. Still… what could it hurt? She _did_ need cheering up, and he didn't want to upset her again; besides, he was curious to know what she meant by "associate with the Mighty Morphin Rangers."

Cam took her hand and pulled her to her feet. Once she was upright she didn't let go of his hand, lacing her fingers with his and standing a tad closer to him than absolutely necessary. Oh, well. She _was_ kind of cute, and she seemed nice enough.

* * *

"Xander? _Xander!"_

Tori ducked down behind a middle-aged man who was buying his son a toy at a vendor's booth. She hadn't realized until Rocky and Adam had vanished that she was going to be in a bit of hot water if she saw that Xander guy again—after all, she was no longer with "Blake," and she was actually even leery of finding Blake at all now—if Xander saw her holding hands with her actual boyfriend, he'd assume that she was holding hands with a guy who wasn't "Blake" and might think that she was open to seeing other men.

"XANDER!"

Tori peeked out from behind the man she was using as cover. A dark-haired girl in denim shorts and a powder-blue tank top was standing a few yards away, anxiously glancing around for Xander. Tori was pretty sure the girl was the one Xander had been with before he'd attached himself to Tori.

Tori sighed, feeling bad for the girl. She looked kind of panicked, and the crowd was swelling to epic proportions; finding one person in the park was going to be difficult. Tori had last seen Xander on the other side of the park—it wouldn't kill her to at least point the girl in the right direction, if the girl was even looking for the same Xander.

Tori straightened up and headed over to the girl. "Hey," she called, and the girl looked over at her, confused and a tad nervous; Tori figured she was probably the shy type. Tori held up her hand to simulate Xander's height. "This 'Xander' you're looking for—is he about yay tall, Australian accent, doesn't take no for an answer?"

The girl sighed in relief. "Oh, good, you've found him."

"I ditched him, actually," Tori said apologetically.

"Understandable," the girl muttered, looking quite annoyed—Tori would be too, if her friend had ditched her to chase girls. "Well, thanks, anyway."

Tori smiled sympathetically at her. "I can show you where I last saw him, if you want."

The girl's face lit up. "Could you?"

Tori nodded and headed back towards where she'd ditched Xander, motioning the girl to follow. "So are you Madison, or Vida?"

"He told you about us?" the girl asked.

"Yeah, he mentioned driving in from Briarwood with his friends Madison, Vida and Chip. I'm Tori, by the way."

"I'm Madison. Vida's my sister."

"Nice to meet you."

"You, too. I'm sorry if Xander, um, bothered you."

Tori smiled. "I can take care of myself. He seemed harmlessly, really—but he comes on strong."

"That's Xander," Madison agreed.

They walked in silence for a minute. Tori noticed that Madison was a tad uncomfortable in the crowd, often avoiding eye contact with passersby and keeping close to Tori.

"So are you into Power Rangers?" Tori asked. "Xander didn't seem to care much about them."

"Xander's from Australia—he thought we were kidding when we told him there were superheroes in California," Madison explained.

Tori grinned. "I used to think they were a hoax, too."

"I never really thought much about it, but Chip did. He loves fantasy and science fiction and superheroes, all kinds of stuff like that. It _is_ pretty cool when you think about it, though, that these people fight evil and monsters and all kinds of things… it's so heroic. I could never do anything like that."

"Thanks," Tori said, touched. "I mean, uh… most people think I'm crazy, being interested in Power Rangers."

"Trust me, no one is as crazy about them as Chip," Madison said.

Tori smiled at her as they came to a halt near the vendor where she had found Adam. "This is where I last saw him," Tori said. "I'm not sure which way he went."

Madison nodded and looked around. She sighed. "I'm never going to find him. Maybe Vi will have better luck."

Tori gave her a sympathetic look. In spite of the fact that she didn't want to see Xander again, Tori couldn't help feeling bad for Madison. Madison definitely didn't look thrilled at the prospect of scouring the park alone for Xander.

"Look… my friends are lost somewhere in this crowd too, and I already got my autographs from the public identity Rangers. I'm not doing much except listening to the questions and I can do that anywhere, so I can help you look for him if you want."

Madison looked so relieved Tori forgot all about the fact that she wasn't Xander's biggest fan. "Could you? I'd _really_ appreciate it."

"Sure." She started walking again, Madison falling into step beside her. "So," Tori said, "Tell me all about Briarwood. That's a pretty quiet town, isn't it?"

* * *

"…and that's how the penguins got in the dolphin tank," Conner told Kat ruefully. She was giggling so much she could barely breathe. She and Conner had been swapping Bulk and Skull stories, and he was currently regaling her with the tale of their exploits at the zoo.

"Those… poor… animals," Kat gasped out. "I can just see Bulk telling a giraffe to giddy up!"

"Oh, no, he said it the old-fashioned-cowboy-movie way," Conner said. He twisted his face into an imitation of the panicky expression Bulk had been sporting at the time. _"'Giddap!_' The giraffe didn't take it so well."

"I wouldn't either!" Kat's laughter increased at the mental image of Bulk clinging to a giraffe's leg. Conner watched her laugh until it finally died to the occasional chuckle, at which point Kat noticed his scrutiny. "What?" she asked.

"You're so pretty when you laugh," Conner said. "Your whole face lights up. It's like watching a marble statue come to life."

Kat smiled, touched. She might have wondered if he were sincere if he didn't seem so frank and honest. Kat found his openness refreshing—in fact, she found everything about Conner to be refreshing. Part of her was waiting for him to disappoint her, to reveal some flaw that would lessen his appeal, but she had been growing even fonder of him the longer they talked. She was starting to think that maybe he didn't have those sorts of flaws that would make her turn away from him, that whatever his issues and shortcomings might be they were buried beneath enough good qualities to be insignificant.

"Thank you," Kat said. "You're so sweet."

"You make it easy," Conner replied. He looked away, seeming a tad sheepish. "I want to kiss you, but I'm guessing that would be really inappropriate at this point."

Kat's eyebrows rose. He really _was_ brutally honest. She admired his ability to say what he thought… and she admired the fact that he didn't just try to kiss her and hope for the best. She might have thought it inappropriate, if he had tried. Now, however, it seemed like the best idea in the world.

"You're wrong," Kat told him, shifting slightly to face him better.

Conner looked up at her. "Hmm?"

"You're wrong," Kat repeated. "It wouldn't be inappropriate."

"Oh," Conner said blankly. Then realization dawned. "Oh! Oh, cool!"

Kat chuckled and leaned towards him, but before she was halfway there Conner's lips pressed gently against hers, his hand coming up to cup her neck, his thumb caressing her cheek. He seemed to be holding himself back, not wanting to rush her, which Kat found considerate. She opened her mouth to him, partly to reassure him but mostly just because it felt amazing. It was everything first kisses should be—curious, enticing, tentative but somehow passionate. His tongue slipped inside her mouth and Kat responded to him eagerly, trying to remember just when the last time she had felt this good during something as simple as a kiss.

Finally she pulled back, reluctant to stop but desperate to collect herself. She leaned her forehead against Conner's, unable to bring herself to move any further away. He let his hand drop but didn't otherwise back off, and they sat there for a long moment, eyes still closed. It occurred to Kat that she should say something, but she couldn't think what. She was afraid of spoiling the mood, but the longer the silence stretched the more worried she became that it would turn awkward.

Suddenly she felt a little silly. Here she was, making out in the forest with some guy she'd just met. He certainly seemed polite, and sweet, and funny and interesting and honest, but she didn't know him and a few hours of conversation weren't enough to start kissing him no matter how right it felt.

"This is fast," Kat said. She had meant to say _"too_ fast," but it wouldn't come out. While she knew it _should_ feel too fast, it somehow didn't feel fast enough.

"You're right," Conner agreed, his voice low and rough, his breathing ragged against her face. "It's a little soon."

Kat smiled, wondering if he had a problem with feeling it was _too_ soon as well. "I just feel like I've known you forever," she confessed.

"I want to know you forever."

Kat kissed him again, overwhelmed by the way his statement made her feel. Conner was quick to reciprocate, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer; Kat's hands slid up his biceps, over his shoulders to wind into his hair. Everything was perfect, even more perfect than their last, first kiss, and it felt so right, so incredible—

"Oh. My. _God."_

Conner and Kat snapped apart like glass shattered by a bullet, their heads whipping around to see Rocky and Adam, covered in bruises, debris and miscellaneous stains, staring in horror at Conner and Kat. As one, Rocky and Adam turned to look at each other and said, in perfect unison, "Tommy's going to kill him."

"Jinx," was all Rocky had time to say before the first clown caught him.

Kat gaped in shock as a clown built like Hulk Hogan slammed into Rocky, tackling him to the forest floor in a blur of colorful fabric. Two more clowns leaped at Adam, seizing him by the arms, and one of them noticed Kat and Conner. The clown's expression darkened—as much as the bright makeup on his face would allow—and he turned over his shoulder to shout "It's the kid! It's the kid they were with!"

"Conner, _run!"_ Adam yelled, hooking his foot behind the knee of the clown to his right and pulling; unprepared, the clown went down, releasing Adam. Adam socked the other clown in the shoulder and the clown yelped, letting go and backing away. Adam went to help Rocky, but Rocky could take care of himself; by the time Adam reached him Rocky had thrown off his attacker and was rolling to his feet.

A bowling pin clocked Rocky in the side of the head just as he stood up, and Rocky's face twisted in pain, then in rage. He scooped the pin up. "Quit _doing_ that!" he roared, flinging the bowling pin with all his might.

Kat looked beyond Rocky to see the bowling pin strike one of no less than thirty circus folk, who—with the exception of the one Rocky had beaned with the pin—were closing in fast. Her jaw dropped a little lower, her mind unable to process the scene—but then she saw movement out of the corner of her eye and instinct took over.

"Look out!" Kat called, jumping up as one of the clowns Adam had bested tried to jump Adam from behind. Before Adam could turn to face him, Conner grabbed the clown and flipped him over his shoulder. The clown hit the dirt hard, stunned by the impact.

Conner glared at Adam. "What do you mean, _run?"_ he demanded indignantly, a full two seconds before what might have been a lion tamer slammed bodily into Conner. Conner went sprawling.

Adam started to intercept the lion tamer as he advanced on Conner, but a female trapeze artist flung a punch at Adam. Adam caught the woman's wrist and dodged several more blows from her other fist before pushing her away from him; she stumbled back and tripped over Conner, landing hard in the dirt. Adam again moved to help Conner, but Rocky knocked into Adam from behind, having been shoved into him by a pair of clowns.

Kat hurried towards Conner, only to find her path blocked by a small clown and another in patched overalls. "This isn't your fight, lady," the small one growled. "Stay out of it."

"We don't got a problem with you," added the clown in patched overalls. "Just them."

"I don't care if you've got a problem with me," Kat said grimly, dropping into a fighting stance. "If you've got a problem with them, then _I've_ got a problem with _you."_

The two clowns looked at each other, shrugged, and lunged at Kat, only to collapse a second later when Conner appeared behind them and swept their heads together. Kat grinned at Conner, who smiled back and then nearly jumped out of his skin when a whip cracked right behind him.

Conner spun around to see the lion tamer glowering at him. "Jeez, is that a bullwhip?" Conner asked, horrified. "You should be careful with that thing. You could put someone's eye out."

The lion tamer looked rather offended by this, and cracked the whip again; Kat couldn't be sure, but he seemed to be aiming for Conner's eye. Conner ducked, and when the lion tamer made to pull the whip back Conner dove forward, snatched the whip out of midair and yanked it from the lion tamer's hand.

"What is going on?" Kat called as she rushed towards a bearded lady who was pinning Rocky against a tree.

"Remember that carnival in Stone Canyon we couldn't take Billy to?" Adam asked as he elbowed another clown in the gut.

Kat frowned in thought as she avoided the bearded lady's sloppy uppercut and kicked her in the side. "The one he got banned from?"

"That's the one," Adam said, dropping a male trapeze artist and taking a swing at a clown. The clown narrowly sidestepped Adam's swing and socked Adam in the jaw, making Adam wince. "You know what, Kat? I'll tell you later," Adam growled, sweeping the clown's legs out from under him.

Kat was fine with this, needing to concentrate; she had at first assumed it would be easy to knock out a few civilians, but it had been a long time since she'd been in a real fight and she certainly wasn't used to fighting ordinary humans who weren't under evil spells. Inflicting pain on them seemed cruel, but after the first few hits she took she began holding back less.

Kat found herself in trouble after a few minutes, thanks to a trio of acrobats who were quick, strong, limber and able to move with a remarkable synchronization. She was just starting to worry when Justin came out of nowhere, kicking the first acrobat out of Kat's way and tossing another one into a tree, giving Kat ample time to handle the third and turn to face another clown.

"Hey, you guys stopped running!" Justin called cheerfully to Rocky and Adam. "I thought I'd never catch you."

"Wasn't our idea," Adam said through gritted teeth as he wrestled a guy in a game attendant uniform to the ground.

"We got distracted," Rocky added, hurrying over to attack the acrobat Justin had kicked. "We saw Conner kissing with Kat."

"Ooh, Tommy's going to kill him," Justin said with a grin that vanished when a man in leather pants belched a stream of fire at him.

"Why do people keep saying that?" Conner complained. "Dr. O was fine with—sword swallower sword swallower help!"

"I'm coming!" Justin called, but yelped when the fire-eater spat flames at him again. "Stop it! We are in a _forest!"_

Kat bent down, scooped up what looked like the remains of a banana cream pie and hurled it at Conner's sword-swallowing opponent. A skinny kid in a game attendant uniform jumped on her back before she could see if the pie connected, but when she glanced that way again she saw Conner standing over the sword-swallower's prone body and curiously inspecting his weapon. "Huh," Conner said, "they really _are_ real swords."

Kat flung herself backwards into a tree, dislodging the kid on her back, who slid down the tree trunk to the ground and stayed there. There were more carnies lying down than standing up, but unfortunately for Kat, one of the ones left standing appeared to know a lot of kung fu.

The kung fu clown took quite awhile and plenty of concentration to subdue; by the time she managed to take him down with a well-timed roundhouse, the rest of the fight was over. Adam and Justin were both breathing heavily, glancing warily around at the circus folk littering the forest floor, and Rocky was taking out a final clown with a bit of Brazilian jujitsu. Conner was standing a few feet away from Kat with an awestruck gaze on his face.

"That was amazing," Conner breathed. "I wanted to help you, but it was just so… so… you're _amazing."_

Kat beamed at him, pleased by the praise. She was about to reply when she heard Aisha shout, "What are you _doing?"_ from behind her, making Rocky, Adam, Conner, Kat and Justin jump.

Aisha stared around in disbelief at the five ex-Rangers standing over the motley assortment of battered and/or unconscious carnies. Then she glared at Rocky and Adam. "I can't leave you two alone for a second."

"Hi, Aisha," Adam said wearily.

"It's not our fault," Rocky insisted. "This was all Trini."

Aisha gave him a dubious look. "Right. Trini got you into a fight with thirty clowns? How, exactly? She's not even here."

"I'm guessing long story," Justin joked, hopping over a fallen knife-thrower and picking his way across the field of fallen circus folk.

"Trini's the one who punched Bonkers on Wednesday," Adam explained. "That's what started this whole mess."

"I wonder how they found us," Conner mused. "I mean, yeah, it's possible they were just here for Power Rangers Day, but—"

"One of them mentioned the fortune teller I met at the carnival," Adam said. "Elena… Luna, I think her name was. She interpreted dreams for me and Kira, and one of the clowns said Rocky and I were right where Elena said we'd be."

"Well, she can't be _that_ psychic, or she would have warned them they'd get schooled," Rocky pointed out.

Adam shrugged. "As long as she doesn't divine my home address, I don't really care." Sighing, he made his way through the heaps of injured clowns. "I've got to get out of here. I've got to get out of here before the day gets any weirder."

"You can't bail on Power Rangers Day," Justin protested.

"Watch me," Adam said darkly. "If I live to make it to the parking lot, I'm out of here."

"You realized you just jinxed yourself, right?" Aisha asked. Adam grunted noncommittally and continued stalking out of the forest. Aisha shook her head. "So. Any of you seen Scorpina around?"

"Evil monster Scorpina?" Kat asked, startled.

"Yeah. She showed up, professed her love for Adam and ran off crying," Rocky said. "It was great."

"I heard that!" Adam called over his shoulder without slowing down.

"What is going _on_ out there?" Kat demanded. "Scorpina and clowns and… and…"

Justin shrugged. "It's Power Rangers Day. Were you expecting anything less?"

* * *

_End Notes:_ And with this chapter, we mark the seven-year anniversary for "Of Love and Bunnies."

To commemorate the occasion, I thought I'd share a few stats:

As I post this, "Of Love and Bunnies" has 118 chapters, 605,391 words and 4,478 reviews. It has 943,163 hits, is in 39 C2 communities, 971 people have it on favorites, and 739 people have it on story alert.

To all the people who've ever had a kind word to say about OLaB—thank you very much. We're amazed by how awesome you guys have been.

To all the people who've ever dropped something, hurt themselves, fallen over, embarrassed themselves while trying to read this story in public, spat and/or snorted food and/or drink—we're very sorry about that. We added a warning label/disclaimer to chapter one just for you.

To all the people who think we suck—for crying out loud, this is a Power Rangers fanfiction. We're not here to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

To all our loyal fans, I swear to you, we will finish this before another seven years has passed. Maybe. Probably. Well, hopefully. It just keeps getting _longer._


	119. DoubleEdged Blake

**Chapter 119**

_Double-Edged Blake_

"We've got a problem."

T.J. looked up from the Power Rangers Turbo trading card he was autographing. A harried woman in a purple STAFF T-shirt was standing behind him; a few feet behind her the mayor was wringing his hands.

T.J. handed the autograph back to the teenage boy who owned it. "I'm sorry," T.J. said with a smile, "but duty calls."

The boy nodded, looking thrilled that duty had called in the middle of his autograph. T.J. clapped him on the shoulder and followed the staff member over to the mayor. The three of them stepped inside the tree line, out of earshot of the table. "What's up?" T.J. asked.

"It's the Time Force Rangers," the mayor whispered. "They're gone."

T.J.'s eyebrows rose. "What do you mean, gone?" He turned and looked at the table; Wes and Eric were supposed to be seated at the other end of it, but their chairs were empty.

"Eric Myers said he needed a drink of water but we'd already brought him a bottle and then he went into the forest, which doesn't have water anyway," the staff member explained. "Wesley Collins looked a little panicked and chased after him. Nobody's seen them since."

"I had my assistant try both their cells," the mayor said. "Neither one answered."

T.J. bit his lip, thinking it over. "Okay. Cut the autograph line. Tell the fans we'll be back later. Gather Lightspeed and my team; we'll split up and look for Wes and Eric. I'll call the Silver Guardians. Try to look calm; word gets out that two of the Rangers have gone missing and we'll have thousands of panicked people on our hands."

The staff member and the mayor hurried back onto the field, while T.J. called up the Silver Guardian's main switchboard. He only had to say his name to the operator to be transferred to whoever was in charge.

"Sergeant Ogle," answered one of the Silver Guardians' higher ups a moment later.

"Hey, Carl, it's T.J. I was just wondering if there were any major problems. You know, anything you might need Wes and Eric for?"

"Negative, Mr. Johnson. The—"

"Call me T.J., Carl. Please."

"Yes, sir." T.J. rolled his eyes, but hadn't expected anything less. Carl continued. "The city's locked down tight. Nothing serious to report. I trust all is well at Power Rangers Day?"

T.J. winced. "So far. Well, I just had a minute, thought I'd call. See you at the Independence Day barbecue."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Johnson."

T.J. shook his head and hung up. Lightspeed Rescue and the Space Rangers, along with Karone, were now standing up from the table and heading his way. Only Cassie, Carlos and Ashley, having plenty of experience with discretion from the days before they'd been unmasked, managed to pull off an air of nonchalance.

"What's the situation?" Carter asked in concern.

"Wes and Eric are missing. Not kidnapped-by-an-evil-villain missing, just missing. Mayor tried their cells and I just got off the phone with the Silver Guardians."

The mayor bounded up, leaving his staff to console the disappointed fans in the autograph line. "What are we going to do?" he all but wailed.

_"You_ are going to calm down," T.J. told him firmly. "Since Wes and Eric left the table and headed this way into the trees, my team is going to go this way and look for them. Lightspeed is going to circle around the meadow."

Carter nodded. "Dana, Chad and I will go east. Ryan, Kelsey and Joel will go west. We'll meet at the parking lot and take a look around."

"Good idea," T.J. agreed. He nodded to the mayor. "Meanwhile, take a few members of your staff and send them through the crowd. Tell them to find the Silver Guardians Wes and Eric brought with them and ask if they've had any contact with Wes and Eric. As soon as anyone knows anything, have them call me. We'll call you if we find Wes and Eric. Let's go."

T.J. plunged into the trees with Andros, Zhane, Karone, Carlos, Cassie and Ashley, while Lightspeed split up and the mayor darted off. "I hope they're okay," Cassie said worriedly.

"I'm sure they're fine," T.J. replied. "They both left voluntarily. If there were some big bad evildoer around, they'd have called us first thing."

"Unless ran into trouble after leaving and now they're hurt," Carlos pointed out.

"Or kidnapped," Ashley agreed. "Or worse."

The group lapsed into uneasy silence. Thankfully, they hadn't gone far through the woods when they spotted Wes and Eric, arguing heatedly.

"Guys!" T.J. called. "Where you been? The mayor sent out a search party."

"Eric won't come back to the field," Wes complained.

"This whole hero worship thing is degrading," Eric growled.

"How is being worshipped degrading?" Andros asked.

"Eric, come on," Wes insisted. "You're being stupid."

"Power Rangers Day is stupid."

"Eric—"

T.J. stepped in, struck by sudden inspiration. "Come on, Eric, think about it. If Jason and Tommy can sit through a few hours onstage, surely we can take one for the team and sign a few autographs."

Eric looked mutinous, but after a moment he reluctantly nodded. "You're right. If Jason can…"

"That's the spirit!" T.J. clapped him on the back and pulled out his cell, dialing the mayor. "Hey, it's me. We found Wes and Eric, and we're on our way back now."

"New problem," the mayor replied grimly. "Somehow it got out that Wes and Eric were missing, and some of the attendees are convinced that they were kidnapped by an evil alien monster."

"They'll calm down when we bring Wes and Eric back," T.J. assured him.

"They might," the mayor said, "but what if they don't? What if I wind up in charge of twenty thousand people who are convinced there's a monster loose in the woods? Half these people aren't from Angel Grove. They don't understand that overlords send monster, Power Rangers kill monster, rinse and repeat until Power Rangers kill overlords."

"I don't think—" T.J. began, but the mayor spoke over him.

"We're talking mass hysteria, T.J. Even if you bring the missing Rangers back to the field, people are already worried that there's something dangerous out there. We're estimating that over three hundred people have already left."

"It's late afternoon. A lot of little kids are probably just getting tired and their families are taking them home. I'm sure it's nothing to do with the supposed monster."

"That's a nice thought, but you didn't see nine college kids running flat-out for the parking lot."

T.J. sighed. "Look. If they see all the Power Rangers calm, collected and in one place—"

"They won't know what happened with the monster. If it's still loose, if it's safe to be in the park. Between suspicious townspeople and tourists who've been hoping Rita Repulsa will show up, everyone's already half-expecting a monster attack. This is after my office spent an entire week telling the media that we sincerely doubted even the least intelligent villains on the planet wouldn't risk attacking more Power Rangers than they could count. If we don't prove that the park is safe, things could escalate. Dangerously. You of all people know how bad it could get—_you're_ the one who counseled _me_ on what to expect from the townspeople if the city ever came under attack again!"

"What are you suggesting? That we create a fake monster and destroy it in front of thousands of fans?"

"That's a brilliant idea!"

"Huh? Wait—"

"Think about it. If the Power Rangers confront a monster in front of all these people, they'll see that you and the other Rangers have the city under control. You know how badly the population dropped after Astronema! People assumed that without Power Rangers the city wasn't safe! We need to assuage their fears. We need to ease their minds! We need to show that no matter what, no matter where, no matter when, the Power Rangers of Earth will always rally to defend the city of Angel Grove!"

T.J. was starting to develop a sneaking suspicion that the mayor had planned this all along. "Look, remember when you first took office, and I told you all those things about Power Rangers? Stampedes were one of those things under the townspeople reaction section. Along with chaos, vandalism, looting—and where are we going to get a monster, huh? I don't know about you, but I don't keep any on retainer."

"I'll have some volunteers buy a few monsters' costumes from a vendor. Why don't you see if you can find a secret-identity ex-Ranger to wear it? That way, the monster will seem to have superpowers."

"Mayor…"

"I'd better get on this and make sure the media's in place. Good luck!"

He hung up, leaving T.J. to lamely repeat the mayor's phone call to Andros, Zhane, Karone, Carlos, Cassie, Ashley, Wes and Eric. Mostly they looked shocked, but Zhane snickered and Eric looked smug. "This is what comes of overexposure," he said.

"The mayor really wants us to fake a monster attack?" Ashley demanded.

"I say we refuse to do it," Carlos added. "That's just wrong."

"Is it?" T.J. asked. "I mean, think about it. People _were_ worried when Wes and Eric took off. They come back, and how are we supposed to soothe people's minds? By telling them Eric thinks Power Rangers Day is beneath him? Guys, the mayor may be going about this all wrong, but we really _do_ have a crowd of roughly twenty _thousand_ people out there that thinks a monster already ate two of its superheroes. We show said monster, we defeat it, and we're all still alive. Then everyone sees that Power Rangers won't let anything happen to the townspeople."

"You just want to be the big hero," Cassie accused, but she smiled. "Come to think of it, I want to be the big hero, too."

Carlos nodded thoughtfully, then grinned. "We can't let those guys onstage have all the fun."

"Wait, wait, wait," Ashley said. "Who are we going to get to be the monster?"

"I'll do it," Karone offered. "It has a certain… ironic appeal for me."

"We should all be seen fighting it," Cassie said, "or else the townspeople might think one of us was killed."

"Well, it'll have to be someone we trust," Ashley said. "If something goes wrong and everyone finds out it was staged, it'll be a huge blow to our reputation."

"You're right," T.J. agreed. "We need someone responsible. Someone dependable. And I think I have just the guy."

* * *

"So, let me get this straight. The girl called Vi bumps into you, you follow her around, ask her for her number, ask her out to lunch, and she turns you down flat."

"Uh-huh," Hunter confirmed as he marched determinedly through the crowd, eyes peeled for Vi.

"So she wants nothing to do with you," Blake continued, jogging alongside Hunter.

"Right."

"So _why_ are we looking for her?"

"I'm in love with her," Hunter reminded Blake.

"Hunter…" Blake sighed. "Hunter, love at first sight is a myth. I know because my smart, grounded, sensible, there-are-no-monsters-in-your-closet-and-if-I'm-wrong-I'll-beat-them-up-anyway-so-quit-whining-and-go-to-sleep-we've-got-training-at-dawn big brother told me so."

"I was wrong."

"Hunter, stalking a girl is no way to get her to like you."

Hunter smiled, a distant look in his eye. "That's what Vi said."

"Yeah, and Vi was right!" Blake exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "If she wanted to have anything to do with you, she would have asked for your number or given you her number or her name or _something._ You gotta let it go."

"Can't. I'm in love."

"You're not in love!" Blake shouted. "Quit saying that! You're not in love, you're insane!"

"Blake." Hunter finally stopped stalking through the crowd and turned to face him. "How did you know Tori was The One?"

Blake blinked. "I _don't_ know Tori is The One."

Hunter swelled with indignation. "How can you not know Tori is The One?"

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because we're both way too young to be thinking about being together the rest of our lives, or we haven't been together that long, or she's my first real girlfriend ever, or I have no idea if we can survive having a long-distance relationship, or we both agreed to—"

"Tori is your One," Hunter interrupted flatly, and turned to stomp off into the crowd again.

"Well, that settles that," Blake muttered, rolling his eyes as he started off after Hunter. "Do you want to let Tori know, or should I? Because I'm not looking forward to informing her that she's my soul mate because you said so. I definitely think you should do it."

"I'll tell her the next time I see her," Hunter said with a shrug.

Blake panicked. "Don't you dare!"

"Would you quit whining and help me out here? I've got to find her."

Blake glared at him. "Okay. Fine. Let's say Tori's my One and this Vi girl you've invented during a head injury is your One. How do you know? How can you be absolutely sure—?"

"You just _know,"_ Hunter interrupted, frustrated. "It's not something that you reason out. Love is blind and illogical and unpredictable, but when you see her, when you look into her eyes and your entire soul reacts to her presence, you know. You know that she's The One and you have to do everything in your power to be with her because if you don't, if you let that opportunity pass you by, you'll never know happiness again."

"…Uh-huh. And when did you figure this out, exactly?"

"The moment I saw Vi."

"Oh, okay. So it has tradition behind it."

"You'll understand once you get to know her."

_"You_ don't even know her!" Blake wailed. "Would you listen to yourself? Hunter, what if you spend all this time tracking her down and it turns out she's a serial killer? Huh? What then? What if she's mean or evil or cheats on her taxes or wears smelly perfume or doesn't like crimson or—?"

"She's perfect," Hunter interrupted, glaring at him.

"Sure. Most mirages are." He took a deep breath and drew himself up to his full unimpressive height, planting his feet and glowering up at Hunter. "That's it. We're through. You're going to stop this. I am not going to spend the entirety of Power Rangers Day stalking some girl who doesn't even exist just because you _think_ you're in love with her, understand?"

Hunter smirked at him. "Suit yourself. I'll catch up with you later."

"Hunter…"

"Hey guys!" Dustin called, bouncing over to them. "What are we up to?"

Blake sighed, defeated. "We're looking for Hunter's girlfriend."

Dustin gave Hunter a startled look. "I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

"I don't. Dustin… do you believe in love at first sight?"

Dustin mulled it over for a second. "I never really thought about it, but my sister says she falls in love at first sight every weekend, does that help?" Hunter and Blake stared at him. "I guess not. So… Hunter's in love?"

"Yes," Hunter said.

"Unfortunately," Blake said sourly.

Dustin shrugged. "Okay. This place is full of cool people, isn't it? I just met this guy with an _awesome_ cape."

Hunter froze. "Cape?"

"Yeah, it was yellow with—"

Hunter suddenly seized two fistfuls of Dustin's shirt and hauled him to within an inch of Hunter's nose. "What did he look like?" Hunter demanded.

Dustin stared at him, too confused to be alarmed. "Uh… red hair. Thin. Not that tall."

"Was his name Chip?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

Hunter lifted Dustin up by the front of the shirt so that Dustin was dangling half a foot off the ground. "Was he with anyone?"

"Uh, yeah. Some girl."

"What was her name?"

"I don't know, she didn't say. She just rolled her eyes while Chip and I talked comic books."

"That's her!"

Blake gaped at Dustin in disbelief. "You mean she actually _exists?"_

"Who?"

"Which way did they go?"

Dustin pointed. "Um, that way I thi—whoa!"

Hunter dropped Dustin, who only just managed to keep his footing, and charged off in the direction Dustin had pointed. Blake hurried after Hunter, grabbing Dustin by the arm and pulling Dustin along. "Dustin," Blake breathed, "I think you found the girl Hunter thinks he's in love with."

"I did?" Dustin blinked at him in surprise, then grinned. "Cool!"

They charged through the crowd for a while, Hunter barreling people out of his path, Blake and Dustin keeping close behind him. After ten minutes or so, Hunter snarled and rounded on Dustin. "Where'd you see them last?"

"Over there, by the guy selling elephant ears. I—"

Hunter ignored him and marched over to the vendor, pulling out his wallet. "I will give you fifty bucks for any information related to a girl with red streaks in her hair."

The vendor stared at him. "Kid, I don't know if you've noticed, but just about everyone has red streaks in their hair. Or blue. Or black or pink or white or yellow or green. This is Power Rangers Day. I'd be a fool to even _try_ keeping track of the colors."

Hunter snarled again and the guy recoiled. Blake put a restraining hand on Hunter's shoulder. "Come on, Hunter, they couldn't have gotten far. And they _are_ here somewhere. We'll find her in no time."

Hunter shrugged off Blake's hand but stopped snarling in rage. "Fine. We should split up. We need to cover more ground."

"But they're not holding still; it's not gonna matter how much ground we cover if they're on the move. And anyway, what would Dustin or I do if we found her?"

"Call me and hold her until I get there."

"Oh, that'll go over well. 'Hi, excuse me, could you please stand still until my psychotic older brother gets here? He thinks he's in love with you.'"

"Hey!" called Tori, coming over with an unfamiliar girl in tow.

"Hey, Tori!" Dustin said cheerfully. "Hey, we're looking for some girl whose friend has great taste in comic books." He held up a hand to indicate Chip's height. "He's about this tall, red hair, wearing a yellow cape; his name's Chip. The girl has anger issues and red streaks in her hair."

"What?" Tori asked with a laugh.

"Why are you looking for Chip and Vida?" the unfamiliar girl asked.

Hunter stiffened and fixed his full attention on her so intensely that she leaned away on instinct. "Vida?" he demanded. "As in Vi?"

"That's her nickname, yeah," the girl said. "Why—?"

"Have you seen them?" Hunter demanded.

"We just ran into them a few minutes ago," Tori said. "They're going to meet up at the information booth in an hour. Why—?"

Hunter vanished in a streak of crimson. The girl looked around wildly, but no trace of Hunter remained. "What on Earth…? Why's he looking for Vida?"

"You know her?" Blake asked.

"She's my sister. Chip's my friend."

"Oh!" Dustin grinned at her and extended his hand. "I'm Dustin, Hunter's friend."

"I'm Madison," she replied, shaking his hand. "Who's Hunter? Was he the one who just left?"

"He's your future brother-in-law," Blake said wryly.

"Huh?"

"My brother is in love with your sister."

"Huh?"

Tori fixed Blake and Dustin with a stern gaze. "What did you two do to Hunter?"

"We didn't do it!" Blake exclaimed.

"Dude, I just got here!" Dustin insisted.

Tori didn't look convinced, but before she could argue, someone shouted "Madison!" and Tori cringed as a tall brunette boy came over.

"There you are!" The guy hurried up to Madison, then caught sight of Tori. "Oh. Hello again."

"Hi," Dustin said cheerfully. "Are you related to Vida too?"

The newcomer gave him a politely confused frown. "No. I'm her friend, Xander. I didn't know you knew Madison and Vida, Tori. It's like we're old friends."

"You know Tori?" Blake asked.

Tori started to reply, but Xander once again cut her off. "I just met her today. Helped her find her boyfriend Blake."

Blake stared at him. _"I'm_ her boyfriend Blake."

Tori put her hand over her eyes, as though hoping by blocking her view she could make it all go away.

"No you're not," Xander said. "Her boyfriend Blake is taller and older and—"

"And _me,"_ Blake insisted.

"No, he was—"

"I think I of all people would know if I was her boyfriend Blake! Tori, tell him I'm your boyfriend Blake!"

Half-hidden beneath her hand, Tori's face twitched for a moment through a variety of expressions before settling back on the stern look she'd given Blake and Dustin a moment ago. "Not until you tell me what you did to Hunter."

"Don't change the subject!" Blake retorted.

"Who's Hunter?" Xander asked.

"Some guy who's in love with Vida," Madison explained helpfully.

"Who in their right minds would fall in love with Vida?" Xander wondered aloud.

Dustin jerked his thumb at Blake. "His brother, Hunter."

"That explains it," Xander said wisely, nodding at Blake, who glared at him.

"Look," Blake fumed, "I'm already having a weird day. I still haven't figured out how my brother fell in love with her sister—" he pointed accusingly at Madison, as though the whole thing was Madison's fault— "but I _do_ know how _I_ fell in love with Tori and I do know that my name is now and has always been Blake. Well, except for maybe it wasn't before I was adopted, but that isn't the point!"

He turned to Tori, who smiled at him. "Oh, Blake. That's so sweet."

Xander looked at Dustin. "Do _you_ know what's going on?"

"Actually, I've been lost for a while now," Dustin confessed.

"Don't try to make this a Kodak moment!" Blake shouted at Tori. "Who is this guy and why does he think you have another boyfriend named Blake?"

"Yeah, Tori," Xander said with an infuriating grin. "Who am I and why do I think you have another boyfriend named Blake?"

For the third time, Tori started to speak only to be interrupted by Xander. "In fact," Xander continued, "isn't that him now? Coming out of the trees towards us?"

Mortification flashed on Tori's face as she spotted a disheveled Adam emerging from the tree line and making his way across the field. "Um…" she began, but once more Xander spoke over her.

"Let's go say hello, shall we?" he said, and without waiting for a response, he bounded over to Adam, the others close behind.

Adam saw them coming and stopped, waiting for them to approach. His eyes darted from the beaming Xander to the horrified Tori to the frustrated Blake. Then he seemed to sag in resignation.

"Hello, _Blake,"_ Xander called brightly as they came within hailing distance. "Good to see you again. You remember me, Xander. Funny story—this is Tori's _other_ boyfriend Blake." He gestured at Blake as if he was showing off a game show prize.

"What's going on?" Madison asked.

"Yeah," Blake said, coming to stand in front of Adam and glowering up at him, "what's going on?"

Adam looked Blake square in the eye and announced, "I was just attacked by an army of circus folk."

Blake continued glaring for a moment, then sighed. "I know exactly how you feel."

"Xander!" came a girl's voice. "Where have you _been?"_

Everyone turned to see a girl with red-streaked hair stomping towards them, a cape-sporting boy in tow. "Hey, Dustin!" the boy called.

"Chip!" Dustin exclaimed. "Look, Blake, it's your future sister-in-law."

"What?" asked Tori, Madison, Adam, Blake and Xander.

"Don't you ever disappear on us again!" Vida growled up at Xander, glaring furiously at him. "I thought we'd never find you in this crowd!"

"Sorry, Vi," Xander said. "I got a little distracted by this girl who has two boyfriends named Blake."

"What?"

"You're Hunter's Vi?" Blake asked her.

"Hunter?" Vida snorted. "Not him again."

"You guys know Hunter?" Chip asked.

"Who's Hunter?" Xander asked.

"Vida's new boyfriend," Chip explained. Vida elbowed him, hard.

"Vida's got a boyfriend?" Xander repeated in surprise.

"No," Vida snarled.

"This is the girl Hunter's in love with?" Tori asked.

"Well, Hunter's stalking her," Blake confirmed.

"Why is Hunter stalking her?" Tori demanded.

Blake jerked his thumb at Adam. "Can we get back to why Xander thinks _he's_ your boyfriend?"

"Wait, I thought you were dating Tanya Sloan," Dustin said to Adam.

Madison's face lit up. "You're dating Tanya Sloan?"

"I think he's dating Tori, Vida, and some guy named Hunter," Xander said.

"No, Blake's dating Tori and Hunter's stalking Vida," Madison said.

Adam's cell phone rang and he clawed at his pocket to pull it out. "Hello? T.J.? Oh, thank god. Tell me you've got some big important emergency and you need me to come help right away. …Wow, really? Okay, be right there." Adam hung up. "This was fun and all, but I've got to go. Oh, and if anyone here runs into a girl named Sabrina, you've never heard of Adam Park."

Adam rushed off. The others stared at each other for a moment.

"So," Chip said, "who exactly is Adam Park?"

* * *

"Okay, future reference?" Adam said wretchedly. "The desperate need to dress me up as a Tenga and sic me on the townspeople so that you can publicly defeat me does _not_ qualify as 'some big important emergency.'"

Cassie giggled. "We'll make a note of that."

Adam sighed. He was morphed and surrounded by the Space Rangers, Karone, Wes and Eric, and wearing pieces of three different monster costumes on top of his morphing suit—the body of a Tenga costume with the head of Goldar and the clawed feet of a monster Adam wasn't familiar with; the tag on the costume had read "Termitetron."

"How did I let you people talk me into this?" Adam demanded.

"I'm not sure," Carlos replied apologetically. "Something about being mistaken for someone else's boyfriend and Scorpina asking you out and life being a violent circus. We couldn't really follow what you were saying. You were kind of ranting."

Adam sighed. "Whatever. Fine. Sure. Let's get this over with. How do you want this to work?"

T.J. recited the plan. "Lightspeed Rescue is waiting just inside the tree line on either side of the entrance. You head west until you run into Kelsey, who will help you climb a tree and jump from there onto the roof of the public restrooms. She'll signal us, and we'll morph, while Wes, Eric and Karone run out of the trees and do some secretive conversation with the mayor thing, just to make it all look good. Once you're on top of the restrooms, yell and howl. Be monstrous. Lightspeed will surround the restrooms and keep everybody back. We'll swoop in on the Galaxy Gliders, give everyone a show. Then Carlos is going to put your dead body on his Galaxy Glider and fly you out of the park. You guys go grab a bite to eat, hang out for a bit—"

_"That's_ why I agreed to this!" Adam recalled. "A free ticket out of the park!"

"Once you guys are out of here, it's back to Power Rangers Day for us, and Carlos will catch up with us later. You can come back by if you want—"

"No, thanks," Adam said flatly. "I think I'll go wait at the Youth Center until it's time for the beach party. I like that idea the best."

"Just be careful," Ashley warned. "There are a million ways this could go wrong. I think we've thought of all of them, but still."

Adam shrugged as best the Tenga suit would allow. He didn't really understand the logic behind this, and he certainly hadn't been thrilled at the prospect of more weirdness, but at least this weirdness had politely asked him to help, as opposed to dropping an army of clowns or a lovesick former villain on his head. Besides, once it was over and Carlos flew him out, he could get in his car, go relax somewhere and wait for the beach party without being blindsided by random freak accidents every twenty minutes. By then someone would have explained that Australian guy to Blake and someone would have broken the your-protégé-was-making-out-with-your-ex-girlfriend news to Tommy and Adam's blood pressure would be back within a healthy range.

"Let's do it," Adam said wearily. "I can't wait for this day to be over."


End file.
